Review: Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
This is the second round of a fight that has been decades in the making; the King of the Monsters takes on the reigning monarch of Skull Island in a fun, but wildly uneven Godzilla vs. Kong. This film is the fourth entry in what has been dubbed as Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ “Monsterverse;” one of the only remaining interconnected cinematic universes that are, for lack of a better term, aping the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Godzilla vs. Kong stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler, and Demián Bichir.
What Worked with Godzilla vs. Kong
Do you like the idea of seeing Godzilla fight King Kong with some other monsters in the mix? if so, this film largely delivers on the potential of giant monster fights. The film features three major fight sequences in its runtime, the last of which lasts around 20 minutes. As far as who wins and who loses, there will most definitely be a debate. Yet all sequences are thrilling and serve the headliners well.
The fights are the main draw of the film and are by far are worth the price of admission. While some Godzilla projects emphasize the horror of the destruction, this film runs purely on spectacle, sanitizing the kaiju combat. The impetus for the conflict is a death total of 8 in an attack of Pensacola, Florida, by Godzilla. In his cinematic history, Godzilla has killed millions. Yet in giving us some monster to root for the scale of destruction is limited to leveling buildings and landscapes, where humans remain largely unscathed. There is no scene of a woman and her children awaiting their doom as the kaiju approaches, circa 1954. But this movie isn’t a parable, it’s just fun.
Regardless, every impact, swipe, and bite is immensely satisfying. The camera also follows closely behind the monsters, as though they are mounted like Go-Pros. So, as a titan goes down, so too does the camera; the perspective changes, emphasizing the power of these attacks. The scale also changes between perspectives. From the human view, these monsters are generally slow, their motions creating drag. From the kaiju view, the scale changes, and their motions are fast and furious. It’s incredibly visceral. The colors and cinematography are also fantastic, really creating a sense of awe and spectacle when firing on all cylinders.
Godzilla and Kong are the stars of the film, and while Godzilla is perhaps a little underutilized, every scowl and arrogant glance turns him into a full-fledged personality. This is Godzilla at his peak and he is aware of his power. The giant lizard nearly smiles at several points after particularly devastating attacks and his frustrations as the fights turn against him are clear. The bulk of the film, however, emphasizes the character of Kong. The ape is the heart of the film. His weariness at his involvement with the humans is fun to watch, and he serves as an underdog that you can’t help but cheer on, especially as you learn more about his connection to the Hollow Earth that has worked its way into the series since Kong: Skull Island.
While the human portions are largely perfunctory, two extremely compelling performances are found in Bryan Tyree Henry and Kaylee Hottle. Henry plays a Titan-conspiracy podcaster with the enthusiasm and energy you’d expect and that such a character deserves. Hottle, as Jia, an Iwi from Skull Island, has a charming connection to King Kong and might be the highlight of the Monsterverse’s human cast, along with Bryan Cranston, Samuel L. Jackson, and John C. Reilly.
As a whole, the interconnectedness of the Monsterverse has been fun to see develop. There are some issues with the approach, but the build-up to the confrontation between Godzilla and King Kong has been handled fairly well. Each film, since 2014’s Godzilla has created an inevitable expectation for these characters to meet, and the fact that this movie succeeds and delivers on such an expectation is a triumph.
What Didn’t Work with Godzilla vs. Kong
Most kaiju films, with a few notable exceptions, largely fail to deliver a compelling human angle. Sadly, this trend continues with Godzilla vs. Kong, saddling a damn fine monster story with three to four plots that divert attention with little reward. Returning characters, a necessity for an interconnected universe, are not utilized well, and their own stories, ones we should be invested in, don’t amount to much. Of the multiple human stories, the strongest involves an expedition into the Hollow Earth, but few of the characters prove compelling in this narrative. Skarsgård, particularly, feels overly bland and replaces a legacy character who should have been the one to visit Hollow Earth. This is a sign of a larger problem with Godzilla vs. Kong, and the larger Monsterverse, however.
The Monsterverse has been successful in spite of not having a central steward or vision beyond “big monsters are cool.” While the films build up their monsters by the sheer, outsized force of their presence, the other elements are jettisoned at the whims of the different storytellers. Monarch, for example, feels like a much smaller organization here than it did in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, to the point where a particularly large plot hole develops involving the operation to transport Kong to Hollow Earth. Furthermore, the human drama doesn’t land because compelling characters to structure the films around are killed off in the movies or even outright abandoned between films. A particularly egregious removal of who could have been a legacy character in this film stands out as an example of the lack of foresight the series as a whole is saddled with.
The human stories can be compelling in a Godzilla film, particularly when they are given a history with the character, or are heightened figures themselves. Godzilla vs. Kong largely fails in this regard with the notable exceptions of Brian Tyree Henry and Kaylee Hottle’s characters.
Final Verdict on Godzilla vs. Kong
The film is incredibly fun, and if safety permits, should be taken in on a big screen. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it feels like it has been a distinct lack of an event film. Godzilla vs. Kong is the perfect film to enjoy in a theater if you can do so safely. It won’t take home any screenwriting awards and has a number of plotholes, but for sheer fun and audacity, it is worth the time. If you have to watch it from home, order a pizza, crack open a couple of beers, and take it in as an event.
Haunted MTL gives Godzilla vs. Kong three and a half Cthulhus.
(3.5 / 5)
Godzilla vs. Kong is currently in theaters and streaming on HBO Max until April 30th.
Movies n TV
Returning to the Soothing World of Evil with “The Demon of Death”
“The Demon of Death” is the season 3 premiere of the supernatural drama Evil, created by Michelle King and Robert King.
“The Demon of Death” is the season 3 premiere of the supernatural drama Evil, created by Michelle King and Robert King. The central cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Christine Lahti, and Andrea Martin. As of this review, it’s available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
The assessors investigate the weight of a soul. Father Frank Ignatius (Wallace Shawn) agrees to participate in this test despite his growing disillusionment. David (Mike Colter) and Kristen (Katja Herbers) deal with the ramifications of their confessions. Kristen’s girls go on the warpath with Leland (Michael Emerson). Andy (Patrick Brammall) signs his death warrant.
What I Like about “The Demon of Death”
As season 2 ended with a cliffhanger, “The Demon of Death” picks back up with an interesting addition. The episode provides a more obvious stopping point that Season 2 should have taken advantage of. It dumbfounds me because this addition makes for a more interesting and darker cliffhanger. The added context would have made the cliffhanger more palatable. However, it’s a nice twist for the episode.
Dr. Boggs (Kurt Fuller) and Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin) make an interesting pair that adds complexity to both. We even explore some of Sister Andrea’s character flaws, best displayed by her interaction with Kristen in the next scene. Few wise sage characters that display flaws, making this addition appreciated.
Father Ignatius’ introduction adds layers of interest for a character who will play a recurring role, tying into Monsignor Korecki directly. The yet-to-be-explored relationship between Father Ignatius and Monsignor Korecki (Boris McGiver) evokes an interest.
While “The Demon of Death” isn’t a haunting episode, but explores the mysteries and terror of death through science to provide an interesting environment for an episode. It introduces a new character that adds to the cast.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
There’s not much to report here that particularly crosses the line and what teeters on the line holds a dark comedic tone.
Perhaps Sister Andrea’s flaw might rub some the wrong way, as it deals with her overwhelming faith. However, it’s a minor point at the moment. Again, I lean on liking some complexity for the wise sage archetype.
What I Dislike about “The Demon of Death”
“The Demon of Death” still plays it safe with its supernatural elements, but that does seem to be Evil’s standard. At this point of the series, it seems a strange restraint. However, the new normal remains functionally paranormal.
While the premiere starts with an interesting procedural plot, it doesn’t direct the season like prior premieres. This episode doesn’t deliver a massive refocus as season 2’s premiere, but that’s because its conclusion doesn’t deliver as focused of a direction. Regardless, “The Demon of Death” is still an episode that slips away despite its premiere status.
Ben (Aasif Mandvi) seems needlessly hostile as they investigate a soul’s potential weight. The study delivers a thorough scientific process, which makes his resistance linger on the “angry atheist” archetype.
The demon shown on screen certainly isn’t the demon of death the title suggests. While the plot revolves around the mystery of death, there is a demon with a more carnal domain. As future episodes dive into their respective demons, it does seem to be an inaccurate title. However, the demon of the episode will get further focus in a different episode.
Final Thoughts
“The Demon of Death” doesn’t stand out as a premiere but provides an interesting procedural episode. As Father Ignatius will become another key character in the series, giving him an entire episode to introduce him is a nice strategy. While it’s not a haunting episode, it still provides a level of camp with interesting characters to pull it off.
(3 / 5)
Released in 2010, Rare Exports asks an important holiday question. One that no one else has dared to ask.
What if Santa was a ten-story-tall monster buried under the ice for centuries?
The story
Rare Exports is the story of a little boy named Pietari. After doing what is frankly too much research for a little boy, he realizes that Santa is not the jolly old elf we all think of. He is, in fact, a monster who eats bad children. And it turns out that Santa was trapped in the ice near Pietari’s little town. All this would be well and good if a Russian mining team weren’t in the process of cutting him out of the ice. So it’s up to Pietari to convince everyone of the dark, horrific truth.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
What worked
Some movies need to make sense. Some don’t. Rare Exports is one of the latter.
Why were the Russians digging in the snow to find Santa? What was the plan there? What happened to Pietari’s mom? And who did they sell the elves to? Do the elves need air or water to live?
We don’t get answers to any of those questions. And frankly, we don’t need them to enjoy Rare Exports.
This is a wild story about a little boy who discovers that Santa is a mythical monster with a bunch of scrawny old men with big white beards to do his evil bidding and eats bad children who haven’t been beaten by their parents enough. What sort of explanation would help this story in any way?
I mean, we could pick apart why it’s suddenly legal to sell people, or at least mythical creatures that look like naked old men, or why this all happened right next to the only little kid who had the exact knowledge needed. But in the end, wouldn’t that be like asking how Santa gets into people’s homes when they don’t have fireplaces? Doesn’t that objective reasoning just piss on the Christmas magic?
What didn’t work
While Rare Exports was fun, there were parts that I did not appreciate. For one thing, there wasn’t a single woman or person of any color in this film. Literally not one. Not an extra, not in the background. This little Finnish town is populated entirely by white men. And yes, it is Finland and there isn’t a hugely diverse population. But it’s also 2010. People move. Also, women exist.
On the subject of seeing too many white men, we also saw too much of the white men. Specifically, we saw far too many old white male actors entirely nude. There was just no reason for this. These men were portraying elves. They didn’t have to be naked. If they were naked, they didn’t have to have, um, yule logs. Maybe elves are like Ken dolls. There were so many options that didn’t include so much old man wang.
Finally, I wish we’d seen Santa Claus. Not to spoil the ending, but he never actually emerges to attack anyone. And that feels like a cop-out. If we’re going to be teased the whole movie with this depiction of monster Santa, we should at least get to see monster Santa.
Though, after what they did with the elves, maybe it’s a blessing we didn’t see him.
In the end, Rare Exports was well worth watching. It was hilarious, creepy and bloody. And while it wasn’t perfect, it was a delightful holiday horror comedy.
(4 / 5)
Released in 2016, Christmas Crime Story is about a disastrous robbery on Christmas Eve, and all the many lives impacted by the selfish decisions of one person.
And then, suddenly, it isn’t. But we’ll get to that part.
The story
Christmas Crime Story is the tale of a Christmas Eve holdup gone wrong. We see the story from several points of view, starting with Chris, the detective first on the scene.
Chris is having a hard Christmas Eve. So, on his lunch break, he visits his mom at her diner. It appears that they have a contentious relationship. But nothing is solved in this quick visit.
Chris goes on to pull over a man speeding. When the man, named David, pulls over, Chris discovers something in the trunk. That something must have been pretty damn incriminating, because rather than open the trunk, David shoots him dead.
We then switch to David’s pov for the night. Then his girlfriend’s pov. Then, the man his girlfriend has been cheating on him with. And on and on we go, until we see how all of these different stories and people come together for a dark, sordid Christmas Eve.
What worked
The first thing I want to say about Christmas Crime Story is that it’s heartwarming. Like, to a fault, which we will be talking about.
The ending is very sweet, in a Christmasy sort of way. Families come together, people are filled with joy, and all is right in the world for almost everyone. Except for Lena, who deserves to have a bad Christmas, everyone gets a happy ending.
That brings me to my next point. The characters, mostly, are all deeply sympathetic. Even when David or James are killing people, you feel bad for them.
You don’t agree with what they’re doing, but you do feel bad.
You have to feel sympathetic for the man whose girlfriend hired a killer to merk him. Or the woman whose daughter has cancer. Or the guy who just can’t find work, even though he’s trying to make good decisions. You want things to work out for them. You want them to be okay. Even when they do terrible things.
Finally, I always love stories told from so many different points of view. It’s always fun to see a story unfold in a nonlinear way, but in a way that makes more and more sense as we get more points of view. It’s a hard thing to pull off, and I think Christmas Crime Story did it very well.
What didn’t work
Unfortunately, all of the sympathetic characters and clever storytelling methods in the world won’t save a story that doesn’t work. And Christmas Crime Story just does not work.
Let’s begin with the ending. The big twist near the end of the movie. I won’t spoil it, but you will for sure know it if you’ve seen the film. Or, if you waste your time watching the film.
As a rule, twists work when they make sense. Not when it feels like the writers threw up their hands and said, “Okay, but what if everything we just did for the last hour and fifteen minutes didn’t happen, and instead…”
This wasn’t clever. It wasn’t fun. It felt like the writers didn’t know how to end their movie and just decided to cheat.
Finally, I mentioned earlier that Christmas Crime Story was heartwarming. And yes, that is nice.
But is it maybe a little too heartwarming?
I mean, we have an adorable angel of a child with cancer. Her parents don’t have enough money for her treatment. We have two poor guys who are in love with a black-hearted woman. And we have a detective so sweet and kind that he makes you rethink ACAB. And, he’s about to get married to his pregnant girlfriend. And they’re naming the baby after his mom. And his name is literally Chris DeJesus. His mom’s name is Maggie DeJesus. I tried to think of a sillier less subtle name to use as a joke, and I literally couldn’t think of one.
They could have at least named him De La Cruz. That would be more subtle, and I still would have complained.
In the end, Christmas Crime Story just missed the mark. It came very close to being a good movie. But it focused too much on how it wanted you to feel, rather than telling a satisfying story that made sense. Much like that third glass of eggnog, it’s fun in the moment and regretful after. If you’re looking for a satisfying Christmas horror, I’d suggest looking elsewhere.
(2 / 5)
-
Movies n TV5 days agoDexter lives in Original Sin, And In the Beginning
-
Movies n TV6 days agoFreak Out, a Rocky Horror Memoir by Jennifer Weigel
-
Book Reviews5 days agoDepression + Apocalype = ?: This Is Not a Test Book Review
-
Movies n TV4 days ago
Christmas Crime Story, A Nonsensical Holiday Romp
