'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' Review Thread
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
- Rotten Tomatoes 55% (161 Reviews)
Come to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire for the sheer monster-mashing spectacle -- and stay for that too, because the movie doesn't have much else to offer.
- Metacritic: 47 (47 Reviews)
Reviews
At one point in the film, Godzilla, weary from all that stomping around, lies down to take a well-deserved nap in the middle of Rome’s Colosseum. It’s the most relatable moment in the film.
They aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but fans ought to like it.
The movie can make your head hurt. But not because it’s too convoluted to follow. It’s because the real convolution is: Why are we supposed to care? About any of this?
When Godzilla x’es Kong — whatever the hell that means — everybody wins.
"Godzilla x Kong" is infectiously fun, raucous, and, in the 8-year-old sense, awesome. One will not take much away from "Godzilla x Kong," but you'll leave the theater with a big damn fool grin on your face.
Total Film (3/5):
Frankly, if you’re buying a ticket purely for the behemoth battles then you’ll get your money’s worth: take your pick from a trippy rumpus that defies gravity, a Copacabana beach-off, some Planet of the Apes-esque monkey business, and a literal dust-up at the Egyptian pyramids.
Empire(3/5)
This doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and keeps you waiting too long for the final showdown — but when the creatures collide, it still delivers satisfying thrills.
IndieWire (C):
The people who’ve inherited this franchise are so determined to make it “fun” that they’ve forgotten how to earn that feeling.
IGN (6/10):
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire serves up a berserk dreamscape with plenty of payoff to please the MonsterVerse faithful. Shame about the human stuff, though.
Screen Rant (3/5):
While there is plenty of fun to be had with the monsters and the buildup towards the final showdown, The New Empire’s story feels forced.
The Guardian (3/5):
It’s a still fun yet far sloppier outing, a second round that’s less of a win for us and more of a draw.
The Telegraph (2/5):
It’s giant monsters fighting, the thing constantly shrugs: what else do you want? Ideally a bit more than this.
ScreenCrush (5/10):
On the level of brainless spectacle, it gets the job done. If you consider any other aspect with any degree of thought, you’re going to run into issues.
Slant Magazine (1.5/4):
The last 20 minutes live up to the promise of bludgeoning viewers with plenty of rock-‘em-sock-‘em combat and demolished human landscapes, but what any of it is actually for will be forgotten even before the dust begins to settle.
Synopsis:
The epic battle continues! Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse follows up the explosive showdown of “Godzilla vs. Kong” with an all-new adventure that pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence—and our own. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” delves further into the histories of these Titans and their origins, as well as the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.
Cast:
Rebecca Hall as Dr. Ilene Andrews
Brian Tyree Henry as Bernie Hayes
Dan Stevens as Trappe
Kaylee Hottle as Jia
Alex Ferns as Mikael
Fala Chen as Iwi Queen
Rachel House as Hampton
Ron Smyck as Harris
Chantelle Jamiesson as Jayne
Greg Hatton as Lewis
Kevin Copeland as Submarine Commander
Tess Dobre as Submarine Officer
Tim Cowell as Wilcox
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Screenplay by: Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, Jeremy Slater
Story by: Terry Rossio, Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett
Produced by:Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Brian Rogers, Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod
Cinematography: Ben Seresin
Edited by: Josh Schaeffer
Music by: Tom Holkenborg, Antonio Di Iorio
Release date: March 29, 2024
Running time: 115 minutes