Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire Has Screened, And First Reactions Are Hailing The New MonsterVerse Offering As ‘An Absolute Slobberknocker’
Following the success of last year's Godzilla Minus One, there’s another kaiju film headed to theaters, and this is one fans have really been looking forward to. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire — the fifth film in Legendary’s MonsterVerse franchise and a sequel to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong — is set to hit the big screen (including IMAX) on March 29, and those who have been able to catch an early screening are taking to social media with their first reactions.
Godzilla x Kong’s trailer shows the monsters working together against an even bigger, scarier enemy. Let’s see what people are saying about this movie, which has garnered a PG-13 rating. SlashFilm’s Ben F. Silverio calls the monsters’ tag-team action “terrific,” advising moviegoers to opt for IMAX if possible. He writes on X (Twitter):
Godzilla x Kong is an absolute slobberknocker. A textbook blockbuster that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Just like playing with your favorite toys as a kid, this movie is a whole lot of fun.
In the movie Godzilla sports some dangerous-looking, fiery pink spikes — which are reportedly Toho-approved — and the vibrant color was one quality of director Adam Wingard’s project that critics took notice of. Bill Bria writes:
Godzilla x Kong is like an ‘80s cartoon come to life; this thing is so insanely colorful and toyetic, it’d shock Joel Schumacher. Collects a compelling coterie of non-humans in an AVATAR meets PLANET OF THE APES way, and as for humans, Dan Stevens is having a ball. So was I!
Griffin Schiller agrees that the ‘80s color palette makes for a fun experience, calling Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire “an absurdist romp.” The critic says:
Godzilla x Kong is an ATOMIC BLAST! A fantastically weird, psychedelic trip through the Shōwa Era w/all the vibrance of an 80s album cover. This thing is an absurdist romp - crimson apes, frost dragons, a delightfully absurd Dan Stevens. Another FUN entry in the MonsterVerse!
That ‘80s aesthetic seems to be exactly what Adam Wingard is going for, as he was inspired by the decade’s buddy cop movies. This is evident by the wardrobe of at least one member of the Godzilla x Kong cast, as noted by Creepy Kingdom’s Shannon McGrew. She writes:
Godzilla x Kong is a momentous spectacle that dazzles with its vibrant technicolor visuals. The epic battles btwn the titans are jaw-dropping and are accompanied by a story with a gargantuan heart. Plus, there’s Dan Stevens flexing in a Hawaiian shirt for 2 hours.
Brian Tyree Henry and Dan Stevens may be really funny in this monster movie, but make no mistake who the stars are. As Bernard “Beanz” Smalls says:
Godzilla x Kong is nonstop/fun Kaiju action that fans of monster movies love. Both Godzilla and Kong take centerstage in this latest entry in Legendary’s evolving Monsterverse. Brian Tyree Henry & Dan Stevens are fun together. But this movie belongs to the giant monsters.
Rafael Motamayor has high praise for the latest MonsterVerse offering, for one monster in particular, writing:
I think Godzilla x Kong may be my favorite of the MonsterVerse movies? It feels like the most complete movie, and everything worked for me. Kong in particular is a fucking star.
While some enjoy the human actors, others think the movie is monster-centric to a fault. John Nguyen of Nerd Reactor says:
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a fun ride with Godzilla and Kong back at it again. It's another reason to see these two Titans smash and bash monsters and destroy cities. Skar King had promise but wasn't threatening overall. The human story was forgettable.
Michael Lee agrees, writing that the human drama is pushed to the backburner in favor of more kaiju action. And that’s probably fine, as that’s what people want to see, he writes in a thread on X:
Godzilla x Kong is a noisy titan brawl with hardly any human heart to engage us on an emotional level. But audiences coming for the fights alone are getting a supremely awesome tag team match between Godzilla and Kong vs Skar King and Shimo.
It sounds like audiences are in for quite a bit of fun with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Catch this one in theaters starting Friday, March 29, and stay up to date on all the upcoming new releases with our 2024 movie release schedule.
