Godzilla vs. Kongis, ostensibly, the sequel to three films and the final capper on a franchise Warner Bros. started back in 2014. So if you’ve managed to miss the MonsterVerse but are still, understandably, intrigued by the thought of a gigantic ape backhanding a radioactive dinosaur in the mouth, you might be asking: Do you need to watchGodzilla(2014),Kong: Skull Island, andGodzilla: King of the Monstersto understand this film? The answer is mostly no, but a little yes? Very slight spoilers to follow, but nothing movie-ruining, promise.
Godzilla vs. Kongfeatures only two characters from previous films,Kyle Chandleras scientist Mark Russell andMillie Bobby Brownas his daughter, Madison Russell. Their presence definitely serves as a connecting tissue betweenKing of the MonstersandGodzilla vs. Kong, andVera Farmiga’s Monarch scientist turned eco-terrorist Emma Russell, who sacrificed herself inKing of the Monsters, is mentioned throughout. But what actually happened to them in that movie doesn’t really have any bearing on the plot ofGodzilla vs. Kong.You just really need to know that Madison is aggressively Team Zilla and everything else is covered in helpful news-coverage-as-exposition. If you’re a completist who wants to know what the full deal is with the Russell family, giveKing of the Monstersa whirl, but otherwise, they basically act as new characters.
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The only other name you’d “need” to know going in is “Skullcrawlers”—the term for the vicious lizard-like beasties who battled Kong inSkull Island—because they do briefly pop up without explanation. But, also, Skullcrawlers are just big nasty monsters, so it’s not like you’re gonna' be confused about their motivation.Kong: Skull Islanddoes also drop a line about how Kong is still growing, which explains why he’s so big inGodzilla vs. Kong, if that bothers you at all.
But really, as our own Matt Goldberg mentionedin his review,Godzilla vs Kongis almost singularly focused on getting the two title monsters into a confrontation as often and epically as possible. If you came to this film looking for Big Boy Fights,Godzilla vs. Kongdelivers on that promise and then some. What’s more, it doesn’t waste any of its runtime setting them up in any grand, convoluted way; Godzilla is the Alpha Titan, Kong could possibly also be the Alpha Titan, and that makes Godzilla very, very mad.
That’s also the reason I initially said “a little yes” up top. The plot and characterization ofGodzilla vs. Kongis paper-thin by design, so going in with a little history gives it some added heft. Not just the Warner Bros. MonsterVerse history, either, but the nearly ninety decades of King Kong and Godzilla as monster movie icons. Seeing two massive CGI creatures beat the crap out of each other is cool, it’s one heck of a spectacle, and you’ll have a great time. But understanding why Godzilla isGODZILLAand Kong isKONGadds some much-needed weight to the whole thing.
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