It apparently took two classic movie monsters to bring people back to the movie theaters.

“Godzille vs. Kong” (“GvK”) is the new champion of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic era at the box office.

As of this movie review, “GvK” has grossed $86.5 million domestically and $400 million globally since its March 31 domestic release (simultaneously in movie theaters and on HBO Max) and March 24 international release.

The last movie to put up those kind of box-office numbers was 15 months ago when “Bad Boys For Life” grossed $400 million worldwide.

The bad boys of movie monsters were no doubt helped by the re-opening of more movie theaters in the United States in March and April.

“GvK” had a $2,567 per-screen average in 3,001 theaters for the April 16-18 weekend, even more impressive since the movie can be streamed on HBO Max at no added fee.

This would seem to indicate that movie-goers like to see their monsters stomp across the big screen in movie theaters.

“GvK” is a big-screen monster mash of two iconic Hollywood movie monsters.

Get ready for the “Kong”-a-line. It could be quite a “Kong”-fluence. What’s next: “Donkey Kong”?

“GvK” is part of the MonsterVerse, as Warner Bros. dubs it, as a sequel to three movies in the contemporary franchise that began with “Godzilla” (2014) and continued with “Kong: Skull Island” (2017) and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019).

“King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1962) was released by Toho Co., Ltd., which produced “Godzille vs. Kong” with Warner Bros.

The giant lizard-like monster made its movie debut in “Godzilla” (1954). Godzilla has been featured in 36 movies,

The big ape made its movie debut in “King Kong” (1933). King Kong has been featured in 12 movies.

Why is the latest movie title, “Godzilla vs. Kong,” and not “King Kong vs. Godzilla”?

One reason is to distinguish it from the 1962 original.

More importantly, the title sets up the characterization of the two big guys. King Kong is a sympathetic figure, i.e., the good guy, Godzilla is presented as the bad guy.

It’s more complicated than that. No spoilers here.

What isn’t complicated is that “GvK” is the WWE of monster movies. It’s the Computer Generated Imagery equivalent of the “Smash ‘em Bash ‘em” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures.

Godzilla and King Kong not only bash each other but the landscape or skyline in the vicinity of wherever their battles commence.

Prior to the battle of the movie titans, the movie-goer is treated to a plot based on Hollow Earth, a theory proposed and disproven in the 17th century.

The plot also involves Godzilla using his atomic breath. One can only imagine how horrible being near a Godzilla-sized case of halitosis must be.

The battle is set. And of course it takes place in Hong Kong, no relation to King Kong.

The screenplay probably pleases People’s Republic of China officials since it makes no mention of the 2020 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, governed as a “special administrative region” under the “one country, two systems” policy.

You don’t have to dig as deep as Hollow Earth to interpret the battle royale as symbolizing the conflict between communist China (Godzilla) and the democratic west (King Kong).

That’s my take-away anyway.

Don’t ask me to explain the rest of the mumbo-jumbo screenplay involving the nefarious Apex Cybernetics, reverse-gravitation, an Antarctica facility, a monorail that leads directly to Hong Kong, and a glowing axe wielded by King Kong.

What’s next? “Thor vs. Kong”?

Suffice it to say, “Godzilla vs. Kong” is pretty much of a mess.

The monsters’ battles aren’t even that exciting. The scenes are dark, as is the trend in action movie fight scenes.

Godzilla seems to have grown a lot more fins and put on a lot of weight, perhaps during the COVID-delayed movie’s release.

King Kong struts his stuff like a chorus girl from Gillian Welch’s “Elvis Presley Blues.” Kong used the COVID-lockdown to hit the heavy bags. He has quite a right hook.

The humans’ acting is reduced to mostly reacting, staring aghast at the antics of Godzilla and King Kong.

Alexander Skarsgård (Dr. Nathan Lind, a cartographer) makes little impression. Who needs a cartographer anyway when you have GPS?

Rebecca Hall (Dr. Ilene Andrews, a linguist) often looks like a deer in headlights. Her adopted daughter, Kaylee Hottle (Jia), is a deaf orphan who communicates with King Kong.

Demián Bichir (Walter Simmons) does his best with the mad-scientist role, which in contemporary cinema has become the techno-savvy billionaire entrepreneur.

Kyle Chandler (Dr. Mark Russell) plays the typical worried dad, here of Millie Bobby Brown (Madison Russell).

Brown and Brian Tyree Henry (Bernie Hayes) and Julian Dennison (Josh Valentine) form a separate, younger team that seems to have been written into the plot to appeal to a younger demographic and provide a modicum of comic relief. It’s not that funny and is of little relief.

Director Adam Wingard (“Death Note,” 2017; “The Guest,” 2014) doesn’t do too much new with the monster movie genre other than turn up the volume on the mayhem.

The screenplay seems to have been assembled by a committee of Terry Rossio (Oscar nominee, “Shrek,” 2001), Michael Dougherty (“Superman Returns,” 2006), Zach Shields (“Krampus,” 2015), Eric Pearson (“Thor: Ragnarok,” 2017) and Max Borenstein (“Godzilla,” 2014 and sequels).

“Godzilla vs. Kong” is the ultimate cinema of the New World Order. Lots of action. Little content. Miss it if you can.

“Godzila vs. Kong,”

MPAA rated PG-13 ( Parents Strongly Cautioned Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers) for intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language; Genre: Action, Science-Fiction, Thriller; Run time: 1 hr., 53 min. Distributed by Warner Bros.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

Legendary Entertainment, which produced “Godzilla vs. Kong” and its three contemporary predecessors, acquired licensing rights to Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla from Toho, the Japanese film studio. “Godzilla vs. Kong” was filmed in Australia, Hawaii and New York City.

At the Movies:

“Godzilla vs. Kong” was seen in the SuperScreen DLX format at the Movie Tavern Trexlertown. COVID-19 mitigation protocol was in effect.

Movie Box Office,

April 23-25: Mayhem ruled in the multiplexes as “Mortal Kombat” played to a No. 1 opening with $22.5 million on 3,073 screens, “Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train,” opened at No. 2 with $19.5 million, on 1,600 screens, and both films ganged up on the monster duo three-week No. 1 run of “Godzilla vs. Kong,” which dropped two places to No. 3 with $4.2 million, on 2,856 screens; $86.5 million, four weeks.

4. “Nobody” dropped two places, $1.8 million, on 2,252 screens, $21.6 million, five weeks. 5. “Raya and the Last Dragon” dropped one place, $1.6 million, on 1,819 screens, $39.8 million, eight weeks. 6. “The Unholy” dropped three places, $1.4 million, on 1,835 screens, $11.5 million, four weeks. 7. “Tom and Jerry” dropped two places, $650,000, on 1,930 screens, $43.4 million, nine weeks. 8. “Together Together,” $522,440, on 665 screens, opening. 9. “The Girl Who Believes in Miracles” dropped two places, $336,957, on 941 screens, $2.4 million, four weeks. 10. “The Courier” dropped one place, $264,175, on 713 screens, $5.9 million, six weeks.

23. “The War with Grandpa,” co-starring Allentown’s Oakes Fegley, moved up one place, $25,327, on 195 screens, $21.1 million, 29 weeks, the longest-running movie in the Top 25.

Box office figures from Box Office Mojo as of April 25 are subject to change.

Unreel,

April 30:

“Four Good Days,”

R: Rodrigo Garcia directs Mila Kunis, Glenn Close, Stephen Root and Carla Gallo in the Drama. A mother helps her daughter during four days of substance abuse recovery.

“Here Are the Young Men,”

No MPAA rating: Eoin Macken directs Anya Taylor-Joy, Travis Fimmel, Finn Cole and Susan Lynch in the Drama. Dublin teenagers drop out of school and fall into drinking, drugs and transgressive behavior.

“Separation,”

No MPAA rating: Williams Brent Bell directs Rupert Friend, Brian Cox, Madeline Brewe, Mamie Gummer and Violet McGraw in the Horror film. A young girl is haunted by the ghost of her mother.

“The Resort,”

No MPAA rating: Taylor Chien directs Michelle Randolph, Brock O’Hurn, Bianca Haase, Michael Viamis, Avery Pascual and Joaquin Veizaga in the Horror film. Four friends visit an abandoned resort in Hawaii.

Movie opening dates information is from Internet Movie Database and is subject to change.

Two Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes