Welcome back to the channel everyone, its I the
reluctant gringo back again with another video, and yes, I saw Godzilla and
Kong: A New Empire this evening. Let me start out by saying
this: Besides DUNE part 2, it was the best major 2024
release I have seen all year long. Was it silly?
Hell yes it was silly. Was it illogical and required
you to just dump all deductive reasoning out the window?
Consider my brain shut off. Did it have every trope imaginable for a modern
science fiction film
of this caliber- the girl who is the key to everything? The single mom
struggling for acceptance? The misunderstood ex boyfriend who is non threatening
and not a romantic interest at all? Ancient civilizations with more knowledge
and power than we can even understand? Every Hollow Earth theory dumped
into one cataclysmic narrative plot? Pyramid origins, alternative gravity theory,
naval submarines that use headlights under water, and trees that eat people?
Monster battles that destroy major
city centers- Like Rome, Rio, Cairo, Southern France,
Gibraltar, half of the northern polar ice cap? Godzilla using the Roman
coliseum as a bed to take a nap? A not so subtle global warming metaphor that
is very up front, but it’s okay because I shut my brain off already and by the time
they get to it, I have trouble with words. Technology that is absolutely implausible
being bandied about like candy? Ridiculous plot armor to move the story forward.
Convenience and coincidence as major cas
t members because otherwise there is no way
any of this makes it to the screen. And special effects that went from awesome
to gen 4 video game depending on the scene. If your are talking about Godzilla and Kong A New Empire- then check yes for
every one of those things. Some of you would think that I am being
negative here. Nope. Just being honest. I laughed outlaud with this film,
and so did most of the audience. There were some audible, polite
clapping when the credits rolled. Now, don’t
ask me to remember the names of most
of the characters- it really is not that kind of movie, although I remember Bernie- because he
made us laugh the most- the down on his luck, former hero of the previous film now disgraced and discredited podcaster and YouTuber….I
guess I can see a lot of me in him. Anyway- the movie delivers on the one
thing audiences want to see and the only thing audiences are paying
to see- Giant Monster Battles. From second one we are thrust into
a giant creature b
attle with Kong, and Godzilla must have destroyed three or four
cities along with a couple of delicate ecosystems and about 3 million people throughout his 2 hour
rampage before getting to the final fight- Mind you- Godzilla is doing all this to protect
us from other more villainous Titan monsters. Kong, on the other hand, spends 2/3rds of his
screen time fighting almost everything that moves. But the difference here is that Kong actually gets
a character arc- no shit- a real character arc.
They can’t do it for most humans in modern
day cinema-but a giant GCI monkey- yup, he gets a relatable and redeemable character arc. And the film is about Kong- he is the protagonist.
Godzilla is not the main focus- he’s there because the story needs him to be there- but
this is Kong’s story and Kong’s struggle. Like I said- I turned off my brain-
put my expectations where they needed to be. Chowed down on some popcorn and
just enjoyed the spectacle on screen. Yes- it was one of the more e
njoyable times
at a theater I have had in the past 12 months. Yes- it is a stupid, silly movie, and you know it.
Do you know who else knows it? The movie- even delivering a line about throwing
anything at the wall to see what sticks. A very self referencing joke. And I cannot lie, even to make myself sound
more sophisticated— I enjoyed the spectacle. I enjoyed the over the top everything
I liked the characters- the only ones you don’t like are the bad monsters
you are not supposed to like an
yway. And I left the theater with
a smile, as did my family. Everyone enjoyed the film- two
of them even said they liked it better than Godzilla Minus One-
so take that for what it is worth. So- yes- a good time of pure escapism
and far fetched, impossible, fantastical, fringy science taken from the deep recesses of
4 chan- in a CGI playground of a world- yeah- it was good to get away for a while, which
is what Godzilla and Kong are perfect for. And that’s my review.
Let me know what you t
hink in the comment section below and don’t forget
to like and subscribe for future content. If you want to see more film critiques-
click on the thumbnails for my review of Ghostbusters and my review of Dune Part 2. With that, I am still your reluctant gringo,
and from South of the Border, Salud and A Huevo!
Comments