Hops and Box Office Flops: GODZILLA VS KONG – Coming to a Universal Studios Near You

Godzilla vs Kong is a historic rivalry, yet it has been 59 years since these two giants of cinema last traded blows. That seems far too long, but fortunately for the “Monsterverse,” the timing couldn’t have been better.

In our King of the Monsters (KotM) episode, Chumpzilla and I were bullish about the future of this series. We knew this movie would at least be made, but short of a miraculous run, KotM had sullied the stock. Turns out, we were wrong.

In less than a week Godzilla vs Kong has grossed over $300 million worldwide, already nearing its predecessors totals. This comes amidst an ongoing global pandemic. Its reviews have also far surpassed that of KotM. It sits at 75% on Rotten Tomatoes with over 300 reviews—a striking 33% improvement.

Godzilla Battles Kong atop and Aircraft Carrier in Godzilla vs Kong

In hindsight, we probably could’ve predicted the bounce back. After all, these characters are truly the most iconic. Godzilla, for all his miscellaneous adventures, will always be a part of the Japanese zeitgeist due to his metaphorical significance. And the 1933 King Kong remains one of the greatest technical achievements in film; it’s a true testament to the power of movies and their ability to suck the viewer into their world.

So, does Godzilla vs Kong do its titular characters proud. Yes and no. The fights are a visual wonder—a feast for the eyes with a brutality that you can almost feel. The plot, on the other hand, mirrors that of KotM; in that, it’s convoluted and dumb.

But, hey, we’re here to witness the former, so sit back, pound some Colossal Claude Imperial IPAs from Rogue Brewing Co. into submission, and don’t exit your ship in the Hollow Earth! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are riding the Skull Crawler infested bullet train from Pensacola to Hong Kong!

This Week’s Segments:

Introduction/Plot Breakdown – It’s a movie about a giant gorilla fighting a giant nuclear lizard. Enough said. (00:00)
Lingering Questions – After a word from our pals at The Double Turn Podcast, we analyze who’d truly win in a fight between these two titans of cinema. (57:52)
The “Titan Truth Podcast” Trivia Challenge – I challenge the field to a series of trivia questions about the movie, as well as the return of “Name That Kaiju.” (1:10:30)
Recommendations – We hear from our beer bros. at Hop Nation USA, and then we offer our picks for the week. Next up: It’s the premiere of “Hops and Our Favorite Flops,” Pacific Rim. (1:23:00)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—Peter Jackson’s initial ideas for Kong and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, and Amazon Music!