Godzilla X Kong The New Empire is the latest film in the monsterverse and quite possibly the first right footing. Adam Wingard returns to deliver some breathtaking Kaiju action and sprinkle in some human drama.

The film follows Kong and Godzilla as they unite together against a mysterious Hollow Earth threat and also focuses on the previously untold origins of the Titans and Skull Island

The film gives us more time with the Kong which was something I didn’t expect to see. We follow their everyday life on Hollow Earth from hunting and just surviving. One of the early problems Kong faces is one we all dread and that’s a toothache. It was fun seeing this all unfold as the world is immersive and Kong is able to communicate with us through facial expressions. I was not expecting to see such an animated Kong, so Kong lovers rejoice! We quickly, however, get that there is a larger threat afoot as we learn from the humans. The cast includes Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry all reprising their roles. Godzilla X Kong finds a perfect balance between the human drama and Kaiju action.

One of the biggest draws to these films is always how much monster action there will be. I can assure you when it comes to The New Empire there are plenty of monster fights. Godzilla in particular is just on a rampage throughout and Kong has some of the best fight sequences all of the Monsterverse. The new threat in the franchise, The Skar King, is by far the most despicable one yet. I didn’t think the movie would get me riled up and emotional, but they do a great job at setting up this villain; you are just rooting for Kong and Godzilla to take them down. There was also a lot of heart in Kong’s story, especially when it came to showcasing just how much they wanted a sense of belonging. It’s definitely the movie Kong fans have been wanting, and one I didn’t know I needed.

I also loved how they build the lore up even more for the Titans, Skull Island, and Hollow Earth. We have the human characters venture into Hollow Earth where new secrets unfold, and everything starts to make sense. The wonder of this world and the exploration aspect of it was well done. Brian and Dan are the clear comedic reliefs but aren’t overtly in your face with it. Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle are the heart of the film alongside Kong. The balance between these catastrophic events and the humanity really makes this movie emotional when it needs to be. Of course, you don’t get as much of the human aspect as the movie is focused on the titans which can be good and bad.

There is a scope to this film that you really feel in its final act when the monsters come to the surface. A majority of the time you just have these creatures with one another, so they don’t feel big. Once they come to the surface you realize just how massive they are. The final act also was off the wall insanity with antigravity fight scenes and a final act that is straight out of a cartoon. We really enjoyed the film and wouldn’t call it perfect, but it does its job at giving you a monster brawl.

We give Godzilla X Kong The New Empire a 3.5 out of 5.