In Godzilla Vs. Kong, big beast fans finally get their latest version of the colossal fight between two monolithic monsters, one primate and one reptilian. It’s the fourth film in the “Monsterverse,” the films from Warner Bros. that star either Godzilla or Kong. This time, it’s all about the battle royales between the two beasts, as humans (always those pesky humans!) try to use Kong to fend off the attacks of Godzilla.
In terms of the movies’ timeline, it’s been five years since Godzilla took down King Ghidorah, and the company Monarch continues to monitor Kong on Skull Island. Kong interacts with the little deaf girl Jia via sign language, building a friendship that the scientists watching him hope to use. Monarch geologist Dr. Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård) is sent with Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and her adopted daughter Jia, to follow Kong to the center of the Earth where Titans are believed to roam. The corporations, rather than countries, drive the economics and action of the film — super corporations in their own right with political aspirations, and that’s how the man-made Mechagodzilla enters the picture, threatening to destroy, well, everything.
Now, fans can own the Blu-ray combo pack, with commentary by director Adam Winguard and ten featurettes that explain the background for Gojira, the king of monsters, how Kong has evolved, and the two epic battles between the two monsters. While some of the CGI has elements that reveal the lack of integration, it’s certainly not apparent in the exploration of “Round One: Battle at Sea.” That proves to be one of the most eye-popping spectacles of the last year, and a testament to cinematographer Ben Seresin, no stranger to big, explosive battles with his work on Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, World War Z, and The Mummy.
While fans of these films come for the explosive battles, it’s worth noting that the issues of family (between humans and between humans with Kong), and the question of pursuing truth at all odds are raised in a way that makes the film deeper than the average “blow ’em up” spectacle. You’ll have to choose which side you come down on – reptile or primate – and wrestle with the outcome of the big animal prints left behind.
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