255 days, roughly 35 weeks. This is the abstinence of the big screen incurred. Therefore, it is difficult to describe the state of mind in which we look at a film at the cinema for the first time in more than 8 months. Especially a film like Godzilla vs. Kong, which is not trying to claim more than what it is : a deluge of action gargantuan entertaining.
We’re not going to lie: nobody is really left for the movie. All the reviews are proven to be unanimous, or nearly so, to the question. In the end, more than its intrinsic quality, we were all excited to finally returning to a room dark and discover the big show on the big screen. However, we can already recognize a few points in this film, in particular, vis-à-vis its predecessors. If Godzilla II: King of the monsters was rather homogeneous on the whole and proves to be entertaining but not flamboyant, Godzilla vs. Kong will be of the same ilk, but much more heterogeneous.
It is important to understand that the film continues in the line that was drawn up by the previous films, up to push his concept of the absurd. That is to say that the human element will take up even less space, but the few that it occupies will prove at best ludicrous, at worst useless; while the duel between the two monsters, iconic will be the real heart of the film and would have almost been able to be himself. By ridiculous/unnecessary, I mean, of course, the characters of which the impact will be minimal when there is not a caricature or insignificant. The only character who has a real role in the movie is the ” little Jia, dumb. It becomes a part of the soul of the film is the character with the most expressive, the most attractive and most interesting, and all that without saying a single word. This is quite ironic in a film where two characters securities do not use human language (but it was just as well).
The rest is just a bunch of superfluous, void, development and the arc narrative is ridiculous, even pathetic. Nathan and Ilene come out vaguely in the batch because they frame Jia and serve as a connection with her, but their characters are so sad to be absurd. We found Mark Russell’s previous film, not that it adds something special, just like her daughter, Madison, embedded in a subplot that has the misfortune to cut the pace of the story, and flanked by two other figures heavy as 500. The only interest of this part of the plot is to serve as a rifle Chekhov at time t, except that there was no need for 3 characters to achieve it and in the end, we could achieve with the characters already present.
You can vaguely mention the antagonist, classic stereotyping that assumes, his daughter, who serves no purpose to the plot (not even she is not entitled to an arc of redemption, then she would just have to play the role of the rifle Chekhov), and the son of Serizawa, looking out from behind the fagots for no reason. At least, the previous films had the merit of giving a role to the character, even if it was stupid. Here, no, not even trying. Many critics have pointed to the lack of intrigue around the duel and the spectacular, and the concern is not really there: there is a plot, except that it is only worn by any character.
Kick-yes, the shots alternate, it is a bit laborious to start, the pace is chopped, several scenes are clearly unnecessary, heavy, long, pretty boring. And it is that can make it difficult to judge the audition, because it seemed so insignificant or even absent, to really be significant. No does really takes advantage of that if this is not the whole young Kaylee Hottle.
But in the end, and this is where I speak of heterogeneity, I had a blast in this movie, more than in Godzilla II , or Kong : Skull Island. Because the plot surrounding the two kaiju is fun and we do not disappoint. Even if it’s just to start, the arc of a narrative of the two follows a logic and a dynamic quite a classic in the genre of an action film. Both are treated as characters in full, not only of the monsters that appear in the background. They have a development, they have a course, obstacles to be overcome, emotions. Yes, the trailers broil a little bit the reason why Godzilla mode berzerk, yes the passage into the hollow Earth in full-Jules Verne is a bit long (but interesting enough in the construction of the mythology) ; but it’s still entertaining.
Elsewhere, a sign : as much as the first third of the film is filled with a lot of dialogues, exhibition, presentation; as much, as soon as the first confrontation, the film gears and it is the limit if there will be more dialogue. The few who remain will always be of the exhibition (” Oh, he must do this “, ” Oh, I’m doing it “), but it will be intersected by the long sequence where Kong and Godzilla are the real characters ‘ titles to their film of the same name. We let ourselves get carried away in this story, this show, and we are still hooked on our seats until the end. I really enjoyed it and I’m invested in the story of the two characters. And yes, I am very satisfied with the resolution of the film.
On the technical side, the film is the flood promised. Tom Holkenborg gives himself to heart joy to make this epic and spectacular to perfection, with a music frenzy as we could have hoped for this battle of the Titans. If the staging seemed to me to be a bit lazy at times, she remains quite effective at all and plays well on different scales to take into account the magnitude of the characters (perhaps the only benefit of humans, in the end). And, more importantly, it perfectly blends with the scenery and special effects to give a real breath of epic and grandiose to this adventure.
The fights are amazing, the monsters have a detail of realism rather impressive, but above all, their dynamic is very fluid and realistic. If there are a lot of passages very anthropomorphic in their reactions and expression (probably to strengthen the character), their behavior and movements retain something quite animalistic, which strengthens the end of their attractions animal. The balance is pretty much found and really works very well.
In short, is that Godzilla vs. Kong is a good movie? No. Without necessarily being a standard, he shares some ingredients. You can take it as an action film, grandiose and dramatic, making confront two legends of cinema like never before, and as fans could hope for. Not necessarily better, overall, than its predecessors (and not just the franchise, I’m talking in general), it turns out to be, without a doubt, one of the most effective. Movie popcorn par excellence, without a doubt, is a guilty pleasure, but that proves to be entertaining and epic, and that I will watch again with great pleasure. And after all, maybe this is what we need to make us forget the current context and return to the cinema.
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