Welcome To My World.
3 / 5
Directed by Adam Wingard.
Godzilla and Kong must reunite against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own.
10 years ago, Godzilla made a grand return to American cinema with a dark drama about loss and destruction. This led to King Kong getting a more upbeat 70's inspired follow-up, bringing the two officially into the same universe. Of course, this was all leading to 2021's inevitable crossover as the two titans clash in the showdown: Godzilla Vs. Kong. But once the monsters have fought and the battle is won, where do you go from there?
The New Empire looks at a world where colossal destruction is seemingly the norm. It's had its dark and brooding era. It's had the epic showdown. Now it's time to embrace the chaos and accept whatever this new world throws at us. Even if that means a giant ape and a giant lizard teaming up and using lasers, robot boxing gloves and wrestling moves to fight the bad guys.
The result is a psychedelic CGI-filled adventure that is overwhelmingly nauseating but undeniably thrilling. Adam Wingard builds on the last instalment, becoming more self-aware and allowing the series to have fun, throw a bit of everything at the wall and see what sticks. A mix of synth-inspired score and 80s needle drops set the tone, giving the audience permission to find amusement in destruction on an unprecedented scale as monsters destroy major cities as well as the dreamy 'Hollow-Earth.'
I would be lying if I said I didn't have a good time with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. It is loud and disruptive and should only be experienced on the big screen as it will lose much of its impact watched on an airplane or iPad. If it wasn't for the recent release of Godzilla Minus One, I feel I would be much more critical of this new instalment. But each film proves that there's room for both. There's a Kaiju story to suit everyone's desires - whether that's contained and dramatic or vibrant and thundering.
Everyone's a winner.
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