By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
If there was ever a movie meant to be seen on the big screen, it’s
“Godzilla vs. Kong.” Bigger is better and honestly, I wish I could have seen this one at my local IMAX theater. Even so, this epic monster mash--which is also showing on HBO Max--certainly didn’t disappoint while viewing on my home theater screen.
“Godzilla vs. Kong,” which reportedly cost $165 million to make, opened in theaters March 31 and awakened the dormant box office with an impressive $9.6 million. It’s the fourth movie from Legendary Picture’s “Monsterverse” series, following 2014’s “Godzilla, “Kong: Skull Island” (2017) and “Godzilla: King of The Monsters” (2019).
Directed by Andy Wingard (“Blair Witch”), “Godzilla vs. Kong,” is just the type of movie our pandemic weary souls need. Muddled storyline aside, it is big, dumb, mindless, and spectacular, fun.
What has made these Titans rise up? Well, screenwriters Eric Pearson (“Thor: Ragnarok”) and Max Borenstein ( “Godzilla” 2014), work with a silly premise, but so what. This is all about seeing the gigantic fire-breathing lizard and mighty Kong lay down a good smack down and boy do they ever.
King Kong has been in a jungle/dome and under the care and watchful eye of Monarch anthropological linguist Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall, TV’s “Tales from The Loop”) and her adopted and deaf daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle). Jia has developed quite a bond with the hairy beast much to the surprise of her mom.
However, trouble is brewing as haughty, Apex Corporation CEO Walter Simmons (Demian Bichir, “Chaos Walking” and “The Midnight Sky”) and his exec daughter Maia (Eiza Gonzalez, “I Care A lot”) have created a technical marvel that is set to rid the world of the Titans once and for all.
Walter recruits geologist/Hollow Earth mastermind Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgard, TV’s “The Stand”) to help him try to locate a power source at the center of the Earth. Nathan is convinced that King Kong can help them on their mission.
APEX employee Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), now a podcaster spouting conspiracy theories, knows the organization is up to something. He along with Godzilla chasers Madison (Millie Bobby Brown, TV’s “Stranger Things”) and her nerdy friend, Josh (Julian Dennison, “Deadpool 2”) plan to find out what’s really going on.
Things suddenly change when they come across Godzilla and hell breaks loose. By this point, the story and the human interactions take a back seat, even though Brian Tyree Henry does offer some welcome comic relief to the monster madness. And it never gets old seeing these icons going at it.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” lives up to the hype and the special effects are pretty spectacular which makes this entry a rousing addition to the Monsterverse.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 6:20 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"GODZILLA VS. KONG "
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
