Is 'Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire' Too Scary For Kids?

Godzilla and Kong in "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."

New in theaters, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is loaded with big creatures, loud roars and plenty of high-energy battles. But does that make the new MonsterVerse movie too scary for kids?

Rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for creature violence and action, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire — the fifth feature film in Warner Bros.’ MonsterVerse — marks the first big-screen adventure for the shared universe franchise since 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong.

While the title characters were adversaries in Godzilla vs. Kong, the monsters have now become uneasy allies in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The monsters have no choice but to work together as a new threat to humanity emerges from the previously unexplored depths of Hollow Earth — an expansive, cavernous region underneath the planet’s surface.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire lives up to its PG-13 billing, as there are plenty of creature battles and non-stop action throughout the film. There are certainly elements in the film that may be too frightening for children ages 6 and under. In particular, the loud roars from Godzilla, Kong and other creatures in Hollow Earth are certain to jar kids who are sensitive to noise.

Apart from that, there are no outright horrifying elements that push the boundaries of a PG-13 film.

The most important thing parents should ask themselves before deciding to bring their kids to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is, “How familiar are your kids with the characters?” Since this is the fifth MonsterVerse movie, if your children are asking to to see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, chances are good that they’ve already seen at least one if not all of the movies either in theaters and/or on streaming or video.

The MonsterVerse series, after all, began in 2014 with Godzilla, so the wide availability of the first four films on video in the past 10 years has given households plenty of opportunities to familiarize themselves with the material. The bottom line is, if you watched the movies with your kids, you already know what you’re getting into with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

On the flip side, if your kids have already seen any of the MonsterVerse movies and were scared, they’re probably not asking their parents to see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire anyway. As such, the whole question of it being frightening or not is irrelevant.

Warning: Mild movie spoilers follow in the next section.

The Skar King in "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."

Even if kids have seen previous films in the MonsterVerse, it may be helpful to know how much violence and gore is in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Naturally, Hollow Earth is populated with many creatures, which generally means more peril for Kong and the human characters — played by Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens and Kaylee Hottle — trying to protect him.

There are plenty of creature battles in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire as the MPA rating suggests, but you have to remember, kids are watching mythical creatures slug it out in computer-generated environments and not watching humans engage in a violent round of fisticuffs.

There is no blood to speak of in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, apart from a brief, partial shot of a spatter on a deceased human under rubble after an outpost of Monarch — the agency that keeps watch over the monsters — is decimated by a creature. Another human character is quickly devoured by a creature in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, but that sequence is free of any blood, too.

As for Kong and Godzilla, they’re both very powerful creatures, so a lot of times things don’t end too well for their opponents. Kong has a knack for tearing his opponents apart and Godzilla’s fiery breath can also result in his adversaries being obliterated. In both cases, the gore only amounts to copious volumes of green or yellow goo.

As for any scary actions by any of the creatures, the new villain, the Skar King — who, like Kong, is a giant primate — is probably the scariest creature in the film because he’s a tyrannical character who has menacing presence around other apes under his command. The Skar King’s goal is to wreak havoc on Earth’s surface along with the reptilian creature Shimo, who breathes ice and could potentially create another ice age.

It’s funny that for the second weekend in a row, moviegoers are seeing an ice-breathing being on the big screen. The villain Garraka in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is threatening the same dark fate for humans in that film, and between the malevolent demonic spirit and Shimo, Garraka is no doubt the scarier of the two.

Ultimately, if your kids were able to handle Garraka, they’ll likely find Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire a much milder film even though Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire is a supernatural comedy. There’s comedy in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, too, thanks to the talents of cast members Brian Tyree Henry and Dan Stevens, who lighten the mood of the film.

In addition, a new, young ape who accompanies Kong is also introduced in the film, and kids will no doubt relate to the character because of his youthful demeanor.

Also elevating the film into its breezy territory is the inclusion of several familiar rock tunes throughout, including KISS’ I Was Made For Lovin’ You and Badfinger’s Day After Day — songs that will make Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire all the more enjoyable for adults in attendance.