The challenge of the century – or, as the plot indicates, of ancient times – sees a titan monkey battle a titan lizard. Okay, no, I won’t do a disservice to the history of the iconic characters of Kong and Godzilla by merely referring to them by their species. After all, the pair have been a major part of childhoods for decades, transcending generations. The full synopsis for ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ is as such:
“Legends collide in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The epic clash between the two titans–instigated by unseen forces–is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth.”
So, based on the synopsis, does the movie check out?
Mystery & a perilous journey? ✓✓
Spectacular battles & epic clashes? ✓✓✓✓✓
Destruction? ✓✓✓✓✓
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Without giving away too much, let’s get into it –
Mystery & perilous journey:
The plot of the movie isn’t why we’re there to watch it in the first place (let’s be honest, it’s more for the next point on this list) but it could have definitely elevated the movie. In terms of speed, the plot actually moves rather slowly. With two titans, we’ve got two groups of cast – Millie Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison and Brian Tyree Henry for the Godzilla plotline, and Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle for Kong’s. With the split, the two storylines run both simultaneously and independently to add to each titans story arc. But, it’s not difficult to see the direction that the movie is going in, with the #plottwist rather unsurprising. The movie actually reminds me of a different, older one from 2013 that I shall not name in order to preserve this reviews spoiler-free status (if you can guess what I’m talking about or have seen the movie and know what I’m referring to, comment ?!).
Does that make the movie boring? No, not entirely, because…
Spectacular battles & epic clashes:
If you’re in it for the fighting, this movie Has It. Adam Wingard absolutely NAILED the clash of the titans. One of the biggest criticisms that the 2019 ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ got was that its fight scenes lacked clarity. With ‘Godzilla vs Kong’, when Godzilla and Kong are on screen, the jaw-dropping visuals and incredibly realistic moves are – there’s no other way to describe it – EPIC. Where the plot is slow, the action scenes are anything but. The special effects are top-notch; the colours vibrant – there is no shadow-fighting and hard to decipher angling.
With that being said…
Destruction:
There’s A-grade destruction in this movie. We’re talking about the absolute TRASHING of a city. During the movie, I couldn’t help but be glad that, for whatever reason, Malaysia is never placed in the path of monsters/aliens because, after all, it’s only fitting that the scale of destruction measure up to the scale of epicness that the fights bring to the film.
But, the real star of the show is, without a doubt, 9-year-old Kaylee Hottle as Jia, the orphaned Iwi girl bonded to Kong.
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There’s just something in her eyes.
Where the film lacks depth in its plot, it makes up with Hottle’s performance in the movie. From the synopsis itself, we know that Hottle’s character plays a pivotal role in the movie. However, it doesn’t prepare you for just how powerful and stirring her inclusion is. Let’s just say that without Hottle, it would be difficult to connect with the movie. While our nostalgia for the characters and fascination with the battles is what gets you to watch the movie, Hottle’s Jia is what draws you in and keeps you emotionally invested in the titans. She is the key to seeing them as more than just monsters: that both are living beings with feelings and thoughts beyond their primal instincts to be the apex predator.
At the end of the day, the question seems to be: should you watch ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ in the cinema?
Considering how – for a lot of us – it’s been a while since we’ve walked down the aisle of a cinema, if you choose ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ as your return-to-the-cinema movie, you won’t regret it. To fully appreciate the visual masterpiece that are this movies fight scenes, watching it in the cinema would give you the full MonsterVerse showdown that will be nothing short of mindblowing.
‘Godzilla vs Kong’ is out in Malaysian cinemas today, March 24.
*Cover image credits: @reald3d
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