Spoiler Alert – DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU WANT TO DISCOVER THE MOVIE ALL BY YOURSELF.
This Godzilla vs Kong movie will disappoint you. It was a disappointment for me and the only saviour are the special effects. So just take it that your movie ticket price is justified because the movie is simply using a Kongly effort and Godzibudget to produce.
The first deserving criticism goes to the thin plot. Gozilla ran amok, Kong was tasked to save the day and both ended up ganging to beat a mechanical man-made Godzilla. Thats it. Its the kind of plot that drags the run time into an all predictable body and ending.
Secondly, while the effects of mega scale destruction of Hong Kong looks real, it surely reminds you of Ultraman vs lizard-looking monsters battling each other and levelling Tokyo while at it. Giants bodyslamming each other on high rise buildings and not to mention all the lasers do make it looks like it was inspired from a sci-fi movie. No originality, not even with the energy-sourcing ‘axe’.
Third, no character building done much either to the bad guys or the heroes or even the little hearing-impaired girl that seems to be commanding Kong on what to do and not to do.
Fourth, Kong almost died but jump started to live again. Godzilla which took beatings from all the fighter planes, Kong and the mechanical look-alike survive without needing a handyplast.
Fifth, all the fight scenes and the upside down worlds in the hollow earth ends in Godzilla swimming away and Kong finding his home. You can leave the cinema 5 mins before the rolling credit and wont miss a thing.
Kong and Godzilla shouldn’t have met. They were terrific as the title characters of their own movies. And all the theories and future looking vessels unfortunately couldn’t save the movie from looking stupid.
Having said all of the above, children who just want to see their beloved characters strangling each others’ throats and become allies against a common enemy would love the movie. ( ie children above 4 and below 10). The fights between the 2 titans in the sea and on land are entertaining by all counts, just that it ends there.
The rest of us (aged 10 and above) can just go for the thrill of seeing Godzilla and Kong once again on the big screen.
2.5 stars out of 5.