Movie Reviews: 'Godzilla vs. Kong' and 'Every Breath You Take'

Fans of the MonsterVerse series, rejoice! The much-anticipated blockbuster "Godzilla vs. Kong," a colossal showdown between the two titular titans, comes to life on the big screen and streaming services. The sci-fi action-thriller stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle as an expedition team tasked to find a Herculean source of energy in Earth's middle core.

The psychological thriller "Every Breath You Take" also makes a splash this weekend, in which Casey Affleck plays Dr. Phillip Clark, a well-known psychiatrist suddenly propelled into a psychopath's (Sam Claflin) world of delusion and vengeance. Surprisingly, little did Dr. Clark know that his wife (Michelle Monaghan) and their teenage daughter, Lucy (India Eisley), are also objects of the madman's ire.

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Here's what to see/stream and what to skip this weekend:

“Godzilla vs. Kong” — Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall; directed by Adam Wingard

Alas! The much-anticipated battle royale between two iconic monsters finally takes place in “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the fourth installment in Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures’ MonsterVerse franchise.

This time around, Earth’s existence hangs in the balance as the two titular mythical rivals square off face to face and fist to fist on land and sea, replete with characters involved at disparate points of terror and horror.

Directed by Adam Wingard, the sci-fi film opens with Godzilla unexpectedly enraged, leaving Apex Cybernetics — a research complex based in Pensacola, Florida — in ruins and its scientists in absolute bewilderment. Well, in the wake of the sea monster’s colossal destruction, there’s only one titan that can stop this maelstrom. And it is none other than — you guessed it — Kong.

However, the gigantic gorilla’s mighty powers might not be enough to bring Godzilla to his knees. Luckily, scientist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård) has the solution: bring Kong to the Earth’s core and find a Herculean energy source. Joining Dr. Lind’s expedition team are Kong’s chaperone Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and her daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a little deaf girl who can communicate with Kong through sign language.

Soon, Godzilla heads straight to Kong, and the two behemoths settle the score once and for all in a feverishly mano-a-mano style.

Who will reign supreme? Will one fall?

See/Screen it. The clash of the two titular titans is a grand spectacle to behold — but, regrettably, the rest of the story is simply languid, just a means to an end.

Watch the trailer:

“Every Breath You Take”— Michelle Monaghan, Sam Claflin, Casey Affleck; directed by Vaughn Stein

Personal vendetta is front and center in Vaughn Stein’s “Every Breath You Take,” a psychological thriller about a psychopath hell-bent on unravelling familial bonds.

In the movie, Casey Affleck plays Dr. Phillip Clark, a famous psychiatrist based in the Pacific Northwest. Enviably, he works out of his home, a palatial estate with several pools, expensive paintings and a stunning panoramic view to behold.

Everything in Phillip’s life is seemingly perfect — that is, until one day when one of his patients, a young woman named Daphne (Emily Alyn Lind), dies from suicide, and her grieving brother, James (Sam Claflin), unexpectedly appears from nowhere.

Peculiarly, James takes an unseemly interest in Phillip’s personal life and family, including his wife, Grace (Michelle Monaghan), and their troubled teenage daughter, Lucy (India Eisley). The young man is charmingly congenial toward the Clarks, but underneath that veneer of sincerity is a seething vengeance that is about to explode.

James’s best-kept secret tool? He is a master in the arts of persuasion and seduction. Soon, he has Grace and Lucy completely beguiled and wrapped around his finger. Can Phillip, Grace and Lucy escape James’ unforgiving wrath?

Skip it. The script fails to explore the core of the story, and squanders the cast’s collective talent in the process.

Watch the trailer: