Director: Adam Wingard
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” brings back the mighty Titans in an action-packed spectacle, but like its predecessors in the MonsterVerse, it faces familiar challenges. Directed by Adam Wingard, the film continues the saga following the events of Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), where the two ancient monsters team up once more, this time to face a new threat: the Skar King. This massive ape-like creature emerges from the hidden realms of Hollow Earth, leading to a series of massive battles that define the film.
On the positive side, the film delivers what fans have come to expect—massive, destructive battles between colossal Titans. Godzilla, Kong, and new creatures like the ice-breathing titan Shimo are all rendered in impressive, albeit sometimes inconsistent, CGI. The battle scenes, especially Kong’s encounters in Hollow Earth and his clashes with Skar King, are thrilling, offering plenty of spectacle for kaiju fans.
Kong takes center stage in this sequel, continuing his exploration of Hollow Earth, where he meets a younger member of his species, Suko. Their bonding adds a new dynamic, hinting at Kong’s evolving role as a leader of his kind. Meanwhile, Godzilla spends much of the movie absorbing radiation, staying somewhat sidelined until the final showdown.
The human storylines, unfortunately, remain the weakest part of the film. Characters like Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and conspiracy podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) feel underdeveloped, with dialogue that can be overly simplistic or just plain unremarkable. This lack of depth for human characters has long been a critique in the MonsterVerse, and it persists in The New Empire.
Visually, the film is a mixed bag. Some sequences are stunning, especially those set in the strange, otherworldly landscapes of Hollow Earth, but other moments suffer from rushed or uneven CGI. The monster designs, particularly for Skar King and the titanic battles, are strong, though not always polished to the level expected from a $135 million blockbuster.
Ultimately, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire excels in delivering the larger-than-life Titan battles that fans crave, but its lackluster human subplots and occasionally sloppy CGI hold it back from being a truly memorable entry in the MonsterVerse. Still, for those invested in the ongoing saga of Godzilla and Kong, it offers enough thrilling moments to be worth the watch.