Battle of the Boops: Godzilla vs. Kong (Review)

SPOILERS!

Stop here if you haven’t yet watched the film!

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Two of Earth’s mightiest Titans, with the most boopable noses, square off in the fourth highest grossing film of 2021.

I was immediately miffed at how the humans had done Kong since we last saw him in 1973. It reminded me of the exam range scene in Men in Black because all Kong ever wanted to do was live at home in peace, guarding his island. But now, almost 50 years later, he’s forced into the role of protector for a human race that he doesn’t particularly care for and that never learns from its power hungry mistakes.

As a whole, for me, there was way too much human screen time (but not enough Brian Tyree Henry who is a literal treasure) during the first and second acts of the film. Godzilla felt like an unlockable character that could only be achieved during the first and then third act of the film. Cramming that many major parts into the plot felt a bit too ambitious for a runtime that was just slightly over 100 minutes.

  • Skull Island
  • Apex Organization
  • Grumpy Godzilla
  • Hollow Earth and the search for Stormbreaker 2.0
  • Rounds 1-3
  • MechaGodzilla
  • Final Boss Battle

That’s quite a bit. In spite of the overload of the film, young actress Kaylee Hottle, who plays Jia, was a standout. Kaylee comes from an all-Deaf family, spanning four generations of Deaf relatives on her father’s side. Her native language is ASL (American Sign Language) and it was used throughout the film. I appreciate seeing this kind of diverse and inclusive casting.

Prehensile tail vs. Opposable thumbs

I will say that the battles between Godzilla and Kong went hard. The backdrop of high-rises and neon lights in Hong Kong set the stage for the brawl for it all: the title of “King of the Titans”. At one point in round 3 Godzilla and his adorable pear-shaped body and short arms, hip tossed Kong in a move straight out of a WWE Smackdown match. It was difficult to watch the two powerhouses hurt each other, though.

However, the film concluded, as most versus movies do, with the main opponents teaming up to take on the larger foe of MechaGodzilla. Once MechaGodzilla was defeated, Godzilla glided back into the ocean to rest and recuperate, and Kong found a new home on Hollow Earth with his friend Jia close by.

7.8/10 – Winner: King Kong

What did you think of the film? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Featured photo: Movieweb.com