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Ahhh, the Avengers of the monster movie world. It’s been 3 separate films leading up to this point, but we’re finally here with the face off that has been teased to us ever since King Kong came out a few years back. King Kong vs. the King of the Titans in an epic battle. Well, just with a twist that we all see coming a mile away, and the inclusion of stupid humans which has been the bane of the series up to this point.
Human garbage that bogs down the film:. Kong is under super strict monitoring by Monarch on his little island and kept away from the rest of the Titan battles that have been happening in the previous Godzilla films. He gets visitations from a deaf orphan named Jia (Kaylee Hottle) who teaches him to sign, and Dr. Andrews (Rebecca Hall) has pretty much been keeping everything under control. However, Monarch Scientist and hollow earth theorist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgard) has been approached by the mustache twirling villain of the movie (of course he’s a villain. He has an accent and he’s a rich business owner. They’re always villains), one Walter Simmons (Demian Bichir) who believes that there is a hollow earth, and that there is something special down there to explore. He convinces Nathan to go with him on a journey to the center of the earth (yes, pun intended) with him, but they both need a Titan to get there. So naturally Nathan approaches Dr. Andrews and convinces her to allow them to use Kong as a sort of guide to get there.
Simultaneously we have a silly story involving Apex conspiracy theory loving employee Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) attempts to pull information about a super secret project going on by Walter Simmons, and with the help of Madison Russell (the same girl from Godzilla: King of the Monsters) and her reluctant friend Josh (Julian Dennison) they find out that Apex is up to something big. REALLLY big.
Like most things, humans really do drag the story down, and the story is just LITTERED with plot holes and contrivances. I was literally howling at the screen when we go to hollow earth and see that Kong has a whole culture down there complete with a throne and a super powered axe made from one of Godzilla’s scales. An axe that can absorb radiation and be super powered up. Then there’s the humans jump starting Kong’s heart with an aerial vehicle. Kong shooting a radiation beam down to the center of the earth and kong just crawling out, and stupid wise cracks that are just PAINFUL to listen too. Still, it’s got more smashing and destroying than we could hope for and that last 30 minutes is nothing but one gigantic version of Pacific Rim just with an ape, a mech, and a lizard.
Rating:
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language
4K Video: Video:
As I said, the HDR and Dolby Vision really make this film as the movie is just littered with neon colors everywhere. Godzilla’s neon blue radiation energy just pops off the screen, as is the red lazers of mecha godzilla, and the incredibly orange and blue tinged underground “throne” room for Kong. The blacks REALLY show the added benefit as they are beyond inky and deep. Compare the scene as Kong makes his way into his stone grotto on Blu-ray vs. the 4K. It’s not even comparable. The 4K UHD just renders the blacks so much deeper an inkier, without showing milky tones and giving way more shadow details. Great GREAT looking disc.
Audio:
Extras:
• Kong Discovers Hollow Earth
• Kong Leaves Home
• Behold Kong's Temple
• The Evolution of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World
• Godzilla Attacks
• The Phenomenon of GŌJIRA, King of the Monsters
• Round One: Battle at Sea
• Round Two: One Will Fall
• Titan Tag Team: The God and the King
• The Rise of MechaGodzilla
Final Score:
Godzilla vs. Kong is just what you’d expect if you’ve seen the other films. It’s big, got two of the big boys beating each other up, and it’s full of stupid human interactions that drag the film down like the previous films. The best way I can sum up the film for you is that it should be re titled Pacific Rim: Kong vs. Godzilla and just sit back and watch the destruction. It’s hilariously goofier than any of the previous movies, but it’s the biggest, the baddest, and the most satisfying with the ending as well. The 4K UHD is just a massive massive improvement over the Blu-ray visually speaking and worth the upgrade by all definitions, and the movie itself is big dumb fun. So grab away monster lovers.
Technical Specifications:
Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, Demian Bichir
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Written by: Terry Rossio, Michael Dougherty, Zach Shields (story by), Eric Pearson, Max Borenstein (screenplay by)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), Italian Dolby Atmos (Italian Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English, French, Spanish DD 5.1, English DVS
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Swedish
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 113 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: June 15th, 2021
Recommendation: Great 4K Monster Watch
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