“For most of human civilization, we believed that we were Earth’s most dominant species. We believed that life could only exist on the surface of the planet. Well, after a certain point of view, you have to wonder what else we were wrong about. In the beginning, Hollow Earth lived in harmony with the surface world. The Titans were the guardians of nature, and the Great Apes became the protectors of humanity. But a great evil threatened the peace. A powerful and ruthless ape desperate to conquer the surface world led his tribe into war against the one they call the Monster Who Ate a Star. The war with the Apes nearly destroyed Godzilla. But after a great battle, he imprisoned the apes in a fiery realm of Hollow Earth. Their false king remains obsessed with reaching the surface. The Iwi call him the Skar King.”
That in a nutshell is the plot of the latest Monsterverse film from Legacy and Warner Brothers. It’s called Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, and we’re told the X is silent. And here I thought it was some kind of a multiplier.
The film starts with Kong having a toothache. Now that’s an epic story right there. So when your 300-foot gorilla has to have a tooth replaced, who you gonna call? No, not those guys. You’re going to call super vet Trapper, played by Dan Stevens. He’s one third Indiana Jones, One third Guardians of the Galaxy’s Star Lord, and one third Ace Ventura. So he comes along and switches out Kong’s canine with a metal implant, so Kong’s back in action, and just in time. Godzilla has been on a new tear, and Jia (Hottle), the last remaining member of the civilization that lived in Hollow Earth, is getting some strange vibes. Something big is going on in Hollow Earth, and it is drawing her to its center. So Ilene Andrews (Hall) returns (with most of her hair gone this time) and seeks the help of podcaster and conspiracy-seeker Bernie Hayes (Henry). He’s the only one who seems to be able to translate these codes, so we need to strap in for another trip into Hollow Earth.
There is an evil rising in Kong’s old domain. Turns out there is an entire civilization of giant apes. They are all kind of scruffy and almost look like ape zombies, and they are led by a bad dude called Skar King. Yeah, that’s not a typo; that’s how he rolls with his name. Kong arrives in their little kingdom after meeting a small ape with a lot of attitude. His name is Suko, but it’s never mentioned in the film. In fact Suko tries to lead Kong into a trap and eventually to the other apes. A lot of arguing and fighting ensues, but here’s the problem. They are in a kind of desert wasteland, and there is nothing to show any kind of scale. These guys dress up in war paint, and for all of the sound and fury this could just as well been Planet of the Apes. We go a long time with no dialog. These guys grunt at each other and fight. Skar King has a pretty awesome pet. That’s Shimo, a Titan that looks a lot like a primitive Godzilla. He’s bigger, and instead of hot radioactive breath, Shimo has an ice ray that would make Mr. Freeze envious. Apparently Shimo was the one who caused the last ice age, and unless these bad guys are stopped, he’s going to pull an “oops, I did it again” routine. Skar King controls him with a blue crystal he keeps at the end of a whip made from some unfortunate creature’s vertebrae. Kong gets a bit of that frostbite on his arm, and good ol’ vet expert Trapper fixes him up with a power glove that was likely built by Tony Stark. Of course Godzilla shows up and wants to kick Kong’s behind, but Mothra comes and gives him the 411 on who the real baddies are. So it’s a team-up that reminds me of a bad imitation of a buddy cop movie, with Suko being Joe Pesci. You can’t make this up. Well … of course you can; that’s what director and writer did with his cohorts Terry Rossio and Simon Barrett.
If all you’re looking for is a typical kaiju romp, you’ll get all that you want. There are as many creatures in this one as any other Godzilla or Kong film ever made. But what they don’t get is as much story or character development. The film relies much too heavily on these creatures and their own “inside” motivations that we miss out on any kind of serious story points. The characters are all pretty much just types. The adventurous rogue is played by Dan Stevens. The comic relief who got himself more than he bargained for is Brian Tyree Henry. The cute little girl with the powers and answers is played by Kaylee Hottle, and the scientist is once again played by Rebecca Hall. They are cardboard characters who kind of end up as background noise while the adults deal with their stuff. Not a single character is compelling, and we’ve seen their antics a thousand times before. The film relies on the opening up of Hollow Earth and what’s going on there than anything else. We finally get the kind of scale all-out rumble we’ve waited for with everyone fighting it out in Rio. That’s when things get fun, and it lasts maybe 10 minutes. Maybe next time?
Godzilla fans aren’t going to be so happy with the film. Even though he gets top billing in the title, he’s in the film less than 15 minutes. This is Kong’s movie; make no mistake. There’s also the controversial color change from blue to pink. It comes when Godzilla absorbs another creature’s energy. I’m OK with it, but there have been some complaining, at least on the web.
Video
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The IMAX ratio that was used in theatres during some parts is not included here. The film remains in a constant aspect ratio. The ultra-high-definition image presentation is arrived at with an HEVC codec at a rather constant 75 mbps. This is likely the most colorful and detailed of the films so far in the franchise in their UHD releases. The HDR provides some wonderful enhancement to many of the creatures both in vivid colors and tight contrast. There are bird-like creatures that sport bright yellow and blue, which is rather stunning in this transfer. The HDR’s contribution to contrast is best noted with the new monster Shimo, who is a slightly blue luminescent creature in a lair of near complete darkness. The sharpness of the contrast is quite nicely rendered. The areas of Hollow Earth also contain different lighting, from the darkness of the Skar King lair to the bright jungles that are Kong’s home, and these differences are displayed quite convincingly. Black levels are deep, and you get a world filled with shadow definition. It’s a system show-off piece to be sure.
Audio
The Dolby Atmos audio presentation defaults to 7.1 on most other systems. Sound is a very immersive element here. The subs bring the depth and helps create the monstrous scale of the entire project. There are some room-shaking moments, to be sure. The score allows for those rousing and emotional beats and literally blends nicely with the action. The sparce dialog comes through fine, but there really isn’t much of it at all. A lot of growls and grunts, but they cut nicely, too. The surrounds help with all of this world-building, as you do often feel surrounded by these creatures and sounds. Anything from wings fluttering to the soft rush of wind all allow you to feel very much a part of the world.
Special Features
There is only a UHD disc in this release. The extras are included here, but they are short pieces in all and didn’t take a lot of the disc’s storage capacity. You do have to do a lot of unnecessary button work to get to these brief segments because they are often put in sub-categories, and I will admit that it makes navigation more than a little tedious.
Day Of Reckoning: (5:58) This feature covers the entire franchise. You get cast and crew from all of the films as well as plenty of clips from each. It’s a build-up to the current film.
The first “category” is Evolution of the Titans with two features, one on Godzilla (Godzilla Evolved): (5:32) and one on Kong (Kong’s Journey From Lonely To King): (5:44)
Next is a three-part, The Battles Royale. Here we get a look behind the scenes of three of the film’s battles. Each about five minutes long.
The Intrepid Director is a two-part look at Adam Wingard, and both are complete lovefests. Big Kid: (3:43) and Set Tour: 3:44)
The Imagination Department: (3:47) Wingard shows off advanced storyboards and concept art to tell us some of the story beats.
The Monarch Island Base – Portal To Another World: (5:32) A behind-the-scenes look at the lagoon’s underwater portal to Hollow Earth that is Monarch’s doorway to the world there.
The Evolution Of Jia – From Orphan To Warrior: (5:56) We get a profile of the Jia character and plenty of insight from the actress.
Bernie’s World – Behind The Triple Locked Door: (3:28) We get a set tour of Bernie’s apartment.
Final Thoughts:
Of course, the real draw is always going to be the monsters. That’s what puts an otherwise weak link in the franchise as the number 2 film of the year so far at the box office behind Dune Part Two. None of that is going to matter, because the Deadpool/Wolverine film is going to finish the year on top. So there’s a whirlwind yet to come before the 2024 box office champ is crowned. “Buckle up, you beautiful people.”
