GODZILLA vs, KONG

US, 2020, 113 minutes, Colour.
Alexander Skarsgaard, Rebecca Hall, Millie Bobby Brown, Kaylee Hottle, Demian Bechir, Julian Denison, Brian Tyree Henry, Lance Riddick, Eiza Gonzalez, Kyle Chandler.
Directed by Adam Wingard.

If ever there was to be an action show to be seen on the largest screen, this is a principal contender. It looks very good up there on the screen, especially the action sequences and lots of special effects.

Of course, the title tells all. In fact, there are two major battle sequences between the two alpha-creatures, Godzilla (the baddy) and King Kong (the goody). And, as if this would not satisfy most audiences, a dastardly corporation entrepreneur is creating a Robo-Godzilla? to control the world!

So, the creatures are the most important focus. Here is King Kong (with memories of all the films from the 1930s on), in retirement, one might say, on Kong Island. There are scientists there who are keeping an eye on him in his environment, keeping him safe. Rebecca Hall is one of the main scientists but communication is had with Kong through a young girl whose parents had been killed. She is deaf, uses sign language, and has been able to communicate with Kong response to her. Very nice.

In the meantime, what is Godzilla up to? Destruction, of course, invading the city and, looking more gigantic than ever, smashes everything in sight and within distance of his swinging tale. (Giving new meaning to a smash hit!).

However, Walter Simmons (Demian Bechir) has the most enormous plant you have ever seen for technological development, not only of the surface but 33 storeys down. And, when Godzilla tears into this, he has an alternate plant in Hong Kong (and the tunnel from the US to Hong Kong which two youngsters, who team up with an investigative plant who wants to expose Simmons, Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) and Josh (Julian Denison – from the Wildepeople – with his New Ziland iccent intact) all travel down.

Simmons employs the help of a scientist, Nathan Lind, Alexander Skarsgaaard, who teams up with Kong’s protectors to transfer him to Antarctica and an underground prehistoric jungle, with deadly pterodactyls, but containing King Kong’s original throne and sceptre. The screenwriters’ imaginations have been working overtime!

If we accept the plot and its, to say the least, improbabilities, and enjoy the portrayal of the two alpha-creatures, especially the fights and effects, there should be no complaint!

1. The title? The audience getting precisely that? Plus the Robo- Godzilla?

2. The plot, comic-strip, the focus on the monsters, the subsidiary human characters? The plausibility of the plot – comic-strip imagination?

3. A film to be seen of the big screen, the special effects, the action? Large spectacle?

4. The situation with King Kong, the movie tradition, on Kong Island, Kong and his being observed by the scientists, protected, the communication with the little girl, her being deaf, sign language, as learning it? Ilene and her role on the island, protecting Jia? Kong and his happiness, reigning supreme, in his jungle habitat?

5. Walter Simmons and his Empire, technical explorations, ran as his assistant, the Robo creations, Ren and his control? The headquarters in the United States, vaster than could be imagined, surface, the many storeys underground? His ambitions? The creation of the robotic Godzilla? His potential? Simmons and his ambition for power?

6. Godzilla, in the city, gigantic size, in the water, the absolute destruction? Returning to the sea? The alpha creature, wanting to be the sole alpha-creature?

7. Simmons and his transferring to the Hong Kong office, its vastness, working on the Robo Godzilla? The tunnel from the US to Hong Kong?

8. Godzilla’s threat to Kong, Simmons and his visit to Nathan Lind? Lind and his expertise? Commission to go to Kong Island, Simmons sending his daughter? Spy?

9. Nathan, meeting Ilene, Jia, communication with Kong? The need for rescue and resettlement? The decisions, the vehicles, flight, Antarctica, going below, the alternate prehistoric world, the flying creatures, Kong and his becoming acclimatised, fighting off the creatures, devouring them, eventually finding his throne and his sceptre?

10. Simmon’s daughter, contact with her father, supplying the information? The attack and the crash and her death?

11. The subplot with Madison and Josh? Her father and his work for Simmons? The investigations, the encounter with Bernie, his being a plant, his research, photographs, video, the plan to unmask Simmons? Their working together, the discoveries, the threats? Transition to Hong Kong? The discovery of the Robo Godzilla, wanting to protect Kong, the equipment, the satellite, Josh and his IT work, the irony of Bernie and his beer, pouring it on the computer, saving the day? Madison reunited with her father?

12. The staging of the fights between Kong and Godzilla, the first, the water, the ships, their gigantic size, destruction of the ships, the planes? The buildup to the second conflict? The dramatics? The introduction of the Robo- Godzilla? Their turning on it, its destruction?

13. The possibility of reconciliation, the two alpha-creatures? And Kong returning to his kingdom?