The fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire sees the titular character joining forces rather than beating each other up as they did in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. Kong has taken permanent residence in Hollow Earth while Godzilla stomps his way through cities above ground, protecting them from various Titans, but a powerful and ancient threat brings them together in an entirely unexpected way. To be sure, Godzilla x Kong is nowhere near a perfect movie, and it suffers from plot contrivances and underdeveloped characters, but it’s also thrilling and genuinely fun despite its shortcomings.
Godzilla x Kong’s cast of characters sees the return of Rebecca Hall’s Dr. Ilene Andrews, her adopted daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), and Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie Hayes, among others. And though their involvement in the plot takes a backseat to the battles and personal journey for Kong, they get in a few solid moments. Godzilla has a crucial role to play, but The New Empire is more of a Kong story, with his personal journey following his return to Hollow Earth taking precedence. It strengthens the film, preventing it from being a flimsy, empty story.
A variety of Titans appear throughout the film, but The New Empire hinges on the arrival of the Skar King, a power-hungry ape who controls a dangerous icy creature. The Skar King is unhinged and brutal in his approach, reveling in the power he wields and the violence he provokes. There’s a certain thrill that comes with watching the Skar King; the Titan is agile, vicious, and knows no bounds when it comes to getting what he wants. He proves to be an excellent foe for Godzilla and Kong, who set aside their own beef to fight the Skar King.
There are plenty of action scenes before the big fight, all of which are fun, though never too suspenseful. Director Adam Wingard maintains a touch of excitement in the buildup towards the Godzilla and Kong team-up, especially as there is still tension between the duo from the last film. The antagonist is so tantalizing and the final fight sequence so engaging that the payoff feels earned. It helps that Kong has a personal journey of his own, as he initially deals with the loneliness of seemingly being the last of his kind.
To that end, Kong’s relationship with Baby Kong is especially sweet. It starts as antagonistic, but grows into something akin to loyalty. I was rooting for their friendship despite the fact they got off to a rough start, and writers Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater did so much with little dialogue, as did the astonishing VFX team. The entire film really belongs to the Titans, and it’s a great showcase for Kong as he contends with life on Hollow Earth, while paving a new path for himself by the end of the film.
While there is plenty of fun to be had with the monsters and the buildup towards the final showdown, The New Empire’s story feels forced. There’s even a prophecy that tells us what to expect from what’s to come but that is tacked on to give the Skar King’s story more weight. In other instances, Godzilla x Kong is bogged down by exposition that had me rolling my eyes at its apparent direction.
The exploration of Hollow Earth is great, and it does the film a lot of favors to spend so much of its runtime down there, but adding even more unexplored regions (including a subterranean level) felt like the writers were just fishing for a reason to have Godzilla and Kong team up after their last battle. Plot shortcuts are also laughable at times, including one instance that finds Dan Stevens’ Trapper, a vet who cares for Kong, revealing a tool to enhance Kong’s abilities that just so happens to have been sitting in Hollow Earth all along.
Plus, the hyper focus on moving the plot along, conveniences and all, flattens the character relationships. Ilene is faced with the possibility of losing Jia, who struggles to feel a sense of belonging above ground, but Godzilla x Kong has one conversation about it before wrapping it up. The emotional weight of the moment is never felt because the plot moves so quickly. I felt more for Kong than any of the humans, so the balance was certainly off.
And yet, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is genuinely entertaining. Even in its weakest moments, it keeps the momentum going, building toward a finale that satisfies on the Titan side of things. The Skar King is a welcome addition, bringing a sense of terror and calamity to the proceedings. The film is also littered with plenty of humor, with Henry and Stevens, whose character is certainly eccentric, being the highlights. The emotional core for the human characters could’ve been elevated, but if you’re simply here to watch Godzilla and Kong anyway, then the movie isn’t lacking on that front.