Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is this week's big release in cinemas, and we now have the first reactions to the new blockbuster.
The latest movie in the MonsterVerse series sees Godzilla and King Kong reluctantly team up to take down an ancient threat that has been let loose in the Hollow Earth, which could threaten the future of humanity.
Ahead of its release in cinemas this Friday (March 29), those lucky few to have already seen Godzilla x Kong have taken to Twitter to share their first reactions to the new movie.
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"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the most enjoyable MonsterVerse movie yet, the one where it feels everybody understood the assignment. Story is a bit thin, but the titan smashing more than makes up for it," wrote Digital Spy's movies editor Ian Sandwell.
It seems the latest instalment in Legendary's MonsterVerse has left critics eager for another as many praised the action-packed film.
The movie was described as "an atomic blast" by Film Speak's Griffin Schiller. "A fantastically weird, psychedelic trip through the Shōwa Era w/all the vibrance of an 80s album cover. This thing is an absurdist romp – crimson apes, frost dragons, a delightfully absurd Dan Stevens. Another FUN entry in the MonsterVerse!"
"Godzilla X Kong hits plenty of sweet spots for me!" Variety's Aaron Neuwirth posted. "Tons of wild kaiju action, a brutal villain for Kong, a powered-up Godzilla, Dan Stevens having a blast, some legit surprises, and so many colors. Bring me more MonsterVerse!"
While some critics noted the human elements of the plot could be more developed, most agreed the titan action more than made up for it.
"Godzilla X Kong is a noisy titan brawl with hardly any human heart to engage us on an emotional level. But audiences coming for the fights alone are getting a supremely awesome tag team match between Godzilla and Kong vs Skar King and Shimo," Geeks Of Doom's Michael Lee wrote.
Godzilla x Kong brings back MonsterVerse stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Kaylee Hottle as Dr Ilene Andrews, Bernie and Jia, respectively, but it is missing some Godzilla vs Kong cast members.
Among them are Millie Bobby Brown, who doesn't reprise her role as Madison Russell who she played in Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs Kong.
"It just felt like we wrapped up her King of the Monsters arc in the last movie. When it came to designing the story for this film, my motto the entire time was simplicity is key," director Adam Wingard told Digital Spy.
"We really wanted to bring down the amount of characters in the movie so we could have a more intimate journey with them. That's why our group is relatively small on both the monster side and the human side, so that you really get more time to be with them."
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is released in cinemas on March 29.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
News Editor, Digital Spy
Emma is an experienced entertainment news journalist with NCTJ accreditation and a First-Class Honours Degree in Journalism. Having started her career as a broadcast journalist, Emma’s voice has been heard on varying radio stations across the UK including Absolute, Magic, BBC Three Counties Radio, LBC London News and more.
Later specialising in multimedia entertainment news, Emma has brushed shoulders with numerous famous faces and interviewed the likes of Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Sir Michael Palin, Rick Astley, and too many soap stars to count. Having produced a range of engaging news content over the years for brands such as 7Digital’s Entertainment News, Yahoo, and Express Online, Emma eventually joined Digital Spy in 2022 as Deputy News Editor, becoming Acting News Editor in 2023 and then News Editor in 2024.
While she’s gained lots of praise during celebrity interviews throughout her career, the most memorable compliment Emma’s ever received was when a Game of Thrones star remarked "Your teeth are stunning!". LinkedIn
