Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire 4k Blu-Ray Combo Pack Review
Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures, we had a chance to review the “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” Blu-Ray combo pack with our very own copy!
Below is our description and analysis of the product:
Be sure to pick up your copy starting 6/11/2024!
About Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – The latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, debuts for purchase and rental Digitally at home on
May 14.
From Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own. The epic new film delves further into the histories of these Titans, their origins, and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humanity forever.
- On May 14, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will be available for early Premium Digital Ownership at home for $24.99 and for 48-hour rental via PVOD for $19.99 SRP on participating digital platforms where you purchase or rent movies, including Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Fandango at Home, and more.
- On June 11, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will be available to own on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD from online and physical retailers. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will also continue to be available to own in high definition and standard definition from participating digital retailers.
Once again at the helm is director Adam Wingard. The film stars Rebecca Hall (Godzilla vs. Kong, The Night House), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs. Kong, Bullet Train), Dan Stevens (Gaslit, Legion, Beauty and the Beast), Kaylee Hottle (Godzilla vs. Kong), Alex Ferns (The Batman, Wrath of Man, Chernobyl) and Fala Chen (Irma Vep, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).
The screenplay is by Terry Rossio (Godzilla vs. Kong, the Pirates of the Caribbean series) and Simon Barrett (You’re Next) and Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight), from a story by Rossio & Wingard & Barrett, based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO Co., Ltd. The film is produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric Mcleod, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Brian Rogers. The executive producers are Wingard, Jen Conroy, Jay Ashenfelter, Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira.
Additionally, a 5-film collection celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Monsterverse will be available on 4K UHD disc this summer. The 6-disc collector’s edition will include Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Godzilla: King of the Monsters
(2019), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), along with a disc of special features including the new “Directors of the Monsterverse” featurette with Monsterverse directors Gareth Edwards, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Michael Doughtery and Adam Wingard
DIGITAL, 4K, BLU-RAY & DVD ELEMENTS
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Premium Digital Ownership, 4K UHD and Blu-ray contain the following special features:
- GxK: Day of Reckoning
- Evolution of the Titans: Godzilla Evolved
- Evolution of the Titans: From Lonely God to King
- Into the Hollow Earth: Visualizing Hollow Earth
- Into the Hollow Earth: Monsters of Hollow Earth
- The Battles Royale: A Titanic Fight Among the Pyramids
- The Battles Royale: The Zero Gravity Battle
- The Battles Royale: The Titans Trash Rio
- The Intrepid Director: Adam Wingard: Big Kid
- The Intrepid Director: Adam Wingard: Set Tour
- The Imagination Department
- The Monarch Island Base: Portal to Another World
- The Evolution of Jia: From Orphan to Warrior
- Bernie’s World: Behind the Triple Locked Door
- Commentary by Director Adam Wingard, Visual Effects Supervisor Alessandro Ongaro, Production Designer Tom Hammock and Editor Josh Schaeffer
HNS Review: The fifth film in the Monsterverse franchise is arguably the most fun! Combining earth shattering battles with titan worldbuilding, the movie does plenty to satisfy fans of the genre. Our two favorite titans get plenty of great screentime, adding to their lore and raising the stakes for their next battle. I was glad to see the monsters get the spotlight this time around, letting the human characters complement them in supporting roles. I had a blast with this one and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the Monsterverse moving forward!
About the Product: The cover art is yet another cool design featuring the two main titans. The 4K shows a poster that is different from the theatrical ones so die hard fans will be itching to get a new one. Kong and Godzilla both showcase their size and scale next to the pyramids in Egypt. The package also comes with a digital code in addition to the blu-ray, which is downloadable to watch anywhere. This is a great film to add to a collection, ensuring fun all around.
About the Special Features:
Extras:
GxK: Day of Reckoning – People involved with making the Monsterverse movies comment on how each film fits into the franchise. They also describe how everything has evolved over the years. I really enjoyed seeing each actor describe how influential Godzilla and Kong were in film history, each with a different perspective. All of them were truly excited to be a part of this franchise. Having Godzilla and Kong go on a journey of battling each other, experience clashing egos, and ultimately come together was something director Adam Wingard wanted to do.
GxK: Journey into the Unknown – Much of the film was shot in each location experienced in the film. Adam Wingard wanted as much of the film to be shot on location as possible to avoid shooting on stages. Set pieces were built on location as well. Shooting in Daintree National Forest (Australia) was very difficult due to the transportation of the cast, crew, and set. The cast and crew described the forest and the historic greenery as a wonderful and rare experience. Everyone had to be mindful of wildlife, creatures, and bugs while shooting as well.
Evolution of the Titans – Adam Wingard wanted to create a transformation to Godzilla that made sense within the story. The mysterious mission and drive Godzilla had was led by preparation for a battle. Wingard’s cat was the inspiration for Godzilla’s sleeping spot in the Colosseum, which was funny to learn. Godzilla leveling up helped him battle Shimo, consuming lots of radiation throughout the movie. His drive and determination was showcased because he had to kill other titans to level up and protect the surface world. Wingard said his favorite colors are pink and blue, which inspired Godzilla’s color change. Kong’s perspective is explored further in the film. He has a large arc in the story, which is anchored by his relationship with Suko. Both Kong and Gia are doing some soul searching while looking for their families as well, mirroring each other in a way. The crew wanted to give Kong an upgrade (the metal arm) since Godzilla also got an upgrade. The film intentionally has lots of dialogue free sequences to give titans the spotlight, letting the body language tell the story. Kong’s journey in the film truly leads to his transformation into King Kong.
Into Hollow Earth – Suko’s presence in the film was inspired by the Son of Kong story. Kong and Suko have a rocky relationship at first but develop a sense of trust as the film goes on. His upbringing in hollow earth makes sense due to his mistrust of other apes, while Kong has been on his own for a while. Suko begins to admire Kong as time goes on, developing a sense of loyalty to him by the end. Skar King on the other hand is very different from Kong, ruling by fear and tyranny. He is different in physical appearance and mentality, where his body language and ruthless demeanor communicates who he is. Scar King is a big threat due to his intellect and lack of mercy. Hollow Earth is a character in itself too. The color palate and stylization was designed to be realistic but with a sense of wonder. Much of the human side was filmed on location but the monster’s side of the world is created with technology. I was really impressed with the new monsters introduced in the film. A deeper dive into the biodiversity of Hollow Earth was a priority for the creative team. Seeing the introduction to these creatures made the film more immersive and showed how much there is left to explore in future films.
The Battles Royale – I loved seeing how the battles were constructed. After all, the main draw to the Monsterverse is the big fights. Finding iconic places around the world for big roars or epic battles was a fun part for the creative team to think about. The pyramid fight in Egypt was my favorite scene in the movie, so experiencing a setting that was as large/epic as the titans made Godzilla and Kong’s rematch even better. I also thought the way the fight plays out is interesting because Kong doesn’t want to fight but has to defend himself against Godzilla. He also has to get Godzilla to help him, making this challenge even greater. Wingard also insisted on an antigravity battle, which takes place towards the end of the movie. This was an opportunity to showcase the Showa era of Godzilla with the craziness and over the top nature of the fight. Everyone has to combat each other in an unfamiliar environment, giving way to explore brand new action. This was a kaiju fan’s dream sequence and translated well into the film. The Rio battle at the end of the film was designed to take place in a populated area, adding another cool setting to the film. There were some iconic shots and landmarks utilized within the battle. The filmmakers were able to use real people running away on a beach during the arrival of the titans. The destruction they create during the battle just shows how large scale the monsters are.
The Intrepid Director – Adam Wingard brought a playful, youthful demeanor to set. His influence and interest for these monsters come from his childhood. It seems like he was designing a film that people who have loved kaiju since youth would enjoy. The actors really enjoyed his enthusiasm and working on set with him. We even get a glimpse on set where Wingard goes around doing short interviews with his crew.
The Imagination Department – Wingard really wanted to do a big action scene without gravity, which took place near the end of the movie. The inspiration from the Iwi tribe came from his love of sci-fi. 80’s cartoons and different environments to explore in Hollow Earth were the inspiration for the Scar King and the scary environment he lives in. He believed the pyramids were a great way to connect the ancient culture of the Iwi while setting up a big battle between Godzilla and Kong.
The Monarch Island Base: Portal to Another World – The base was meant to showcase how established Monarch is now. Kong’s tooth removal at the base was a scene that was so absurd but provided some fun. The Monarch barracks was actually established before filming so they were able to use them for authenticity. Preparing to travel to Hollow Earth from the base was also something the crew had to spend lots of time constructing.
The Evolution of Jia: From Orphan to Warrior – Jia plays a very important role in uniting Godzilla and Kong to defeat Scar King. Both Jia and Kong experience loneliness, helping them find comfort in one another. They both yearn for connection to their heritage. Jia and Dr. Andrews also find connection through their differences, where Jia is developing independence while Dr. Andrews is still navigating motherhood. Jia’s importance to the titans really comes full circle by the end of the film.
Bernie’s World: Behind the Triple Locked Door – Bernie’s personality is showcased by the apartment he inhabits. The chaotic brilliance of his mind matches his wonky conspiracy theories with the interior of his office. The set had a lot of detail in it, which matches Bernie’s enthusiasm for studying the titans.
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