HBO Max released "Godzilla vs Kong" online a few weeks ago, offering many moviegoers the simple pleasure of watching a giant ape and a giant lizard face off I was different I waited an extra month and a half to experience the film on the big screen, and I hope I won't have to wait as long to see James Gunn's "Suicide Squad," which opens in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6, wherever that may be

The film debuted in HBO Max and US theaters on March 31 (and on VOD in the UK), but it wasn't available on the big screen in the UK until last week Only recently have movie theaters been allowed to reopen, as part of the latest easing of blockade restrictions

I cannot lie My decision to delay seeing "Godzilla vs Kong" until theaters reopened was partially due to indifference I was not particularly attracted to films like "Pacific Rim," "Rampage: The Great Beast War," or the two previous "Monsterverse" films, which were similarly destruction-heavy Yet I also thought "Godzilla vs Kong" was the ideal movie for me to return to the cinema

Within the first 15 minutes of the movie, my decision to postpone was completely justified While streaming services certainly have their advantages, some films are made for the silver screen [FYI, I hated "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" and have never seen "Kong: Giant God of Skulls" But when Kong's fist first made contact with Godzilla's scale-covered temple, I stood up and cheered

Maybe it was just the novelty of actually getting out of the house for reasons other than buying food or exercising, but I have never enjoyed an experience on the big screen so much And I saw "Avengers: Endgame" in an IMAX screening

Some films are designed to be enjoyed on the biggest screen possible, along with sound systems that make your chair come alive with every loud stomp of a CG creature's feet

I didn't mind that about half of my fellow moviegoers arrived after the movie had already started and spent what felt like hours trying to find their seats with the flashlight on their smart phones I welcomed each interruption as if meeting an old friend and almost laughed at the days of incessant complaining about such minor annoyances Teenagers eating nachos loudly in the front row, it was music to my ears

All in all, "Godzilla vs Kong" itself is a rather dull experience when viewed on its own The effects are truly impressive and the fight choreography is surprisingly coherent, but the human characters are annoying and the plot holes are numerous It's a solid B-movie, but nothing more than that

But what stood out most to me was how much the cinema experience added to the film Had I chosen to watch it at home via a streaming service, I'm sure the numerous flaws would have overwhelmed the childlike enjoyment of watching two titans clash But watching it on a giant screen with a top-notch audio system got me thinking about the moment Not the terrible script or the shoddy plot

This article does not mean to argue that streaming services have no place in the film industry While some films deserve to be experienced on the big screen, not all films need to be viewed in such an environment

I actively subscribe to four different streaming services (and have ripped off my family to access two more) and am far from a streaming skeptic However, I am very concerned about the talk of day-in-date streaming bringing about the demise of movie theaters

To me, the hybrid model makes the most sense going forward Films like "Chicago 7 Trials," "Nomadland," and "Minari" were released on streaming platforms because of the closure of movie theaters around the world in the last 14 months, making them a natural fit for home viewing

I am not saying that these films are inferior They are all far superior to "Godzilla vs Kong" I just felt that there was little harm in experiencing these films through the lens of my rather inferior home TV setup (which, I am ashamed to admit, does not even have independent speakers)

This would not have been the case with "Godzilla vs Kong Had I chosen to watch it at home to spare myself the wait, I am convinced that I would have had a much more negative opinion of the film, as described above As for the upcoming blockbusters like "Black Widow," "Mission: Black Widow," "Mission: Impossible 7," and "Dune," you should know that the only way to see them is in a movie theater seat

Well, I'm off to book tickets for "Mortal Kombat" I want to see that bloody carnage on the big screen