With only mere days left before the release of Godzilla vs. Kong both in theaters and on HBO Max, critical reactions have dropped regarding the upcoming Legendary monster movie. The build-up around this much-anticipated match between two verifiable legends has been in the works for a while now, but definitely ramped up in recent weeks, with fans treated to everything from gorgeous new poster art to a new trailer that still shows the two refusing to set aside their differences and just kiss already.
Directed by Adam Wingard (You’re Next, Death Note, the upcoming Face/Off sequel), Godzilla vs. Kong serves as a direct sequel continuation to both Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island, which will see the two monsters taking each other on in their first shared film in years. In addition to the two leading big boys, the movie co-stars Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Kyle Chandler, Brian Tyree Henry, Alexander Skarsgård, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, and Demián Bichir. Godzilla vs. Kong will be released in theaters and on HBO Max (for 31 days only) on March 31.
Now, with the film primed for release in a matter of days, it's time to find out what the critics thought. Has Godzilla vs. Kong been worth the wait, or are some parts a little more lackluster than originally anticipated? Check out some of the early critical reactions below — we'll keep updating as more continue to come in.
First things first, Collider's own Steven Weintraub, Perri Nemiroff and Vinnie Mancuso all had this to say about a movie that practically demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible (safely, of course):
Unfortunately, where these movies seem to consistently be lacking is the moments with their human characters, and Godzilla vs. Kong falls prey to that same issue:
Other critics emphasized that the effects and scope of the story were among the film's strengths, even if the human element didn't quite measure up by comparison.
Meanwhile, other reviews declared it to be among the best (if not the most superlative) of the modern era of these Legendary monster films, with lots of action and vibrant design.
The film was praised on its strengths of not just being a "visual spectacle" but also a visible one, which seems to be an important factor — at least in terms of being able to see what's going on in most scenes:
KEEP READING: The Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now