On March 31st, 2021, one of the most anticipated movies for 2021 was released on HBOMax. After being released for only a week, the film managed to amass $48.5 million at the box office. Godzilla vs. Kong is the crossover of two different monsters from the MonsterVerse all within the same movie. Naturally, fans globally were thrilled to hear that their two favorite monsters from the MonsterVerse would be squaring off in a film. This film is a continuation of the MonsterVerse franchise, with the last movie in the franchise being Godzilla: King of the Monsters, released in 2019. There was lots of excitement on social media after the official trailer was released. So much so that fans and celebrities worldwide started choosing sides through Twitter hashtags such as #TeamKong or #TeamGodzilla. 

The movie starts light by displaying Kong’s current status, currently being kept in a research facility and in a virtual reality dome that stimulated Skull Island’s natural environment. He has wholesome connections with other humans, such as Jia, who was shown as Kong’s friend throughout the film. It later transitioned into Godzilla going rampage and showcased Godzilla’s relationship with other humans. Overall, the filmmakers had done a phenomenal job exploring the relationships that monsters have with other influences in the world. The build-up to the ultimate fight was also executed flawlessly and had served its purpose by exciting the audience for the best part of the movie. 

One of the primary reasons behind the movie’s success was its CGI and other special effects. The modeling for Kong and Godzilla were both done impressively, and there were many close-ups of Kong during the fight, and the details in those scenes were impressive. The settings for the battle were also very unique. One-half of the battle is performed in the sea, with many military ships surrounding the two monsters. During this fight in the ocean, Godzilla has a clear advantage over Kong since Kong is essentially an ape. The second half of the fight transitions into Hong Kong’s streets, where Kong’s fighting specialties shine. The addition of different settings for the fight truly sets this movie apart from the rest of the MonsterVerse movies. 

While this movie might surpass many CGI films, the actors’ performances create a setback for the movie. The dialogue and the actors’ reactions during the battle were exaggerated, ultimately forming an awkward moment.

Overall, this movie does shine in its own way. The perfected CGI and the movie production create a high standard for future MonsterVerse films, but the acting in this movie can be a buzzkill for avid movie watchers.