Summary
- Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire's first reactions praise the epic action and bold colors.
- Some viewers take issue with the film's simple story and lack of interesting character drama.
- These reactions continue a Monsterverse trend, with Godzilla vs Kong, especially, leaning into the kaiju action above all else.
new villain known as the Skar King, who is shaping up to be the biggest threat they've faced yet.
Ahead of the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire's release date, the first reactions to the movie are now making their way online. According to the first reactions, the sequel, for better or worse, continues the Godzilla vs Kong trend of prioritizing non-stop kaiju action above character and theme. Check out select reactions below:
"Tons of wild kaiju action, a brutal villain for Kong, a powered-up Godzilla, Dan Stevens having a blast, some legit surprises, and so many colors," writes Aaron Neuwirth.
John Nguyen also shares praise for the action, but writes that Skar King "wasn't threatening overall" and "the human story was forgettable."
Heroes Unbound praises the movie for delivering "pure fun on a huge scale."
Michael Lee shares the sentiment that the human element is lacking in the film, but concedes that "audiences coming for the fights alone are getting a supremely awesome tag team match."
"Brian Tyree Henry & Dan Stevens are fun together," writes @BeanzGotGamez, but he affirms that "this movie belongs to the giant monsters."
Andrew J. Salazar shares praise for Wingard's direction, writing that he "fully embraces the tone of a fantasy rock opera, complete with a synth-heavy score, heavy metal visuals, and killer 80s needledrops."
Ian Sandwell calls Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire "the most enjoyable MonsterVerse movie yet, the one where it feels like everybody understood the assignment," though he does says the "story is a bit thin."
"Just like playing with your favorite toys as a kid, this movie is a whole lot of fun," writes Ben F. Silverio.
According to Tessa Smith, the movie "misses more than it hits" due in part to "an extremely slow start due to lack of dialogue."
Bill Bria writes that the film "is like an '80s cartoon come to life" due to its intense colors, and that "Dan Stevens is having a ball."
Godzilla X Kong's Reactions Continue A Monsterverse Trend
The New Empire Prioritizes Action & Spectacle Over Character
If there's one criticism that has plagued almost all of the Monsterverse movies, it's that the human drama and emotion feels like an afterthought compared to the kaiju action. While earlier movies like 2014's Godzilla and its sequel, 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters, did attempt to balance human stories with city-wide destruction and titan fights, Wingard's first entry in the franchise essentially does away with this. Godzilla vs Kong is a movie that delivers basically what is on the tin, with the conflict between the two titular monsters taking center stage.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
Godzilla (2014) |
76% |
66% |
Kong: Skull Island (2017) |
75% |
69% |
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) |
42% |
83% |
Godzilla vs Kong (2021) |
76% |
91% |
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023–) |
89% |
78% |
As seen in the chart above, this approach seems to have worked. The Godzilla vs Kong reviews were mostly positive, and it boasts the Monsterverse's highest audience score. There's no pretense that the movie is about anything other than Godzilla and Kong fighting each other, and there's no deeper emotional or thematic layer at work here. The first reactions to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire suggest Wingard has doubled down on his spectacle-over-substance approach in the sequel.
In addition to Stevens and Tyree Henry, the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire cast features Rebecca Hall, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen.
Whether one likes or dislikes the movie really seems to come down to how accepting one is of a movie mostly built around spectacle. For some, bold colors, inventive action sequences, and destruction on a large scale is enough, while others evidently are craving human drama to anchor all of this. Judging from the reactions so far, those who enjoyed Godzilla vs Kong are likely also going to find plenty to like in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Source: Various (see above)
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
- Release Date
- March 29, 2024
- Runtime
- 115 Minutes
- Director
- Adam Wingard
Cast
Ilene Andrews
Brian Tyree HenryBernie Hayes
WHERE TO WATCH
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire unites iconic monsters Godzilla and Kong in a colossal confrontation. As these ancient titans clash, humans delve into their shared origins and explore the enigmatic secrets of Skull Island.
- Writers
- Terry Rossio, Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Jeremy Slater
- Franchise(s)
- Monsterverse
- Studio(s)
- Legendary Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
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