GxK Proves The Monsterverse Being Nothing Like Godzilla Minus One Is Actually A Good Thing

The following contains spoilers for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, now playing in theaters

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a far cry from other recent entries to the franchise, especially compared to the far more dramatic Toho films like Godzilla Minus One. While the latter film is a quiet mediation on post-war Japan that uses Godzilla as a horrifyingly effective metaphor, the latest MonsterVerse entry is a broad and boisterous brawl between giant monsters. Both films are effective in their own right, and both have found impressive box office results that could set up potential Godzilla x Kong sequels.

On paper, these disparate takes on the franchise could undercut one another, given Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire‘s wildly different characters and story. Instead, these differences actually benefit one another and highlight the strength of Godzilla as a pop culture institution. Because the two approaches are happening simultaneously, fans are able to embrace all the genre potential of the franchise in different films. The result is a wonderful highlighting of how effective Godzilla remains as a core concept, and underscores how tonal flexibility can benefit a franchise.

Godzilla’s Tonal Flexibility Is Its Great Modern Strength

Godzilla Can Mean A Lot Of Different Things All At The Same Time

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a big boisterous blockbuster and a far cry from the more muted and dramatic elements of Godzilla Minus One — which highlights the strong tonal flexibility of the franchise as a whole. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the latest entry in the MonsterVerse, and one that fully embraces action and adventure for a Godzilla/Kong rematch instead of any themes about moral complications or ecological ramifications. It’s been a rousing success for the MonsterVerse, especially at the box office. However, it’s also very different from other recent takes on the concept.

Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One have both been indicative of a more dramatic and grounded approach to Godzilla, focusing far more heavily on the human characters and the complex dramas they encounter as a result of living through Godzilla’s rampages. They’re incredibly different films from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which instead are far more morally simplistic and straightforward. Both approaches have found critical accolades and box office success, which highlights how different takes on Godzilla can work at the same time.

Godzilla Is King Of The Monsters — And The Box Office

Godzilla Is At The Heart Of One Of Japan’s Most Succesful Films Ever

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire had a killer opening, earning $194 Million at the global box office in its first weekend of release. It’s a good reminder that the spectacle of blockbuster concepts can drive audience engagement. While some critics may have decried the straightforward approach to storytelling and characters, audiences flocked to the latest showcase for the character. That doesn’t mean audiences turned away from the more dramatic approach, either. Godzilla Minus One was a major financial success for Toho, with the more dramatic approach becoming one of the most successful live-action Japanese films ever released.

Part of this can be chalked up to both films being able to commit to their specific styles. Both films benefited from their larger-than-life qualities, with Godzilla as a uniquely flexible box office draw for audiences. However, both films embraced different tones and kept from cannibalizing one another’s success. Godzilla Minus One was a more understated and dramatic film, with a climax that highlighted the enduring resolve of humanity in the face of crisis. By contrast, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was a CGI slugfest. Both films utilized distinct spectacles to their advantage and proved they could coexist.

Different Godzilla Films Have Become More Consistent

Switching Styles & Genres Benefits Godzilla Films

The fact that there are two different approaches to Godzilla coming out at the same time is a real positive for the franchise, as it gives audiences a natural break and filmmakers an invitation to experiment with the concept. Unlike other franchises that utilize the same tone for each entry, Godzilla films alternating in terms of style helps keep things fresh. Godzilla Minus One feels wholly different from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, allowing audiences to experience different kinds of stories even with a shared concept. This keeps audiences engaged and the franchise from feeling repetitive.

The result is a franchise that can be effective for different audiences, using the same general idea to produce wildly different films. It’s a good reminder about exactly why Godzilla has endured for so long as a pop culture institution because it’s such a tonally malleable concept. The thematic flexibility behind the franchise has produced Oscar-winning films and box office bombast within a year of one another. Having different filmmakers taking the reins of the franchise in wildly different directions showcases the versatility that plays to Godzilla’s strengths in both Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Godzilla Minus One.