Godzilla vs. Kong
(2021 film)

The year is 2024. Five years have passed since Godzilla defeated King Ghidorah and took the title "King of the Monsters." Somewhere on Skull Island, Kong awakens as a flock of Leafwings flies overhead. Kong strolls into a nearby lake and stands underneath a waterfall, letting the water run down his body. Kong uproots a tree as the young Iwi girl Jia finishes putting together a doll of him. Jia approaches Kong and presents her doll, causing Kong to briefly lean forward to observe. Kong then turns and throws the tree into the sky, where it suddenly collides with a disguised barrier. The sky is merely a projection, part of Monarch Outpost #236, the Kong Containment unit. The rest of Skull Island is now enveloped in the perpetual raging storm that once surrounded it. Dr. Ilene Andrews, an anthropological linguist, observes Kong while another Monarch member says to her that the Outpost can no longer contain him, as he has grown too large. Andrews dismisses the notion of relocating Kong, as the second he leaves the island Godzilla will undoubtedly come for him, since there cannot be two Alpha Titans. Jia approaches Dr. Andrews and signs to her that Kong is angry, and she signs back to Jia to wait in the car for her.

In Pensacola, Florida, Bernie Hayes records an episode of his Titan Truth Podcast, explaining that he is about to obtain incriminating evidence of Apex Cybernetics' illicit activities. He exits his car and enters the Pensacola Apex facility, where he works under deep cover as an engineer. Bernie enters the office of another Apex employee, who tells him he is not supposed to be here. Bernie annoys the employee before he finally dismisses himself, allowing Bernie to insert his flash drive into the office's computer and begin downloading data. Bernie observes unusual shipping manifests which show technology being shipped to Apex headquarters in Hong Kong. While the download is proceeding, an alarm suddenly sounds alerting the facility of a Titan attack. Godzilla surfaces from the ocean and comes ashore to attack the facility. Bernie begins to evacuate with the other employees, but he slips through a door into a restricted area. On a rooftop, Apex CEO Walter Simmons and Chief Technology Officer Ren Serizawa flee the scene in a helicopter. Fighter jets open fire on Godzilla, who swats them aside and fires his atomic breath. Two guards demand to see Bernie's clearance and aim their guns at him, only for a blast of Godzilla's atomic breath to burst through the wall and incinerate them. Bernie looks through the ruins and sees a suspicious piece of glowing machinery resembling a gigantic robotic eye nearby. Godzilla then decimates the rest of the facility with his atomic breath.

In the aftermath of the attack, public opinion has turned against Godzilla, who is no longer viewed as humanity's savior. Madison Russell views a CNN report on the situation in her classroom, then after school heads to Monarch's relief camp in Pensacola. There, she tries to convince her father, acting Monarch director Mark Russell, that Godzilla is being provoked somehow. However, Mark dismisses his daughter's belief in the Titan Truth Podcast and says that creatures, just like people, can change.

At the Denham University of Theoretical Science in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Simmons and Serizawa visit the office of former Monarch geologist Dr. Nathan Lind. Simmons compliments Lind's writing on the Hollow Earth, which Lind dismisses by citing the negative reviews of his book. Serizawa presents Lind with a schematic of the Hollow Earth, which shows a tremendous energy signature similar to that possessed by Godzilla. Simmons says that if they can harness this energy, they can develop a weapon capable of competing with Godzilla. Lind says that Hollow Earth exploration is impossible, as the gravity inversion experienced when entering it instantly crushes anyone who dares to venture within. Simmons apologizes for the loss of Lind's brother David in an earlier failed exploration mission, but he says Apex has developed a vehicle capable of withstanding the harsh gravity inversion and making exploration possible: the Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicle, or HEAV. Convinced, Lind tells Simmons he has an idea. He asks the two men if they are familiar with the concept of genetic memory, the idea that Titans are naturally drawn to their place of origin, like spawning salmon or homing pigeons. By this logic, Serizawa deduces, a Titan could show them the way to the energy source.

Lind travels to Outpost #236 to meet with Dr. Andrews and proposes that they have Kong lead them into the Hollow Earth. Andrews is again against the idea, saying that Godzilla will come after Kong as soon as he leaves the island. Lind says that Kong obviously cannot stay on the island; they can find him a new home in the Hollow Earth. He tries to convince Andrews, saying that they need to find this energy source in order to stop Godzilla. Finally, Andrews agrees, but on the condition that she is in charge of Kong. Lind agrees ecstatically and kisses Andrews, then apologizes and shakes her hand. He promises that she won't regret this, but Andrews immediately tells Jia she regrets it.

Kong is loaded onto a ship in chains, escorted by a Naval fleet, bound for the Hollow Earth entrance in Antarctica. Lind heads to the deck to greet Apex executive Maia Simmons, the CEO's daughter, who says she is here to "babysit" them on this mission. She tells Lind about the HEAVs, which she says are far more advanced than anything else Monarch has flown and have enough power to "light up Las Vegas for a week." On the bridge, Lind explains the plan. They will bring Kong to Antarctica, after which they will enter the Hollow Earth. He warns that the gravitational inversion will be intense, but if the HEAVs are as good as Apex says they are, they should be able to withstand it. That night, Kong becomes restless and begins pulling at his chains, prompting Jia to come onto the deck and hold out her finger to him. Kong responds by touching his finger to hers. Andrews runs to Jia and signs to her that it is dangerous. Jia responds that Kong is sad and angry. Andrews replies that Kong doesn't understand they are trying to help him, but Jia signs that Kong doesn't believe that. When Andrews asks how Jia knows, she replies that Kong told her. To Andrews' amazement, Kong signs the word "home."

Madison's friend Josh Valentine travels to her house in his brother's van. Madison immediately gets into the driver's seat and sets out to find the host of Titan Truth Podcast and figure out the secrets of Apex. En route, she explains to Josh that she tracked the host down by tracking the purchase of large amounts of bleach, which he uses to shower in order to avoid biological trackers. The two arrive in Chinatown and ask a store clerk about the host's whereabouts. The clerk is unhelpful until Josh tries to bribe him, after which the clerk says they must mean Bernie. He says he will tell them where Bernie lives if they buy a live fish. The two track down Bernie and come to his door, but he refuses to let them in until Madison reveals her name, with Bernie recognizing her as Mark's daughter. At a restaurant, the three discuss the situation. Madison says she believes Godzilla was provoked into attacking the Apex facility, and Bernie says he is of the same opinion. He presents her with his flash drive, which he says contains suspicious shipping manifests for cargo headed to Apex HQ in Hong Kong, which is suspicious as the facility was not supposed to be equipped for heavy shipping. Josh asks what is in Bernie's gun holster, which he reveals to be a flask of whiskey, a keepsake from his late wife Sarah. The three then decide they will break into Apex to figure out what is really happening.

In the Tasman Sea, Andrews asks Jia why she didn't tell her that Kong could communicate with her before, and Jia responds that Kong didn't want anyone to know. Andrews signs that everyone knows now, then leaves to talk to Lind. Lind remarks that it is incredible that Kong is capable of communication, and Andrews responds that she had tried to establish communication with him before. Though he showed signs of recognition of some basic commands, she had no idea he actually understood sign language. Lind asks if Jia could give commands to Kong, but Andrews says she cannot and is just a child. Lind says they have to try, and that they need Kong to find the energy source. Jia, meanwhile, feels vibrations through the ship and runs to Andrews, warning her that Godzilla is coming.

Battleships open fire on Godzilla as he approaches, but do nothing to slow his approach. Fighter jets fire at him, but also fail to harm him before he uses his tail to swat one out of the sky. Godzilla plows through a ship and dives, then swims up underneath Kong's ship. Kong roars into the sea below, after which Godzilla bursts up from the water and capsizes the ship. As the ship fills with water, Lind releases Kong's chains, allowing him to fight back. Godzilla and Kong grapple underwater, with Kong breaking free and climbing back aboard the ship as it shifts back to its original position. Godzilla circles around the fleet, and Kong leaps across the fleet onto an aircraft carrier. Kong grabs a fighter jet and throws it at Godzilla as he approaches. Godzilla climbs onto the carrier, only to be greeted by a punch from Kong. Godzilla retaliates with a vicious slap that knocks Kong down, then charges his atomic breath. Missile fire from jets interrupts his charge, allowing Kong to ram Godzilla off of the carrier. Godzilla fires his atomic breath from under the carrier, with Kong leaping off just in time as the carrier explodes. Godzilla grabs Kong in the water, trying to pull him under. Kong kicks himself free and tries to surface, but Godzilla wraps his tail around Kong and drags him deeper and deeper. Andrews tells the commander of the fleet to fire depth charges to disorient Godzilla before Kong drowns, and he gives the order. The attack works, as Kong is able to free himself and pull himself back onto the ship. Lind tells the commander to deactivate all of the fleet's weapons and engines, in order to "play dead" and make Godzilla think he's won. Godzilla surfaces and observes the destroyed fleet around him, and is seemingly satisfied before swimming away. Jia waves to Kong from the bridge, signing her thanks to him. Andrews asks what they will do now, since the second they move Godzilla will come back. Lind then asks how Kong deals with heights.

Madison, Josh, and Bernie arrive at the ruined Apex facility in Pensacola and infiltrate it. They reach the area where Bernie had earlier seen the strange robotic eye but find it gone. Madison finds an elevator, which the three take to Sub-Level 33. There, they find a tram car and hide inside of it when they hear people approaching. Inside the car they see several Skullcrawler eggs, prompting Madison to ask what Apex is doing with them. The door to the car closes, and the tram system begins sending the car through an underground tunnel to Hong Kong.

A fleet of helicopters and Ospreys carries Kong in a net to Antarctica and sets him down near the entry point to the Hollow Earth. Kong investigates the unfamiliar snow around him, then turns to see Jia standing on a nearby platform. She signs to Kong that his home is through the entrance, but Kong does not go through. Lind asks Andrews if Kong will go if he thinks there are others like him through there. Andrews tells Jia to tell Kong his family might be through there, and she obliges. Kong immediately charges through the entry point, and the expedition members pursue him in three HEAVs. Kong swings along the ceiling of the tunnel before falling into a pit, with the HEAVs hot on his tail. After passing through a vortex, they find themselves within the Hollow Earth. Kong runs across the landscape with the HEAVs behind him, before a Warbat flies past and destroys one. Before the Warbat can destroy another HEAV, Kong grabs the Titan's tail and slams the beast onto the ground, with a rock impaling its head and killing it. A second Warbat flies at Kong, who swings the dead Warbat into it. The second Warbat recovers and constricts its body around Kong, then tries to smother him with its wing. Lind's HEAV fires missiles at the Warbat, causing it to release Kong. Kong punches the Warbat to the ground and pounds it with his fists until it goes limp, then tears off its head and eats the contents of its skull. Kong resumes running across the landscape until he comes to a cliff near a number of floating rocks. Kong jumps off the cliff and floats across to another surface.

The tram car arrives in Hong Kong, and Madison and the others disembark. They find themselves inside a huge dark chamber. As they walk through the chamber, Walter Simmons gives the order for a "demonstration" to begin. A massive mecha bearing Godzilla's frame is lifted into the chamber, while in another room Serizawa places a device on his head and activates a neural interface. The machine begins to move, with Bernie calling it "Robo-Godzilla," only for Josh to correct him by calling it "Mechagodzilla." Simmons orders "Number 10" to be released into the chamber, after which a giant Skullcrawler is unleashed. The beast gives chase after Madison and the others, but Mechagodzilla grabs it and holds it outward by its arms. The Skullcrawler flails its head violently, but to no avail. Under the control of Serizawa, Mechagodzilla fires its Proton Scream and cleaves the Skullcrawler in half with it, then powers down. Serizawa reports that Mechagodzilla reached 40% of its power, with Simmons saying they will soon no longer need to worry about power when his daughter recovers the energy source from the Hollow Earth. Madison realizes that Mechagodzilla is the reason Godzilla attacked Pensacola; Apex is trying to replace him. Detecting Mechagodzilla's activation, Godzilla begins swimming directly for Hong Kong.

Kong continues moving through the Hollow Earth before coming upon a huge stone temple. Recognizing the handprint of his species, Kong places his hand over it and pushes open a door into the temple. Kong roars into the massive chamber, but his roar echoes unanswered. Kong begins walking through the temple and finds a gigantic axe embedded in the skull of a fallen Titan. Kong pulls out the axe and wields it, beating his chest and roaring triumphantly. Kong then sits upon a giant throne.

While trying to find an exit to the Apex facility in Hong Kong, Madison and the others are horrified as they come upon a room housing Ghidorah's skull, which has been turned into a biological supercomputer used to control Mechagodzilla. Serizawa sits inside of the skull, in some kind of trance. Meanwhile, Godzilla arrives in Hong Kong and makes his way into the heart of the city before charging and firing his atomic breath directly at the ground.

In the Hollow Earth, everyone disembarks from the HEAVs. Maia asks where the energy source is, just before Kong's axe begins to glow blue. Kong sees a depression in the ground in the shape of his axe, and places it into it next to several other axes. This causes the floor to glow and pulse with energy, forming a design resembling Godzilla and revealing the sought-after energy source. Apex releases a drone to harvest the energy, but Andrews protests, saying Apex cannot simply take the find of the millennium. Maia says they can do whatever they want and has her men aim their guns at the Monarch members, causing the angered Kong to roar at the guards in their defense. The drone sends the data to Apex HQ, allowing the energy signature to be copied. Simmons excitedly tells Serizawa to prepare himself to pilot Mechagodzilla, but Serizawa warns that the upgrade is untested and that they can't be sure what effect the energy will have on the mecha. Simmons dismisses these concerns and tells Serizawa to activate the mecha. When the temple begins to shake, the Hellhawks roosting on the ceiling become active and attack the humans. Maia and her guards enter a HEAV and try to escape, while Kong and Monarch deal with the attacking Hellhawks. Lind, Andrews, and Jia rush to the other HEAV, but they are confronted by a Hellhawk. Lind throws a rock at it, but it only serves to aggravate the beast. Godzilla's atomic breath breaches the temple, sending the Hellhawk flying and allowing the three to reach the HEAV. Maia orders her HEAV to fire at Kong as it tries to escape, but Kong catches it and crushes it in his hand. Witnessing the temple collapsing, Kong, now greatly angered by Godzilla's actions, grabbed his axe and leaps through the hole created by Godzilla's atomic breath, then begins climbing to Hong Kong.

Madison and the others continue infiltrating Apex headquarters, but are caught by security. Kong surfaces in Hong Kong and exchanges roars with Godzilla. The two Titans begin fighting, with Kong trying to hit Godzilla with his axe. The axe gets stuck in a building, and Kong resorts to trying to physically fight the larger Godzilla. Godzilla tries to fire his atomic breath but is stopped by Kong. Godzilla frees himself from Kong's grip; Kong retaliates by striking him in the head. Kong kicks Godzilla to the ground, after which he tries to fire his atomic breath again. Kong shoves the handle of the axe down Godzilla's throat, stopping the blast. Godzilla fires again, but Kong uses the axe to block it. Godzilla tackles Kong, who embeds his axe into Godzilla's leg. Godzilla retaliates by throwing Kong into the water, then pulls the axe out of his leg with his jaws. Godzilla fires his atomic breath, with Kong running through the city to avoid it. One blast strikes Kong in the back, burning him and knocking him down. Kong gets back up, only for Godzilla to fire his atomic breath again and forcing Kong to dodge it again. Kong climbs a skyscraper, which Godzilla knocks over with his atomic breath. The surviving HEAV travels through the crater into Hong Kong, narrowly weaving between the two battling Titans. Kong tears off a radio dish from a surrounding skyscraper to utilize as a makeshift shield against the beam. Closing the distance, Kong grabs his axe again and climbs onto a building, then leaps off at Godzilla who fires his atomic breath. Kong blocks the blast with the axe and strikes Godzilla, creating an explosion that knocks both monsters back. The axe loses its charge as Lind declares that it appears Kong won the second round.

Back inside Apex HQ, Madison and the others are brought before Simmons, who recognizes Madison. Madison accuses Simmons of causing all of this, but Simmons says he is proud of having created a weapon to stand up to Godzilla. Kong and Godzilla get back to their feet, with Godzilla hunting for Kong. Kong throws a crane to distract Godzilla, then leaps at him. The Titans exchange blows again, before a furious Godzilla bites down on Kong's hand and throws him into a building, dislocating his shoulder. Godzilla drops onto all fours and aggressively pursues Kong, who kicks at Godzilla's face as he tries to crawl away. Godzilla pounces onto Kong and claws into his chest repeatedly, then stomps on his chest twice. Kong weakly tries to pull Godzilla's foot off of him, but to no avail. Godzilla roars angrily in Kong's face, who answers him with a roar of his own. Godzilla takes his foot off of Kong and begins to walk away, while Kong tries to get back to his feet. However, Kong is too badly hurt and passes out.

As Mechagodzilla is activated with the new energy source, Simmons brags that his mecha is now Godzilla's superior. However, something goes wrong as Serizawa is disconnected from the mecha, which becomes possessed by Ghidorah's consciousness instead. The rogue Mechagodzilla punches into the control room and kills Simmons, after which an electrical shock kills Serizawa. Mechagodzilla frees itself from underneath Victoria Peak Mountain with its Proton Scream, then begins rampaging through the city. Godzilla sees his mechanical duplicate and roars before charging at it. Mechagodzilla fires a barrage of missiles at Godzilla, then uses its jet boosters to outmaneuver Godzilla and lands several vicious hits on him. Madison and the others see this taking place, and Josh tries to hack into Mechagodzilla's control system to stop it. The HEAV lands near the fallen Kong, with the occupants witnessing the battle between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla. Jia feels Kong's heartbeat slowing and relays this information to the others. Andrews says they can't produce a charge big enough to restart Kong's heart, but Lind remembers what Maia said about the HEAVs producing a charge big enough to power Las Vegas for a week. Godzilla and Mechagodzilla engage in a beam lock which Mechagodzilla wins, blasting Godzilla to the ground and badly burning his chest. Lind flies the HEAV onto Kong's chest and sets it to self-destruct. He quickly exits the craft and runs away from it before it explodes. Kong is instantly revived and looks at Jia, who signs to him that Godzilla is not the enemy. Kong roars in anger, but Jia signs to him that Mechagodzilla is the real enemy. Kong watches Godzilla fighting Mechagodzilla and seems to accept this, then pops his shoulder back into place by slamming it into a nearby building.

Mechagodzilla continues badly beating Godzilla, then grabs him by the mouth and begins prying his jaws apart. Just before Mechagodzilla can fire its Proton Scream down Godzilla's throat, Kong leaps onto its back and pulls its head back, causing it to fire into the sky. Godzilla sees this and gets back up, grabbing Mechagodzilla's arm as Kong grabs the other arm. Both Titans then pull the mecha through a building to the ground. Mechagodzilla gets back up and grapples with Godzilla and Kong. Mechagodzilla is still too powerful and knocks both Titans aside. Kong sees his axe and grabs it, then begins swinging it at Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla pins Kong against a building and begins spinning the blades at the end of its tail, trying to shove them into Kong's face. Josh is unable to hack into Mechagodzilla's control panel, which locks him out. With all hope seemingly lost, Bernie pulls out his flask and suggests they have one last drink. This gives Josh an idea, and he grabs the flask and pours it all over the control panel. This causes it to spark and explode, making Mechagodzilla momentarily stall. Using this opportunity, Godzilla fires his atomic breath at Kong's axe, charging it. Kong swings his axe and slices off the end of Mechagodzilla's tail, freeing himself, then continues to swing it until he hacks off its arm. Kong then cuts off the mecha's other arm, then its leg. Mechagodzilla falls to the ground and begins charging one last Proton Scream before Kong strikes it in the neck, then leaps onto it and tears off its head. Kong holds up Mechagodzilla's severed head and roars triumphantly, ending the terror of Mechagodzilla. Exhausted, Kong then slumps down.

Andrews finds Lind among the ruins of Hong Kong and helps him through the rubble. Madison runs through the streets and finds her father, and the two share an embrace. Josh tells Mark that the whole thing was Madison's idea, and Mark simply tells him to "shut up." Madison introduces Mark to Bernie, who says it's a pleasure to meet him and asks if he can invite him on his podcast sometime. Lind, Andrews, and Jia sit together, exhausted, among the rubble. Godzilla then roars loudly, drawing everyone's attention. Kong grabs his axe again and approaches Godzilla, and the two Titans stare each other down, with Godzilla displaying no hostile intentions towards Kong. Kong hesitates and then drops his axe. The two Titans briefly acknowledge each other, after which Godzilla roars at him before turning around and returning to the sea peacefully.

Inside the Hollow Earth, Lind, Andrews, and Jia watch Kong from an observation post as he goes on his morning walk. Kong signs the word "home" to Jia, who smiles back at him. Kong then swings onto a cliff and pounds his chest triumphantly.

Japanese Release