We live in a day and age where almost everyone wants to have a cinematic universe after the success of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. I mean, we now have a universe consisting of killer childhood characters.

It is safe to say that the MonsterVerse is one of the most consistent franchises to exist. You can take that as you will, but you’ll understand exactly what I mean.

After a long and worthwhile setup, Godzilla and Kong crossed paths in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, and now they’re crossing paths again in The New Empire.

The film follows Kong as he tries to find others like him, during his journey, we get to discover more about the mysterious Hollow Earth, this will all lead to an eventual team-up with Godzilla as they come across a threat that’s a danger to both Hollow Earth and Earth.

A common theme that I’ve found with all MonsterVerse films is that they fail to find the balance between the Titans and the humans, and in most cases, the films decide to focus on the human side of things, and it has been clear that it’s just not their strongest factor.

That was until Godzilla vs. Kong, where Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), and Jia (Kaylee Hottle) were introduced. These were three characters from the last film that didn’t make it feel like I had to suffer to get through their storylines.

 

All three characters return, and they’re better than they ever were before. Ilene and Jia take the lead in this film as we try to figure out the mystery behind the messages that Jia is being sent while also trying to figure out Jia’s placement in this world.

 

It’s a story handled with real care and gets a very satisfying ending; it delves more into Jia’s Iwi background. It’s told beautifully and is genuinely one of the highlights of this film when it comes to its story.

 

Jia’s story wouldn’t be nearly as good if it weren’t for Kaylee Hottle’s performance; she somehow manages to steal the show anytime she’s on screen and holds a bright future ahead of her if she keeps up with these killer performances.

As mentioned earlier, Bernie makes a return and is accompanied by Trapper who is played by the talented and hilarious Dan Stevens. These two characters manage to bounce off each other throughout the entire film and never fail to make the theatre echo in laughter. Though without Trapper to bounce off of, Bernie could get quite annoying at times, making me wonder when Trapper was going to come to save him and the scene at hand.

That being said, they’re not the funniest characters in this film. Kong, Godzilla and Suko easily make the experience of watching this film, a good one, but the best experience in the entire MonsterVerse.

The New Empire takes inspiration from the Showa Era, and it shows within the action sequences in the film. Compared to previous entries in the MonsterVerse, there were genuine moments where I was just in shock or laughing because I couldn’t believe what I had seen.

 

Two great instances of this to paint the picture are when Kong uses a simian-like Titan as his weapon to attack the other Titans.

If you thought that was crazy, well, Godzilla suplexes Kong; there’s no simpler way I could put that into words.

An issue I had with previous MonsterVerse films is that I always just wanted more monster action, and the only other film that could offer me a decent amount of monster action, with a variety of it, was Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

That’s now dethroned as Godzilla x Kong takes the crown. Not only is this film very Kong-focused, but it focuses more on the Titans, to the point where I could argue that they got more screen time as a collective, which is a first for this franchise. There’s non-stop monster action; from its opening sequence to the very end, the action never stops.

The overall story of the film is quite simple and lacks a lot; if not for the action sequences or the intimate moments we get between the Titans, there wouldn’t be much to hold this film together. It doesn’t also help that the villain of this film is quite possibly the worst in the entire MonsterVerse.

 

Skar King gets introduced as the primary antagonist, and his first appearance makes him threatening, but later on in the film, I start to doubt that he’s the real threat, expecting something much larger at hand.

 

After just having King Ghidorah and Mecha Godzilla as the main antagonists in the previous films, it hurts to see that streak end as they fail to make Skar King even remotely interesting.

 

Skar King’s major problem, which stems from these other issues, is that he’s a one-dimensional character; he lacks depth, and due to this, it’s hard to ever be interested in the character. This also becomes worse as there’s a secondary antagonist, Shimo, who feels not only does she hold more depth but also serves more purpose to the story being told.

 

It hurts to say, but Skar King is clearly used as an anchor to support and better Shimo’s character development, and though that’s great in hindsight, it ultimately feels pointless when Skar King is not nearly written on as good of a level.

 

The VFX isn’t too bad to the point where I’d have to rant about it, but it can get noticeable during scenes with a lot of Titans, which is to be expected. Overall, the VFX during the action sequences were amazing, and specifically during the last half hour, a specific Titan helps to create one of the most beautiful shots seen within the film.

 

The New Empire takes everything from previous MonsterVerse films and improves upon it by 100. The action is beyond some of the best within the franchise and is worth praising. The balance of the humans might not be the best and the story at times can be quite bland but apart, we get one of the best human stories we have yet to get and also finally get what everyone highly requested, quality time with the titans.

 

The Titans are easily the major highlight of the film with their body language and facial expressions adding so much character to these already beloved beings. I’m not normally a Kong fan but thanks to the time that I got to spend with him in this film and how well he’s written though he has no vocal dialogue besides his roars, I can say that Adam Wingard achieved in making the almost perfect Kong film.

 

It’s a thrilling journey that takes you further into Hollow Earth than we’ve ever been before. It throws you into outrageous moments with its action but pulls you right back in when it focuses once again on Kong or Gia’s journey. The film is without its flaws, but that doesn’t stop it from easily being the best cinema experience that I’ve had in 2024.

Verdict

 

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is never scared to not take itself seriously, and those moments always end up being the most memorable in the film. To put it quite simply, this is a fun film, and if you want to see monsters fight for most of the runtime, then this film will be for you.

 

Is it my favourite film in the MonsterVerse? No. But I can say that it easily could’ve been if not for the forgettable villain and simple plotline.

 

If this is the future of MonsterVerse films with Adam Wingard at the helm, then bring them on. Wingard understands the assignment, and it’s clear that he can take critique and improve upon things in a film, as shown with Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.