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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Movie

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

2024 • Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Woke Score
5
out of 10

Plot

Two ancient titans, Godzilla and Kong, clash in an epic battle as humans unravel their intertwined origins and connection to Skull Island's mysteries.

Overall Series Review

The film centers on a giant monster battle with a simplified human subplot, keeping the focus squarely on CGI spectacle. Kong seeks others of his kind in the Hollow Earth, leading him and the human exploration team on a collision course with a tyrannical ape, the Skar King. The narrative de-emphasizes the human characters, prioritizing the Titans' quest for dominance and balance. Dr. Ilene Andrews, a scientist and single-mother, leads the human expedition, alongside her adopted daughter Jia and a team of supporting male characters who largely serve as comic relief or technical assistants. The plot does not dwell on political or social commentary, instead embracing its role as a fast-paced, action-oriented monster brawl. The moral framework is clear: Kong and Godzilla must team up to stop an existential threat to all life, both on the surface world and in the Hollow Earth.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics8/10

The human cast is intentionally structured around a female scientist, a Black male conspiracy podcaster, and a deaf indigenous girl, positioning them as the central decision-makers. The Black male character is frequently shown as self-emasculating and constantly in an irrational state of terror, while the white male is a jokey and irreverent caricature. The native Iwi civilization is depicted as a lost, spiritually superior people led by a female queen. This consistently elevates female and minority characters while depicting the main male characters as comical or ineffectual.

Oikophobia3/10

The surface world, representing global civilization, is defended against an invading, tyrannical force from the Hollow Earth, avoiding the trope of home culture being fundamentally corrupt. However, a noble savage narrative is present through the mysterious and ethereal Iwi tribe, a lost civilization with a deeper, spiritual understanding of the Titan world that helps save the surface.

Feminism9/10

Women are portrayed as the hyper-rational, super brilliant scientists who are in charge of all the men. The female lead is a single-mother, implicitly framing the father figure as unnecessary to the core family unit. Mothra's return is framed as the 'queen of the monsters' who restores balance. This creates a strong contrast where the competent female characters must 'mommy' the male characters who are depicted as bumbling or infantile.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative focuses on the Titan action and a simple, established human family unit of a mother and daughter. There is no presence of alternative sexual ideology, deconstruction of the nuclear family, or lecturing on gender theory. Sexuality remains private and is not a factor in the story's development.

Anti-Theism3/10

The film’s moral and metaphysical structure is based on the scientific organization Monarch and an ancient Titan mythology, which displaces traditional religious structures. The battle is a simple, objective fight between the tyrannical Skar King and the heroic Titan protectors, affirming a clear higher moral law of good versus evil. There is no overt hostility toward traditional religion, but faith is not a source of strength for the characters.