Kong: Skull Island REviewed
When I was growing up my brother loved the old Godzilla and King Kong movies. He had a giant collection of these movies but he preferred watching the later ones, when his favorite monsters were facing off against enemy monsters. If Godzilla was the antagonist of the movie it was less fun than when he was the hero helping protect the town and kicking the bad guys' butts. I’m happy to let my brother know that in Kong: Skull Island there is a little bit of both.
In 2005 when Peter Jackson did his remake of King Kong it was a loving homage to the original and while critics mostly liked it, the movie was a disappointment at the box office. I think the reason for that is the original story isn't the movie people want to see. Sure, the original is the more iconic story with Kong climbing the Empire State Building and lines like, "It was beauty killed the beast." But audiences want to see King Kong fight and the latest movie has that in spades.
Kong: Skill Island takes place as the Vietnam War is coming to an end in 1973, and a secret scientific organization called Monarch is trying to discover the mysteries and monsters of the world. This mission leads them to Skull Island, where King Kong rules the jungle. But he's not even the worst or most dangerous thing on the island.
There is no messing around with this movie, no waiting till the third act for the monster to finally reveal himself. As soon as the crew gets on the island King Kong starts throwing trees at soldiers' helicopters and making them explode. The CGI and visual effects are great; they are what we've come to expect in our modern blockbuster movies. The scenes show off frantic visuals and help set the pace for more fights for our soldiers.
In 2005 when Peter Jackson did his remake of King Kong it was a loving homage to the original and while critics mostly liked it, the movie was a disappointment at the box office. I think the reason for that is the original story isn't the movie people want to see. Sure, the original is the more iconic story with Kong climbing the Empire State Building and lines like, "It was beauty killed the beast." But audiences want to see King Kong fight and the latest movie has that in spades.
Kong: Skill Island takes place as the Vietnam War is coming to an end in 1973, and a secret scientific organization called Monarch is trying to discover the mysteries and monsters of the world. This mission leads them to Skull Island, where King Kong rules the jungle. But he's not even the worst or most dangerous thing on the island.
There is no messing around with this movie, no waiting till the third act for the monster to finally reveal himself. As soon as the crew gets on the island King Kong starts throwing trees at soldiers' helicopters and making them explode. The CGI and visual effects are great; they are what we've come to expect in our modern blockbuster movies. The scenes show off frantic visuals and help set the pace for more fights for our soldiers.
Samuel L. Jackson is the perfect amount of crazy to help put this movie over the top.
I love a good action scene as much as the next guy but it can't be the only thing in the story; luckily this movie has an all-star cast. John Goodman, Samuel L. Jackson, and John C. Reilly make up a veteran core of actors, and each one of their characters are certifiably insane. They fulfill all the long-standing tropes for the monster genre, including the mad scientist and angry war general, but each plays it so over the top it propels the movie to the right amount of crazy.
Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston are also the in the movie and serve as the de facto protagonists. They play a wartime photojournalist and a mercenary jungle tracker, respectively, and serve as the heart of the movie. Their job was to make sure we were emotionally connected to Kong and to speak to the evils of violence and war – but I didn't care about any of that, not in a movie featuring a giant CGI ape. Just cut back to John C. Reilly saying crazy things and Samuel L. Jackson trying to swear as much as a PG-13 movie will allow him and I'll be all set.
As a bonus, since the movie is set in the 70s and produced by Warner Brothers you know the soundtrack is going to be good–and it is.
This was the best movie I didn't know I needed to see. I had no expectations, but it still surprised me. Kong is just a dumb, fun action movie that is probably better-suited for a summer release alongside other dumb blockbusters, but here in March, the movie stands alone as a great popcorn flick. Kong: Skull Island is kind of a perfect reflection to the madness going on in the world. Just featuring more giant gorillas punching helicopters. B
P.S. Make sure you stay to the bitter end, there is a cool after-credits scene that fans of the genre will want to see.
Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston are also the in the movie and serve as the de facto protagonists. They play a wartime photojournalist and a mercenary jungle tracker, respectively, and serve as the heart of the movie. Their job was to make sure we were emotionally connected to Kong and to speak to the evils of violence and war – but I didn't care about any of that, not in a movie featuring a giant CGI ape. Just cut back to John C. Reilly saying crazy things and Samuel L. Jackson trying to swear as much as a PG-13 movie will allow him and I'll be all set.
As a bonus, since the movie is set in the 70s and produced by Warner Brothers you know the soundtrack is going to be good–and it is.
This was the best movie I didn't know I needed to see. I had no expectations, but it still surprised me. Kong is just a dumb, fun action movie that is probably better-suited for a summer release alongside other dumb blockbusters, but here in March, the movie stands alone as a great popcorn flick. Kong: Skull Island is kind of a perfect reflection to the madness going on in the world. Just featuring more giant gorillas punching helicopters. B
P.S. Make sure you stay to the bitter end, there is a cool after-credits scene that fans of the genre will want to see.
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