"Godzilla vs. Kong" is a heavyweight title bout with a flyweight story, but it rocks

Godzilla vs. Kong

⭐⭐⭐

Starring Rebecca Hall, Alexander Skarsgård, Demián Bichir, Brian Tyree Henry, Millie Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler and Kaylee Hottle. Written by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein. Directed by Adam Wingard. Opens March 31 in available theatres (plus drive-ins) and on PVOD streaming services. 113 minutes. PG

Peter Howell

Movie Critic

Godzilla has been such a porcine palooka in recent cinematic eruptions, it's gratifying to see him get his fiery freak on with a monster his own size, even if Kong seems to pull his punches at times. It's finally a true heavyweight bout for the MonsterVerse, directed with earthquaking style by Adam Wingard ("You're Next"). When the Lizard King and the Monarch of Skull Island are going at each other, notably in an ocean rumble where warships are used as stepping stones, it makes me yearn all the more for the return of IMAX big screens. The story is strictly flyweight, however: a cascade of nonsense about a "Hollow Earth" hideaway that torches the talents of such capable actors as Rebecca Hall and Alexander Skarsgård, who play scientists gaping at green screens. Others fare better, amusingly: Demián Bichir auditions for a future Bond villain gig as a corporate nasty and Brian Tyree Henry makes podcasting paranoia worth the bandwidth. Watching this blockbuster is like eating a big bag of Cheetos before dinner: You know it's bad, but you can't help yourself.

Twitter: @peterhowellfilm