'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' (2024)

A Godzilla x Kong poster on display at the theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

"Welcome to my world..."

Last night, I finally was able to catch a screening of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). To say that my expectations were rock bottom would be the understatement of the year. I didn't enjoy Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) at all and found all the praise it received at the time as a "fun" monster romp completely baffling. Still, I guess I'm obligated to see these things, so that's exactly what I did.

In short, Godzilla x Kong was silly, minor, and ... not terrible? I enjoyed it much more than I did Godzilla vs. Kong, and I'd probably consider it my second-favorite of the MonsterVerse (yes, with the capital "v" -- sorry, Wikizilla) series. (For those keeping score, 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters is still of my favorite.)

Maybe it was the low expectations, but the movie made me smile throughout. There were several fun moments, a couple of funny lines, some interesting action set pieces, and a satisfying ending. On a personal level, it was fun seeing Joker (2019) alum Brian Tyree Henry rattling off a bunch of Toho kaiju names. (I know, not the most objective reason in the world, but that was my genuine reaction.)

A random King Kong (1933) poster on display at the theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There were also some amusing needle drops. (I'm starting to sound like Patrick H. Willems over here.) When "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring started playing, I couldn't believe I was watching a Godzilla movie with that song in it -- in a good way. And that battle in the pyramids? Fun stuff!

Was the movie a total success? Definitely not. There wasn't enough Godzilla to my liking. The fight scenes seemed rush. There wasn't enough of a build to the inevitable team-up between the two titular characters. The non-Toho Titans were too generic and forgettable. I'm also not over the moon about the handling of Godzilla.  

But perhaps the film's biggest triumph was getting me interested in King Kong as a character. This is the first Kong flick since 1967 to get me even slightly invested in the pride of Skull Island. So I'll give director Adam Wingard credit where it's due.

A bit of a mixed bag, but Godzilla x Kong was a big improvement over the previous entry that literally almost put me to sleep. I'll go ahead and say it: Godzilla x Kong is a better time at the movies than Godzilla Minus One (2023). I'd still think so even if the director started bringing a plastic Tiamat toy with him everywhere he went.

Welcome to My World...

A poster for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) at Aeon Cinema Shinyurigaoka. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I had some time to kill today, so I stopped by Aeon Cinema Shinyurigaoka just to look around. I saw the above poster for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), which caught my attention, so I decided to post it here. My expectations for this film couldn't be any lower, but we'll see how it is soon enough.

Oh, and "The Prequel" was also getting advertised at the theater. It will get released in Japan on March 29.

'Godzilla vs. Kong'

 
I just saw Godzilla vs. Kong, and you'll never guess what happens -- Godzilla wins in the Japanese version!!!!

Well, not really (obviously), but wouldn't that have been fun? Certainly a lot more fun than what we got.

A few weeks ago, I talked to a buddy in the U.S. who had seen the film and asked for his take. Despite all the praise it was receiving at the time, he assured me it was actually pretty bad and that I wouldn't like it. Well, my buddy sure nailed that one. I was looking forward to seeing Godzilla vs. Kong, but I have to admit it didn't come close to meeting my (fairly low) expectations.

First, I should say that I'm relieved that I managed to avoid spoilers for the film, even though it had been out for months (and months) by the time it finally arrived in Japan. I wasn't so lucky with the 2014 film, despite "only" having to wait two and a half months that time to see it after it was released in the U.S.

The movie's biggest flaw is probably its focus on King Kong, a character that just isn't very interesting. Oh, don't get me wrong. The original stop-motion incarnation had plenty of personality quirks that carry it through the movie. This one, however, is just too earnest. He's also teamed up with a little girl, but not just any little girl -- a little girl who is also an orphan, but not just any orphan -- an orphan who is also deaf. I'm pretty sure this means the filmmakers want us to feel sympathy for her. But, much like her chest-pounding guardian, she too lacks any semblance of a personality. She musters a half-smile when she's happy, and she sort of frowns when she's sad. I'm not sure what her role is, other than to humanize a creature who's already too human.

The movie also really goes off the rails in ways I never expected. The whole trip to Hollow Earth was just bizarre. Feel free to count me among those who didn't expect to see Kong opening doors to ancient castles and playing around with magic swords. I'd rather watch Naomi Watts do cartwheels. 

The characters add very little to the proceedings. Millie Bobby Brown returns from the superior Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), but isn't given very much to do. Kyle Chandler (another returning champion) appears in what is essentially an extended cameo. Brian Tyree Henry plays a conspiracy-oriented podcaster, but every time he's onscreen, I couldn't help but be reminded of Joker (2019), in which he plays the clerk at Arkham. (I saw Joker six times on the big screen, by the way.) He does fine here, but all the running around laboratories got just a bit tiresome after a while.

The ending was completely predictable, but the way it's handled is mind-boggling. Godzilla leaves Kong for dead, but just because the little orphan girl tells Kong that Godzilla isn't the enemy anymore, Kong goes along with it? I don't know how many of us would wake up from a coma and immediately jump to the aid of the guy who put us there, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't.

I'd thought about coming up with a ranking of all the Monsterverse movies, but all that needs to be said is, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is quite good, and you can keep the rest. I haven't seen Godzilla (2014) since, well, 2014, but I can't imagine my mind has changed on that slog of a movie. I'm sure that would still be my least favorite of the bunch, and I'm glad that the other entries at least had some attempt at a personality.

Was Godzilla vs. Kong worth the wait? I can't say it was. Most of the reviews I've read so far focus on the movie's "fun" aspect, but I was fighting to stay awake toward the end. In fairness, though, I did manage to stay awake, so I guess that puts this flick on a higher level than the second Godzilla anime movie, which actually did send me to Dreamland in the theater. 

A Nice Surprise

It's not every day that the director of a Godzilla movie retweets your blog. But when it does happen, it's quite cool.

Godzilla Sighted in Shinjuku ... Rockin' Out with an Electric Guitar!

It's exactly as it looks. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While changing trains in Shinjuku, I happened upon a guy in a Godzilla suit going ape like a crazed hodad, jamming away with a (not-so-real) electric guitar. The sight was quite amusing, and as luck would have it, my camera was handy. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

Celebrating the Holidays at the Godzilla Store!

Hedorah is in a festive mood at the Godzilla Store. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I paid a visit to the Godzilla Store, and there were quite a few amusing displays. The photos really do speak for themselves, so enjoy!

 

Godzilla: King of the Monsters at Tsutaya!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters was recently released on home video in Japan, the signage for which was all over my local Tsutaya. Here's what is currently on display.

GKTOM is in great company with Joker (the film of the year). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Another Titan Comes to Tokyo!

A poster recently caught my attention on the way to work. A temporary exhibit called "The Mammoth" is being held at Koto Ward's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation through November 4. On display will be frozen mammoth specimens and other related items.

The timing of "The Mammoth" couldn't have been any better, given that the mammoth-like Behemoth was a featured in Godzilla: King of the Monsters as a Titan. I do wonder if the frozen mammoth specimens will come back to life and go to the Godzilla head in Shinjuku in order to bow before it. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Godzilla in the Subway!

Signage for Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the subway in Osaka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I was in Osaka at the end of May, I saw this great ad for Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the subway. But given how much there was to do after I returned, I completely forgot to post it on the blog. I'm a little late, but here it is.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters Conquers Osaka!

Just part of a huge Godzilla: King of the Monsters ad campaign in Osaka's Umeda Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Part of the fun for me in seeing Godzilla: King of the Monsters in Osaka was being surrounded by all the ballyhoo (but no pyro) for the film. There was a mini poster gallery in Umeda Station that featured all the Godzilla movies (minus the anime ones), a statue just outside the Toho Cinemas just across the street from the station that played Bear McCreary's interpretation of Ifukube's Godzilla theme from a speaker, a Wendy's promotional tie-in, and of course signage inside Toho Cinemas itself. All of these can be seen below. Enjoy!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Godzilla: King of the Monsters ballyhoo outside the Toho Cinemas near Osaka Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

How's this for a headline? Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) is the best Godzilla film since Godzilla: Final Wars (2004).

Granted, that in and of itself isn't a major accomplishment, as everything else released after Final Wars with Godzilla's name on it has been terrible. But King of the Monsters is genuinely entertaining, and I'd give it a full-throated recommendation.

The movie just works. I was interested in the story, I laughed in the right spots, and I enjoyed the references. (Not only are there the obvious Godzilla references, but there are more than a couple to John Carpenter's The Thing.) What's more, the scope of the movie is truly outstanding. The filmmakers used the worldwide locations to their fullest potential. What can I say? I'm not sure I enjoyed a summer blockbuster so much since the late '90s. 

That said, the movie isn't perfect. The biggest flaw is that the monsters are, for the most part, just big monsters. You get very little sense of personality (though they certainly tried with Ghidorah's three heads). I wish more would have been done with Mothra and especially Rodan. Also, the CGI battles seemed a bit generic and basically what I would have expected. 

I have to admit that my moviegoing experience was probably helped more than a little by the clever marketing campaign. It's been a lot of fun seeing all the signage and assorted ballyhoo all over Japan. (In contrast, when the 2014 Godzilla came out over here, I remember seeing a few posters in the subway and not much else.) When I walked out of the movie, I was able to buy Godzilla socks in the theater lobby. Who wouldn't want a pair of Godzilla socks?

In summary, Michael Dougherty got it right where Gareth Edwards got it so woefully wrong. The 2014 Godzilla was one of the driest, dullest, and blandest movies I've seen in a while. The most interesting characters (to the extent there were any) were killed off far too soon. The marketing campaign was oddly misleading, making it seem as if it were Godzilla (and not the MUTOs) sending us back to the Stone Age. Suffice it to say, Legendary Pictures and Michael Dougherty took note of the many ways in which the previous film failed and made a winner. 

Oh, and Bear McCreary knocked it out of the park with his versions of Akira Ifukube and Yuji Koseki's music. Again, this team just nailed it.

By the way, there's a nice tribute to Yoshimitsu Banno and Haruo Nakajima at the end of the credits (right before the obligatory post-credits sequence). It's well worth seeing.

My verdict: It's the Godzilla movie we've been waiting for since 2004.

Spotted on the Train...

I saw this advertisement on the train as I was coming home. Yup, I'd say the ballyhoo is in full swing. Will the pyro be too far behind?

Godzilla: King of the Monsters!

The ballyhoo (but not pyro) for Legendary Pictures' upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters has hit Tokyo, and the construction site for Tokyo Tokiwabashi 2027 is its latest victim. When it's all said and done, will we be Godzilla's pet? Or will Godzilla just be an Internet pet sensation, whatever that might mean? See the movie and find out!