Up From The Depths Reviews | Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 20 апр 2021
- When Godzilla appears to declare war on humanity, Kong and his protectors make a perilous journey to Hollow Earth to find a mysterious energy source that can stop him.
Released: March 24, 2021
Producers: Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Brian Rogers, Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, & Eric McLeod
Director: Adam Wingard
Screenplay: Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, story by Terry Rossio, Michael Dougherty, & Zach Shields
Starring:
Alexander Skarsgård as Dr. Nathan Lind
Millie Bobby Brown as Madison Russell
Rebecca Hall as Dr. Ilene Andrews
Kaylee Hottle as Jia
Brian Tyree Henry as Bernie Hayes
Shun Oguri as Ren Serizawa
Eiza González as Maia Simmons
Julian Dennison as Josh Valentine
Kyle Chandler as Dr. Mark Russell
Demián Bichir as Walter Simmons
#Godzilla #Kong #GodzillavsKong
---------
Up From The Depths is dedicated to diving deep into all things Godzilla and kaiju. Subscribe: goo.gl/ZzG77P
Twitter: / fromthedepths88
Fair Use Copyright Disclaimer: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. 
Кино
One problem I had with Godzilla King of The Monsters was that they kept cutting away from the monster fights. This movie corrected that error.
I honestly think KOTM did better with building up to the fights though, each monster was given a real sense of reverence there, compared to how rushed the fights were here.
Agreed.
@@michaeldorsey9231 The build up was good but the execution was done poorly. GvK definitely fixed that problem this time around.
@@michaeldorsey9231 I agree. They did build up the monster fights only to cut away to the humans in GKOTM. I didn’t mind the cutaways from Godzilla 2014 because that’s not an action movie. It’s a sci-fi drama, just like the original Godzilla from 1954. Godzilla King of The Monsters 2019, on the other hand, is supposed to be a step up from G14 and be about the action. And what do we get in that film? The same thing but more frequently.
... At the expense of the sense of scale that film delivered. The macro wide-shots which permeated this film were flat and uninspired, far and away from the "can't quite fit it in frame" shots that make the monsters look truly massive in the previous two Godzilla movies, so yeah, I still preferred those even if they weren't perfect with it.
2:21 "hollow experience" I see what u did there
Haha very clever
Yeah, that make me chuckle lol
"...your inner child cant help but love."
Cheers to that. Been watching kaiju movies since i was 3, and 8 year old me woulda lost his frickin mind over this movie.
Now that im 30, it still geeked me up in ways only the big guy himself can do.
Long live the king.
Same here brother. Mandatory viewing in theaters. Watching the movie on the big screen got me a bit emotional at some parts.
Same. I’ve seen it twice in theaters
My inner child would NOT "love" to see one of my favourite monsters and the number one most influential monster and original (and true) king of the monsters, King Kong, being so brutally mistreated and downplayed in this film... This movie is dead to me, and it dragged the MonsterVerse into the grave along with it.
@@Xenosaurian I whole heartedly disagree man. Yes Kong is the OG king but Godzilla also put in the work and carried the genre while Kong remained absent sadly. This movie does both of them justice. And I am confident that Kong will receive his 👑 and title in the coming years,patience my friend. I loved and enjoyed Kong being the center of this movie, and this comes from a huge Godzilla fan.
Edit: with that being said I have massive respect for King Kong
@@Sgt.Dornan117 The movie does NOT do Kong justice at all! The movie downplayed Kong hard by (1) portraying him as being under a victim protection program to protect him from Godzilla and presenting him as an inferior easily-killed target and (2) having Kong drugged and chained during his first battle with Godzilla and having him struggle rather than just easily break lose and defend himself and (3) constantly needing the humans help and in the end even Godzilla's help later on and (4) he didn't get to keep his throne for very long because Godzilla had to destroy it as soon as we discovered it and (5) Godzilla beating him badly and being mocked during their Hong Kong fight while having him run away as he's hit by the atomic breath and (6) his axe upgrade didn't make any difference and was pointless and the characters have to tell you "Kong won that round" rather than making it apparent through the events on screen and (7) Godzilla just chases him, and bites and claws him, and dislocates his shoulder, and stomps him down to the point he can't get up and is almost dying and eventually needs his heart restarted and (8) he didn't even get any real victory with Mechagodzilla either to compensate for his previous defeat to Godzilla because they had to make Godzilla save him and team up and (8) in the end it just had Kong dropping the axe while Godzilla just leaves and then nothing else. This movie was just one massive disappointment and none of the few positives about the film can overshadow the considerable negatives that totally ruins the whole experience... There is no excuse for the travesty that this film was turned into and it didn't live up to the hype and it depresses me and adds further weight upon all the things that brings you sadness in life! The MonsterVerse is dead and this movie and its director and writers be accursed as far as I'm concerned.
Good review, covered pretty much all the broad points from the action to the characterisation. Though I personally gave it a higher rating, I think your rating is fair from a critical perspective. How does it stack up in the MonsterVerse to you?
- Alastair
First Hi dangervillle
Hi
For me it's fourth place. I like the previous 3 about the same, but if I'd have to order them it'd be:
1)Godzilla 2014
2) Kong: SI
3) Godzilla KOTM
4) GvK
Alastair, G14 is the best movie of the MV though not a great movie, KSI is pretty good addition and arguably the best MV movie, Kotm was Dougherty's turd and GvK was Mediocre but still awesome.
1: GVK
2: KSI
3: G2014
4: G:KOTM
Let’s not forget, this movie that saved cinema and started racking in millions in this pandemic era while also angering twitter checkmarks.
Why the anger?
@@thedude2131 because twitter is mad that they didn't include their political agenda or whatever, half of the stuff on twitter is a mess anyways
Twitter is just utter garbage
@@lastgamer64 lol, you’re just making shit up huh?
Twitter gets mad at everything nowadays
SPOILERS JUST IN CASE U HAVENT SEEN IT:
In my opinion, seeing godzilla's arch nemesis king ghidora with the power of the core of the earth being connected to a human being telephatically connecting to a robotic version of godzilla fighting godzilla is beyond bonkers and something I loved seeing
Dude I’ve been thinking this too. There’s so much going on with this Mecha G. Also the person who’s partly controlling it has a vendetta against Godzilla because he’s the son of the guy who studied him extensively to the point of making his son bitter and mainly responsible for reviving Godzilla in the last movie.
It’s all poetic.
and whats even crazier is that the novalization of the film says that Ghidora is actsually within and most likely has taken control of Ren sarazoua, as in the consciousness of Ghidora is not inside a human body.
imo this means that Ghidora is going to try and make another mecha body, but this time of his prefered body, mecha king ghidora.
but that Kaiju possessing a human body thing for this franchise is bonkers imo
Anyone else here remember watching Cinemassacre and remember James saying that King Kong vs Godzilla needs a modern remake? So awesome because I'm happy with what we got
Cinemassacre’s Godzilla-Thon was what introduced me to AVGN.
We got a travesty. I wish we hadn't gotten this film.
Then explain to me why so many people are praising GvK. I get that Kong was the OG but sometimes the original is not always the best.
@@Xenosaurian the original was pretty dumb tbh.
It wasnt hard to improve upon
Something I feel it's extra amazing is that he was offered a cameo, which he declined due to the birth of his second daughter. Regardless I love the movie makers giving a nod to a big name fan.
Godzilla 2014 = back to the original in terms of theme
Kotm = one mahoosive service to godzilla fans worldwide
Gvk = revisiting showa era fun
To which i love all 3 movies.
Pretty much all 3 of those films are modernized showa era films. G14 being a modernized American version of gojira kotm being a modernized ghidorah the three headed monster/destroy all monsters and gvk being a modernized king kong vs godzilla/godzilla vs mechagodzilla
When i become a filmmaker, my Godzilla film or films will be its own thing, no homage to showa, heisei and Millennium movies or no stupid love letter to the franchise, just its own film with some nods to past films but its own film with a balanced tone, mixing realism and fantasy and also balancing originality with faithfulness to the Toho Godzilla. Mark my words, i will make this movie come true.
All three of those films are modernized showa era movies.
@@SaurianStudios1207 uh huh totally my man
Well put, and completely agree!
For those asking for an extended cut, I would love to see that to, but there is a novel version which goes into things in greater detail so if your looking for more, read the novelization. AND read the two prequel graphic novels, one about Godzilla, one about kong.
Godzilla: Dominion
Kingdom Kong
@@michabaranowski1191 Amazon, ur local book store, maybe even a supermarket cause they do sell books there I think. There are also prequel graphic novels as well
The prequel graphic novels are great!
@@michabaranowski1191 Oi, seems like we've got the same bloody problem lol
Mechagodzilla was the worst and best part of this film. I didn't like the design, and how he was the obligatory common enemy, that the two fighting sides have to take down. But, him being the last movies main villain, back for revenge, saved him, and made him into an established character. I only wish he had more screentime, and that the angle of Ghidrah controlling him, was made apparent at the start.
I dig the design. But yeah he deserved more screentime
I like mecha godzilla's desgin but i agree he should have gottan more screentime
I don't mind the design, the problem was just how he was barely in it and felt like he needed more time to develop and it baffles me that they didn't introduce mechagodzilla earlier in the MV, as G14 and KSI didn't set him up.
The problem that I had with MG was that, in my opinion (even for a kaiju film), the way they include him “jumps the shark” a bit too much. I mean, you’re telling me that in 5yrs. humanity went from modern tech, to LITERALLY A GIANT ROBOT, I’d have several questions. The technological leap is just incredibly jarring for me. If they would’ve just made MG ancient civilization tech, that they make modifications to, that would’ve worked so much better.
• *_"I didn't like…how he was the obligatory common enemy"_* How else are they going to have Godzilla and Kong fight each other? The advantage of having MechaGodzilla involved is that they can make Godzilla the aggressive instigator and a destroyer without completely making him look like the bad guy and has actual motivations _why_ he goes out on a rampage. Without the robot, Godzilla would just be the obligatory villain that automatically lose because the good guys always win. Without MechaGodzilla, Godzilla would have to reason to attack humans, which in turn wouldn't result in getting Kong involved as the only Titan on Earth that can cooperate with humans, who is essential to finding a power source in the Hollow Earth that is needed to power up the robot, therefore the two monsters wouldn't cross paths along the way, therefore there would be no titular fight and no movie.
Dude, having the third-party villain trope itself at all isn't a bad thing, it's the execution that matters, and the trope was executed very well in this movie. Certainly a million times better (and simpler) than _Batman V Superman._
• *_" I only wish he had more screentime…"_* I hear a lot of people always complaining about screen time, never once talking about the time a certain character was given within that time at all and what impact it left on them. Here's my question: in the time MechaGodzilla _was_ given screen time, did he or did he not left an impression on you? The time that's given matters not, what matters is what was done with that time that does, and for a few minutes of screen time, MechaGodzilla seemed like he left a big impression.
• *_"…and that the angle of Ghidrah controlling him, was made apparent at the start."_* How more apparent can they make it? Clearly that reveal wasn't meant to be given early. We knew that Ghidorah's head would come into play in this movie and be used for MechaGodzilla, but at what extent we did not know, and that was meant to be saved much later into the movie. Besides, the entire Godzilla plot of the movie revolved around the mystery of what exactly was provoking Godzilla from the start - Apex is housing Ghidorah's skull and they're using it to build MechaGodzilla, Godzilla senses that some part of Ghidorah is still alive and that the humans are involved, and that's what's provoking him.
The movie isn't trying to be too subtle about it, and why should it? It's a pretty simple movie with a simple premise with a simple plot, and greatly it benefited from that simplicity.
I feel like Godzilla's motivation is actually just stopping Apex. I think he's only warning Kong and trying to stop him from helping Apex. I think Kong is just as confused as the audience thinking Godzilla is trying kill him and everyone else. It explains why he leaves Kong alive so often. Godzilla knows he needs Kong's help to stop Mecha.
Agreed
Solid explanation
I THIUGHT THAT
Godzilla is a villain going about killing humans and antagonizing titans for merely existing, and Mechagodzilla was created to take out that villainous monster for good. Kong should have let Mechagodzilla kill Godzilla, or better yet, Kong should have been the one to kill Godzilla (perhaps adopting a baby Godzilla and taking care of it as its guardian and teaching it be an actual protector unlike the previous Godzilla that Kong had to take out).
@Xenosaurian I see so many salty comments of you in this video.
it's a modern Showa-era film, and it was so much fun to watch from start to finish
My favorite aspect of this remake was Gia and Kong. I really enjoyed the new take on Kong’s stereotypical infatuation with a pretty woman. Their little relationship was adorable and really pulled me into the movie.
Personally, KOTM still is my favorite movie in the monsterverse, I think it's the most well done, but watching GvK was an experience that I enjoyed A LOT, and I would repeat It over and over again.
Same thing mate. I agree.
I agree.
Not trying to be rude, but why do people think KOTM is the best? I’ve been seeing it a lot. That movie has just as many stupid plot points as GvK except the characters there are morons and the fights are pathetic IMO. GvK knew it was dumb and had fun with it. Don’t get me wrong it’s flawed, but on a pure enjoyment level I’d give it 4 stars and KOTM like 2
@@Dingo-wk5ed don't worry, you are not rude, everyone has an opinon. For me, KOTM was just like seeing a classic toho movie made in Hollywood. It treats his monster protagonists with the love and respect they deserve, the human part of the movie is very underrated, it's the best one from the hole monsterverse, and i think it's not necessary to mention things like the sountrack or the action.
@@Dingo-wk5ed This analysis collects many of the points that I like about the movie, I'll leave it here in case you want to understand why so many people call It the best one ruclips.net/video/D0KBoCXZqo4/видео.html
I'm so glad this movie has been successful, despite the pandemic. The Monsterverse has been a huge source of inspiration for me art wise but also has often made me tear up, while sitting in that front row seat. While I still think KOTM will be my favorite, simply due to the behind the scenes work that went into designing the big four, I'm excited to finally see this movie.
I got what I wanted. Godzilla and Kong ..beating the crap outta each other. I’m more than satisfied
@Ellis Deister 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@Ellis Deister That would be funny as hell, but the Giant Claw killed me 🤣
@Ellis Deister i almost forgot about that one
The thing that made it work for me as more than hollow shlock was Kong himself. I was unbothered by the shallower human characters (well, less bothered) because they were supporting characters to Kong's protagonist, and it was his story we were following. He had the most textbook version of a hero's journey that I can think of in a major movie lately, and it was well executed throughout.
I would have loved to see some more thematic weight, though.
I love that you state your opinion and at the end of the video silently put your star review up. Makes it feel less definitive and more personalized.
I have to be honest, this is my second fav American Godzilla film behind 2014.
My only problem is the feeling that this is Kong 2 guest starring Godzilla.
Fastest click in the west!
lol
You promised me 7 minutes and you only gave 5.. just kidding, good work mait
This movie is just giant monke vs big lizerd
Exactly what I’ve wanted ever since I’ve watched the 1962 King Kong vs Godzilla
One thing GvK does is finally break the Kong Curse. Everytime Kong has been taken from Skull Island, things usually end badly for him. Been that way since 1933. But now we have a Kong that not only manages to survive being off-island but he also gets a new home in the Hollow Earth. AKA, he doesn't die for once.
Technically the original king kong vs godzilla broke that curse since we would have king kong escapes and king kong lives. All of which are different from your typical kong storyline. The MV just brought that different side of kong more popularity
I liked te fact that kevin almost did a thing that his two other brothers could not
Kill Gojira
@@DerpaTure9503 ik that bro but kevin was op during the possesion of mechag
I needed this movie to play out exactly as it did. I've suffered too much heartache these past few years of my life. I needed something to be a distraction and not be too deep. I needed to see my first childhood movie hero walk away as the victor. I needed the script to be flipped, this time. I went into this movie filled with so much dread, believing that with the way things play out in my life, my chosen favorite would certainly fall, only furthering the melancholy that is my life. Five stars for me.
I’m hoping things get better for you soon.
@@o0bookwyrmknight0o Thank You :)
The movie desperately needs an "Extended Cut" with just an extra 30 minutes to really flesh out some of the human characters, mainly the character of Ren Serizawa, and give us more time in the Hollow Earth or with other Titans
Other than that I have no real complaints. This movie was an absolute delight to watch and, in terms of Kaiju action, my favorite of the Monsterverse. Kong: Skull Island is probably my favorite in regards to human characters
For me, the list goes as such:
4. G’14
3. Kong Skull Island
2. Godzilla vs Kong
1. Godzilla King of the Monsters
It wasn’t too hard to make this list but it did hurt putting G’14 at the bottom simply because you have to watch it in the dark to see what happens. As for KotM, I absolutely loved it. I honestly have no idea how people could hate it. It gives you everything you want and treats it’s monsters with respect and keeps them in character.
Plus, I find it hypocritical that GvK is being praised for the exact same things that KotM was panned for.
You keep telling yourself that buddy
Why are you judging godzilla 2014 based soley on the lighting? Ok i agree the movie is way too dark at points, but that's because of the blu ray transfer, i saw the movie in the cinemas and it looked fine. You probably don't understand film or storytelling, just because Godzilla kotm gave you everything you wanted in a Godzilla movie and it treats the kaiju with respect doesn't make up for the lackluster script and the horrendous fights, cinematography, editing, writing and how tonally different it is to G14. GvK fixed some of the mistakes of Kotm like the fights and focusing more on the titans themselves without much human drama, so that last part is a misunderstanding.
Maybe I wasn’t clear. First off, don’t assume anything. Second, the lighting isn’t the only problem, the human element takes up a majority of the story; let’s face it, the only characters you cared about were Joe Brody and Serizawa. And yes, I get why the monsters screentime was limited but KotM was everything G’14 was and more. Also, horrendous fights? No sir! The battle in Boston is a spectacle as it was meant to be.
As for the tone and themes, they are not changed; the theme of the MonsterVerse is the same as Jurassic Park: Life cannot be contained. That’s why I enjoy KotM the most, because it takes the themes of life and nature and turns it into a worldwide battle with humanity caught in the middle.
That, and I’m sure there would be a lot of people who’s outlooks on life would be changed by the arrival of the Titans.
Again, continuing with the themes in G’14, did you ever realize that whatever the people did, despite their good intentions, made things worse? Use a nuke to lure them, nukes get targeted and eaten. Nuke is armed; then immediately taken by the male. EOD Tech tries to disarm but can’t. A scientist tries to heal the world but releases something far worse. The list goes on.
The Titans are supposed to represent nature and how we must coexist or die.
So yes. I do understand film and storytelling.
@@jw_gojifan19 eh i still disagree with alot of the things you've said. Then again we are both Godzilla fans with very different tastes and viewpoints. Also sorry if i came off as a bit harsh. If you don't have any problems with kotm, hey good for you, sorry for the inconvenience.
That’s fine if you disagree. Fandoms would be boring if every opinion was the same.
Every film has problems, but if I enjoy a film despite those problems, then it is worth it to me.
Glad to have chatted with you.
Ive seen the criticism that movie focuses too much on kong. But people have to realize kong has gotten 1 movie. Godzilla has gotten 2. So they needed to show kong more to make up for having less movies for kong. And this is coming from someone who hates kong
You hate kong? I mean I could understand if you prefer Godzilla more but "hate?"
Im a Godzilla fan and am absolutely fine with Kong being the protagonist pretty much and enjoyed it,as stated in the vid it's refreshing to see Godzilla go back to his villainous roots for a bit
@@mr.milkman3893 Im just not a fan of him.
@@Mark-yd8qc that's fine.
They ultimately messed up because they BRUTALLY MISTREATED Kong's character throughout the film. They downplayed him too much and now the movie ended up an unfortunate disappointment...
Love this film despite its flaws. It is the closest I’ve seen to recapturing the campy feeling of the Showa era. I also love that the Kaiju are getting more chances to be more expressive, it gave Kong and Godzilla great personalities.
People say there's less focus on Godzilla, but to be fair, before GvK, Godzilla was in two movies while Kong was in only one.
When I was watching this with a friend of mine, he'd occasionally ask a question about what was happening, and I always told him he's thinking too hard about it, regardless of whether it was a basic question or not. Especially if it was a basic question.
We need this review the world needs it
Godzilla: A realistic world reacting to giant monsters.
Kong: Skull Island: The story of man trying to take power in a world where they are prey
Godzilla: King of the Monsters: Showing the godlike power of the Titans and the bond we once had
Godzilla vs Kong: RANDOM SHIT GO BRBRBRBRBRBRBRBR!
This is honestly the best out of the 3 american Godzilla movies since 2014
Skull Island had sunken into the ocean by now. Monarch had built a large dome-like structure with an artificial recreation of Skull Island's original environment, to contain Kong.
I personally give it a 9/10. Monster action is some of the best in cinema history, both Godzilla and Kong have arcs that are great. Team Kong was great imo and Team Godzilla was alright however mostly carried by Bryan Tyree Henry, I do wish the character of Josh was replaced by Mark Russell in the story tho. Mechagodzilla was awesome, and I am glad the film ends on a way that leaves the door open for more films, but also gives a satisfying conclusion to the MonsterVerse.
Here's my ranking of the Monsterverse so far:
1st - Godzilla vs. Kong
2nd - Godzilla: King of the Monsters
3rd - Kong: Skull Island
4th - Godzilla (2014)
Just to be clear, I like all of these movies.
I did enjoy Godzilla 2014 a lot, but that doesn't mean I don't have any criticisms. It's so low on the list because, personally, it has the least to offer. Godzilla's only in the movie for like 10 minutes, they constantly cut away from the monsters (when they're even on screen), and the human story is very bare bones (apart from the first act, of course).
Kong: Skull Island is weird to me. It doesn't really feel like it belongs in the movie series, but it's pretty important and sets up for so much, like the hollow earth for example. I don't even have much to say about it. I like it, but it's so low on the list because it just feels so out of place to me.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is next. Personally, I love this movie. Like, a lot. I love that it brought back Godzilla's most iconic enemies, and I love how they were portrayed. This is the most faithful to Godzilla they've been so far, and as a huge fan of the Toho movies, I really like that.
But sadly, this isn't my favorite because of the constant cut aways from the monster action. They wouldn't be so bad if they didn't cut away to the kinda annoying family drama. Don't get me wrong, I like Kyle Chandler and Millie Bobby Brown in this movie. But I think the mom (sorry, I forgot the actress' name) was the worst part of the movie.
Personally, as of right now, Godzilla vs. Kong is my favorite of the Monsterverse. For once the plot actually revolves around the title characters, it's incredibly exciting, and the action is top notch. They knew what kind of movie they wanted to make and they ran with it. I've heard some people say that the hollow earth and the leap in technology is stupid, but I think they both make the movie a million times more interesting. And it's not like they haven't both been set up over the course of the series. Plus, do you really want everything to be extremely realistic in a movie with a giant monkey and an impossibly large lizard that literally lights up and shoots lasers? They had fun with it, and I like that a lot.
Even though I absolutely love Mechagodzilla in this movie, I do think he could've been built up a lot more. And also, I think some of the characters shouldn't have been in this movie, namely Kyle Chandler who literally did nothing but say "what the hell" a couple times.
But I enjoyed pretty much everyone else. Team Kong, especially Jia, are standouts.
So yeah. That's my personal ranking of the Monsterverse thus far. Again, this is just my personal opinion.
Feel free to crucify me in the comments over my taste in movies.
This is a good review with solid points. Personally I give it a higher rating for many other reasons, but at a critical standpoint with the plot it’s satisfactory review and I do recommend anyone to watch GVK it’s a really good film at the end of the day to have fun watching and certainly it’s a great beginning for the MV to continue into phase 2 where the MV can start fleshing out their characters better with more support and their universe as well going forward. I do definitely hope it shall continue.
Should be said though Adam Wingard did reply about the demand for cut for GVK, Note this is his full cut of the film. This is certainly his version with no interference from the studio what Adam made and he does not wish to make a sequel for GVK it’s perfect as it is for him.
I'm a 42-year long G-fan (discovered the Hanna Barbera cartoon when I was 3) and I am especially hard on all Godzilla movies upon first viewing. I've seen it 2x in the theater and when my wife asked me if I liked it, all I could say was "yes and no". Your review so eloquently summed up all of my emotions and analysis in less than 5 minutes. Every single point I agree with you (except for the sense of scale-I thought it looked small compared to the 2014 one).
You are one of the best reviewers on youtube
As much as I enjoyed this movie, that brief clip at the 8-second mark is a glimpse of something special that we never got to see.
King Kong as horror, by way of Frank Frazetta or a revamped version of Kong 1976, is something I would kill to see, and would trade Skull Island’s silliness for in a minute.
I have to disagree about the sense of scale tbh, I feel like they lost it in the second round at Hong Kong and never really gained it back. Wholeheartedly agreed on the three stars score and everything else tho.
Same
I'd be up for discussing scale in the Monsterverse
Yes finally! Thanks Depths!
It was decent, definitely deserves an extended cut
agreed, I'd love to see one
Director said he is that type of human that would even cut more from what we got if he was asked for an extended cut 😂😂
Now let's hope the next MonsterVerse has a well constructed story and filmmaking style like some of the best kaiju films
Great review. Hit the nail on the head in terms of narrative and who we end up rooting for, regardless of which monster we like more. As with most MonsterVerse movies, there is so much unrealized potential that is hurts me as a fan to see it come to an end so soon.
We've been waiting for this one...
"The result is a monstrously entertaining but ultimately hollow experience."
Monsters, hollow earth.
*GET IT !?*
After the film's release, production assistant Ryan Unicomb detailed elements of the story that were removed or reshot:[33]
Nathan Lind's initial attempt to explore the Hollow Earth would have led to the death of his fiancée instead of his brother. As in Kingdom Kong and the novelization, their entry point was Skull Island. The experience would have made him "a depressed drunk who hangs out at dive bars."
Maia Simmons would have used a device called the ORCA-Z to cause Godzilla to attack the Apex facility in Pensacola, with the hopes of setting up her father as a hero when he killed Godzilla with Mechagodzilla. This would have further explained Godzilla breaking off his attack against the naval fleet and Kong, as shutting off the fleet's power would have disabled the ORCA-Z as well. In the novelization, Madison Russell speculates that Apex built a new ORCA, but nothing comes of it.
As in the novelization, Madison would be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters and have a strained relationship with her father.
The film only implies Ren Serizawa is Ishiro Serizawa's son through their shared surname; initially, this would have been made explicit. Serizawa would have also betrayed Simmons, using a hitman to murder the CEO and deliberately uploading Ghidorah's consciousness into Mechagodzilla. Bernie Hayes would kill the hitman before he could dispatch Madison and Josh Valentine.
Jessica Henwick's character, who was cut from the film entirely, was a reporter. In the novelization, Mark Russell fields questions from reporters after Godzilla attacks Pensacola, although they only have one line each.
Paintings in Kong's temple would have depicted Mothra, Rodan, and Behemoth as participants in an "ancient war." The finished film shows a cave painting of Mothra, Godzilla, a member of Kong's species, and a Skullcrawler, but only in the opening credits.
The one thing I didn’t care for was how fast Godzilla moved. It took away from making him feel like a giant.
Been waiting all week for this 🤧
YES FINALLY I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SOOOO LONG!!!!!!!!!
holy jesus the vid is HERE!!!
Its not about the people. They gave great character to Kong and they did a great job interacting them and their relationship.
My biggest cons is the plot hole of why transport Kong over the ocean when you have helicopters? Godzilla could've been in it more, some of the humans were fine but some could've been executed better. They made Kong look too weak, needing to get bailed out by the humans from the flying snake monster. But the fights delivered and then some. It had great atmosphere too.
Given that Kong is the hero, the battle is never about who is stronger but rather can Kong be able to defeat Godzilla despite the odds stacked against him.
Just watched yesterday, I agree with your review 100%. I was hoping for a bit more but I can’t complain about the action sequences.
We need Up From the Depths, the world does!
I loved this movie. Ive become very emotionally attached to this movie now cuz it was the last movie my grandpa saw before he passed. This was a fun thrill ride and I really hope this franchise continues.
i literally just finished watching the godzilla review compilation a couple of hours ago and thought 'shame there's no godzilla vs kong review yet'
Good review, as always.
Just in case anyone was wondering. Godzilla definitively beat Kong fair and square.
I honestly think that the human elements in this film is stronger than King of the monster.
The humans in Godzilla vs Kong at least have reasonable character motivations and they are well acted in the short time frame they were on screen. The actors don't just try to pretend in their acting that their characters are more serious than what they really are, and they know how to run with it and have fun with it. Walter Simmons is charming as a cartoony villain, but he doesn't overact and make the character silly, mantaining the serious outlook of a corporate CEO. Maddie doesn't do much but she is fun to watch when she hijacked the vehicle and her serious moments when she argued with her father over Godzilla is well done too. The whole team Godzilla subplot while not consequential to the whole story, is not pointless as it is fun to watch.
Gaia is the MVP of the movie needless to say, capturing the heartstrings of so many people. Dr Eileen's care and genuine concern for Gaia is also brought out
My favorite Godzilla youtuber
This man rated Son of Godzilla 4 stars while GvK 3
Bruh
Jokes aside i love your content
I make no apologies!
@@UpFromTheDepths88 you should've given kotm a 3 star rating at Least.
Son Of Godzilla is an entertaining movie with a fun vibe and some great monster designs with the exception of you-know-who. Too many people hate on that movie.
@@scado5679 i dont hate him, i LOVE minilla but there is NO WAY its better then GvK
@@UpFromTheDepths88 bruh 💀
According to your star ratings GVK is the weakest film of the monsterverse so far, but the your criticisms are very reasonable and you give praise where it is due, this I why I like your reviews.
I personally cant decide which monsterverse film I like best as they are the kaiju films I grew up with, the first two are nostalgic to me and the second two have enough good stuff to compete with that nostalgia so I honestly cant choose.
Keep up the good work. 🦖👍
I disagree. I think all the human plots were quite compelling. I like how Nathan and Gia actually had backstories.
I'm bummed that so much was cut, though, especially Ren's story.
SPOILER WARNING
Although ridiculous, I felt that the hollow earth subplot could lead to easier introduction of classic Godzilla monsters in the future. I’m totally excited to see what they could do with monsters that we’ve only seen once or twice such as King Caesar and Destroyah!
I know, Destroyah even more since the ground work was already laid in GKOTM when the oxygen destroyer was set off during Godzilla and Ghidorah's second encounter.
I personally agree to an extent. While I think if you turn your brain off while watching the fights they can be fun, Godzilla acts like an overpowered dumbass, being far dumber than he has been in prior monsterverse entries, but somehow way too powerful at the same time. And Kong I feel is far too humanized, making him more human than animal, and his animalistic presentation in Kong Skull Island was one of my favorite parts about Monsterverse Kong. Even more so Kong is underpowered, the only time he ever gets a chance at a fight against Godzilla or the spoiler Titan is whenever he has that axe, without it all his strength, intelligence and speed is nullified for some odd reason that the movie never explained. To a lesser extent I find some of the movements of the kaiju just look odd, and a bit cartoonish, it doesn't happen too often but it is very noticeable when it does happen. I think one of the worst things the film does to Godzilla is make him a straight up murderer. In prior films in the monsterverse whenever he harmed innocents it was always on accident due to him not noticing them or being pushed into them, something like that. But in GvK he intentionally kills people on multiple occasions that have nothing to do with his source of anger, so it leaves me questioning why he kills them at all. My biggest complaint about these two is that neither feels like their monsterverse versions, it feels like Adam Wingard really liked Godzilla and Kong as characters, but not the versions of them presented in the monsterverse. Godzilla feels much more akin to his GMK version, being less intelligent but far more powerful, falling in line with that interpretation. Kong on the other hand feels more like the Peter Jackson Kong than the KSI Kong, feeling much more like Frankenstein in how he emotionally is presented. I'm not saying you can't make Godzilla more aggressive and Kong more sympathetic than in prior monsterverse films, but it has to be a more gradual change than such an abrupt change. Godzilla can be angry, but don't make him murder human beings on purpose, it directly opposes what he does in prior films, when even when humanity fucked up he didn't directly blame them, even when they released Ghidorah. And as for Kong just show him in the same light KSI did, make him a tough animal who while resourceful isn't as smart as a human is, make him strict against humans but still able to empathize with the best of them. Also instead of having some plot axe that retroactively makes Kong's species smart enough to make weapons and buildings, instead just let Kong fight Godzilla without any assistance, make use of his agility and speed to take on Godzilla, not a weird shield axe that lets him block everything Godzilla sends his way.
3:25 Oguri Shun aka Ren Serizawa is also a megastar in Japan and an amazing actor.
i was waiting for this review, very interesting
A "HOLLOW" experience. I see what you did there.
I loved it. Not perfect and possibly the weakest human story of the Monsterverse but I think it's balanced nicely by truly making the monsters genuine characters.
Godzilla 2014 definitely has the weakest human story. Kong: Skull Island has the best human story.
It was terrible and brutally mistreated and downplayed Kong.
@@fizzyfuzz5878 I was thinking of 2014 when I said that. On one hand I think the first act has some of the best human drama with Bryan Cranston, but after that it goes to completely dull and not nearly as compelling. While GvK is never as good as that first act but never as dull as the rest.
I guess..
All I can say is, my 4 year old son absolutely LOVED this movie and had a blast the entire time. So for once, I am glad we got a Monsterverse movie that knew what it was and just was fun.
Same thoughts here! Great review sir!
I think we Can all agree 👍
I love how you emphasized that the action was clearly shot. That was my major problem with Godzilla 2014 and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. I couldn't see as much during them. Godzilla vs. Kong is beautiful, and most importantly, VISIBLE.
Entertaining yet a hollow experience. You describe this movie perfectly indeed. Many things are wasted (especially some characters) but very awesome action.
As a whole KotM is still my favorite in the series. That movie has so many things going for me. Titans, characters I like, music. Oh boy, I couldn't get enough of the Titan's entrance in KotM especially with Bear McCreary's awesome OST playing.
GvK is still enjoyable, it just isn't my favorite in the verse. I can see myself rewatch it just for the fight scene alone, that certainly is the most enjoyable part.
I applaud your honesty. Must have been hard to work around your fanhood and see movie as is, instead as you'd want it to be.
The one thing I see the most that carries from a narrative standpoint from the previous installments is that the constant saying that humans do not control of nature and if they do, it will only get worse and should leave it to the Titans, in Godzilla vs Kong when Apex build Mechagodzilla to have a chance to defend themselves from titans and claim that humanity is the ultimate species and should dominate, but like in the movie Mechagodzilla ended up causing more death and destruction than before and it was up to Titans(aka Godzilla and Kong) to stop it and find peace.
I waited 60 years for that fight...
This was my initial reaction as well, but after some consideration, I have realized this film is perfectly done to segway into the lore of the Monsterverse. If Legendary goes that route, we could get to see a full out prehistoric Kaiju war, as the rivalry between G and K in the present has essentially gone as far as it could.
Indeed, I enjoyed it as a monster fighting movie, but it's sad that it cannot be something more, like Jurassic Park or even the original Godzilla movie.
great revive but a little bit too critical on the plot.... when in the last 50/60yrs outside of the blk and white movie((I'm excluding Gojira Raids Again bcuz it follows my overall point))did ANY Gojira film have a plot w/substance and humans who's roles were nothing more then to move the plot along??? What maybe Gojira 84/85, I mean COME ON, the reviews I've seen about this movie make me think most ppl never actually looked at any of the films.... ESPICALLY the Heisei Era ones XD...
Awesome review
And you said everything I felt and saw
Well done
This is my second favorite Monsterverse film
And the second best for me overall
You didn’t even talk about MechaGodzilla. That whole sub-plot was amazing.
Can't take someone seriously if they don't like this movie but like the showa ones
A perfect summary of my feelings on this film.
Good review! I agree the action was top notch and the absolute best in the monsterverse. But some of the human characters were a bit lacking. Here's hoping that we get a director's cut edition in the future to tie up some of the loose ends.
This is up there as one of my most favourite godzilla films ever.
Theaters still were shut down when this came out but I deeply enjoyed it at home.
I had caught myself up with the showa King Kong vs Godzilla and was hyped as hell for this showdown of the century.
I imagine Godzilla and Kong won't fight again until the far distant future where audiences would most likely xp it in virtual reality completely.
The cgi style in this is so much cleaner and concise compared to the heavy distortion of 2019 and the grey of 2014.
So often people didn't know Godzilla was fighting Ghidorah in the water until the oxygen destroyer was deployed.
That and it was either dark desaturated blue or hot brown orange for rodan.
_
The fights in this film are top notch.
They're so inventive while paying tribute to the past in fun and epic ways.
The death toll of civilians had to have been high in this
Even more than Kotm.
Godzilla winning is such a bold move that undoubtedly rattled the views of King Kong fans around the world.
But is fitting as King Kong won in the original.
But in the end him and Godzilla teaming up against Super Legendary Titanus Machina is a battle for the ages.
JunkieXL's composition of this movie was fun and over the top.
It really got Godzilla/King Kong fans super involved and excited to see.
To where both sides would get hostile with each other was really fascinating. While others just wanted to see a fun movie.
It's what the world needed and what kaiju fans needed at that point in time.
So fitting that it did Amazing financially as the original did all those decades ago.
Mechagodzilla's theme is my favourite in this combining a synthetic sound with the Monks for Ghidorah's theme was so loud and epic.
Legendary's mechagodzilla is my favourite tied with Kiryu from the Millennium godzilla films.
So detailed and huge without being visual noise.
It's sounds and abilities were so insane.
When my ex and I watched this she caught on to her favourite learning sign language she asked 'does he learn sign language or something?' I was quiet as to not spoil haha.
At the end even she thought it was great being a king kong fan she thought the end fight was fun.
I would give it an 8 out of 10 at the minimum or a high 9 if you ignore the human bits.
Oh yes the human bits.
They...tried to make the humans even more involved than they already were.
Maddison's bits have a lot less going on
Jia's got more to work with Kong being the focus of this movie.
Ultimately I don't really care for them
The acting isn't anything to write home about imo.
It sucks because there's absolutely potential for interesting human characters.
I'm excited to see how the Godzilla show goes and where the Legendary Monsterverse goes from here
🖤🦖💜
I saw something that said ALOT was cut from this movie, I hope the blu-ray version includes the cut stuff, may make it feel more fleshed out.
What critics want to see: a film that keeps an engaging story intact while keeping a fast pace and showing stunning visuals
What people want to see: *big monke and lizard fight*
This review takes me right back to why i was disappointed with Gareth Edwards' Godzilla. That movie would have been better as a second act following a proper origin story. This movie is exactly what i wanted for a monster vs monster movie. We don't need a compelling plot, just big action. An origin story, on the other hand, should only star the titular monster and really push the emotional connections Gareth Edwards failed in this respect and Adam Wingard delivered in spades. GvK is my favorite Godzilla movie following the Japanese original.
Love your reviews and channel.hope everything is ok and you make a comeback soon.
I'm just glad it's being positively received. It will boost monster movies. Yea it was dumb action but I'm fine with this movie being a Segway for more well written movies. I also think some people need to take into account that this movie pulls directly from the wacky showa Era. It's a Showa movie with a Hollywood budget
While I was satisfied with the monster fights, the fact Wingard blueballed me numerous times with the potentially great-but-squandered plot threads was enough to make me feel really upset and/or disappointed by the end.
That said, it did deliver on the promise of having awesome fights, and Big Dog Status beat Monke.
I personally feel that Godzilla vs. Kong is superior to King of the Monsters in many aspects but I do agree with many of your criticisms here. Especially regarding the villainous human characters, though I do feel the film delivers on its epic scale. A fair, informed review as ever, Sir Depths.
Me personally, I will give it 4/5
Yeah, it moving too fast and lacking substance were my biggest problems with it too. Like, they just email the energy to power MechaGodzilla? Okay.
I agree with this review, and def feel, if nothing else, if they had made more direct connections to prior movies it would have been a stronger movie. Apparently Zhang Zhiyi was supposed to come back too but her scenes were cut
We should also be a bit more forgiving about this movie in general. Its production and release got caught up in the pandemic, under better circumstances Adam Wyngarde might have been able to add in what we were looking for, but this movie met our minimum expectations and we should be happy it at least did that right
I'd love to see Kong, Godzilla, and Mothra interacting together one day. Maybe in the Hollow Earth, Kong and Godzilla continuing their rivalry while Mothra tempers and calms them, fighting an army of giant monsters. Hell, with the reveal of a power source that can pilot MechaGodzilla, maybe aliens coming for that power source can be the new bad guy. Basically, I just love these monsters, I love their interactions, and I want more.
For me this movie is just below Skull Island
My MV ranks are
1. KOTM
2. Skull Island
3. GvK
4. Godzilla 2014