Legion1979 wrote: ↑Tue May 31, 2022 2:00 pm
See, this is what I'm talking about. Your post basically translates to "Kong isn't interesting. Godzilla is interesting. Kong needs Godzilla."
Kong can carry his own movie just fine.
Huh? Look, man I just think its more interesting. Nothing Godzilla centric about it
But yes, to have the "Son of Kong" be Godzilla on paper sounds Godzilla-centric, for me, it actually focuses to highlight what makes Kong a compelling character.
First up, having a little godzilla instead of a kong highlights the first major strength which is, character relations. As of GvK, we know Godzilla and Kong aren't on the best of terms. Now imagine Kong finding a small Godzilla. Do you think he'd instinctively want to protect it? Probably not. Thus, the film's plot would be Kong seeing the similarities between him and the small reptile and forming that relationship. Amplifying what makes Kong special by focusing not on what he is (A giant ape-creature), but what he's experienced and his personality as a guardian. Now compare this to Kong finding a baby Kong. Sure, the two are more alike and will more easily bond, but for a film, I'd say the former is far more rich to have Kong struggle with protecting a young godzilla and then protecting a long lost kong.
Next up, the villain! For most Monsterverse films, the villain monsters get minimal characterization. The MUTOs will create imbalance. Ghidorah wants to rule the world. Mechagodzilla wants to kill Godzilla, etc. Now, in the young Godzilla example, imagine that the Kong and Godzilla war caused two individuals to get frozen or locked up in rock or something. A young Godzilla and an Elder Kong. The Elder, like Kong, watched his family die, but unlike Kong, this drives him to hunt the youngling because he can't overcome that loss. We can even get a "Primal" non-spoken flashback to watch what happened in the past to really flesh out the Elder. I'd say it give this type of villain far more depth than the average monster antagonist and while you could do the exact same thing with an ancient godzilla member, I think an Elder Kong is more unique in that role. As Kong fighting another version of his species, a member he's wanted to find ages, would be harder for Kong than fighting another Godzilla.
Lastly, plot! So what are the stakes? Why is there tension? I'd say 2 things. 1) The audience comes to like the youngling therefore we don't want to see it die. Thus the Elder hunting him and Kong could be the main threat, but 2) The other threat could be Godzilla senses the young Godzilla as well. Now this could be simply Kong not wanting Godzilla in the Hollow Earth, but it could also be that Godzilla entering the Hollow Earth is somehow a negative consequence, meaning the human and monster cast need to get to a certain point before Godzilla arrives. Now, these factors could also be used for a young Kong movie, with the need to travel to a location and threat, but I think its easier with a young Godzilla than a young kong.
So main takeaways, I'm not using Godzilla because I want THAT character. Using a young member of the species just means Kong's character is placed under more emotional weight, meaning we can get better scenes with him overcoming that difficulty. I'm a sucker for character arcs, what can I say.
"...A great love is a lot like a good memory. When it's there, and you know it's there, but it's just out of your reach, it can be all that you think about. You can focus on it, and try to force it, but the more you do, the more you seem to push it away. But if you're patient, and you hold still, then maybe... Just maybe... It will come to you."
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