After defeating Mechagodzilla, Kong returns to Hollow Earth. On Earth’s surface, Godzilla maintains order between the Human Race and the race of giants called the Titans. He defeats Scylla in Rome and dozes off in the Colosseum afterwards. A Monarch observation post in Hollow Earth detects an unidentified signal. On the surface, the young deaf-mute Jia (Kaylee Hottle) from the Iwi Tribe suffers hallucinations and flashbacks, worrying her mother Doctor Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall). Godzilla picks up the signal too and leaves Rome, absorbing some radiation from a nuclear plant in France on the way, and travels to the Arctic.
A sinkhole opens up near Kong’s home and a tribe of giant apes appears from an uncharted region. Included is an adolescent named Suko, who helps the other apes in an attempt to capture Kong, but Suko and Kong become friends. Suko leads Kong into the tribe’s home, where Kong is injured by Skar King, who is in control of the ancient and powerful Titan Shimo.
Doctor Andrews and Jia, with the Titan veterinarian Trapper (Dan Stevens) and the conspiracy broadcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), travel to the Hollow Earth in search of the signal. In an uncharted subterranean section, they find the remnants of the Iwi tribe, who communicate telepathically and are the origin of young Jia. It is determined that the mysterious signal is a distress call from the Iwi civilization in the Hollow Earth.
Doctor Andrews fears that Jia may choose to stay with the Iwi. She finds a prophecy in a temple indicating that Skar King once tried to take over Earth’s surface and waged war with Godzilla’s species, resulting in Skar King and his tribe being exiled in the Hollow Earth. What’s more, Jia is the key to reawakening Mothra. The injured Kong is fitted with an advanced prosthetic arm by Trapper.
Godzilla defeats the giant Tiamat in the Arctic and absorbs radiation from its lair. Kong confronts Godzilla in Cairo, hoping to lure him into the Hollow Earth to help him. Godzilla is winning but the reawakened Mothra intervenes and convinces Godzilla to help Kong. The three of them battle Skar King, his tribe, and Shimo in Hollow Earth. They emerge into Rio de Janeiro, where Shimo tries to begin a second ice-age. Suko destroys the crystal that controls Shimo and Shimo freezes Skar King. Kong shatters his body.
Following the battle, Godzilla returns to the Colosseum for a snooze, Mothra restores the barrier that protects the Iwi tribe’s home, and Kong returns to Hollow Earth with Shimo and Suko, where Kong becomes the leader of the tribe. Jia decides to stay with her adoptive mother.
The film was directed by Adam Wingard, written by Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater, and produced by Legendary Pictures. It is the fifth film in the Monsterverse franchise, the thirteenth film in the King Kong franchise, and the 38th Godzilla film. It received mixed reviews from critics, but fans were pleased by the powerful and extremely noisy battle scenes, which are, let’s face it, what they are going to the theatre to see. It was made because Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla versus Kong were a success, and we can expect the series to go on as long as it makes money.
The visual effects—pretty much the star of the film—were supervised by Alessandro Ongaro. The score was created by Antonio Di Iorio and Tom Holkenberg. It premiered at Graumann’s Chinese Theatre and was released in the U.S. on March 29, 2024, then released in Japan by Toho Studios on April 26th. Naturally, discussions concerning the next film in the series began immediately. At one point, Godzilla is turned pink by radiation and some joker suggested it was a sequel to Barbie. It was criticized for downplaying the hugeness and loudness of the stomping monsters in the interest of Marvel-like battle choreography. In other words, it had a plot. And several likable characters, not all of them 50 feet tall. And it’s loud enough.