Godzilla vs. Kong fought its way to box office dominance -- roaring past box office expectations, reaching global milestones, and delivering the kaiju main-event it promised. It’s a movie that raises some questions about its human characters having major roles and its actors being aware of the fact that they aren’t what people are paying to see. Godzilla and King Kong are the main draws and everything was riding on the two iconic monsters coming to blows. The monsters pulled a lot of weight narratively, and director, Adam Wingard, revealed a hilarious advantage to King Kong knowing sign language in the movie.
King Kong's relationship with Jia was a surprisingly tender addition to the mayhem and destruction-heavy film. They use sign language to communicate with each other, and Jia is the go-between for Kong and the other humans in the movie. However, there are certain things you have to consider when it comes to Kong's use of sign language, and fans seem to be considering this. During a Reddit Q&A, director Adam Wingard addressed a hilarious question about Kong’s signing abilities:
u/thatonecoolnerd: Ok ok, I’ll ask the big question everyone is thinking of: If Kong knows sign-language, can he flip the bird?Wingard: Great question. I suppose Jia would have to teach him that one and she's too much of a sweetheart to do that...But there is always room for growth :)
Adam Wingard addresses the elephant in the room: can Kong give someone the middle finger? Wingard admits that Jia is the one who taught him sign language, so she would ultimately have to be the one to teach him how to flip someone the bird. However, she's honestly too innocent and sweet to ever teach Kong such things. However, Wingard says there is always room for growth, and I would not bet against Kong, who seems like an intelligent monster, picking up some unsavory sign language elsewhere.
Aside from any kind of gestures either creature might make, Godzilla Vs. Kong has inspired debate about whose movie it is Godzilla or King Kong? The film fulfilled Adam Wingard’s dream Monsterverse fights and has given the film industry some hope for a return to normalcy during the ongoing pandemic. The little details that come out about Godzilla vs. Kong just gives fans more and more to think and obsess over, which is a good sign for any franchise.
When it comes to King Kong, a lot of effort went into allowing the character to have the standout performance he had in Godzilla vs. Kong. Adam Wingard and the VFX team made certain that Kong could convey emotions and communicate with Jia in a believable way, which is why one detail about him was changed from 2017's Skull Island. In regard to any potential future films in the franchise, fans will surely be on the lookout for any development with King Kong’s sign language capabilities and if he picked up any bad habits since his clash with Godzilla.
Be sure to catch Godzilla vs. Kong in theaters and stream it before it leaves HBO Max at the end of this month.
