My son likes dinosaurs. And robots. And monsters. So, of course, we all settled down to watch GODZILLA VERSUS KONG recently. It is hilarious, and daft, and ridiculous. And absolutely brilliant.

I was interested to see that the film has done well, or at least, that’s what the scuttlebutt is about it, especially when compared to the previous film in the series, GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS, which I think was seen as something of an underperformer. Let’s not beat around the bush – these are not works of high art, but why did MONSTERPUNCHFEST 2 do better than MONSTERPUNCHFEST 1? The two films have the same preposterous exposition, the same amounts of crash, bang, wallop, and the same paper-thin characters.

And then I wondered whether it was as simple as timing. This latest film was released when the big tentpole films have been kept back, for fear of torpedoing any chance of recouping their huge budgets due to the uncertainties in the world at the moment. Only now, with streaming sites and pay-per-view downloads offering a way for films to sell, and some areas now feeling more comfortable with opening cinemas, are we seeing the hint that confidence is starting to return. And, as with so many things, first mover advantage is often vital. Getting that timing just right – not too early, and not too late. And here we are with a big lizard and a big monkey knocking ten bells out of each other.

It is the sort of film that a lot of people are probably quite grateful to watch right now, exactly because it is stupid and loud and preposterous. It’s the equivalent of a fast food binge. The sort of thing that some people (never me) would call a guilty pleasure. Sure, we can all go and watch some Tarkovsky or Bunuel soon, but for now there was no better feeling than being on my couch, with my son, both of us laughing at the surround sound nonsense of two cartoon monsters throwing skyscrapers at each other.

PACIFIC RIM next…