The epic battle continues! Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse follows up the explosive showdown of ”Godzilla vs. Kong” with an all-new adventure that pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence—and our own. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” delves further into the histories of these Titans and their origins, as well as the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond.

For in-depth thoughts on Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire offers a dazzling viewing experience, but this release does not include a Blu-Ray so the degree of upgrade between formats is uncertain. The Dolby Vision enriches the colors to fantastic heights in terms of sheer vibrancy. This film swirls with color as we visit unbelievable locations. There are eye-popping hues attached to each monster that are worth the price of admission alone.

The highlights in the film are crisp with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Elements in the film taking place in the shadows are more vivid and finely delineated. Black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. Skin tones appear more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores and perspiration. This 4K UHD presentation excels on all fronts including strong showings in clarity and color. The Blu-Ray is surely great, but Warner Bros. has delivered another praise-worthy transfer on this latest 4K release.

Audio Quality

This disc comes equipped with a knockout Dolby Atmos presentation that brings these clashes right into your living room. Dialogue is presented perfectly clearly without ever being drowned out by any of the competing sonic elements. The epic score saturates the room with an intensity suitable for this outing. The explosions and crashes provide a three-dimensional soundscape that pierces in throughout all the speakers. Sounds are deftly rendered with precise directionality from the more action-packed scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue.

This is a title that is tailor-made to be cranked to the max and provide complete immersion, and the addition of the height channels serves this purpose extremely well. Overhead elements provide a dramatic touch that will have you ducking. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the rear and overhead channels. The low end is rarely given a rest once the monsters get moving – which takes mere seconds into the film. The mix gives you everything you could want from your audio setup. Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Adam Wingard, Visual Effects Supervisor Alessandro Ongaro, Production Designer Tom Hammock and Editor Josh Schaeffer provide a commentary track in which they discuss how scenes progressed during production, the background of the music in the film, the character designs, CGI vs practical effects, the point of view of the film, and more. This is a solid addition to the package if you want to know more about the thought process behind the film.

GxK – Day of Reckoning: A six-minute featurette that looks at the last decade of the Monsterverse with interviews from talent from each installment.

Evolution of the Titans: A look at the evolution of the monsters in this film, traits that were applied to them, and how it ties into the larger narrative.

- Godzilla Evolved (5:33)

- Kong’s Journey – From Lonely God to King (5:44)

Into the Hollow Earth: An exploration of the new corners of a rich location that the creatives were primed to explore in this outing along with the creatures that inhabit it.

- Visualizing Hollow Earth (5:46)

- Monsters of Hollow Earth (5:39)

The Battles Royale: A deep dive into some of the massive fight scenes featured in the film.

- A Titanic Fight Among the Pyramids (5:30)

- The Zero Gravity Battle (5:03)

- The Titans Trash Rio (5:22)

The Intrepid Director – Adam Wingard: A couple of featurettes give you a closer look at one of the key visionaries behind this epic outing.

- Big Kid (3:43)

- Set Tour (3:44)

The Imagination Department: A nearly four-minute look at the art department that allowed the creatives to plan how the film would look.

The Monarch Island Base – Portal To Another World: A nearly six-minute discussion about the enhancements of Monarch in this installment and the shooting locations for the new base.

The Evolution of Jia – From Orphan to Warrior: A six-minute piece on the journey of a key character from the last film and how she has tapped into her own power.

Bernie’s World – Behind The Triple Locked Door: A nearly four-minute look at Bernie’s apartment and the care that went into the production design.

Final Thoughts

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is not a prestige monster movie like certain other buzzy titles floating around the zeitgeist, but it delivers on its promised fun. Plus, it is actually close to being a really good movie outside of the spectacle, even giving some of the human characters a decently satisfying arc. There are just elements of the world-building and storyline that simply do not connect as cohesively as it needs to. Nevertheless, those coming to the party for some large-scale destruction will be smiling from ear to ear. Director Adam Wingard continues to bring a sense of childhood wonder to his installments. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has provided a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that amazes with its fantastic A/V presentation and a solid assortment of special features. Recommended

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD on June 11, 2024. The film is currently available to own on Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.