A mysterious signal is being detected in “Hollow Earth” forcing Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) to round up an expedition to go and investigate. Godzilla finds himself destroying every major landmark on the surface fighting off other Titans. And Kong continues to explore “Hollow Earth” searching for a new family. Of course these three plot lines will twist and turn to converge in a mighty monster fight that wreaks havoc on everything in its vicinity.
The New Empire is now the fifth feature in the “Monsterverse” franchise. Opening in 2014 with Gareth Edwards much more serious Godzilla it has gradually got more outlandish and finally in this iteration seemingly self aware and ready to play some of its more ridiculous ideas for laughs. Which I happen to thoroughly applaud because this entry may well jump straight up alongside 2014’s Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island as the best of the lot, a factor I mostly put down to Dan Stevens performance as rock star veterinarian Trapper.
Introduced early on with a rock music backing tape as he winches down to save Kong from toothache Trapper makes the whole affair entertaining. His character is an old flame of Ilene and stokes up a good repartee with Bernie (Bryan Tyree Henry) as he smirks and smiles his way through the crazy storyline. Previously in the franchise the human element has been less than interesting. Trapper changes all of that.
Perhaps returning director Adam Wingard is equally to praise for this change. As the first director to helm two films in the franchise he is also credited with the story for this feature. Whilst Dan Stevens was also the star of perhaps Wingard’s best feature, 2014’s “The Guest”. For me embracing the silly was the only way to go as far as Monarch industries, “Hollow Earth” and the Titan battles on Earth were to go.
The story also feels as though it rattles along a bit quicker here. Kong gets to make friends with a mini-Kong and do battle with many giant creatures. Godzilla makes a nest in the Roman colosseum and hilariously destroy some major landmarks. Rebecca Hall’s task is to rattle off exposition mostly via the mechanism of translating ancient text. And the aforementioned Dan Stevens and Bryan Tyree Henry keep things light. Whilst the effects work is typically good as it has been for the whole series.
If you come searching for nuance you will be disappointed. That can be found in the likes of Godzilla Minus One. But I was pleasantly surprised to find this fifth entry into the “Monsterverse” to be one of its more entertaining entries.
You can read my other reviews in the franchise here (2014’s Godzilla predates this website unfortunately):
- Kong: Skull Island – 2017
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters – 2019
- Godzilla vs Kong – 2021
Phil the Bear's Film Reviews 