• Home
  • Podcast
    • Specials
  • Interviews
  • Movie Reviews
  • TV Reviews
  • DVD Reviews
  • Columns
  • News
    • TV News
    • Film News
    • DVD News
    • Online Entertainment News
    • Space News
    • Music News
    • On Stage
    • Geeky, Funny & Weird

Slice of SciFi

This is How We Geek Out: Interviews, Reviews & More

  • Writers, After Dark
  • The Babylon Podcast
  • Slice of SciFi TV
  • Charlie Jade Verse
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
“Godzilla vs Kong” and the necessary fun of monster movies The popcorn fun and nostalgia of giant monster fights wins the day

“Godzilla vs Kong” and the necessary fun of monster movies The popcorn fun and nostalgia of giant monster fights wins the day

April 1, 2021 By Noah Richman Leave a Comment

Godzilla vs. Kong is a movie that requires no summary when it comes to niceties like plot and narrative. The only real questions are does it deliver on the monster fights and does it let the story get in the way of the action, and the answers happily are yes to the former and no to the latter. With that out of the way, it should also be stated that the film actually does a pretty good job balancing character/story building scenes with the fight sequences so that the action doesn’t completely overwhelm the movie as one might expect with a Transformers sequel. The viewer is left to walk away from this experience feeling triumphant and invigorated, rather than clobbered and exhausted.

The story, such as it is, involves a group of scientists being hired to venture into the Hollow Earth (think Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth) in search of a power source sought after by a corporation that has developed specialized crafts built to withstand the “reverse gravitational field” that has doomed previous expeditions.

The guide used for this journey is none other than Kong himself. At the same time Madison (Millie Bobby Brown’s character from Godzilla: King of Monsters) and a couple of her friends go on a quest to discover what may have caused Godzilla to attack Pensacola, Florida seemingly unprovoked. All of this provides a rough framework for what the movie really sets out to achieve, and that’s lots of sequences of monster smashing.

Godzilla vs Kong (2021)

Watching Godzilla vs. Kong took me back to watching old Godzilla movies on Saturday mornings as a child. The exposition and characters would often get in the way of what I was really there to see, which was the magic of guys in rubber suits wrestling one another and knocking down toy buildings. Godzilla vs. Kong appears to have been made by someone who gets it, someone who is making a movie aimed at that 10-year-old kid who knows what it is they’ve come to see. The end result is ludicrous and dumb, with preposterous plot devices and action sequences that strain credulity, but for the most part it works so long as the audience is willing to turn their brains off and go with it. I did find King Kong wielding an axe to be a bit much (he’s the freaking king of beasts, what’s he doing using tools like a human!?!?) but the battle sequences were otherwise effective and the advertised final showdown with Godzilla proved to be altogether satisfactory.

In total, Godzilla vs Kong is a ridiculous but fun popcorn movie that delivers on its premise. Arthouse cinema lovers may want to look elsewhere, but B-movie fans, 10-year-olds, and adults looking to channel their inner 10-year-old will find much to enjoy.

Recommended. 3.5 out of 5 stars.


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.

Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, with Kyle Chandler and Demián Bichir
Directed by Adam Wingard
Screenplay by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein
Story by Terry Rossio and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields
Based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO CO., LTD.

"Godzilla vs Kong" and the necessary fun of monster movies
3.5

Summary

In total, Godzilla vs Kong is a ridiculous but fun popcorn movie that delivers on its premise. Arthouse cinema lovers may want to look elsewhere, but B-movie fans, 10-year-olds, and adults looking to channel their inner 10-year-old will find much to enjoy.

Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)
Share on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on FacebookShare on Email

Filed Under: Film Reviews

About Noah Richman

Noah Richman is President of the Phoenix Fantasy Film Society, the longest running group dedicated to sci-fi/fantasy movie fandom in the Phoenix area. An avid board gamer, he has also amassed a library of immersive sci-fi/fantasy themed strategy games. A life-long film buff, Noah enjoys film commentary and criticism and has been having a blast writing film reviews for the Slice of SciFi website.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
Audio Productions
Awards News
Book News
Book Reviews
Columns
Comics News
DVD News
DVD Reviews
Entertainment Business News
Events
Fan Films
Fan Productions
Film News
Film Reviews
Gaming News
Geeky, Funny & Weird
Human Interest
Interviews
Music News
On Stage
Online Entertainment News
Science News
Slice of SciFi
Slice Video News
Space News
Specials
Technology News
TV News
TV Reviews

Slice

Follow Slice of SciFi

  • twitter
  • youtube
  • facebook

Listen to Slice of SciFi

  • iheartradio
  • playerfm

Subscribe to Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsiHeartRadioPodchaserTuneInRSS
  • Movie & TV Reviews

Father's Day - Deals on 4K UHD Collections

Recent Comments

  • Lou Tambone on Finding “The Joker”: Rich Handley and Lou Tambone on a complex villain: “Thanks! Always a pleasure!”
  • Sean on “Oppenheimer” is a cinematic tour de force: ““Tour de Force” is exactly what I said to the buddy who invited me to this as we left the…”
  • Erik on “The Lazarus Project” Episode 3 and who controls the singularity: “Louis, I agree with most of what you are saying here. Vinette’s portrayal of the multiple birth scenes however; while…”
  • Mark on Reviewing “Return to Sender”: “It was a movie settle down”
  • Greg R. on “Hotel Artemis” offers splendid lodgings: “Hotel Artemis – I just had the chance to watch Hotel Artemis again on SHO and looking for an answer…”
Tweets by Slice of SciFi
death to humans 160x600
Save 20 on all pre-order statues at TFAW.com!

Slice of SciFi
415 Pisgah Church Rd #302
Greensboro NC 27455
602-635-6976

Artwork:
Slice of SciFi spiral logo designed by Tim Callender

Theme Music:
Slice of SciFi music and themes
courtesy of Sci-Fried

Sister Sites:
Writers, After Dark
The Babylon Podcast
Charlie Jade Verse
Slice of SciFi TV

Slice

Copyright Slice of SciFi © 2005–2023 · WordPress · Log in