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Godzilla vs. Kong
By Monique Jones,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Blockbuster monster mash is heavy on mayhem, light on story.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Godzilla vs. Kong
Community Reviews
Based on 23 parent reviews
Great CGI can't compensate for awful story.
Godzilla triumphs
What's the Story?
In GODZILLA VS. KONG, the world's two oldest titans, Godzilla and King Kong, meet to have a final epic showdown to decide who is the true king of monsters. Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) goes on a crusade to Hong Kong with conspiracy theorist Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) and her friend Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison) to stop Apex Cybernetics from harming Godzilla. Meanwhile, researchers Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård) try to help Kong find his lost home near the center of the Earth. Ilene's deaf ward, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), the last of her Indigenous tribe, bonds with Kong via sign language, making her one of the few humans Kong trusts.
Is It Any Good?
This movie is great if you only want to see King Kong and Godzilla fight, but aside from their much advertised matchup, there's not much else to it. Characters from previous Godzilla franchise films -- including Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) and his daughter, Madison (Brown), are mixed in with new folks to try to flesh out the Godzilla universe. But regardless of whether someone is from the franchise or is brand new, it's hard to know why we should care about them or their backstories. In some cases, we don't even learn their names until near the end of the film.
That lack of cohesion is also present in the threadbare "story." Godzilla vs. Kong knows that its main draw is the CGI fight between the two titular monsters. Apart from that, there's no coherent plotting or character development. Also, despite the diversity in the cast, including Henry, Hall, Dennison, Shun Oguri, Demián Bichir, and Eiza González, there's no true focus on expanding BIPOC characters' meaning to the plot aside from using them for the optics of inclusion. For instance, Oguri's character, Apex Cybernetics researcher and Mechagodzilla pilot Ren Serizawa, continues the annoying trend in the current Godzilla franchise of having a Japanese character be part of the cast apparently solely to say "Gojira," the monster's actual name. Along with that, he's mostly a sneering henchman for Bichir's character, Apex CEO Walter Simmons. Simmons' daughter, Maya (González), is also simply a flat villain with limited lines. Overall, the film is a mess. But if you just want to see monsters fighting, it's entertaining for that aspect alone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Godzilla vs. Kong's violence and destruction. How does the impact of the massive-scale devastation seen in this type of movie compare to more realistic violence? Do you think these kinds of movies can desensitize viewers to violence?
Why is it important for the human characters to empathize with King Kong and Godzilla? How does King Kong act as a protector?
How does King Kong and Godzilla's battle affect humanity? What's most compelling in monster movies like this one: the story or the nonstop action? Why?
Japanese Godzilla filmmakers used monster suits and miniatures to create their special effects, not CGI or stop-motion. If you've seen the original (or its imitators), which do you prefer: low-tech "practical" effects, or something more realistic and high-tech? Which usually works better in movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 31, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: March 31, 2021
- Cast: Alexander Skarsgard , Millie Bobby Brown , Rebecca Hall
- Director: Adam Wingard
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 113 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language
- Last updated: December 10, 2023
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