When it comes to monster movies, I don’t have high expectations. So long as I get to see a few titanic beasts/mechs/aliens beat the life from one another, I tend to emerge from the theatre happy. In that vein, Godzilla vs. Kong is a great monster movie. It delivers on what you’d expect and even gives a little extra. Sure, the plot isn’t groundbreaking and the majority of the characters are relatively shallow, but the movie makes up for it with some amazing visuals and brilliant fight scenes.

Plot and Characters

The plot in Godzilla vs. Kong isn’t anything special. Characters are fairly shallow, built on cliché and driven by simple goals. I was never left feeling like I didn’t have an idea of what was going to happen next. There is some minor complexity in the character of Nathan Lind – he demonstrates some basic character growth, beginning the film as a coward but then proving his courage later by risking his life twice, once to save Ilene Andrews and her adopted daughter Jia and then a second time when he detonates a HEAV (effectively a sci-fi anti-gravity spaceship, but for going underground instead of into space) to restart Kong’s heart. Other characters remain much the same throughout the film, serving more as props to deliver amusing one liners and help push the story forward to bring Godzilla and Kong within punching distance of one another.

Kong is presented as the hero of the story and the film does a good job of creating empathy for our giant ape early on by giving him relatable and admirable traits. Rather than being a smooth-brained rampage monster Kong demonstrates compassion for a deaf girl called Jia, acting as her guardian and transforming into a ‘gentle giant’ whenever she approaches him. Jia also manages to teach Kong sign language, further humanising him as he begins to communicate with other characters his desire to return home. He grows from big murder monkey into a homesick protector – monster no more.

Godzilla, on the other hand, is portrayed as the villain of the film. His first appearance shows him beelining for an APEX facility, APEX being a tech company owned by one of the real villains of the film. Godzilla doesn’t hold back, destroying jet fighters and obliterating the facility, doing a good job of terrorising the civilians in the area at the same time. Though it is later revealed that Godzilla only attacked because he was provoked by the introduction of a new titan – Mechagodzilla – I found that it was hardly much of a redemption, considering the lack of care he had for human life during his attacks. Godzilla’s priority to be top monster seems to outweigh any compassion he may have until the end of the film, in which he uncharacteristically allows Kong to live after Kong helps him to defeat Mechagodzilla.

Fortunately for Godzilla’s character, he is saved by the fact that the real villains of the film are a bit worse then he is. Mechagodzilla, possessed by the spirit of Ghidora, appears to desire supremacy at the cost of all human life, placing Godzilla on slightly higher morale ground – after all, Godzilla only steps on humans if they get in his way. Walter Simmons, the creator of Mechagodzilla, also positions himself lower than Godzilla in the morale food chain by demonstrating negative qualities to achieve his otherwise semi-reasonable goal of creating a titan to defend humanity. Though his goal isn’t inherently evil, the way he goes about it – by lying to the people who were trying to relocate Kong and then stealing a powerful energy source from Kong’s homeland – puts him in the position of a bully who will do anything to get what he wants. Of course, Simmons gets his just deserts when Mechagodzilla squishes him mid evil speech. Nice.

Visuals

The movie looks fantastic. The monsters look incredible and they never leave the screen for too long. The lighting in this movie is also brilliant. I’m a sucker for neon lights, and I was not disappointed. Neon is used everywhere, from secret diner meetings to secret underground facilities to secret underground titanic ape homes (was that what that was?). Staging the final battle in Hong Kong at night when the city is aglow with colour was such a great decision and offered a nice parallel to Godzilla’s electric blue laser-beam state.

The fight scenes are complimented by the strong lighting and detailed models of Kong and Godzilla. The action is never obscured, and the battles are kept fresh through variation in setting. The first fight between Kong and Godzilla occurs on the ocean, forcing Kong into some difficult situations that make for great viewing. The second fight takes place in the neon city of Hong Kong, the evening setting bringing out the colours of the neon city and highlighting things like Godzilla’s atomic breath. The final battle takes place during the day, and against a completely new opponent – Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla looks stunning, with the same amount of detail as Kong and Godzilla. Mechagodzilla also sports an impressive scorpion tail thing and plenty of ominous glowing red lights. It’s everything you could really ask for.

Needless to say there are also plenty of pretty explosions. Very satisfying.

Audio

This was a loud one. Maybe a little too loud. While potentially just an issue with the cinema I watched it at, the volume was insane at times. While it certainly helped to convey the sheer scale and power of the titanic monsters, it also helped bring me a few years closer to cochlear implants. I certainly won’t be forgetting Godzilla’s iconic roar anytime soon.

Conclusion

Overall, Godzilla vs. Kong was classic monster movie fun. Tune your expectations correctly and you’ll have a good time – just consider bringing earplugs.

Sources:

Images sourced from Screenrant: https://screenrant.com/godzilla-vs-kong-movie-images-hd-characters/