Legends collide as Godzilla and Kong, the two most powerful forces of nature, clash on the big screen in a spectacular battle for the ages. As a squadron embarks on a perilous mission into fantastic uncharted terrain, unearthing clues to the Titans' very origins and mankind's survival, a conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures, both good and bad, from the face of the earth forever.

Godzilla vs. Kong basics

As you probably know, Godzilla and King Kong both have long movie and pop-culture histories.

King Kong burst on the scene in the 1933 movie King Kong. In that film, the giant gorilla-like creature is found on Skull Island, its home, by an American filmmaker, and dragged back to the US to be exhibited. Kong falls in love with a human woman, Ann, played by Fay Wray, and inevitably breaks loose and grabs her, climbing to the top of the Empire State Building before being shot down by airplanes. But you can't keep a great ape down -- Kong returned in numerous sequels and remakes over the years, first taking on Godzilla in 1962.

Godzilla first appeared in the 1954 Japanese movie Godzilla, as an enormous sea monster powered by radiation -- thought of as a metaphor for nuclear weapons after the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The dinosaur-like monster has radiation-given powers, including atomic breath, and retreats back into the ocean after its battles. It often tramples Tokyo and kills people, but it's been known to fight alongside humanity. Kong aside, its usual opponents are fellow kaiju -- a Japanese word for giant monsters -- such as Rodan, Mothra and others. Godzilla is such a pop-culture icon that it even starred in a 1978 American cartoon, Godzilla, where it had a comedic sidekick nephew, little Godzooky.

The 2021 film

Godzilla vs. Kong is the fourth film in what's called the "MonsterVerse," a series of films about the two giant monsters from Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. It all started with 2014's Godzilla, which was followed by 2017's Kong: Skull Island, and then 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Godzilla vs. Kong finally brings the two biggies together to fight it out.

Story:

It is a story of Godzilla and Kong, Kong needs to protect the planet from Godzilla, who goes on an unprovoked rampage.

Review:

Godzilla emerges from the depths of the ocean to attack a facility owned by Apex Cybernetics. This prompts Dr Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård) to team up with Dr Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and convince Kong to defend humans from the mighty reptile. Dr Andrews is the adoptive mother to Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a hearing and speech impaired girl who is particularly fond of Kong. Meanwhile, Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) suspects Godzilla has valid reasons for his seemingly malicious act of aggression. Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), a former Apex employee, now runs a podcast based on the conspiracy theory that the company is hiding secrets from the public that could be ground-breaking. Together with Madison and her friend Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison), Bernie seeks to investigate Apex and its CEO Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir).
A creature feature is as good as its colossal beasts, and in that department, ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ is breath-taking. The creature designs are simply stunning to behold on the big screen, particularly in IMAX, and the action sequences are well-directed and executed by Adam Wingard. His technical know-how is on full display as he lends the set pieces with a clarity previously unseen in this monster-verse franchise. They’re supported by astonishing cinematography and effects that are seamless. However, the film is narratively bereft of logic, and the wafer-thin plot is littered with holes. Some segments, such as the journey to Earth’s inner core, are fascinating to look at but raise puzzling questions in the bargain.
Despite the cast putting their best efforts into their respective roles, there are hardly any emotionally impactful elements in the film. Some of the characters are merely filler, having little to no consequence. The roles played by Eiza González, Demián Bichir and Kyle Chandler come to mind. The most compelling angle is the bond between Jia and Kong, but it does not have much room for exploration before the next action sequence. Despite its shortcomings, ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ is exactly as advertised. It certainly delivers on its promise as a massive monster clash, and adrenaline-driven movie lovers will be visually rewarded for catching this spectacle in cinemas.

How To Watch:

Godzilla vs. Kong is out in the US on March 31 in cinemas and on HBO Max. In countries that don't have HBO Max, the film is supposed to open in theaters on a variety of different dates -- March 25 in Australia, March 26 in the UK, and in some countries, including France and Japan, not until May.