Humans hamper a clash of the titans
But monster mayhem saves day
Now here’s a titanic clash for the ages – and a bout that film fans have been salivating over since the post credits scene of 2017’s Kong: Skull Island teased the collision.
The fourth flick in Legendary’s MonsterVerse franchise pits the giant ape and alpha predator against each other as mankind once again gets caught in the crossfire.
Apart from over-teasing the titular creature’s arrival in 2014’s Godzilla, one thing this series has aced thus far is its monster mashes.
And, unsurprisingly given this is very much the main event between the two top contenders, the battles between Kong and Godzilla are the best yet.
Whether on land, underwater or in the middle of a neon cityscape, these two batter each other – and it’s always glorious.
Unfortunately, though, a lot of what we see was given away in the multitude of TV spots and trailers as the film went from giving nothing away in the months leading up to its delayed release to bombarding us with material over the past few weeks.
It’s a shame as taking a less is more approach with the marketing also would’ve kept another imposing character’s appearance, spoiled in featurettes and merchandising, a secret.
While some would be fine watching the titular titans butting heads for two hours, inevitably there is human drama in here too.
But despite a talented cast featuring Alexander Skarsgård (Nathan), Millie Bobby Brown (Madison) Rebecca Hall (Ilene) and Kyle Chandler (Mark), the script doesn’t call on them to do much more than spout exposition and look on in awe, while Julian Dennison (Josh) and Demián Bichir (Walter) simply exist to be the comic relief and sinister tech guru respectively.
Director Adam Wingard (You’re Next, The Guest) knows who his movie’s true stars are and wisely doesn’t include many scenes without the imposing Godzilla or Kong.
There is also some interesting backstory surrounding the creatures and their ancestors.
If you edited all the series’ titans footage together the MonsterVerse would probably have a classic entry on its disposal.
As it is, not even Godzilla vs Kong can withstand the baggage of half-hearted humanity and the peril of spoilers.
●What did you think of the flick? Am I being too harsh on the human characters? Where would you like to see the MonsterVerse go next?
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@ reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.