Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - Review

The world's two most legendary monsters team up to save the world in the latest film from Legendary's Monsterverse.
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[@elsawilbur6240]

Dan Stevens has to be one of the most underrated actors working today- I feel like he's always one of the best parts of what he's in, and the only person to be in on the joke to some extent.

[@Cameleonbates]

He is so fantastic in the FX show Legion.

[@elsawilbur6240]

@@Cameleonbates yes! huge inspiration for this comment - also vastly underrated! I'm constantly hoping it just randomly blows up one day

[@15Candles]

Apparently this movie was a reunion of him and director Adam Wingard as they previously did The Guest which was an excellent movie. And despite the fact that i wasn't a fan of the Beauty and The Beast remake, i thought he was perfectly okay as the Beast

[@benzaiten933]

I still - still! - haven't forgiven them for how they killed him off in a special in Downton Abbey.

[@15Candles]

@@benzaiten933 They killed him off because Stevens lost interest in Downton Abbey and wanted to move on to do other things

[@Rflo1123]

As a lifelong Godzilla fan and a big fan of this channel Dan doing a complete Godzilla movie ranking video is like a dream

[@TheNetflixNook]

There so many movies! That be a long video

[@15Candles]

I need that list asap, i haven't seen a lot of Godzilla movies yet so i'm hoping Dan's ranking could get me some recomendation to watch. i do have a soft spot for that Roland Emmerich movie as a guilty pleasure lol

[@ZeddicusAWR]

I had a lot of fun, but I agree Godzilla really didn't get the spotlight. He had some epic, even triumphant moments, but not much in the way of main story. However, Kong's story was the story that needed some resolution. So, I think this does deliver on where Kong belongs, and if he is truly all alone -- the last of his kind... and that final scene with Godzilla was adorable.

[@madisonwhovian943]

If that ain't cat behavior 😆

[@petergrossi6605]

Did you watch Godzilla minus one?

[@ZeddicusAWR]

@@petergrossi6605 not a big fan of the man must kill Godzilla movies… sorry, plus he’s in it for less than 15 minutes… I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I’m glad we both got a Godzilla movie we enjoyed.

[@levacfamily3177]

Saw it with my 10 year old daughter last night. I liked it, she loved it and we had a blast watching it in IMAX. What we really loved was the previews…Furiousa, Planet of the Apes, Civil War, Twisters, Beetlejuice and Bad Boys. It’s gonna be a fun summer.

[@ruufusdeleon1264]

One can thoroughly enjoy the pathos of Godzilla Minus One and the silliness of Godzilla x Kong. Tens of thousands die in G-1 and you're devastated. Millions die in GxK and you know it's a cartoon. I didn't go to see GxK for humans, they were only plot devices for the fights to ramp up over the movie. I went into GxK knowing it would be fully silly and stupid, and my inner 10-year-old loved it.

[@michaellopez8003]

Well said,

[@15Candles]

You know how impactful Disney's Phineas and Ferb show was when the "If i had a nickle" word has essentially become a running joke for a lot of people. Nice Doofenshmirtz quote right there in the opening Dan 😂

[@alkirehomevideos]

Pretty sure that was a joke before Phineas and Ferb haha. Just a joke used in that show.

[@KeyanCarlile]

@@alkirehomevideos "If I had a nickel" was a common phrase, but the specificity of "I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right?" is pretty specifically from the Phineas and Ferb movie.

[@madisonwhovian943]

If you're missing the Godzilla 2014 vibe in the Monsterverse, the apple tv show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is worth your time. I wouldn't say it's outstanding but it adds a lot of interesting world building and Wyatt and Kurt Russell have stand out performances as the same character at different ages.

[@OSU2010]

Yea I liked that show

[@SpaceCatPower]

I cannot disagree more. I love Godzilla. Watched every Toho movie. Monarch is NOT good Godzilla. He's barely in the series. Every human character, and the young cast is annoying. Changing motivations on a whim. This series should not get a 2nd season.

[@TurboTurds30]

Apple? Why'd it have to be Apple? I hate Apples

[@actrambley21]

The Monarch show is a complete and total letdown. Such a wasted opportunity.

[@gurgamous]

I really only enjoyed the 1950 timeline and characters. THe present day narrative and kiddo characters were a tad insufferable. So, Id say half the show is half decent, but thats just me

[@Iamkayceebrown]

Liking before starting the review is super easy, barely an inconvenience

[@patriciaa65]

pitch meeting references are TIGHT

[@kmn2222]

Hey Dan, the x is usually used in japanese media (meaning cross p.s thats why the PlayStation controller is cross and not ex) its usually for crossovers like tekken x street fighter etc but that is why its there even though its silent

[@Doug_Hannon]

This

[@Bananahammock681]

So just like last time, Kong is the Goku, Godzilla is the Vegeta. One is the focus, the other the favourite.

[@herautdeDieu]

vegeta has never been my favourite although i liked him

[@MoramothHauntz]

I'd die if Kong went super saiyan

[@FellaGuy2]

​@@herautdeDieuVegeta is most people's favorite though.

[@Altaira17]

Super Saiyan Kong? That would be awesome! But can he get there without a tail?

[@VinayShivlal]

There's an reason for that. Kong can cumunicate with humans. He has feelings and cares. Godzilla is just an monster who doesn't care and just destroyes anything in his path. Kong did go to the surface to kinda seeks his help. But he just don't understand what Kong is seeking from him.

[@ther3aper561]

I appreciate Adam heard people saying less humans and more Kaiju and did that with this. He said he sees a future where there could be an all Kaiju big Hollywood movie and that is promising

[@DoctorXander]

The best parts of the movie were the long stretches of monkey noises and signs with no dialogue

[@Jluyoungzone]

The Doofenshmirtz quote, nice

[@15Candles]

That made me wanna rewatch the whole show and the movie again 😂

[@MoramothHauntz]

They also both have ice monsters.

[@AllInTheGame01]

Who would've guessed 10yrs ago after Simon Barrett/Adam Wingard wrote/directed The Guest that these big dumb Godzilla movies would be what they'd eventually end up working on?!

[@adraino7345]

Dan Stevens connection too

[@BradyHargettOffical]

Kind of a shame honestly. Wingaurds early films showed a lot of promise but since Death Note I haven't been a fan.

[@davidzimmerman1354]

“You gonna be heading out to see these two big dorks get in a fight this weekend?” If I was eating would have spit my food out 😂

[@bigcurt7820]

It was amazing. WE WANTED TO SEE BIG MONSTERS FIGHT AND THAT’S WHAT WE SAW. No humans getting in the way or anything

[@15Candles]

I kinda wish Bryan Cranston's character was back for the latter movies. He was by far the most interesting human character in the first Godzilla movie (they even marketed him as if he was the lead actor) and for whatever reason, they decided to kill him off early on and replace him with a boring lead human character played by Aaron Taylor Johnson 🤷

[@stretchyhulk]

I enjoyed the movie. But it definitely felt more like a King Kong movie with Godzilla as a supporting character. It was still a fun monster beat em up and the action scenes are paced well and don't go on for so long that they get boring.

[@OccultusLuxDeusFlamma]

It was supposed to be that way

[@ariariadne]

Today's my birthday and hearing that you're doing a big Godzilla and Kong project is quite the treat! Thanks for the content as always Dan!

[@alexmaverick6647]

Most of the old Godzilla movies are schlocky nonsense. Only a select few are on the level of Godzilla Minus One, so this isn’t anything new.

[@Edowin-jz2sj]

I loved the 2014 Godzilla when I saw it in the theater, but I just watched it on TV for the first time and I could hardly make out any of the action scenes as they all took place at night time in the darkest lighting I've probably ever seen in a film. I'd love to see them release a more well-lit version.

[@fatalroses8116]

I love Godzilla 2014 and King of the Monsters. Those are my favorite and I watch 2014 regularly. And then obviously Minus One is amazing

[@FestArc]

I can't wait for that ranking video!

[@4STPearson]

45 movie reviews! Dan is the true MVP!

[@chrisjovanovic2321]

My 12 year old son requested to go watch this together. That's what made this movie extremely enjoyable for me. I was able to put away my critic glasses, put on some 3D glasses, and enjoy the ride. I agree that the humans sucked and were purely exposition vehicles, but man, hollow earth and the titan battles were awesome. Glad I went!

[@mrjinkorea]

NGL....that final scene with Kong and Zilla having coffee together at Starbucks really choked me up! 🙃

[@nukelewman]

why does the godzilla in 2014 not feel like the same godzilla from these newer movies

[@kellensheppard779]

They rebranded. American audiences don't like to be confronted with the tragedy in these Kaiju events. They want a superhero movie that's easy to digest and fun to watch with the kiddos. Sadly movies that sit closer to reality don't do well here.

[@HelloMisterJAMWAH]

Because nuance is for punks! Fight! Fight! Fight!

[@mcthorwmalows]

​@@kellensheppard779even international market loves gxk look at the earnings. Thats why most top blockbuster movie are good in fightning scene but the story is simple..most people around the world wants to enjoy only not to analyze it like critics.

[@suthius85]

Oh man can't wait for the ranking video!

[@iwilder94]

Toho has a lot of rules around the use of Godzilla to keep his "force of nature" status, so I understand why Kong had more screen time. Kong can be more emotive and function as the heart of the story when he's not suplexing other kaiju 😆

[@JimmyBoots1986]

Two things: 1.- SPOILERS: I wonder if the original title was "Frozen Empire" that got changed when Ghostbusters got announced. This movie could have been called Frozen Empire too. 2.- You have no idea how hyped I got when you mention doing a video ranking every single Godzilla movie and Kong movie. And it's releasing this weekend? I'm way more hyped than I am for the movie itself!

[@ShaneRob93]

Super excited to hear about the ranking video! I watched/rewatched all of the Japanese Godzilla films leading up to the release of Minis One last year, and it was a lot of fun - even when the movies aren't great.

[@PeterTingle91]

I'm calling it now. Next planet of the apes will be titled "EMPIRE of the Planet of the Apes" 😂

[@Bananahammock681]

Beats Multiverse of the Planet(s) of the Ape(s)

[@Windupchronic]

How about “Fallen Frozen Empire of the King of the Planet of Monsters”?

[@AngelMartinez-rx8yt]

You could put any word before “Planet of the Apes” and it would sound cool. I mean hell even Beneath the Planet of the Apes is a cool title

[@Malt454]

@@AngelMartinez-rx8yt - Even Instead of the Planet of the Apes is cool... and you wouldn't need any apes.

[@jonas_telmo]

@@Windupchronic wow! say that three times 😂

[@BoringAngler]

@3:21 the popcorn price joke is a nice touch. I now treat it as a special event when I decide to waste money on theater popcorn once or twice a year. Looking forward to the All Godzilla and Kong movie list and seeing if I can "well, actually" any omissions.

[@HelloMisterJAMWAH]

Similar feeling here. Just got back and during this movie I finally came to terms with the fact that the Monsterverse as set out in 2014 is irreconcilable with the current tone. After I just gave in and watched the movie on the level it was pitching, I enjoyed it more. Blatant Volkswagen product placement and all.

[@Malt454]

Great approach to the review... WITHOUT all of the typical "anti-woke" political "Hollywood doesn't appreciate the fanboys anymore" nonsense that you find on other channels. You see? It can be done. What's more, it IS appreciated. Good job.

[@DanMurrellMovies]

Thanks! Tell your friends!

[@michaeloftaoism]

​@@DanMurrellMoviesyou are a king amongst kings ❤️

[@M567dk]

I came for the monster action and I was satisfied with that aspect of the movie. While the story is film it does do a good job in expressing Kong and his actions in the movie.

[@shonenkaiju2908]

So much credit to you for watching all those movies Dan! As a life long Kaiju fan I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

[@OscarFowler]

As I've gotten older, I've had an increasingly difficult time not feeling bad for the many thousands of innocent human victims that must result each time one or more of these big dummies has a fight in a populated area. :(

[@ZeddicusAWR]

I'm a huge fan, and agree 100%, the one feeling I had after the credits was 'thank God they aren't real!'

[@AdrianParkinsonFilms]

Especially when the Monarch series shows it from their perspective.

[@c.walter7890]

Took my 8 year old to see it in imax last night. We had a blast and she said it's her favorite Godzilla movie. She's seen most of them and we have all on disc. I give it a 4/5. It's a modern Godzilla vs Megalon with a super similar way of playing out. I do think this one is better than that. Next movie is gonna go alien invasion. Only place left to go for Showa inspiration.

[@saiteja-cg8gz]

Hi Dan, was hoping for your review on Salaar ceasefire. Requested for it multiple times, hope this reaches you. 🙃

[@TheNetflixNook]

Did anyone else feel it was weird that they wrote off the twins who take care of Mothra?

[@nonchampion]

I've seen every Godzilla movie so I'm super excited to hear your thoughts and rankings!

[@storywala88]

Still excited to see this asap. Cool review.

[@emiliooo1995]

Can’t wait for that video Dan

[@CommanderCourage]

Looking forward to your Godzilla & King Kong movie rankings video!

[@beezer5623]

They def know how to budget properly. Should pretty much lock in at least another movie or 2. Low 130 million dollar net budget will be easy to make money I would like to get a straight up Godzilla flick though. Actually what I think they should do at this point is budget for 3 movies. 1 Godzilla then 1 Kong that set up a final team up VS Destroyah maybe.

[@TVandManga]

Thanks for the review Dan!

[@hatezis]

looking forward to the new video. I'm around halfway with all the movies, hope to finish early summer

[@dellytancyl524]

i'm really looking forward to this one.

[@JTISREBORN]

Nice job on the video. I had a fun time with this movie. I liked how a lot of the focal point involved Kong’s story. Large sequences without any dialogue where it’s just the monsters. We can see and feel what they are thinking without any bits of dialogue. Suko was probably the mvp of the movie for me.

[@smokydesperado]

The story being paper thin aside, the monsters have lost their sense of scale in the more recent monsterverse movies. Judging by how these behemoths maneuver themselves in battle, you'd think it's a bunch of kitty cats throwing down... I miss how impactful Godzilla's presence felt in the 2014 movie

[@albertpenello]

100%. It's really my biggest issue and something that could easily be fixed with animation and shot composition. Compare Godzilla coming ashore in Hawaii in G2014 to the "dive" he makes in this move. You just loose all sense of scale and it's a lost opportunity.

[@HelloMisterJAMWAH]

It's the Pacific Rim: Uprising problem all over again.

[@tonyg76]

This was pretty good. I liked the world building and the production design/VFX. I like the mythology and the hollow earth story more than the monsters fighting each other. I hope this series continues with this cast of characters.

[@colonelccccc]

Thanks for the nice review, great job as usual, I was expecting the movie to be bad but it seems it's holding its ground, might go see it soon.

[@ericisnthereorthereeither562]

As a HunterXHunter fan, I'm glad Dan can finally relate to my pain

[@yesspazsmith9895]

Did you include the ancillary Toho monsters too? Mothra, Varan, Rodan....

[@DanMurrellMovies]

No, just official Godzilla movies. Had to draw the line somewhere, haha

[@beaustange]

Definitely going and I thing when you know the main characters are fictional monsters I think that has to be taken into consideration when rating it. I’m excited. 😊

[@REIDiculous64]

I think we live in a world now that we are able to have both kinds of Godzilla movies and everyone is happy. We can have Toho make things like Godzilla: Minus One and have Legendary make these movies. I find these movies are like a modern day equivalent to the old Godzilla monster fight movies. Also I am upset Kong is getting most of the attention in the last 2 movies they better fix that in the next one.

[@azurwindpyr]

Thanks for the review. Looking forward to the G/K ranking.

[@AnthonyAPerez]

I had a blast with it! I would’ve loved a rich narrative, but I knew we wouldn’t get that. So, my expectations were for the action to be the movie. Like you, I’m a story first weirdo, but Kaiju films are the only ones I tend to give an extra bit of wiggle room from my critical mind.

[@mikailsaga]

Yall thinkin godzilla is his sidekick while personally, i think hes the brute or like the big guns that has barely any screen time. Again NOT a side kick.

[@MoramothHauntz]

On the fence about seeing this or Ghostbusters today. Will probably go with the more convenient show time

[@WMCheerman]

Great work!

[@michaelsuezo]

Hi Dan! Is this better than the one before?

[@TheKraken5360]

As someone who has watched a lot of the Godzilla and King Kong movies, I have to say, story was never their strong suit. Godzilla Minus One was an outlier for how great its story is. Most of them are dumb action with plots that you might expect from a Power Rangers episode.

[@Dr._Mantis_Toboggan_Md.]

Honestly think this film gave us some of the best kaiju action and storytelling, while most definitely delivering either the worst or second human story in the monsterverse. I do believe that isdue to executive meddling, as all of the humanless titan scenes are fairly impressive.

[@spaceballone2301]

The Godzilla deep dive is a great video

[@lukenycz7967]

With how scary mine one was just imagine actual monster fight with that type of of directing and filming. Would be the best Godzilla movie ever

[@Ineddiblehulk]

You need to speak with Cold Crash pictures about all the Godzilla movies - he watched all of them a couple of years ago

[@RJ_____________]

i really liked to hear your thoughts on this review. i loved this movie. way more than i thought i would

[@almartin7]

I'd love more ranked content from you!!! You gotta do the pre-James Gunn takeover DC verse ranked!! And James Bond

[@Plummchild]

This Godzilla movie really brought me back to my childhood because it was exactly like an old showa era Godzilla movie, really just had a good time and honestly thought that the characters were fine and funny, nothing more really. story was um.. existent, but at the same time there wasn't much spotlight on the story in the first place.

[@ernestholloway9436]

I am a Godzilla fan. I have seen every single one. I still watch all of them to this day.

[@astrogrizzly0]

dan's coming out swinging with the doctor doofenshmirtz quote

[@minhja4924]

Watched it yesterday! Love it! Hahaha rhe monster fights are jaw dropping😂❤❤❤

[@Clerk57]

I am eagerly awaiting Dan's review of Godzilla's Revenge lol

[@tanookimarketing]

The baby Kong is soooooooo cute.

[@tjtreviews]

Are the 3 direct to video Kong movies going to be included in your ranking??

[@DanMurrellMovies]

No, it will be theatrical/official Toho movies only.

[@tjtreviews]

@@DanMurrellMovies gotcha

[@mileab6725]

I wanted to see Godzilla really show some power off. He could if rampaged through the Apes or something and shown exactly what his new form can do

[@deshon3523]

Just seeing Godzilla run is so awesome, the kid in me is so excited.

[@TheSubZer0HEro]

I enjoyed that the action scenes were mostly in daylight and the cgi seemed pretty crisp in comparison to some other recent blockbuster movies.

[@consciousgentile5141]

Kong Skull Island was great because of Samuel L Jackson. Very underrated.

[@rmbw5452]

This movie is all about Popcorn fun and I enjoyed it all. So I can't wait to see this movie again and again. I just found the surround sound not loud enough to give me the impact I expected when titan clash and smash.

[@josehidalgo3289]

Been confirmed Ghostbusters and the monster-verse are in the same universe

[@jboy2621]

1954 Godzilla is so good. Especially on how they decided to add Japanese American actors to blend in English and Japanese seamlessly for the American release.

[@esoteric_1]

I have a nitpick : there weren't any giant flies in this Ka-Zar of the Savage Lands type world. Also giant spider webs to control the mosquito population. Otherwise happy to see Adam Wingard thriving

[@bigjsquare1988]

Dan straight up called Godzilla and Kong dorks 😂. Dan is such a GOAT.

[@mccallosone4903]

good video thanks

[@pcmonkfish8349]

Thought it was great. Humans took a back seat to titan fights where crucially you could follow what was happening. The small Kong was genuinely emotive. Great set pieces and cracking visuals.

[@christopherkwiatkowski3866]

Dan asking why does the x need to be there to begin with gave me a good laugh

[@DwanGarcez]

I liked that they destroyed downtown Rio de Janeiro in the movie. Signed: A Brazilian not from Rio.

[@yesspazsmith9895]

Godzilla being a dummy is EXACTLY why Kong should have won in God vs. King. He should have "earned" the title King Kong from King of the Monsters. He uses tools. etc.

[@GeekHappiness]

I mean this as a sincere compliment: Godzilla X Kong felt like a giant cartoon.

[@RabbiSteve]

Thanks Dan, nice review. I am looking forward to watching your Kong & Godzilla ranking video. I admit, more than I am to watch this new KONG x GODZILLA movie.

[@user-gw5cm1vx4m]

We need a kaiju movie where the humans are stepped on by Godzilla in the beginning so we can focus on monsters fighting

[@pooby887]

Can anyone tell me what movies I need to watch before seeing this one?

[@DanMurrellMovies]

Just the Legendary Monsterverse (Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong).

[@pooby887]

@@DanMurrellMovies thank you!

[@SwatBeatsOfficial]

This movie was pretty sick. The monster fight choreography was top-notch.

[@jessrl8025]

I'm definitely expecting a giant monkey with a radioactive lizard so I'm looking forward to seeing this movie this weekend! But thanks to your review, I know to keep my expectations even lower.

[@firenze6478]

I absolutely loved it

[@brandonroy7554]

I feel like there’s a difference between sloppy and simple. I felt like the only sloppy moment was gearing up for the final act, no spoilers but it includes what the young girl can do to help out in the big battle. Other than that, this was a fun ride. Also, I thought Godzilla got sidelined WAAAY more in VS. than he did here. Kong still got the focus and I think that’s because it’s easier to follow his nonverbal conversing. Overall it’s a nice fun ride for the whole family.

[@ryanstango7289]

Can you please review 3 body problem. GOT show runners next project and a part of what feels like a sci-fi push by the industry (ie dune). Might be a shift in popularity from fantasy to sci-fi (Witcher 3 to cyberpunk… GOT to 3 body problem… )

[@mywalkabout40]

The big monster fights were worth admission for me

[@buddhamusik5375]

I love the 2014 Godzilla most too.