In Godzilla vs. Kong, the middling American franchise poses a new question: what if we focused on the monsters and not the idiotic ants that are human beings? And to that question, the fans say, “Well no f**king shit.”

After the overtly serious but well-made Godzilla set the tone, Kong: Skull Island demonstrated what happens when you let your script spiral out of control. Godzilla: King of the Monsters continued the trend, pitting Godzilla not only against Ghidorah but the inanity of incredibly dumb humans saying and doing dumb things. People faulted the first 2014 film for not having enough monster mayhem, but it was a far superior creation than what followed.

Godzilla vs. Kong takes things in a different direction than its predecessors, treating Godzilla and especially King Kong as its protagonists while humans scatter around them, attempting to influence nature. The humans still play a significant role, as Millie Bobby Brown returns and is joined by a few recognizable faces to provide a voice to the action. While the human storylines still distract some from what everyone is paying to see, the characters this time around don’t seem nearly as idiotic and troublesome as they did previously. Their actions largely serve the plot in believable ways, if “believable” is a word to be used about a giant ape and lizard duking it out across the globe.

New-to-the-franchise director Adam Wingard (You’re Next, The Guest) doesn’t inject the type of humor you’d expect from him--Godzilla vs. Kong is very much in the franchise’s style more than anything else--but he’s a director who seemingly better understands what audiences want and don’t want than those who came before him.

And in that regard, Godzilla vs. Kong offers plenty of monster vs. monster action, including multiple battles between the two beasts/saviors and other action sequences that pit them against various other entities. While some of the shock and awe has dissipated after four films, those looking for explosive sequences will be highly satisfied with the product on display here.

While I prefer the 2014 film over this latest incarnation, there is no denying that Godzilla vs. Kong is a more fan-friendly affair. It dumbs things down, but more purposefully and less obnoxiously than the last two entries, while increasing the action.

So, what if we focused on the monsters and not the idiotic ants that are human beings? Well, no f**king shit it’s more entertaining.

 

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.