Godzilla vs. Kong

Oh Yeah! THE monster movie of the year is here and just how good is it! Is the plot predictable? Yep - I'd guessed 80% of it 2 months ago. Is it silly? You bet. Are the humans essential? Nah, but we didnt come here for them. We came to see Kong and Godzilla slug it out. And we got that! The scenes with the Kaiju are well thought out and choreographed (can we say that for digital fights?). And do they ever deck it out. The devastation you see on the poster gives away how much of Hong Kong gets destroyed (there will be extra land available for building now). The movie is directed and paced well - the first half sets things up for the multiple confrontation between the Kaiju; and the second half lets loose. None of the actors are given much to do and most seem to sleepwalk through it, but Rebecca Hall is easily the best (she is always a delight to watch), Kyle Chandler channels Coach Taylor for a couple of scenes, Julian Dennison (from Hunt for the Wilderpeople) gets some good lines and Demian Bichir is having fun as the evil rich dude (never trust rich people...in movies or real life). The sound design and score are both on point, but everything here subsides when the Kaiju are around. The CGI is great - and like Peter Jackson's Kong, you actually feel for the great big monkey. This movie is some first class popcorn, needing to be enjoyed on the biggest screen you can find.