Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, an action-packed monster flick

When I got the tickets for the Godzilla x Kong movie, I didn't have a lot of expectations in mind, except that it's a monster movie with gigantic monsters to awe at. After sitting through the movie's 1 hour 55-minute runtime, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Set in 2027, the events of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (TNE) take place three years after its predecessor, Godzilla vs Kong. The film closely follows the connection of Jia, an orphaned girl of the Iwi tribe who was adopted by Dr. Andrews, a linguist working for Monarch, with Kong. In addition, even though Godzilla takes the spotlight of the title, the movie was partly carried by the depth of character that was portrayed within Kong.

The main plot of the film starts to take form as seismic activities in hollow earth cause Godzilla to start nuclear charging itself as a preemptive measure for an upcoming threat. It is later revealed that the cause of these disturbances is none other than the primary antagonist of the film, Scar King, a giant ape with characteristics similar to that of Kong's species, but with a contrasting personality. The film steadily picks up pace as the crew makes its way to Hollow Earth to check the disturbances by following Kong after he initially resurfaced to seek help with a teeth infection. The crew ends up discovering uncharted territories in the hollow earth, along with a surviving Iwi civilization, leading to the revelation of Scar King's plans of taking over the surface world using the power of the ancient titan, Shimo. To no one's surprise, Godzilla and Kong unite against Scar when the benevolent kaiju and ally of Godzilla, Mothra, intervenes after being revived by Jia through an Iwi ritual of reawakening. The final action sequence is packed with beautiful CGI and fluid choreography worth mentioning.

The film draws emotional parallels with themes of yearning as both Kong and Jia are constantly shown to look for a place to belong. Kong grew up as the lone survivor of his species, while Jia is an orphan from a tribe thought to have gone extinct. The two are shown to share a bond of kinship and mutual understanding. The film also introduces a new character from Kong's species, an infant great ape named Suko who assists Kong in his journey to hollow earth and back and also serves as a comic relief as the duo travels together to accomplish various quests. The way TNE adds subtle but adorable traits to the monsters with scenes such as Godzilla taking naps in the colosseum like a gigantic lizard cat and Kong protecting Suko throughout his journey like an adoptive father adds personality and character to these giant creatures and makes the experience more enjoyable.

To wrap it up, if you're looking for a movie with a plot that will blow your mind, TNE is not going to be your cup of tea. But if you want to see a wrestling event consisting of giant monsters with a big bag of popcorn in front of you, Godzilla x Kong may be the perfect summer flick for you to enjoy with family and friends.