Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Kong devotedly explores his new home in search of more giant gorillas like him, his investigations resulting in multiple chance encounters with other beasts from the hostile region.

Meanwhile, unprecedented signals are cryptically sent from a vigilant science outpost, which causes confused Jia to have hallucinations the dream logic of which remains a mystery.

After the transmission of the signals Godzilla radioactively expresses himself, by commandeering a nuclear power plant in France and absorbing its unsurpassed Olympic resiliency.

Jia is having trouble at school and frustratingly feels like she doesn't fit in, missing her people and her old way of life she simply can't settle into the scholastic environment.

Fortunately, as incipient chaos galavantingly grips bewildered surface dwellers, a team is assembled to travel to Hollow Earth and find epic answers to cataclysmic questions.

Jia's adopted mom and her ex-partner Trapper plus bloggin' Bernie Hayes are along for the ride, to the cryptic realm where dinosaur-like beings still productively enable macroscopic shenanigans.

As Kong is led to find his people he locates them distressingly enslaved.

While Jia discovers her legendary import.

According to an ancient Hollow Earth tribe.

There's a lot happening in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire as intense conflicts habitually invigorate, Kong and Godzilla routinely fighting as Jia deals with manifest mythology.

Bernie Hayes adds so much depth as he boldly improvises with heroic fortitude, and Dr. Andrews and her resourceful ex ajoutent parental guidance with ludicrous resolve. 

As the three main plots intersect I would say Kong's has the most appeal, his quest to meet his people stifled by autocratic banality, his consistent altercations more thrilling than Godzilla's. 

When Jia discovers that her voyage to Hollow Earth had been intuitively prophesized it makes for an intriguing plot thread, but it loses some of its mysticism as the enraged Titans reflexively battle.

It should be the principal focus from the viewpoint of so many other stories with similar patterns, narratives which are so much fun to watch, but New Empire's mayhem obscures the fascination.

Still a cool monster movie no doubt with an ethical focus on justice and dignity.

Incredible consistent action.

Classic 'zilla and Kong.

Godzilla vs. Kong

The idea that Antarctica is home to vast enticing treasures has spellbindingly appealed to me for many a year, the thought that it was once inhabited millions of years ago makes me envious of those who will see it thaw.

Godzilla vs. Kong speeds things up a bit to archaeologically respond to an emboldened theory, which maintains that the Earth is hollow and that an ancient civilization dwells within.

It's theorized that both King Kong and the mighty Godzilla resided there in their youth, and somehow broke free to disputatiously arise upon the newfound realms above.

King Kong settling on his cherished island where he made the fertile land his home, Godzilla residing beneath the waves at times emerging through bellicose intrigue.

Why must Godzilla attack when he consciously knows of King Kong's bearings, why can't they both make peace and congenially bask in apex acupuncture? 

I didn't even know there was a new Kong/Godzilla film when I wrote my Gojira tai Mekagojira review in early winter, I was just reviewing random Godzilla films because that's what appealed to me at the time.

But my Highlander Godzilla scenario certainly applies to 'Zilla and Kong.

And lo and behold Mechagodzilla as well!

I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised. 

I hope people don't fight wars over Antarctica as it thaws, such endeavours would seem rather costly considering the inhospitable environs. 

Unfortunately, economic wealth does appeal to many but so does anthropology!, and if it significantly thaws during the wrong financial crisis competing nations may clash for its wealth.

Don't overlook the integral import of Indiana Jones films in the fantasy sector, they challenge plutocratic impeti and encourage intergenerational cultural growth (not resource exploitation).

Kong and Godzilla seem to come to terms after battling Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong, as it seemed the United States and the Soviet Union resiliently would after defeating Nazi Germany.

Perhaps the next versatile film won't see the emergence of a cold war (I think it was just released), an archaeological investigation of the Hollow Earth would be apt perhaps featuring ye olde Dr. Jones.

In terms of constant improbable ridiculousness multivariably motivating competing interests, within a fast-paced imaginary plot where so many things could possibly go wrong, Godzilla vs. Kong doesn't disappoint and was a lot of fun to sit back and watch, multilayered and inherently uncanny, indeed what lies deep within the Earth?

It's at least as appealing as outer space! 

Maybe not that appealing. 

Kong: Skull Island

Could it be that islands still exist, prehistorically penetrating legend and myth with unbridled evidenced imposing extant luminosity, persisting undisturbed in majestic unrecorded intransigent galed shadow, a roar, a whisper, more lively and crisper ecosystems biologically invested in atemporal ontological sincerity, harmony, in other words, crépuscule, a delicate balance, a ferocious bottom line, lost in leisure in starlit environs, vigilance required to consummate freedom, at home in the pacific, empirically thine?

I would write that the adventurers weren't ready for their quest if it wasn't for the fact that nothing could have prepared them.

But I suppose the nature of questing demands a forged psychological allegiance between ill-preparation and adaptability, immediacy continuously generating an agile improvised awareness, which is narratively applicable to the epic in hand.

Characters descend on the ancient generally undiscovered home of King Kong in Jordan Vogt-Roberts's Kong: Skull Island, a chaotic campy realistic yet improbable, and therefore emancipating, energetic exploration of the quaintly forbidden.

Their goal is scientific yet commercial and thus the military's aid is bromantically secured.

Friendship, collegiality, professionalism, and love, populate the script with wild rhythmic versatile denizens, its cosmopolitan lodge fertile if not frenzied, the unfriendly monsters ready to eagerly devour those with too much or not enough innate courage.

Plus random soldiers.

But Kong protects them which trigger-happy Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) cannot comprehend as he attempts to kill him to right misperceived wrongs.

His attempts are obviously pigheaded but they do aptly reflect mad extremist methodologies.

The explorers, military personnel, and scientists, curiously encounter an old pilot from World War II who was forced to make his home on the island as well.

He survived by living with an Indigenous tribe who Kong altruistically protects from voracious giant lizards.

Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly [it's classic John C. Reilly :)]) represents the Indigenous people in the film, stands in for them as they (literally) fade into the background, and Packard refuses to listen to his tooth and nail.

Would the ending not have been more striking, more memorable (alright, Kong's fight with the Lizard King is memorable but the surrounding material isn't so much [okay, they escape on a boat, I'll remember that, but . . .]) if the Indigenous peoples stopped Packard before he tried to kill Kong, and everyone then escaped having understood the logic of their decision?

Such a development would have functioned as a salient metaphorical critique of the Vietnam war which otherwise isn't critically examined.

What I'm trying to say is, it would have rocked if Skull Island went Avatar.

With Kong still fighting the giant Lizard of course.

It's still a lot of fun, the new King Kong movie, and, as a matter of fact, I couldn't help comparing it to Planet Terror and Machete Kills since it unreels with a similar more family friendly aesthetic.

There are moments where it captures the magic that makes those films stand out, but the sequels will have to dig deeper for me to mention their names in the same breath.

Again.

I still recommend the film.

A great March release.

I was worried about March this year.

But so far it ain't so bad.