I love movie novelizations, as well as video game novelizations. They provide a deeper dive into worlds and universes that fascinate me. With this in mind, I listened to the Audible Original Godzilla vs. Kong by Greg Keyes, who, you may remember, wrote the two official Elder Scrolls novels. So, does Godzilla vs. Kong measure up to the movie that inspired it? Read on for my thoughts.

Richard Ferrone is probably the best part of this book, as his narration is powerful, commanding, and crystal clear. His deep, smooth voice is similar to those movie trailer voice over guys we all impersonate, so having him narrate the novelization of a blockbuster film makes perfect sense.

As far as the story itself, meh. It’s not that great. Frankly, the movie isn’t that good either. The book, like the film, is too long and not terribly interesting. Freddy vs. Jason is an example of how to do a battle-of-the-titans movie well. It was tight, provided fan service for those who love Freddy and those who love Jason, and it had an epic conclusion. Godzilla vs. Kong gets into advanced technologies and scientific theories, and a whole host of things that shouldn’t be present when all we want to see is two titans do battle. It doesn’t need to be deep, yet it tries to be just that, and, unfortunately, it fails.

Greg Keyes had to work with what he was given, and he did an admirable job. However, this book could easily be half the length. Keyes had the opportunity to improve on the movie but didn’t And, as a result, what we’re left with is a long, tedious story that overstays its welcome. Thankfully Richard Ferrone makes it a bearable one.