By The reviews are in for Adam Wingard’s “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” and the reaction seems to be what was expected. With 104 reviews counted on Rotten Tomatoes, the film sits at a 62% (5.5/10) score.
To put that in perspective, it’s the weakest outing for either the Monsterverse or Godzilla himself in a while. Apple’s recent “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” series starring Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell, pulled in an 89%.
Meanwhile the acclaimed Oscar-winning Japanese “Godzilla Minus One” film from Toho stands at a stunning 98% (8.4/10). As for the other Monsterverse movies, here are their scores to date:
“Godzilla” (2014) – 76% (6.7/10)
“Kong: Skull Island” – 76% (6.5/10)
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” – 42% (5.1/10)
“Godzilla vs. Kong” – 76% (6.4/10)
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” – 62% (5.5/10)
Here’s a sampling of review quotes for the new film below:
“A welcome reminder that there’s nothing wrong with being fun and ridiculous… It’s no small compliment to say that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is expertly crafted drivel.” – William Bibbiani, The Wrap
“If the series is to continue, and there seems little doubt that it will, the human characters are going to have to be treated with the same loving attention as the monsters.” – Frank Scheck, THR
“‘Godzilla X Kong’ makes up for its own deficiencies with oddball flourishes. Wingard and the writers work like rogue chefs at an Olive Garden, tossing everything they can at any number of walls to see what sticks.” – Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
“It’s a still fun yet far sloppier outing, a second round that’s less of a win for us and more of a draw.” – Benjamin Lee, The Guardian
“Returning director Adam Wingard and his writers really lean into the cartoonish style of the Showa-era Godzilla films from 1954 to ’75. This includes abandoning all pretence of logic or plausibility, never a huge concern in this franchise.” – Peter Howell, Toronto Star
“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?” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“The people who’ve inherited this franchise are so determined to make it ‘fun’ that they’ve forgotten how to earn that feeling.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire
“The kaiju of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire don’t stand for anything but themselves. They’re just giant monsters that occasionally fight one another, which would be forgivable if the fighting in the movie weren’t so torpid.” – Alison Willmore, Vulture
“There is very little emotion or inspiration underneath the orgiastic violence and, especially in the wake of last year’s ingenious Japanese-produced Godzilla Minus One, The New Empire feels old hat.” – Tim Grierson, Screen
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is launching worldwide now with the $135 million-budgeted film, the least expensive film of the series thus far, projected to gross its entire production budget in its opening weekend globally with around $50-55 million of that being its domestic launch.
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