Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Directed By: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
I'll admit when I first heard another King Kong movie was being made I groaned my fair share. It's not that I don't have immense love for the character, it was that his story had been told enough. After Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of the 1933 original classic, it felt like the door had been closed on that chapter of film history, and it would appear Legendary and Warner Brothers agree. Kong: Skull Island is a Kong movie like we've never seen before, falling more in line with classic Japanese kaiju films than its predecessors ever have.
Once it became clear that this was not only straying away from the classic story but that it was playing into the world of giant monsters first introduced to us in 2014's Godzilla, I knew we were in for something special. Much like that film, Skull Island is setting up a larger narrative, so the plot is simple. MONARCH, a government agency tracking the possibilities of the existence of giant monsters, has discovered an uncharted island they believe may house some ancient secrets, so of course, they set sail for the unknown.
This small armies arrival on the island is not met with open arms however as they are quickly introduced to the King himself, who isn't fond of their methods of research. After he dismantles their team of helicopters the crew is stranded with only one shot at a rescue. If they can't make it in time they will be stuck on Skull Island with Kong and its many other dark secrets. It's as much plot as needed to get us from monster fight to monster fight and that's perfectly fine.
They waste no time getting into the action of this movie. Kong is introduced early and appears often, you don't have to sit around for long before you get to see him cut through his new visitors like tissue paper. The story moves quickly, never sitting on any plot beat for too long before getting into another high-intensity moment. It's non-stop insane giant monster fun that (seemingly) sets the tone for the future of the franchise.
Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts does solid work to create a version of the King that is all his own. This isn't the giant ape you are used to, and one of the most effective ways they establish this is by surrounding him with new kinds of monsters on the island. Rather than go with dinosaurs, like the original films, they create new creatures that fit more into this world of MUTO's and giant atomic-breathing beasts.
The design of the "Skullcrawlers, as Hank (John C. Reilly) calls them is cool enough. Their look is nothing earth shattering but its a gnarly blend between a dinosaur-like lizard and total kaiju and the way they move makes for some excellent fighting moves. Kong himself looks fantastic, the design strays from the classic mold and takes on a new look that feels more natural for a 100+ foot tall ape. This is all a testament to the incredible VFX work in this movie, which the entire thing obviously hinges on.
Aside from the new monsters they easily separate themselves from the old lore by setting this film in the 1970's 'Nam era. We are used to only seeing Kong exist in the early decades of the 1900's and to see him go up against Vietnam grunts makes for a new kind of awesome. These guys came armed with a whole lot more than a few Tommy guns and some chloroform and they intend to drop every last bullet and bomb to get off of this island.
Boasting a lot of action and a simple plot there isn't too much room for big, stand-out performances from this movies insane cast. Except for John C. Rielly, that is, who is totally bonkers (in the best way) through it all. By the end of the film, we care most about what happens to his character and he creates what is basically the only emotional bond we have with the cast outside of Kong himself.
That doesn't mean the rest of the cast isn't doing good work, quite the opposite actually. Given what little they have to do, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, Sam Jackson, John Goodman, and especially Shea Whigham are doing their best to sell their characters in this world. Though we don't get to know his character too well, Whigham gives a stand-out supporting performance that is sure to stick with you. I just wish they could have found an actual use for Tobey Kebbell, he deserves so much better.
Even though this is playing into a larger franchise they never really get bogged down by any of it. This movie knows what it wants to be and it has an absolute blast doing it. We get to see Kong in a new light and as a massive fan of Godzilla, I am quite excited about what they are showing us. The next time we see The King he will be facing off against the radioactive beast in what we can only hope is all of our monster loving dreams come true. P.S. Stay through the credits, there is a stinger scene you don't want to miss.
As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!
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