The Secrets Behind Godzilla vs. Kong: How the Movie Brought the Monsters to Life
Godzilla vs. Kong: A Monster Movie Showdown
If you are a fan of giant monsters, epic battles, and spectacular visual effects, you might be interested in watching Godzilla vs. Kong, the latest installment in the cinematic Monsterverse that pits two of the most iconic creatures in film history against each other. But what is this movie about, why is it so popular, and how does it fare among critics and audiences? In this article, we will answer these questions and more, as we explore the plot, reviews, ratings, box office, and streaming performance of Godzilla vs. Kong.
Introduction
What is Godzilla vs. Kong?
Godzilla vs. Kong is a 2021 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard and written by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein. It is a sequel to Kong: Skull Island (2017) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and the fourth film in Legendary Pictures' Monsterverse, a shared cinematic universe that features giant monsters known as Titans. The film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, and Demián Bichir.
godzilla vs kong full movie
Why is it a big deal?
Godzilla vs. Kong is a big deal because it marks the first time that Godzilla and King Kong, two of the most famous and influential monsters in cinema history, face each other in a Hollywood-produced film. The only previous crossover between the two was King Kong vs. Godzilla, a 1962 Japanese film by Toho Studios that was a huge hit at the time but had a different tone and style than the current Monsterverse films. Fans of both franchises have been eagerly anticipating this rematch for decades, hoping to see a spectacular showdown that honors the legacy of both characters.
How does it fit into the Monsterverse?
Godzilla vs. Kong takes place five years after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, where Godzilla defeated his arch-enemy Ghidorah and became the alpha of all Titans. Since then, Godzilla has been mostly dormant, while Kong has been kept in a giant dome on Skull Island by Monarch, a secret organization that studies and protects the Titans. However, when Godzilla suddenly attacks a facility run by Apex Cybernetics, a shady corporation with a hidden agenda, Kong and his human allies embark on a journey to find his true home in the Hollow Earth, an underground world where the Titans originated from. Along the way, they encounter Godzilla several times, leading to a series of epic battles that will determine the fate of the world.
The Plot
The conflict between Godzilla and Kong
The main plot of Godzilla vs. Kong revolves around the conflict between Godzilla and Kong, who are both alpha Titans that instinctively seek to assert their dominance over each other. Godzilla sees Kong as a threat to his status as the king of the monsters, while Kong resents Godzilla for invading his territory and his people. The film portrays both monsters as sympathetic and complex characters, who have their own motivations, emotions, and personalities. The film also explores the themes of coexistence, balance, and respect between humans and nature, as well as the dangers of human arrogance, greed, and interference with the natural order.
The human characters and their roles
The film also features several human characters who play different roles in the story. Some of them are: - Dr. Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård), a geologist and former Monarch employee who is recruited by Apex to lead an expedition to the Hollow Earth with Kong. - Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), a Monarch anthropologist and Kong expert who cares for Kong and his adopted daughter, Jia. - Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a young deaf Iwi girl who is the last survivor of her tribe and has a special bond with Kong. She communicates with him through sign language. - Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown), the daughter of Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler), a Monarch director and former Godzilla ally. She teams up with Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), a conspiracy theorist and Apex whistleblower, and Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison), her friend and hacker, to investigate Apex's secrets and expose them to the world. - Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir), the founder and CEO of Apex Cybernetics, who is obsessed with creating a weapon that can surpass Godzilla and control the Titans. - Ren Serizawa (Shun Oguri), the son of Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe), a former Monarch scientist and Godzilla's friend who sacrificed himself to revive Godzilla in the previous film. Ren works for Apex as their chief technology officer and has a vendetta against Godzilla for killing his father. - Maia Simmons (Eiza González), the daughter of Walter Simmons and his right-hand woman. She accompanies Nathan Lind and Ilene Andrews on the Hollow Earth expedition.
The Hollow Earth and the origin of the Titans
One of the most intriguing aspects of Godzilla vs. Kong is the exploration of the Hollow Earth, a hidden world beneath the surface of the Earth that is home to many ancient and undiscovered Titans. The film reveals that the Hollow Earth is connected to the surface by a network of tunnels that allow the Titans to travel across the globe. The film also suggests that the Hollow Earth is the original habitat of Godzilla and Kong's species, and that they share a common ancestor that was worshipped by ancient civilizations as a god. The film shows that Kong has a connection to his ancestors, who built a massive temple in the Hollow Earth that contains an axe made from one of Godzilla's dorsal plates. The film also implies that Godzilla and Kong's species have a long history of rivalry and war, as evidenced by the skeletons of their fallen kin scattered across the Hollow Earth.
The twist and the final battle
The film also has a major twist that reveals Apex's true plan: to create Mechagodzilla, a robotic replica of Godzilla that is powered by Ghidorah's skull and controlled by Ren Serizawa through a neural link. Apex intends to use Mechagodzilla to kill Godzilla and Kong, and then use it to dominate the world. However, things go wrong when Mechagodzilla becomes sentient and breaks free from Apex's control, killing Walter Simmons and Ren Serizawa in the process. Mechagodzilla then emerges from Apex's headquarters in Hong Kong and attacks Godzilla, who is weakened after fighting Kong. Kong, who is revived by Nathan Lind using a HEAV (Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicle), joins forces with Godzilla to fight Mechagodzilla in a climactic battle that ends with Kong delivering the final blow with his axe. Godzilla and Kong then acknowledge each other as equals and part ways peacefully.
The Reviews and Ratings
What do critics say?
Godzilla vs. Kong has received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its action sequences, visual effects, monster designs, score, and fan service, while criticizing its thin plot, weak human characters, and logical inconsistencies. The film has a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 357 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Delivering squarely on its title, Godzilla vs. Kong swats away character development and human drama to deliver all the spectacle you'd expect from giant monsters slugging it out." On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has a score of 59 out of 100 based on 50 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Some of the critics who gave positive reviews are: - A.O. Scott of The New York Times, who wrote: "The point is to make the audience feel something awe, delight, terror, glee and on that score, Godzilla vs. Kong delivers." - David Ehrlich of IndieWire, who wrote: "The most satisfying studio blockbuster in years, Godzilla vs. Kong is a titanic clash of the titans that makes good on the promise of its title in every possible way." - Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times, who wrote: "Godzilla vs. Kong is a big, loud, goofy, fun and ridiculous thrill ride that delivers on the promise of its title and then some." Some of the critics who gave negative reviews are: - Stephanie Zacharek of Time, who wrote: "Godzilla vs. Kong is a movie made for almost no one, a mishmash of bad science and worse fiction." - Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, who wrote: "Godzilla vs. Kong is a boring and incoherent mess that wastes its talented cast and impressive effects on a nonsensical plot and a dull showdown." - Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle, who wrote: "Godzilla vs. Kong is a colossal disappointment that fails to deliver on its premise and its potential." What do audiences say?
Godzilla vs. Kong has received mostly positive feedback from audiences, who enjoyed its spectacle, humor, and fan service, while overlooking its flaws. The film has an 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes based on more than 25,000 user ratings, with an average rating of 4.4/5. On IMDb, which allows users to rate films on a scale of 1 to 10, the film has a score of 6.5 out of 10 based on more than 200,000 user ratings. On CinemaScore, which surveys audiences on the opening night of a film and assigns it a letter grade from A+ to F, the film received an A grade. Some of the audience comments that praised the film are: - "This movie was awesome! The action was amazing, the monsters were cool, and the story was fun. I loved seeing Godzilla and Kong fight and team up. This is what I wanted from a monster movie." - "I had a blast watching this movie. It was so entertaining and exciting. The visuals were stunning, the music was epic, and the humor was on