'Godzilla vs. Kong' Reviews Are In

Godzilla vs. Kong opens in theaters and debuts on HBO Max this week, and reviews for the epic [...]

By Stephen Andrew

Godzilla vs. Kong opens in theaters and debuts on HBO Max this week, and reviews for the epic monster brawl movie are already rolling in. The film currently holds an 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which collects reviews from many of the nation's top film critics. "Delivering squarely on its title, Godzilla vs. Kong swats away character development and human drama to deliver all the spectacle you'd expect from giant monsters slugging it out," reads the site's Critics Consensus section.

The fourth in Legendary Pictures MonsterVerse flicks, Godzilla vs. Kong follows the Godzilla reboot (2014), Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). The new film is directed by Adam Wingard (Blair Witch 2016), from a screenplay by Eric Pearson (Black Widow) and Max Borenstein, who wrote Godzilla, and co-wrote both Skull Island and King of the Monsters. So far, the films have a total income of $1.6 billion and have all been generally well-received by fans and critics alike. Scroll down to read what critics are saying about the new film!

"Vive le cinéma!"

Associated Press critic Jake Coyle praised the film by writing, "A rock 'em-sock 'em monster-movie revival with all the requisite explosions, inane plot twists and skyscraper smashing to satisfy most lovers of gigantic amphibians. Vive le cinéma!" Coyle also noted that the film has elements that seem to come "with a debt owed to Jules Verne."

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"Destruction junkie’s dream battlefield"

Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post also had high remarks for the film, saying, among other things, that the final battle is one of the most epic ever committed to film. "This time, 'Zilla and Kong face off in ginormous Hong Kong — a destruction junkie's dream battlefield. Neon, chrome and oversize animals clobbering each other. Also around is another adversary whose reveal will have fans drooling." Oleksinski added, "See Godzilla vs. Kong on the big screen if you can."

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"Turns its limitations into virtues"

New York Times writer had some underhanded compliments of the movie, writing, "It isn't pretty, and it doesn't mean much, but Godzilla vs. Kong turns its limitations into virtues and makes stupidity into its own kind of ingenuity."

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"A Spectacle"

Over at our sister site ComicBook.com, film critic Charlie Ridgely gave Godzilla vs. Kong a "four out of five" rating, and called it "the monster movie we've all been waiting for." He continued, "Is it a perfect film? Absolutely not. But it's the most fun you'll have with a movie this year. If it's safe to attend a movie theater where you are, or you've been vaccinated and can't wait to get back out there, there's nothing quite like seeing Godzilla vs. Kong on the big screen. The word 'stunning' only begins to cover it."

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'4 out of 5 Giant Axes'

Writer Princess Weekes from The Mary Sue offered, "Godzilla vs. Kong is simple fun, with some great CGI and special effects." Weekes gave the film "4 out of 5 Giant Axes" and added, "If you are, like me, a big nerd for this genre, I believe you will be pleased. Yes, the science is nonsense, but so was the science in Interstellar. At least this silly science movie is less than two hours long and isn't trying to convince you that what is going on is deeper than it is."

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'A Blockbuster With a Developed Visual Sensibility'

Alissa Wilkinson from Vox, wrote, "Whatever I might quibble with in Godzilla vs. Kong's storytelling, I can't wait to see it on a big screen." Wilkinson also stated, "Godzilla vs. Kong is a great reminder of what's most fundamental to the art of cinema: the images. You can have a movie without a story, and you can have a silent movie, but you can't have a movie without anything to look at. That it's so rare to see a blockbuster with a developed visual sensibility and well-choreographed fighting testifies to how much Hollywood has come to favor familiar characters and fan service over what makes the movies so magical."

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'Entertainingly Preposterous'

Finally, Uproxx critic Vincent Mancini said the film "combines the irresistible kitsch of giant monsters fighting with the benumbing effect of massive budget IP maintenance." Mancini added, "Godzilla Vs. Kong is entertainingly preposterous, but also overstuffed with plots that seem designed to involve an entire sub-universe of past and future monsters. Ah yes, the expanded fucking universe, what would blockbusters be without it these days? They'd probably just be movies. All the left-field name checks are enervating, seemingly designed to satisfy legal requirements more than narrative ones. Yet Godzilla Vs. Kong is a concept built on excess, and as long as it doesn't bore you too much, you can forgive it."

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