This weekend, audiences will (hopefully) flock to multiplexes everywhere to check out the latest monster bash, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The word on the street is that it delivers action but falls short of the human element that made the previous MonsterVerse pictures so memorable (that’s sarcasm).
That got me thinking: are we perhaps heightening our expectations for Godzilla x Kong after last year’s Oscar-winning Godzilla: Minus One defied all logic and delivered the best Godzilla movie since … well, the original? What if this latest titan clash is on par with the first Godzilla v Kong, which most people liked back in 2021, making it a worthy follow-up to that picture, but not necessarily Minus One?
Well, just in case you need to rewire your brains, I’ve gone ahead and prepared a road map to follow that should ease you back into the MonsterVerse.
Campy Godzilla
Start off on the right note with a pack of Godzilla’s campiest pictures, namely Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966), Godzilla’s Revenge (1969), Son of Godzilla (1967), and Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). These chapters are delightfully bonkers but in a good way and lean more on goofy action than outright drama. If you only have time for one, check out Godzilla vs. Megalon, during which the lizard king uses the patented slide-on-the-tale move to knock out his foe. Then, go back and watch the trailer for Godzilla x Kong and tell me that bit where our heroes run side-by-side isn’t cool.
King Kong Lives (1986)
You’ve likely seen every iteration of the King Kong tale at this point, which might prove too dramatic for this list anyway. So, skip straight to the more obscure King Kong Lives and watch poor Linda Hamilton do her best to navigate one of the more contrived sequels ever made. Picking up where the 1976 remake left off, Kong desperately needs a heart transplant following his fall from the Twin Towers. Luckily, Lady Kong appears as the perfect donor, giving our boy a second chance at life, albeit without Jessica Lange. None of it makes sense, but at least you’ll gain a better appreciation for our latest iteration of King Kong, for better or worse.
Godzilla (1998)
Yeah, we’re going there. Why? to remind you how far Godzilla has come since Roland Emmerich’s disastrous 90s reboot, which transformed the King of the Monsters into a giant iguana capable of hiding inside New York’s subway tunnels. Featuring a terrific cast, many of them woefully out of their element, this CGI spectacle is an abomination the Bene Gesserit would happily wipe out if given the chance. And that’s the point. As much as we may stick our noses up at Adam Wingard’s lighter take on our beloved monsters, never forget what they were before Gareth Edwards took control in 2014.
Godzilla (2014) and Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Clearly, viewing these two films beforehand is essential to prepare for New Empire and to effectively acquaint ourselves with the formative years of our resilient heroes. The tone has shifted since Edwards’ much darker 2014 drama, but at least you can see how it all started.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Personally, I would skip right to Godzilla vs. Kong, bypassing Michael Dougherty’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters since the former doesn’t carry any important plot points into the latter. You may wonder what Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler are doing during extended cameos, but nothing in this film makes sense — but the action is spectacular. Kick back and enjoy the show.
Also, this isn’t a knock on King of the Monsters, my favorite entry in the franchise. WB and Legendary shifted gears following its disappointing box office, paving the way for Wingard’s crowd-pleasing epic.
Godzilla vs. King Kong (1962)
The classic original is essential viewing ahead of the Titans’ latest bout and should make viewers appreciate the flashier modern-day effects deployed in New Empire. Honestly, the 1962 Toho feature isn’t bad; aside from the clear preference for Godzilla, the 97-minute picture delivers on its title and lets our boys cook. Sure, Kong looks like a brainless 3-year-old tried to draw Donkey Kong from memory, and the stakes aren’t considerably high. Nonetheless, it offers enjoyable entertainment for fans of either character.
And that’s it. This list will adequately purge Minus One’s greatness from your brain long enough for you to enjoy Adam Wingard’s splashier flick. Or maybe you’ll appreciate this modern-day take on Godzilla and Kong a little more. These guys aren’t perfect, but man, it used to be a lot worse.
