"Godzilla vs. Kong": Movie Review
Written By Alex Greenbaum
The prior films in the Godzilla/Kong cinematic universe have been a mixed bag. 2014's "Godzilla" was an entertaining although underwhelming experience; "Kong: Skull Island" maintained its B-movie camp with solid results; and "Godzilla: King Of The Monsters" failed completely. And here we are with "Godzilla vs. Kong" in 2021, a monster mash film that displays some exciting sequences, that sadly only span 25 minutes. The remainder of its time is spent around some abysmal storytelling, horrific acting, and a script that made me want to get up and scream. There's no excuse for director Adam Wingard ("You're Next") or screenplay writers Eric Pearson ("Thor: Ragnarok") and Max Borenstein ("Kong: Skull Island") to so ineptly craft a film where the existence of an excellent foundation had already been constructed.
Two bright young scientists look to use the mighty Kong against the ferocious Godzilla whose unexplained acts of violence become the cause for great concern.
Failures do happen, but when legitimately solid actors such as Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgård, and Brian Tyree Henry appear uninvested and misdirected (maybe even miscast), the red flags ultimately get raised. On more than a few occasions "Godzilla vs. Kong" embarrasses itself to levels of incompetency that unfortunately fills most of its runtime. This is including one of the worst villains in recent memory, along with a few performances by Millie Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison, and Eiza González that will make you wince in disbelief. And it doesn't end there, as its musical score is just as putrid, which is comprised of music by Bobby Vinton and The Hollies that are integrated poorly into the introduction and conclusion.
The moment-to-moment monster fights (when they do happen) are fun but lack the weight and gravitas the prior installments executed so well. The neon-lit Hong Kong fight scene comes closest to representing what fans have been waiting for, but, again, gets interrupted by an incessant amount of ludicrous dialogue. Forcing the audience to be held hostage to its inane characters that lack dramatic involvement or comedic timing is torture enough, but to be exposed to it for nearly seventy percent of its runtime feels like a cinematic crime.
Besides enjoying the likes of Godzilla and Kong battling it out a few times, "Godzilla vs. Kong" is an insufferable undergoing. A shameful waste of money ($155 million budget) and resources were utilized to concoct a monstrous disaster that no individual should ever suffer through. Here's hoping that Hollywood can produce something that is at the very least competent next time it tries to attempt kaiju cinema.
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