The embargo has lifted on Adam Wingard’s “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” and, as expected, the reviews aren’t good. A 50 on Metacritic and 59% on Rotten Tomatoes.
I skipped the press screening on Tuesday evening, sensing that something was very off with this one. My instincts proved to be correct. In my lifetime, will I ever end up watching “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire”? I doubt it, unless I get kidnapped, gun to my head, eyes propped open and glued to the screen like Alex in “A Clockwork Orange.”
There’s still a fanbase for these types of movies, that’s why ‘Godzilla X Kong’ is being projected to have a domestic opening of $50 million this weekend, including a $135 million worldwide tally. These numbers will likely contribute in granting Wingard’s wishes of turning his franchise into a trilogy.
If Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One” taught us anything, it’s that a Gojira film can still be done right, and in effective fashion. You don’t need the bloat, nor do you need the extravagant effects (‘The New Empire’ cost $135 million to make), rather, all you need are the right creative instincts.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck:
At one point in the film, Godzilla, weary from all that stomping around, lies down to take a well-deserved nap in the middle of Rome’s Colosseum. It’s the most relatable moment in the film.
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman:
The movie can make your head hurt. But not because it’s too convoluted to follow. It’s because the real convolution is: Why are we supposed to care? About any of this?
IndieWire’s David Ehrlich (C):
This goofy-ass, clumsily assembled Saturday morning cartoon of a movie might as well be called “Godzilla Minus Everything,” if only because the more accurate “Godzilla Minus Everything Plus Dan Stevens in a Hawaiian Shirt” wouldn’t fit on a marquee.