Godzilla vs. Kong vs. King of the Monsters

[Your Boy Leroy]

^ This is true. But I kind of think that’s where the issue is, and why I keep harping on the need for some sort of consistency in tone, quality, or even goals in the MV.

There were things that many agree weren’t very good about KOTM, mainly the execution of the human story. That being said, at least KOTM tried to have an involving human story intertwined with the monster stuff. It wasn’t very well done at all, but it gets a hell of a lot points from me now having seen GvK’s complete lack of effort on that front. That’s why some people can see these two films differently and trying to achieve different things (despite the fact they’re supposed to be in the same “cinematic universe”).

I think KOTM tried to be a good movie, but didn’t succeed (in my opinion). GvK didn’t even bother to try to be a good movie, but instead shifted focus on just being entertaining. I think because of that, it’s hard to compare the two, because it’s like there’s no standard (again, consistency). The way you view movies can affect how you accept this sort of thing.

I know this won’t earn me any credibility here, but I’m an independent filmmaker, and I love action movies. Just like in monster movies, there’s the general perception that human drama in action movies just doesn’t matter. I hate that perception, and I try to make my own films with characters and stories that matter just as much as the action. This is why I’ve been so critical of both KOTM and GvK. And it’s also why I have a really hard time enjoying anything anymore.

[shadowgigan]

Makes me wonder. If the fights in GvK were shot/choreographed/edited like how they were in KOTM (in other words, not very good at all), would the film be getting as much praise as it is? I doubt it. Everyone says the human element doesn’t matter in movies like these, and GvK is the epitome of that. The monster scenes are literally the only reason to watch this.

So yeah, I voted KOTM. Lesser of two evils.

The last time I watched GvK I just skipped the humans lol. Sometimes I do this with Godzilla movies.

[Your Boy Leroy]

That’s what I’ve been doing every time I’ve watched the film since after my first viewing. I do the same with all the old Godzilla films too.

[Spydrmanjr]

There are definitely a handful or two of Godzilla/kaiju movies I watch in their entirety every time without fail, but there are a lot more that I will just skip to the monster scenes.

[ClandestineCanine9]

the music and sound mixing in KotM was much better. aside from that, GvK is definitely the better movie.

[Garzon]

GvK is definitely better. KotM is a pretty rough movie. It tries to simultaneously be something deep/meaningful (for kaiju movie standards) and a big monster brawl, but it falls short on both of those fronts, and it ultimately just feels like a slog. GvK is dumb, but it knows that, and it doesn’t try to paint itself as anything other than what it is. It’s also more visually appealing.

[Omegamorph]

GvK knows what it's doing -- saturday morning cartoon -- and does it to a T. Pacing and editing are swift n fast, and the film goes by without notice. KOTM's editing and script are something to look at in film classes as to what not to do in many areas. Enjoyable movie, but GvK does everything it does - only better

which is weird of me to say, the way I am wired would dictate that KOTM has more elements that appeal to me... but on a scale level, I've watched KOTM twice (one in theaters, one on NYE 2020) whereas once I had GvK in hand I rewatched it 5+ times in a week

[Jetty_Jags]

As much as I appreciated that long thoughtful take on the subject, it does seem a bit unfair to dump on and deconstruct every nitpick of KotM because it isn't Citizen Kane, while GvsK gets a pass for many of the same flaws because 'don't care, expected mindless fun, got mindless fun.' While I would love every Monsterverse entry to be a flawless cinematic masterpiece as well as an awesome monster battle royale, like most things in life you often can't really have your cake and eat it too.

Oh I completely agree, it is totally unfair. However, my current reviewing philosophy is analogous to the "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" scene in the Wizard of Oz. By this, I try to view films on their own terms. If the film is attempting to be pure smoke and mirrors spectacle, I am ok with that and will frame my perspective with that in mind. If the film starts poking at the curtain to reveal the thematic/emotional/narrative weight of its display, then I will begin focusing my attention there. The difference for me is that GvK bolts this curtain shut, while KoTM has the curtain flapping open and closed in rapid succession. I say this even as someone who generally prefers more thought-provoking narrative works. So when KoTM asks me to engage with its characters and the thematic impact of its imagery, I find myself unable to excuse its poor execution of these qualities. Whereas I do not feel GvK asks its viewers to do anything besides sit back and enjoy on a visceral level. Obviously this is a purely subjective perspective, and in GvK's case depends on the viewers willingness to suspend disbelief. But I'm currently ok with this because I am willing to admit my position is inherently biased, and I am also open to change my mind in the future.

[o.supreme]

I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way. First off. I appreciate the subject of this thread (one less I have to make).

Personally, I enjoy both of these movies very much. neither one is a "bad film" or one that I don't enjoy. Godzilla vs Kong was great, and was pretty much what I expected...however KotM, gave me EXACTLY what I wanted. I understand that Kong is more marketable worldwide than any of Godzilla's more traditional foes, but he really isn't my favorite. King Ghidorah has been Godzilla's main rival since 1964, and I thought 2019's KotM was an excellent re-imagining of GTTHM.

Kind of like how things originally played out. KKvG came out in 1962, while GTTHM came out in 1964, and was supposed to be a step up in intensity, and overall spectacle in the kaiju genre. Not just 2 Monsters, but 4. In a similar but odd way, I personally wish with Legendary; that GvK had come first, and KotM afterword, at is is a much grander film overall.

Another way I like to illustrate things is with Rocky. Several arguments can be made for who his greatest rival is. Apollo Creed was the first, and it took a second film for Rocky to actually win. Clubber Lang actually defeated Rocky, and humiliated him before Rocky had his return match and regain the championship. Also, while Rocky defeated Ivan Drago, their single match gave Rocky Physical, emotional, and mental pain that would last the rest of his life.

Now notice one name I didn't mention... Thunder Lips (Hulk Hogan). Why? Because it was an exhibition, for fun basically. Nobody took it seriously because it wasn't meant to be. That is how the first KKvG film basically turned out, whereas GTTHM had real world-ending possibilities if King Ghidorah was not stopped.

The same could be said for the Legendary Monsterverse. KKvG looked amazing, and was fun, but there was no threat to Humanity. Godzilla's "attacks" were few and far between. The only character really threatened in the whole film is Kong himself. Whereas in KotM 2019, again, the entire world is threatened by King Ghidorah's presence. Godzilla REALLY had to step up his game (Burning Godzilla), to win, and save the Earth. This was not the case for GvK.

Also like the original Showa films, after the Glory of GTTHM and Monster Zero, things got scaled back with the island Films (Ebirah, and SoG). But then, stepped up again for Destroy All Monsters.

If there are any future Legendary films, I'm not sure if they can scale back. It would be interesting to see what could be done with a sub 100M dollar budget G film, but I'm not sure if studio execs want to take that chance. On the other hand, There certainly are ways to make things Bigger and more spectacular than 2019's KotM. Destoroyah would be one. An honest to goodness new take on Destroy All Monsters (where they all actually fight, not just show up for brief moments) would be another, so potential is definitely there.

Basically in summation GvK was a great film. It will definitely be a day one purchase once it comes out on Physical Media. But as it stands now in the Monsterverse KotM is my favorite, closely followed by GvK, then Skull island (which I also really liked), then finally G 2014. Which is not a bad film either. So for me, this franchise has no bad films so far, I just happen to think that KotM 2019 is the best, and hopefully there will be more to come.