Dog’s Movie House: “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” Fun, Energetic Monster Romp!

“The New Empirte” picks up where the previous film left off, with Kong the guardian of the Hollow Earth while Godzilla protects the surface world from the occasional Titan threat. Kong, while looking for other members of his family (so far he’s the last of his kind) accidentally manages to open an ancient prison where apes such as he are subjegated by a nasty ape called The Scar King. Their appearance sets off a chain of events that leads Godzilla to tear about the Earth, chargining himself up with obscene levels of radiation in order to take on this new threat. The Scar King also has control of a huge Titan named Shimo, a creature so powerful (she breathes ice instead of fire) that she was responsible for the last ice age. She’s working against her will as the Scar King holds her hostage through pain, but that makes her no less dangerous. It’s up to Godzilla and Kong to put aside their rivalry in order to put this new threat down for good.

Oh yeah, there are human characters too. Familar faces played by notable actors Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kaylee Hottie return to the fold to help Kong and Godzilla defeat their foes. Also joining the bunch is the talented Dan Stevens as Trapper, a Titan “veteranarian” as well as an old classmate of Rebecca Hall’s Ilene Andrews. They all do as well as they can with the script (by veteran scribes Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slater) but the focus here is clearly on the monsters and not the people.

I happen to think that this is good decision by Windgard and his team. Godzilla, Kong, and the others are the real stars of the show. As a result, they get the bulk of the character development. Kong especially gets to expand his role as the guardian of the Hollow Earth, with his interactions with his bretheren (especially a growing bond with a juvenille ape) being dramatized with as much, if not more, heart than his human counterparts. There is definitely something relatable when Kong finds himself unable to convince Godzilla to help him in his quest (he does get help from an unexpected source, mind you.).

The effects work by Weta Digital along with Wingard’s masterful direction of monster mayhem, give “The New Empire” an energy that never grows repetitive. The story beats have just enough strength to keep you interested and the film builds to an appropriately bonkers finale, both honoring and improving upon the classic Godzilla battles of the old Toho films. And speaking of Godzilla; he doesn’t get as much screentime as Kong, but boy does he make the most of it. His transformation is well done and impressive and when he finally cuts loose. . .let;s just say you want to be somewhere else. . .like Mars. The film also does a good job of depicting Godzilla as a creature concerned with the overall health of the Earth rather than a guardian of humanity. This means he’s not particularly concerned with whether or not people get in the way while he’s going about his business.

Overall “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” is a wonderfully energetic giant monster movie featuring two of the most iconic behemoths of all time. It’s not nearly as good as “Godzilla Minus One” from a few months ago as it lacks the emotional and well-developed human characters, but it makes up for it in terms of monster action! See this one on the biggest screen you can find! You won’t be disappointed! 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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