Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) Review

So, I recently went on a long trip so on the plane I had plenty of time to watch some films with the first one being Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire as I missed the chance to watch it when it came out in the cinema, now here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees Kong trying to survive and find his place, when a new being comes into his life he must seek Godzilla to take down his enemies. 

Main Character

Do not let the title of the film confuse you as this is more a Kong film then a Godzilla film. Kong is handled really well here, it was awesome to see him in action and I actually cared about his character wanting to see him succeed. But Godzilla is barely in this film, he is so poorly used and it was frustrating that this character gets nothing to do, but I guess that is due to Godzilla having way more screen time then Kong in this franchise. 

Supporting Characters

Luckily this film has less focus on the human characters but they are still here. Rebecca Ferguson is back as Ilene Andrews and she is functional here, her character isn't particularly interesting but Ferguson is a good enough actor to make it pretty much work. 

Brian Tyree Henry also reprises his role as Bernie Hayes and I actually found him pretty annoying here, he is so over the top and ridiculous that it took me out of certain scenes. It just feels like he is trying to do his best Ryan Reynolds impression and it doesn't work. 

This is funny because Dan Stevens plays Trapper and he is also annoying. I love Stevens, but he is also ridiculous here and it is really jarring to watch as he really isn't funny despite the film thinking that he really is. 

Story

I liked Kong's story, seeing him going through the natural world was pretty cool and how the other members of this world react to him which leads him on a journey to fully become a hero. But again Godzilla doesn't really have a story and feels like he is dragged into the plot because he is in the title of the film. It is a bit of a cliché ending and it doesn't do that much for the franchise or for me. 

Script

The scripts in these Monsterverse films have never been the strong suit and that follows here. The writing is poor, the humour is way too forced and the jokes just didn't make me laugh and I never cared enough about the drama because of the way it was conveyed on screen. 

Style

The film looks fantastic, if you like your Monster action scenes then you will be happy with these as they are over the top and exciting as you would want from a film of this style. The film is also paced well enough and shows more of Kong then has been in certain previous films. 

Overall

Overall, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is an average film. It is fun watching the Monsters fight but this film offers very little new and it just feels like an easy and lazy film that hits the beats that you would expect and I think this is a film you watch in the background and don't really hunt out. 

Rating - 5/10

Godzilla vs Kong (2021) Review

After what feels like forever, Godzilla vs Kong has finally come out and despite the disappointment of having to watch it at home I have watched the film today and here is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees the two biggest Titans Godzilla and Kong have to collide in order to determine who is the true king. 

Main Character

For me this film focuses more on Kong then Godzilla and I am okay with that and Kong is handled really well in this film. He is given a sense of humanity and I really grew to care about Kong and wanted to see him get a happy ending and it is so entertaining seeing him in the action scenes. Godzilla isn't given as much character as Kong but he is still great and I will never get bored of seeing him in all of his epic glory which the film does really well. 

Supporting Characters

Millie Bobby Brown is back from the previous film and I thought she was decent in her role here. The character's story doesn't work and is part of a larger problem but she gives it her all and a fun performance which is rare to see in these films. Rebecca Hall plays a new character who is more linked to Kong and she is good in her role, she just fits it very well with the character and I just thought she was decent in the role. Though the rest of the cast do suffer, Alexander Skarsgard plays a scientist and I just feel like he was miscast in this role, I just never bought him in the role and it didn't help that his character was bland and not once are you ever given any reason to care about him or his task. Then all the human villains are as generic as they come, Eiza Gonzalez is totally wasted and I just wish more was done there. Also Brian Tyree Henry and Julian Dennison are in the film, mostly as comic relief but for me despite their obvious talent it just didn't work here and I am guessing that is mostly down to the writing. 

Story 

The story is okay, I really liked Kong's story and how they made him a way more sympathetic character and it made the clashes with Godzilla have more weight to them and make at least some of the fights have more context and investment towards them. But my biggest issue with the plot is just how safe it plays it, no spoilers but if you watched the trailer for this film then you can predict the film in a pretty easy way and that is a big let down. Especially, when I think there was more interesting things that could have been done here. 

Script 

The script does have some okay drama to it and it had real heart which the previous films failed at. But the overall writing for the plot is very weak and I guess I jut wanted a bit more then the film gave me and there is way more humour in this film but I see why they avoided it as it isn't well done here at all. 

Style

This is the one part the film has to get right and I am happy to report that this film is great to look at. The fight scenes between Godzilla and Kong is brilliant and feels huge in nature which is all you can ask for with a film like this. The film is also paced well, it is less then 2 hours and that makes the film feel more often and keeps the film moving at a nice pace. 

Overall

Overall, Godzilla vs Kong is a good film that delivers on the aspects of the film that it wanted to. For me it is probably the best film in the monster verse and if this is the end then it can go out on a high. 

Rating - 7/10

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) Review  

Here in the UK Godzilla vs Kong finally comes out so my last step in prep work came today with watching Godzilla: King of the Monsters and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees 5 years after the events of the previous film Godzilla has gone missing and is forced to resurface when other Titans rise up to threaten the world. 

Main Character

The film has Godzilla in the title so I guess that is where I should start and Godzilla is awesome in this film. He gets more to do and we see way more of him in his epic glory as he fights more interesting Titans in this film and this is finally the Godzilla we truly deserve and the film does a great job in making him super cool in this film. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is out as the main human lead replaced by Kyle Chandler and though he is a bit better then Johnson he still is a weak element of the film. In a film where lets face it we are rooting for Godzilla, it doesn't help when one of the main characters on screen is basically against him and it makes him a character that is hard to like or care for. 

Supporting Characters

Millie Bobby Brown plays his daughter and I thought she was good, she is the character we are meant to root for other then Godzilla and her character is actually handled pretty well. I mean she isn't amazing or anything but she is a young actress who does a good job with the material that she is given to work with. Ken Wantanabe is back as the number 1 Godzilla fan and he is good again, he is a fun character and clearly he is somebody who enjoys himself when making these Godzilla films for sure. Charles Dance plays a bad guy and he is entertaining, the character is rubbish which holds it back but Dance is really trying to make it work and because he is so good it almost works. Also the Titans are much cooler in this film and they are way more interesting then the majority of human characters. The issue is there are other characters where it doesn't work Vera Farmiga's character is awful here, her whole motivation and character arc is absurd and really pulled me away from the interesting parts of the film . The team of protagonists is much larger here and there are these generic army guys and comic relief scientists and they just don't work, there are good actors here and it just feels like there talents are wasted. 

Story 

The story involving Godzilla and the rest of the titans is easily the best part of the film. As we find out more about them and there backstories, the fights are given way more weight and depth to them because of the time taken with the lore and time the Titans get. The problem is like the majority of these monster films is that the human characters and their story just falls flat, There is a twist quite early on in the film and it made me just kind of check out of the human story line and though not terrible it just makes me wish the focus would go more onto the Titans but I don't think that will ever happen. 

Script 

The script is okay, there is some good drama and emotional moments that despite my lack of interest rises the human characters up a bit and its decent enough for an okay script. Though this film isn't as stoic as the first film the humour is pretty weak and just didn't work despite the obvious attempt. 

Style 

Easily the best part of the film is the style. This film looks amazing and finally gives these Titans the presence and fight scenes that they truly deserve. The previous film spent way too long hiding Godzilla but this film shows him in all of his glory and the action fits the magnitude that it deserves. The pacing of the film is very good too and it the film seemed to flow very nicely and kept the tians on screen for as long as possible. 

Overall

Overall, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is an above average film. In terms of these Monster films this is the best one yet but it still falls flat, it is clearly style over substance and if you want to see these monsters fight then yeah this is worth a watch but be prepped for the weaker human elements. 

Rating - 6/10

Kong: Skull Island (2017) Review

With Godzilla vs Kong coming to the UK next week, I thought it was about time to re-watch the previous film involving one of the characters Kong: Skull Island and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a group of people from different backgrounds travel to an unmapped island in order to see what is there when they come up against the King of the island - Kong. 

Main Character

For these monster films, I always think the most important character is that of the monster and Kong is done fantastically well in this film. Kong is huge in this film and it is at its best when it shows him just wrecking shop and it is showcased incredibly well. There is some humanity to Kong and I think the film does a really good job in showing that and making him a more likeable creature. But then we get the human lead played by Tom Hiddleston and this is an actor I really like but he kind of sleepwalks through this film and offers very little. His character is paper thin and it just feels like he doesn't fit the role he is given and I think similar to Aaron Taylor Johnson in Godzilla these lead human casts struggle against there larger counterpart. 

Supporting Characters 

Samuel L Jackson plays an Army leader in the film and he is having some fun and living up in his role. He is basically the main one going up against Kong and it is very cool seeing what feels like these two forces of nature going head to head and really Jackson is the only person I imagine playing this role. John C Reilly has a role here and I think when I watched the film before I didn't like him but now I thought he was a really entertaining part of the film and adds heart to the feeling of the film. Towards the last act he literally became the only person I cared about and wanted to see get off of the island and credit has to go to him for that. But the rest of the cast did very little for me, Brie Larson is similar to Hiddleston. She is an actor I like but her character offers very little and the two of them have very little chemistry together and again I think it is mostly the script which makes them feel like weak characters. John Goodman starts off okay, but the film basically forgets about him and he becomes more weird as a character and it feels like a missed opportunity to use his great acting talent. Also Toby Kebbell is a good actor who is totally wasted in this film and he literally could have been played by anybody and that is a clear waste.

Story 

The story has some good elements to it, the background and characterisation of Kong is really well handled and I did like the fact that the film managed to create this feeling of anyone could be taken out at any point which few films can do. But this film fails in making you care about the majority of the human characters and with this cast that is almost a crime and the film does suffer from that in a large way. 

Script

This is the weakest element of the film and for me really hinders the actors portrayal of the characters. None of them are given anything interesting about them and the script does nothing to make you care and even though there is a giant ape fighting creatures you still need human characters to care about when they are the main elements of the film. 

Style 

Now onto the best part of the film, this film looks fantastic and has some awesome action sequences. The film does the right thing in not hiding Kong and has plenty of scenes with him throwing down with his fantastic look. The film is paced well and I was never bored which makes this part of the film at least a success. 

Overall

Overall, Kong: Skull Island is an average film. Everything to do with Kong is great it is just the human element of the film that holds it back and for me unless you are a big Kong fan this is worth a miss this time. 

Rating - 5/10

Godzilla (2014) Review

With Godzilla vs Kong set to come out in the near future, I thought it was about time I re-watched the films in the monsters universe so far and that is starting with the film Godzilla and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees the world under attack by ancient monsters when one comes out of hiding to set back the balance of the universe. 

Main Character 

Lets get onto the character that the film is named after and that is Godzilla and he is awesome in the film. His look is so cool and I just love how large they made him, he is so big and the film does a great job in showing the scale of the character and just how epic he is despite the lack of screen time. Now onto the main human character, who despite the lying trailers is actually Aaron Taylor Johnson and I thought he was really bad in this film. I like him as an actor but this just wasn't a role for him and this character was so boring. He is a generic army guy and I never grew to care about him at all in the role. 

Supporting Characters

Now onto the character the trailer made out was the main character and that is Bryan Cranston. I love Cranston, he is an acting juggernaut and he acts rings around everybody in this film, in the first 15 minutes he delivers a tremendous performance and really makes you care about his character. It is just such a shame he isn't in the film that much and the studio lied to people to try and convince them that Walter White vs Godzilla was going to happen but it doesn't. Ken Watanabe and David Strathairn play roles in the film and I have chucked them together because they are both fine in their roles but there isn't too much depth to them and despite giving decent performances you just want a bit more. The Great Elizabeth Olsen plays Taylor Johnson's wife and I didn't really like her in the film, I just feel like she is a weak character and wastes such a great actress. I mean I also found it weird seeing Quicksilver & Scarlett Witch married and that probably affected it a bit. 

Story

The story has some interesting things to it, especially when it focuses on Cranston's character as he really provides the emotion for the film. You learn a bit about the origins of Godzilla and the monsters and that is done pretty well as a good introducing point for this new universe being built up. But this story just didn't get me invested in the vast amount of the characters, its hard when world ending things are happening when you don't care about the people. Also this film in particular hides Godzilla for way too long, I get the idea but we needed more Godzilla in a film called Godzilla. 

Script

The script has some decent dramatic dialogue and shock to hear that Cranston delivers the best of it. But this an incredibly sombre film and is incredibly heavy for a film that sees a giant lizard fighting other creatures. I'm not asking for a comedy but maybe something to lighten the mood a bit during the film. 

Style 

The style of this film has some truly jaw droppingly amazing moment, Godzilla and the other monsters all look fantastic and are on a larger then life scale which leads to a final battle that is of epic proportions and really delivers on spectacle. The issue is and I am not sure if it is just me but I found this film to be lit very darkly, I knew cool things were happening but I couldn't see plenty of it and that infuriated me even more. 

Overall

Overall, I actually think this is an average film. Every time I watch this film I enjoy it less and I now realised that this isn't a particularly great film and I actually think this doesn't do Godzilla justice so maybe give it a skip. 

Rating - 5/10