As a child, I grew up watching and enjoying the experience of certain iconic figures in the entertainment world. The first one that comes to mind is probably Freddy Krueger, followed by Batman, or, the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, I DO distinctly remember the first time (as far back as my memories can recollect) that I watched a Godzilla film and it was equally fun to view. He was fighting a giant blob, officially known in The States as the “Smog Monster” (and in Japan as “Hedorah”). Yes, the movie was around 20 years old by the time I first saw it, but it left a lasting impression on me, especially that scene in which Godzilla could be seen mounting a rocket of some kind and riding through the air to save Japan from potential destruction. For the record, Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster is widely considered a bit of a mixed bag in the minds of most Godzilla fans, but it was once cited as a personal favorite of the franchise by none other than famed film critic Roger Ebert, for what it is worth.

Somewhere in the mix of my early childhood memories is the experience of playing Godzilla: Monster of Monsters on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Although Mothra was a playable character, as well, there was nothing better than swinging that tail and breathing radiant beams throughout the space planets and against all of the great and legendary foes from the history of the movie franchise. In a way, playing this game, even with all of its flaws, opened a door to the curiosity I began to experience, surrounding Godzilla. You see, in the annals of time, Godzilla had become a creative outlet for some filmmakers in Japan and each story and character seemed to represent a symbol of what was going on at that time, not just in Japan, but in America, as well. I only wish, in retrospect, that I had explored this aspect a bit more-closely when I was much younger, but I digress…For those of us in these United States, there was little to latch onto, directly, as far as Godzilla goes, in the realm of traditional theater experiences, for several decades.

Yes, there was an American tread of the original Gojira movie, which improved upon that story greatly, but did not lead to any additional films independently made in this country. It is understandable as to why, since this was a major production from a Japanese studio. However, in 1998, Godzilla made his debut as an American-made production, with permission from Toho. Despite all the great efforts to even get this project off the ground, the results were not too positive as far as critical reaction goes. It was made on a large budget of something like $140M and earned back around $380M, worldwide. Still, it would seem that the general, negative consensus was too much to warrant a direct sequel and, so, the American “franchise” was put on hiatus, if you will… for 16 years!!! Fast-forward to 2014 and we received a reboot of the previous American-made movie, Godzilla. I must say that it was a success in terms of its quality, overall. The effects had always been strong, but the same could NOT be said for the story. Despite my recollection of enjoying the film, I cannot recall too many of the actual details, some seven years later. So, how good can it truly be? Well, improving upon a disastrous entry is not saying as much as I had originally thought, apparently. Did I think it would lead to any sequels? I do not remember that, either, but when I found out about a direct sequel upcoming in 2019, I was pumped. Somewhere between the years of 2014 and 2019, my nostalgic interest in the iconic character had grown. So, even though I typically enter a movie theater with zero to little expectations (for the sake of objectivity), the eight-year old child in me had taken over just long enough to feel somewhat excited…Wow, was I ever let down!!! The stupid dialogue annoyed me, the overacting infuriated me and the unimpressive special effects underwhelmed me, all at the same time. I can picture specific moments a lot more-easily, but not for any good reasons. Upon viewing Godzilla: King of the Monsters, I found myself far less enthusiastic for another return of the titular character. I was expecting something of a rehash of Destroy All Monsters, but received something far below satisfaction for either my grownup self OR my inner childhood state.

With all that said, I returned to my neutral expectancy, as a critic, as I prepared to watch another reboot, of sorts. THIS time, it would be of the 1960s classic, King Kong vs. Godzilla, though no connection to that movie has really been claimed by the filmmakers of Godzilla vs. Kong. It should be noted that there is an additional movie from 2017, Kong: Skull Island, which is directly connected to this film, as well. With the combination of the previous two Godzilla entries, these four films now make up the newly-minted multimedia franchise known as “MonsterVerse.” There is no doubt that the extended success of Marvel and DC is what led to this creation. Specific details within the latest film seem to borrow from those franchises, such as the inclusion of a special, mythological axe, wielded by King Kong, himself. I was pleased to keep my expectations in check. For the first half of the movie, I was largely unimpressed. I thought the attempts at comic relief were weak and tiresome and I saw virtually nothing in the story that looked original. I only found myself thinking aloud, since I was watching from home, “This isn’t quite as bad as the previous movie.” To my somewhat happy chagrin, things did turn around during the second half of the film. Godzilla began to play a larger role in the overall story and King Kong started to behave more like a strong protagonist. I found myself wondering if these new films are meant to make any sociopolitical statements, like the old Toho productions often did. Then I realized that my fundamental problem was that these monsters (or “kaijus,” as they are known in Japan) are not playing in the same type of movies as they used to. You see, Toho tended to take on a comedic tone with the bulk of their Godzilla films, while also making some serious points, which I find clever, in retrospect. I have no knowledge of there being a similar approach in the classic Universal King Kong movies, though I can definitely point to some fairly obvious messages from the yesteryears. However, the tone was never as light. It was typically tragic and dramatic, which is more along the lines of what this new entry was trying to grasp, at least in the first half of the film. That did not strike my fancy and I would prefer it if the future MonsterVerse movies could go for a more nostalgic, lighter tone, in a more consistent kind of way. Of course, I am saying this from the point-of-view of a Godzilla fan and the King Kong fans might have something to say about that, as they should. Actually, I have one idea that I think could make for an interesting premise, though I am at least halfway joking, as well: why not go to the source material of the 1988 NES video game that I mentioned earlier and make a new Godzilla entry based on that? Perhaps this could turn into the reboot sequel that I was hoping for a couple of years ago. After all, making movies based on video games has become a highly marketable sub-genre of moviemaking, right? They are finally gaining some respectably as real films, and hey, 2023 will mark the 25^th anniversary of its original release in Japan. I guess they had better hurry things up, huh? What more can I say? Dreams are what sometimes make real life tolerable. I promise you, I was only inspired by a cheesy sports film from the 1990s when I thought of saying that. What is next? A remake of our favorite sports movie(s)? That might truly be the pinnacle of ultimate cash grabs in Hollywood. Oh, no! I might be giving them more ideas!!!…