As time rolls around, many monsters get their time in the sun. Ever since the Academy Award-winning “Godzilla: Minus One” left theaters and lingers in the minds of many film lovers, it is now Legendary and Warner Bros.’ turn to step up to the plate and deliver a monster mash worthy of admiration. This is “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.”

Our story takes place years after the events of 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong,” in which both titans begin to coexist peacefully with Godzilla on the Earth’s surface and Kong chilling out in Hollow Earth. Soon, this peace cannot hold as Kong discovers more of his kind in Hollow Earth and must defeat a tyrant king hellbent on controlling both the Hollow and the surface, causing both titans to team up in order to save the world.

Coming into the movie, do not expect a “Godzilla: Minus One” story where the humans actually feel like a central part. They take a massive backseat to the monsters where there are scenes where you will soon realize that you have spent over five minutes just watching CGI apes emoting and fighting. The humans are not as featured in the picture, but they can be entertaining as some have larger-than-life personalities like titan conspiracy theorist Bernie, played by Bryan Tyree Henry, and titan veterinarian Trapper (Dan Stevens).

The action in this movie is just as titanic as the monsters it provides, with destruction all over the world as these giants battle it out to bring peace to the Earth, with collateral damage abound. While Godzilla may be the biggest monster, it is Kong who is the main titan protagonist due to his amount of heart and his emotional core being front and center to the film.

If there are any negatives for the movie, it is that the film is very lacking in humans, with no real massive reason to care for them. While they may have large personalities, many of them feel cliché. One is meant to be the straight-edge one, the other is the comic relief, another is the brains of the group, etc.

As said before, the success of “Godzilla: Minus One” really gave people a sense of having the actual people be an integral part of the plot, rather than the monsters being the draw. This film, on the other hand, drowns in peak Showa-era goofiness and focuses hard on the monsters and their emotions, making the humans empty plot devices. Your enjoyment of the film will depend on how much you can stomach mindless, but fun, kaiju action.

4 giant bananas out of 5.