Last Updated on October 12, 2021
With GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS now in theatres, I'm finding it hard to focus on any type of movie that doesn't involve giant monsters. Since KING OF THE MONSTERS is the third film in the MonsterVerse series that's building up to next year's release of GODZILLA VS. KONG, this seemed like the right time to put the two previous MonsterVerse movies up against each other in a Face-Off. The movies in question: director Gareth Edwards' 2014 film GODZILLA and Jordan Vogt-Robert's KONG: SKULL ISLAND, from 2017. Which of these movies did a better job of bringing a classic monster back to the screen? Let's see…
Millions of years ago, the Earth was ten times more radioactive than it is now and populated by giant creatures that fed on the radiation. When radiation levels subsided, these creatures went underground or underwater so they could absorb radiation from the planet's core. Recently, mankind has begun inadvertently disturbing the resting places of these dormant creatures, waking them up in the modern world. And when these creatures come to, they realize humans have created some tasty snacks for them, like nuclear submarines and nuclear power plants. While this film shows great reverence for the cinema icon it's named after, it's also presented as if it's the first Godzilla movie we've seen, and if you have to create a 21st century explanation for these monsters this one works just fine.
KONG: SKULL ISLAND is also presented as if it's the first Kong movie, but it shares two things with the 1976 version of KING KONG – a '70s setting and the fact that Kong's home Skull Island is discovered through images captured by satellite. Representatives of Monarch, a scientific organization founded in 1946 to investigate the giant monsters the military was starting to take notice of, believe this legendary island is the place to look for a glimpse at what the world used to be like in the age of monsters. Monarch agents and Landsat scientists, accompanied by a tracker and photographer, head out to Skull Island with military escort… and immediately find out that all sorts of prehistoric creatures still thrive there. It's a very simple set-up that allows for a lot of giant monster action.
For most of the film, Godzilla is only seen in fleeting glimpses, so in the end this 123 minutes only features a total of 8 minutes of Godzilla. When he is on screen, he doesn't disappoint. While this version of the monster has its own unique look, it doesn't stray far from the classic Godzilla design. This is him as we've known him since 1954. Godzilla is believed to be the alpha predator of the monsters, he is drawn to where other monsters are so he can display his dominance. When he's around, he's kicking ass. When he's not, Monarch agent Ishiro Serizawa is serving as his hype man, making sure we know how cool he is. He's so cool, I wish he was in the movie more.
A 100 foot tall gorilla-like creature, Kong is the protector of his island, and he takes his job seriously whether the threat is humans in helicopters or other monsters that live on the island. If he understands that you don't mean him, the island natives, or the harmless wildlife any harm, he will behave peacefully toward you. Unlike other versions of Kong, this one doesn't become infatuated with a human female, but he does come to an understanding with one. Of the giant monsters in cinema, Kong may be the most endearing. It's fun to watch him fight other monsters, we also know he can be harmed (he has been killed a couple times), so there is reason to be concerned for him while we root for him.
Godzilla's opponents are a pair of huge parasitic spores called MUTOs, or Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms. A male and female of the same species, these monsters are capable of killing Godzilla, as one of them was found near the skeleton of creature like them. Basically like giant insects (but only one can fly), the MUTOs both emit electromagnetic pulses, and they'll feed on any source of radiation they find. The threat is that they're going to breed and soon MUTOs will be spreading dangerous radiation levels all over the world. It's clear why they must be stopped, they cause plenty of trouble, and they're serviceable as something Godzilla can knock around.
There are many different types of creatures on Skull Island. Giant buffalo, flying dino-vultures, huge spiders that can impale a person with their legs or grab them with tentacles. Speaking of tentacles, Kong kills and eats a giant octopus. The biggest danger are the two-legged lizard things called Skull Crawlers, which used to eat the island natives before Kong's kind started fighting them. One large Skull Crawler killed the rest of Kong's family, leaving him the last of his species. The Skull Crawlers don't have any special abilities, just a nasty disposition and a voracious appetite. That's enough to cause the human characters a lot of distress, and keeps Kong busy.
If the humans in this film were more interesting, maybe I wouldn't still be annoyed that there is so little Godzilla in it. Played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, lead character Ford Brody happens to be where most of the monster activity occurs, but he's a blank slate who just drifts from scene to scene. There is no reason to care about this guy. Ken Watanabe is awesome as Serizawa and Bryan Cranston does a great job playing Ford's dad Joe, who has been doing some monster tracking on his own. As soon as we're invested in Joe's story, he gets killed off and we're stuck with his kid.
There are a lot of humans here, most of them presented in broad strokes because they're only around to fall prey to the things on Skull Island. The standouts are John Goodman as a man who has been searching for monsters ever since a run-in with Godzilla, Brie Larson as the photographer who develops a mutal respect with Kong, Tom Hiddleston as the experienced tracker, Samuel L. Jackson as the war-loving soldier determined to kill Kong… and the MVP, John C. Reilly as a man who has been stranded on the island for almost 30 years, a predicament that has had a noticeable effect on his mental state.
GODZILLA 2014 isn't a movie I find to be very fun to sit through, as the minutes we spend with bland characters between those 8 minutes of Godzilla become tedious. The build-up to the first reveal of Godzilla is tolerable, but then the movie keeps cutting away from the monsters while dragging itself toward the climax. My patience wears thin every time I watch it. Eventually we do get the big Godzilla vs. MUTO battle, but much of it takes place in smoky, dusty darkness. The pay-off isn't worth the wait. At least Godzilla uses an awesome finishing move on one of the MUTOs.
KONG: SKULL ISLAND is a giant monster movie that is set in the '70s, has a good sense of humor, and a soundtrack packed with classic rock. The action starts early and comes at frequent intervals, and tends to happen in broad daylight – unlike GODZILLA, this movie had no interest in obscuring its monsters. It knows the audience was there to see these things, so it shows them to us. When all these elements are combined, it's like SKULL ISLAND was made just for me. This movie was exactly what I wanted it to be. I love the style, the pace, the tone, and the music.
KONG: SKULL ISLAND is a movie I could watch anytime. There isn't much that draws me back to GODZILLA 2014, other than those 8 quick minutes of Godzilla action. While the GODZILLA film is well made and certainly wants to come off like it's epic and important, the popcorn thrills of SKULL ISLAND are much more entertaining to me.
Do you agree, or do you think GODZILLA 2014 should have taken the win? Leave a comment below to let us know what you think of these movies, and while you're at it let us know what you thought of GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS as well. What are your hopes for GODZILLA VS. KONG? It will probably show us Godzilla and Kong having a much more brutal face-off than this one.
If you have any suggestions for future Face-Off articles, you can send them to [email protected].
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