Film Review: “Godzilla Vs. Kong”
The rumble in the jungle is finally here with “Godzilla Vs. Kong,” but Kong’s smash and Godzilla’s roar leaves the film unoriginal, not without heart or humanity.
Rating: PG-13 / Running Time: 1h 53m / Genre: sci-fi, adventure, action, fantasy / Directed by Adam Wingard / Streaming and In Theatres: Wednesday, March 31 / Warner Bros.
Let’s get this out of the way first…
What do you get when you take the work of Steven Spielberg and place it in a blender? A masterpiece? No. A mess of a film with enough charm and action to satisfy any summer blockbuster enthusiasts. However, this Amblin Entertainment-style Frankenstien monster — all pun intended — has something to say, but the film themes fall flat on its face when nobody learns those lessons. The question is… should you go see “GVK,” fuck yeah and go see it on the biggest screen possible!
After the events of “King Kong: Skull Island,” U.S. government agency known as Monarch has Kong trapped on Skull Island in a Truman Show (1998) like way. Unlike Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), Kong knows he is surrounded by a dome for man’s viewing pleasure. When Godzilla attacks an Apex Cybernetics facility — not subtle at all — in Pensacola, Florida, obvious “bad guy” Walter Simmons (Demian Bichir) and his sidekick Ren Serizawa (Shun Oguri) hires former Monarch scientist Dr. Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgard) to go full on Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) by using Kong to find Hollow Earth — the original home of the Titans — to harness enough power to stop Godzilla from destroying the world.
It’s all about the eyes in this film. The citation to looks begins in the opener with a “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) reference to the “Dawn of Man” sequence when Kong throws a spear through the dome leaving a whole the shape of an eye. Man’s surveillance of Kong is even seen through a window. The “Dawn of Kong” though is not his throne as “King,” but his journey into the unknown. The quest for knowledge doesn’t stop with Kong. Apex Cybernetics’ introduction is led through an “eye” as their need for mankind to be on top. Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), just as annoying as Ezra Miller in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, is also a seeker of knowledge through his podcast — Titan Truth. His podcast is a logo of the All-Seeing Eye of Horus used on the dollar bill and the Illuminati symbol.
Kubrick’s “2001” references continue with the journey into Hollow Earth, also the shape of an eye with the portal echoing the vortex from”2001.” And even a “Hal” — the evil supercomputer — reference from “2001” is made in this film, when Hayes finds a robot eye in Pensacola. There are so many references to eyes in this film an essay can be written, however the filmmakers never use these citations in the text to hold mankind responsible for this knowledge, this truth, or their humanity. In the film’s wrap up, nothing is gained, something is ventured.
The film’s Highlander (1986) perspective “there can be only one” never lands. The audience is left to wonder why didn’t Godzilla and Kong cross paths before? The logic doesn’t stick after two seconds of thought. At the film’s end, mankind’s harmony is unearned. Humanity’s arrogance still wonders if benevolent beings can have feelings or understanding? GVK’s citation is not all citation for citation sake. Kong being the E.T. of the film and Jia (Kaylee Hottle) is his Elliot serves the narrative that man and beast can live in harmony. It gets a little on the nose when Jia and Kong fingers touch, reminiscent of Michelangelo’s painting of “The Creation of Adam’’ also a reference to “E.T. — The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982). Kong’s journey “into the unknown” is shoehorned into the script to give Kong a “phone home” convoluted backstory that destroys its own lore. Is Kong’s original home Skull Island or Hollow Earth?
Hayes has two jobs — to be the comic relief and exposition anchor, but fails at both. He is unfunny and pretty useless in the film. Hayes grabbing intel about Apex Cybernetics dubious behavior is obvious. His performances doesn’t help the narrative. He is not a character, but a representation of the conspiracy theorist in our society. To be fair, all the characters in GVK have no build. Every character is an archetype. Hayes continues his investigation when he is joined by two teens — Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) and Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison). Both Brown & Dennison’s performance is underwhelming, however they add enough charm to keep them interesting, but not relevant. Skarsgard is trying his best to make this film work. His performance is serviceable. Dr. IIene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) recruited by Dr. Lind to get clearance to use Kong. Hall’s performance is fine. She is the only actor in the film to make a bad line like “Kong bows to no one” work. Bichir, Oguri, and Maia Simmons (Eiza Gonzalez) are god-awful in their roles. Their performances are juvenile, but so is this script. The best actor in the film is clearly Kaylee Hottle. Her role as the deaf Iwi native just warms the heart. Without her performance, the film doesn’t work.
GVK has all the trimmings of size and scale for awe-inspiring action, but the filmmaking does nothing to help this story. The cinematography never sells the tone or the feeling of the film. The lighting in the film is pretty much a wash. No story through color. There is no clear objective from character or camera. No one’s wants or needs are their own. Sure, the camera push-in on eyes and faces, but the audience is left with spoon fed sentimentality. The direction never poses a question. The music is okay for a blockbuster; robust and heavy. The special effect work is fantastic. Every year the effects work on creatures truly pushes the envelope.
Haven’t discussed Godzilla yet. He is clearly the film’s Macguffin as he serves man’s need to open Pandora’s box. Man’s fear of Godzilla is treated like “Jaws” (1975) treading unknown waters, but unlike Jaws humanity feels nature can be controlled. Godzilla is used as a pawn to have a final showdown between “Man Vs. Godzilla Vs. Kong.” Apex Cybernetic secret plot is taken straight out of the Jurassic Park playbook. Kong pulls another weapon underneath his sleeve to deal with humanity, but this time from Hollow Earth. Like with King Arthur’s excalibur, Kong’s new weapon represents “might is right.” Is it? Or Is it humanity?
GVK knows sentimentality, size & scale, and the troupe that an original man in extraordinary circumstances sells any blockbuster. However, the film fails because it clashes with its themes — “might is right” or “eyes are the windows of the soul” with no clear winner. Archetype character work ties down this film, however that would be okay if the film could tie up those themes. If humanity could learn anything from the past is that the Iwa mythology was wrong. The ancient rivalry is not between two apex predators or even three apex predators if mankind includes itself in that fight. Is that love conquers humanity’s fear of the unknown. Mankind’s hovership shows us that in the third act, however does the film believe that?
