Godzilla vs. Kong ends with a team-up between the two lead titans, but their alliance works much better than the one at the end of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Both films share the "versus" conceit, and both promised epic duels between two of pop culture’s biggest icons. Where Godzilla vs. Kong has been hailed as a sweeping success, however, Batman v Superman was less popular.

The concept of “vs” movies isn’t new. Classic (though critically panned) examples like Alien vs. Predator and Freddy vs. Jason have become nearly as ingrained in pop culture as the independent franchises that spawned them. Some of those movies ended with clear winners and losers, while others ended more ambiguously. Regardless of the films’ respective climaxes or overall quality, the idea of pitting two cinematic titans against one another has always been inherently intriguing.

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Though Batman and Superman both belong to the same universe under DC Comics, their cinematic showdown in 2016 was nonetheless highly anticipated. Man of Steel had kicked off the DCEU with generally positive reviews, and Ben Affleck’s Batman was following one of the most popular superhero film series ever in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Unfortunately, the movie’s promise was undercut by some questionable writing choices, particularly during the final act when the characters team up against Doomsday. Godzilla vs. Kong ends in a similar way, but it pulls the alliance off in a much more satisfying finale.

Batman V Superman's Doomsday Team-Up Backlash

Batman squares up to Superman in Batman V Superman

After spending most of Batman v Superman developing grudges and researching battle strategies against one another, the two eponymous heroes meet in a climax that unfortunately fell flat for many moviegoers. For starters, Superman only confronts Batman in the end because Lex Luthor – who manipulates them against each other – threatens to kill Martha Kent unless Superman kills Batman. The movie builds up plenty of reasons for the two to fight of their own volition, but because of Luthor’s reveal, the emotional weight of the battle is somewhat undercut.

Then of course, after an extensive duel, there’s the infamous Batman v Superman Martha moment. Having managed to beat Superman into submission with Kryptonite, Batman is about to land the killing blow when Superman begs him to “save Martha” – the name both their mothers share, causing Batman to suddenly, unbelievably see Superman as a human being with a shared bond. The name drop completely defuses the otherwise fatal battle, causing Batman to abandon his entire plan to kill Superman after a bit more explanation from Lois Lane.

And then, after all that, Lex Luthor conjures Doomsday from general Zod’s Kryptonian ship – a twist many have criticized for having very little to do with the rest of the movie. Clark and Bruce barely get to make amends before flying into battle with Wonder Woman, turning the movie from a “vs” film into a mini Justice League adventure in the final few minutes. Superman then dies in a noble sacrifice, and credits roll shortly after.

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The team-up between Batman and Superman has been heavily critiqued for multiple reasons. It feels incredibly rushed given how driven Batman was to defeat Superman. It undoes the promise of the title by making the characters not just temporary allies, but permanent friends. And the whole alliance hinges on a villain who has nothing to do with the actual rivalry between the two heroes. The result is a final act that feels like it came out of an entirely different movie, and which left many in the audience disappointed.

How Godzilla vs Kong's Team-Up Is Different

Godzilla vs Kong Tokyo Fight

As in Batman v Superman, Godzilla and Kong team up against a common enemy at the end of Godzilla vs. Kong. However, the MonsterVerse does things a bit differently. For starters, Godzilla and Kong actually finish their battle completely before Mechagodzilla shows up. Godzilla wins, clearly and definitively, and leaves Kong to die from his wounds. Their rivalry culminates in a fight that is both complete and well built-up over not just the course of that movie, but multiple movies, and the result is an exciting and captivating kaiju showdown. In essence, Godzilla vs. Kong follows through on its title.

The team-up itself is also quite different in Godzilla vs. Kong. While they end up joining forces to defeat Mechagodzilla, they each do so for their own reasons. Godzilla comes to Hong Kong specifically to battle Mechagodzilla because he wants to stop the resurrection of King Ghidorah. Kong joins the fight not because of Godzilla, but because Jia urges him to help protect her and the rest of humanity by stopping Mechagodzilla. After the robot is defeated, Godzilla and Kong go their separate ways as neither enemies nor friends, but combatants who have a  grudging respect for one another.

Why Godzilla vs Kong's Team-up Is Better

Godzilla with Kong in the background

Godzilla vs. Kong’s team-up works better than Batman v Superman’s for several reasons. As mentioned previously, Godzilla and Kong properly finish their fight before Mechagodzilla enters the fray. Godzilla clearly wins in the end, and no element of the battle or the reasons for it feel contrived. The titans are two characters with a legitimate rivalry, which is satisfyingly resolved. On top of that, that legitimate rivalry felt truly earned with the narrative groundwork for it being laid over the course of a few movies. By contrast, Batman and Superman’s fight feels more like an unearned gimmick, and the way it ends doesn’t offer a real resolution.

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Secondly, Godzilla and Kong’s alliance is strictly temporary. Godzilla allows Kong to live after the battle with Mechagodzilla – both as a show of respect for his help, and because Kong admits to Godzilla’s superior strength – but the tension between them isn’t fully resolved. They enter the film as rivals, and they leave the film as rivals. In Batman v Superman, the speed and intensity with which the two heroes become full allies undermines any sense of real conflict between them, which makes most of the buildup to their fight feel empty.

That’s not to say that Batman v Superman doesn’t do some things right. There’s a large group of fans who hold the film in high regard, and the dynamic between Superman and Batman is inherently different than that between Godzilla and Kong. Still, it’s unfortunate that DC fans didn’t get a more satisfying showdown. Fortunately for fans of the MonsterVerse, Godzilla vs. Kong delivered both an exciting battle, and a great team-up afterward.

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