Last month’s cinematic release of Godzilla vs Kong may have been the reviver the industry needed. It’s a blockbuster!
WARNER Bros and Legendary announced back in 2015 that the two earth-shattering monsters of movie fame, Godzilla and King Kong, would share a cinematic universe. The battle between the pair is one etched in history.
The latest instalment in the franchise is nothing short of historic. After various 2020 release dates were postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic, the film went on to have a global cinematic release on March 26 2021.
It was also the first film of the year to be released at Ster-Kinekor IMAX cinemas and, according to Deadline, it set a new international benchmark for the highest opening weekend for a Hollywood film during the pandemic era. It raked in a whopping $123.1 million from its 38 international markets, which included South Africa.
When creating a mass entertainer all about the monsters, it is often the case that the human characters become irrelevant. This time, though, director Adam Wingard does a decent job at getting as much out of the cast as possible.
Alexander Skarsgård and Rebecca Hall lead Team Kong with the delightful Kaylee Hottle, who plays Jia, a young native able to communicate with the monster.
Meanwhile, for Team Godzilla, Millie Bobby Brown delivers a good performance alongside Brian Tyree Henry and Julian Dennison, who deliver comic lines to perfection.
The screenplay by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein is smooth, while Ben Seresin’s cinematography and Josh Schaeffer’s editing are on point as well. The background score by Thomas Holkenborg immerses the viewer into the experience, just as much as Owen Paterson’s stunning production design does.
Wingard does a good job of showcasing the two monsters blow for blow and stride for stride on the big screen. The locales of Hong Kong, in particular, make for some extremely grand-scale action sequences that combine brilliantly with the film’s flawless VFX.
The final battle, in which one of the monsters must fall, is handled to perfection. As a climax it truly delivers the adrenaline rush that going to a blockbuster movie warrants.
Godzilla vs Kong is now showing at cinemas nationwide.
VUVU RATING: 8.5/10
FEATURED IMAGE: Blockbuster film Godzilla vs Kong is showing in IMAX cinemas globally. Photo: Razeen Gutta
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