The inexplicable fatal flaw that has sunk both of the recent solo Godzilla entries to varying degrees is its bizarre emphasis on human drama. This strategy would be completely fine if it added any sort of emotional depth or even further fleshed out the monster action to any meaningful degree, but it mostly just bogged down the pacing, created a deadly serious tone that was antithetical to the fun vibe that's associated with this genre and took valuable time away from the star of the show engaging in their signature destruction. Somebody at Warner Brothers must've been taking notes on why these films received lukewarm responses and decided to revert back to something that more closely resembled the lone prior winner from the current "Monsterverse" Kong: Skull Island because Adam Wingard's (You're Next, The Guest) Godzilla vs. Kong is an epic-scale triumph that delivers the smorgasbord of massive creature fights that audiences haven't gotten enough of in the past.
Godzilla vs. Kong is the unapologetically massive, loud and visually astounding spectacle that every movie in this subgenre should strive to be. Watching two CGI beasts beat the shit out of each other in impeccably detailed green screen locations behind a pounding electronic score and neon-tinged lights while an overqualified ensemble cast (Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, roughly a half dozen other respectable actors) drop expositional dialogue and provide the required stunned/concerned reactions to the titular characters destroying whatever is surrounding them on the densely populated battlefield they've chosen to spar on is just the ultimate cinematic sugar rush. The fact that that the world has been deprived of this particular brand of beautifully over-the-top blockbuster in the past year make its extended monster throwdowns even more badass and jaw-dropping to take in. Is there still too much human drama going on here? Probably, but at least it almost exclusively functions as a dot-connecting tool to explain why these legends are duking it out and is presented in a much goofier, self-aware tone than its predecessors that never steps on the joy of the maximalist action that powers its proudly primal heart.
As we hopefully start to head towards the end of the COVID era, Godzilla vs. Kong serves as powerful proof as to why Hollywood studios remain an unquestionably essential part of the entertainment ecosystem. Even with all their money and proven track record of landing high end acting/directing talent, there's no streaming service in the game right now that could create something with this much distinctly big screen magic behind it. Will streamers eventually be able to replicate this good old fashioned big budget razzle dazzle someday? Of course, but for now this is something that only the titans of the industry that have been backing extravagant event movies since the medium was invented know how to execute with this much precision and grace. If Godzilla vs. Kong ends up serving as an early indicator of the high quality thrills that will be in store as people slowly start returning to movie theaters and the slew of pandemic-delayed blockbusters start seeing the light of day, 2021 is going to be one hell of a year for escapist entertainment.
Grade: A-
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