This is one of the "few other things" I mention in the strapline of the blog.
The last clash of the titans was in 1962. I was not alive then, but at
some point in the late 90s/early noughties when I was around ten years old and
absolutely crazy about Godzilla and the MonsterVerse, I saw in the TV guide that
King Kong vs Godzilla was showing. I defied my parents and stayed up until 2 am
to watch the film. I was excited. I had seen Godzilla emerge triumphant from
battles with numerous other beasts. At this point, however I had not seen any
King Kong films, but my brother had constantly told me that King Kong would be
Godzilla's ultimate rival. I was eager to see this battle.
By the end of the film, the excitement was replaced with anger and
disappointment. My idol was defeated by
the oversized ape. I've detested King Kong ever since.
Fast forward two decades and the two titans are set to meet again, this
time as CGI monsters and not men in rubber get-ups.
If the pandemic has its way with this film like it did with the other
film I really want to see (No Time To Die in case you're curious),
it probably won't be released on 31 March. Either way, it’s nice to have
something to look forward to.
Despite my very open and obvious favouritism of Godzilla, I’m going to objectively look at which of them is
most likely to triumph.
Size
Both monsters have varied considerably in size over time. The
majority of Godzilla’s incarnations have been around the 50 metre mark.
However, in the 2019 film, his height more than doubles to just shy of 120 metres. If it’s the 120
metre Godzilla that resurfaces again later this year, we can expect him to
weigh nearly 100,000 tonnes.
The variability of King Kong’s size is even starker. Kong ranges from a
mere 7.2 metres in 2005 to 32 metres in Kong: Skull Island. For this film, he
gets an incredible increase in size to around 95 metres and an estimated weight
of 90,000 tonnes.
So, even with Kong being substantially beefed up for 2021, Godzilla
remains larger. But size isn’t all that matters.
Agility & Speed
Due to Godzilla's centre of gravity, he needs a tail, which is
particularly important as a counterweight when he changes. This appendage,
whilst giving Godzilla stability, comes at the cost of delaying any changes in
direction – especially comparison to Kong, who can move more freely in all
directions. Kong, being an ape can also
leap onto/from high places. It is not clear whether Kong’s enlargement will
have an impact on his agility.
Based on estimates from Godzilla King of the Monsters, Godzilla can hit
speeds of up to 560 km/h on land and in a straight line. There aren't any
estimates of Kong's top speed on land, but given his build and size, it's safe
to assume he is faster than his opponent.
Things change when water is involved. In short, Godzilla is as
comfortable in water as he is on land, there’s no evidence that Kong is
anywhere near as competent in water.
Strength
Apes (Gorillas in particular) are known for their strength. An average
gorilla is able to carry 10x their body weight due to the concentration of
muscle in their upper torso and arms. This suggests that Kong could be able to
lift Godzilla with relative ease. Kong’s significantly larger and longer arms, also
give him the ability to hold and punch with tremendous power.
Both monsters have got considerable leg strength. But given Godzilla’s
centre of gravity, he would need considerably more leg strength than Kong to
stay upright. Godzilla takes advantage of this by using his legs as a weapon to
stomp on opponents.
Intelligence
Both titans have shown that they are more intelligent than other creatures
in the MonsterVerse. Godzilla's intelligence largely comes from his wealth of
experience battling other monsters and asserting himself as King. In the 2019
film, this was something Godzilla was able to do this through making an example
of a few monsters to shock the rest into submission.
Kong has slightly less battle experience. However, he has been able to
effectively craft and use weapons with tremendous accuracy against his rivals.
Kong’s fighting style is much more strategic than Godzilla and he therefore
fights with more finesse.
Given that Kong is also a primate, he also has a higher brain to body
ratio than Godzilla, a reasonable proxy for intelligence.
Likely winner
In this film, Kong is similar in size to Godzilla, is more intelligent,
able to use tools with precision, and is more agile on land. However, Godzilla
is more experienced in battle. Although less agile on land, he is as
comfortable in water as he is on land, he has atomic breath and the devastating
thermonuclear pulse. Moreover, Godzilla can also withstand more damage and heal
more quickly.
On paper, Godzilla should be the victor of this battle. However there is
also the human element to the film. From the trailer, it seems like the humans
want Kong to win. The human writing this however, does not!
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