Just going by the title alone, audiences should know what kind of movie they are going into when they go into Godzilla vs. Kong. Most likely, they are going to be going into this for one thing and one thing only: to see these two beloved Titans face off. I'm happy to say that this is a film that delivers on it's promise with style and fervor. It never once takes itself seriously and we are all the better for it.
Godzilla makes his first appearance in the five years since he defeated Kong Gihdorah as he attacks the Apex Industries in Pensacola. While most people think it is an unprovoked attack by Godzilla, Madison Russell (played by Millie Bobby Brown) knows from her previous experiences with him that something there must have provoked and drawn Godzilla there. She teams up with her friend Josh (played by Julian Dennison) to seek out Bernie Hayes (played by Brian Tyree Henry), an Apex employee who also runs a Titans conspiracy podcast Madison listens to religiously. Meanwhile, Apex CEO Walter Simmons (played by Demian Bichir) recruits Dr. Nathan Lind (played by Alexander Skarsgard) to man a mission to Hollow Earth, a completely separate ecosystem at the center of the Earth where it's believed that the Titans come from. Nathan decides the best chance to succeed is the other known living Titan on Earth, Kong, is their best chance at success. He heads out to Skull Island and convinces the researcher overseeing Kong, Dr. Ilene Andrews (played by Rebecca Hall), to allow him to take Kong from Skull Island to guide him to Hollow Earth. She begrudgingly agrees on the provision that she and her adopted daughter Jia (played by Kaylee Hottle), the last of the Iwi natives that lived on the island and who has befriended Kong, accompany him. Of course, removing Kong from Skull Island immediately alerts Godzilla to the presence of another Titan on Earth setting the stage for an inevitable confrontation between the two.
The film was directed by Adam Wingard from a script by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein. Together, they manage to craft a remarkably satisfying clash between two favorite and beloved Titans while gleefully leaning in to the absurdity that the premise inherently suggests. The film also builds on the films that came previously, namely Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island. The filmmakers manage to come up with a reasonably satisfying way of setting up the film's numerous confrontations between Godzilla and Kong. The first one while they are still transporting Kong from Skull Island (while once again staying with tradition and not showing exactly *how* they got a tranquilized Kong from the Island on board the ship). The mid-sea confrontation is one of the standouts of the film just in terms of not only spectacle but because Godzilla has the clear advantage as a good swimmer. Still, Kong holds his own as the two Titans come to blows while balanced on a Aircraft Carrier like it was a surf board. This film is also the one to finally go fully into the Hollow Earth theory as we actually get to see some of our characters venture into the so-named Hollow Earth, brought to life with some dazzling and fun special effects as well as getting to delve into at least a little backstory of Kong's ancestors. This all leads to the final showdown between Godzilla and Kong in the neon drenched streets of Hong Kong as the two deliver an epic smackdown on one another that does result in a definitive winner, unlike some other "versus" films in the past.
The film has also assembled an impressive cast for the film, with both Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler returning from the previous Godzilla movie. Of the two, Millie Bobby Brown is decidedly given more to do as she sets out to prove that Godzilla did not attack Apex randomly but was specifically provoked. She does well in adventure girl mode as she gets deeper and deeper into her investigation into what is going on at Apex alongside Julian Dennison and Brian Tyree Henry, all three of them working very well together and are a lot of fun to see play off one another. Kyle Chandler doesn't really get a lot to do this time around except to react what's going on and be a worried parent, yelling at other people. But honestly, that's what Kyle Chandler is good at and he makes the most of it here. Rebecca Hall does a fine job as Dr. Ilene Andrews and her relationship with her adopted daughter Jia, played wonderfully by Kaylee Hottle, adds a lot of heart to the film, as well as Jia's relationship with Kong. I really enjoyed Alexander Skarsgaard as Nathan Lind, especially the fact that his character isn't the typical heroic type, but a bit nerdier and is very intimidated by Kong (understandably so).
Godzilla vs Kong is just the sort of big budget, needs to be seen on the big screen popcorn entertainment we need right now. This is a fun slice of big, goofy entertainment that knows it's big goofy entertainment and never pretends to be anything else. I can't help but appreciate and even love a movie like that.
