Directed by: Adam Wingard
Written by: Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, based on a story written by Terry Rossio, Michael Dougherty, and Zach Shields
Starring:
Alexander Skarsgård as Nathan Lind
Millie Bobby Brown as Madison Russell
Rebecca Hall as Ilene Andrews
Brian Tyree Henry as Bernie Hayes
Shun Oguri as Ren Serizawa
Rated PG-13 intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language
Runtime: 113 minutes
Once again, we have a historic clash between two beloved characters. I have not seen Freddy vs. Jason (2003), but I doubt it is worth my time. I long anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and was not disappointed. However, the clash between Godzilla and King Kong lies somewhere in between.
The ads and teasers for Godzilla vs. Kong had excitement, anticipation, and thrills written all over them. However, the anticipation of watching the film is the only thing that stayed with me. The special effects are phenomenal, but everything else that didn’t require them was remarkably uninteresting. The human characters, save for a couple, were boring. The story didn’t hold my interest, mainly because it included too many subplots that veered away from the main story and genre. I would compare my viewing experience to eating an apple pie that was either too tart or too sweet. Overall, not quite satisfying.
The film begins with King Kong waking up on Skull Island, just doing his usual thing. He uses the nearby waterfall as a shower and pulls out a tree without trouble. I thought that once he stripped the tree from its stump and branches, that he was going to use it as a makeshift backscratcher. Instead, he hurls it in the atmosphere, and the spear-like tree stops midair. It turns out that Kong lives in a weather-controlled dome having the similarities of his home on Skull Island.
Scientists keep Kong in isolation in hopes of using him to fight any creature from the unknown that may be a threat. Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) keeps a close eye on Kong, and magazines have called her “The Kong Whisperer.” She is also the guardian of Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a child who is both deaf and mute, but has a big heart. Jia is one of the few interesting characters of the film and plays a key role in the story but no spoilers from me.
Godzilla randomly attacks a plant in Hong Kong. Once labeled an anti-hero, Godzilla shifts his status to that of villain. Now is the time to call Kong into action. The battle includes an irrelevant mix of cringe-worthy human characters. Some are heroes, some are greedy villains, and some seem to exist for the sole purpose of insignificant comic relief. I feel like we’ve seen this way too many times before.
One of the good guys is Dr. Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård), who models his wardrobe like Marty McFly. Lind is an intelligent man with a doctorate and a newly published book, but he is not a renowned individual. He still has about thirty boxes of his book in his apartment. Nonetheless, he knows the location of a secret power source. Now, this is the part where I started scratching my head: power source? What does that have to do with a battle between a giant gorilla and a radioactive lizard?
This plot device is one of the shifts in genre. Again, I don’t want to spoil anything, but the film makes a few detours.
Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) saw Godzilla as a hero in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). She still believes that Godzilla attacked for a good reason and that people should not see Godzilla as a villain. Madison makes desperate attempts to convince her dad Mark (Kyle Chandler), the deputy director, of her theory. However, Mark tells his daughter that like people, creatures can change.
Sidebar: Chandler seems to frequently play estranged fathers who won’t try to see eye to eye with their kids. I loved him in Super 8 (2009), but seeing it again here made me roll my eyes. Hopefully, he won’t be typecast.
The story goes in so many directions that it is hard to keep track of what’s going on. I had to remind myself to stay focused because it worked in Avengers: Endgame (2019). At least they all had the same goal, even if they were all many miles apart. Here, it seemed like I was watching three different movies all at once. That took the excitement from me.
I did enjoy the choice of music and the score by Tom Holkenborg. The score was done right and synced up properly. The head of the music department obviously loved the sixties, but it may have been a nod to Kong: Skull Island (2017), which took place in the sixties.
The climax seemed satisfactory to me, but almost everything leading up to it wasn’t. It’s like going on a road trip to the desired destination with little excitement or fun stops along the way. We witness an epic battle, sure, but I think King Kong and Godzilla belong in separate movies. Fans may disagree with me, but I think separate films would allow for more cohesive storytelling.
★★☆☆
