If you’re trying to find a substantial human plotline in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, good luck. Any prominent emotional arc in that film (currently the second highest grossing movie of 2024) belongs to its skyscraper-sized stars, creatures that have forced the diminutive real-life actors into performing little more than kaiju play-by-play. However, the MonsterVerse wasn’t always like this. And five years ago, one movie provided the tipping point for the franchise as it began the rapid shift from thoughtful meditations on the nature of Godzilla to unadulterated blockbuster spectacle.
