Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire review (2024)

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a love letter for monster movie fans with intense, massive battles between behemoths.  Even better, the human subplots actually add to the film instead of being a drag on the monster smashing fun.

If you’re tuning in for some deep philosophical movie on the environment, science and technology, you’re better off skipping Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire altogether. In the mood for a fun, check your brain at the couch and get a thrill watching big CGI creations punch, kick, bite and otherwise wallop each other? This is a full blast that’s probably more fun than it has any right to be for the low requirements of this genre.

Following the events in Godzilla vs Kong, the two titans have a shaky truce so long as they stay in their respective corners. For Kong, that’s Hollow Earth — a mythical land in the Earth’s core. There, Kong gets to truly be king battling against a variety of would-be challengers to his throne. Godzilla roams through the oceans and lands on the surface defending the planet against threats from other titans.

Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall, Iron Man 3) is growing concerned as her adopted daughter, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), is having visions and possible premonitions about a new threat in Hollow Earth. When communications with outposts stationed in Hollow Earth go dark after reported some unexplained phenomenon, Ilene and Jia head back.

Joining them for this expedition is the returning conspiracy podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry, Bullet Train) and newcomers Trapper (Dan Stevens), a Titan veterinarian, and Monarch escort Mikael (Alex Ferns, Andor), to provide a little crotchety attitude.

Director Adam Wingard also returns, which was very welcome as he more than made good on the promise of the 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong. He finds a better balance with the humans this time largely from streamlining the cast to a more intimate group as the film progresses.

Early on, there’s a group of Monarch operatives in a submarine tracking Godzilla’s movement. Thankfully, screenwriters Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slater don’t give them any tacked-on storylines or character development since they won’t matter in the long run. Essentially, they’re just the narrators for what Godzilla is up to before he arrives in Hollow Earth.

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Wingard again does a commendable job of keeping the action progressing through Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Instead of rushing to have them team up, Wingard gives them smaller battles and nuisances to overcome. This reinforces that the two titans are the baddest on both sectors of Earth and that it’s going to take a significant threat to give them a real fight.

These battles might be the appetizers for the main event throwdown, but they’re very exciting clashes with excellent fight choreography that fully conveys the damage and impact of the titanic fights.

Cinematographer Ben Serensin also returns with another dazzling array of colors both in the Hollow Earth landscape, the portals between the realms and power effects. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire might be a smash ’em-up monster movie, but it doesn’t have to look cheap. The stunning CGI work on the titans is impressive and makes for a tremendous showcase film for a theater room.

Godzilla innately knows a threat is coming and is storing up energy for the next big battle by taking out other titans.

While traversing Hollow Earth, Kong unexpectedly befriends a baby ape, Suko, who isn’t quite sure what to make of the massive titan. This leads to some funny moments as Suko sizes Kong up in a few scenes before realizing he can trust his larger pal. That certainly helps when Kong comes into contact with the real threat of Hollow Earth — the titan Skar King, who is just as formidable and dangerous as Kong. With an ape army and cruelty to give him a greater advantage.

Kong barely survives this initial encounter, but with the help of Ilene and Trapper, he gets an upgrade to better match up against Skar King and his army. And when it is time for that big throwdown, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire over delivers once again with some intense action sequences that have enough screen time to feel like a satisfactory big clash. This isn’t some five-minute anticlimactic face off, but a full-on paying off exactly what audiences tuned in to see in the first place.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the best installment of this Godzilla/Kong series and it’s strong enough to suggest there’s still plenty of life in this franchise

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. 

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