Kong: Skull Island (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
The enormous gorilla named Kong has been a cinema icon since 1933 {King Kong was, perhaps, the best film of that year}. 1976 brought us another version starring Jessica Lange; unfairly maligned. And 2005 offered up Peter Jackson's 3-hour epic {mostly hit, partly miss}. And this new action-packed adventure - setting up an eventual Kong vs. Godzilla showdown - evokes legendary monster movies of decades past ... with a slightly new perspective. 'Kong: Skull Island' (directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts) is set in 1973, right after the U.S. withdrew from the Vietnam War; when satellite photos showed an uncharted South Pacific isle shrouded in inclement weather. That leads investigator Bill Randa (John Goodman) to initiate a map-surveying expedition, saying, "There will never be a more screwed-up time in Washington" -- the funniest line in the movie. To guide his crack team of scientists (Corey Hawkins, Tian Jing - of this yrs.' The Great Wall), Randa hires black-ops tracker James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston, that's Loki to you).
They're then joined by Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), a spirited 'anti-war' photo-journalist, & given a military escort, led by resentful Lt. Col. Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) with his intrepid squadron (including Toby Kebbell, Thomas Mann, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham & Eugene Cordero). When the helicopters arrive & start dropping bombs to shake-up the isle's seismic core, Kong takes them out {swatting them like flies}, killing much of the expedition & stranding the rest. Before long, they encounter a plethora of supersized creatures, including birds, lizards, a spider & other strange beasts. Soon the large crew is divided, with Packard set on getting revenge, while Conrad & Weaver run into the enigmatic Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly), a marooned American pilot who's been surviving among the isle's natives since WWII. Marlow explains that Kong is the king & guardian of the 'Skull Island' and that it's the slithering underground monsters known as Skullcrawlers that are the real danger. Chaos ensues.
More a reboot than a sequel/prequel, 'Kong: Skull Island' leaves its mark in the King Kong pantheon, but barely. Sure, there are some amazing, memorable creature battle scenes -- loads of fun, and gruesome! Though the narrative is "B-movie", the special effects truly are "A-level" incredible -- never before has Kong looked so realistic. And the fact that he's 300 ft. tall - instead of the usual 30 ft. - makes him all the more impressive to witness {he's 300 ft. here to accommodate a big battle with Godzilla in a later movie}. Every creature: designed to perfection. The scale of everything: incredible. The tropic locales: breathtaking. The camerawork: scintillating. The sound design: booming! The action sequences: well-choreographed {look out for an epic battle btwn. Kong & an octopus}. I even admire the pro-environment, anti-war themes that are sprinkled throughout the screenplay. The film even recalls elements from Apocalypse Now, at times. See, much like last week's Logan ... this film is technically well-done. Many attributes 'click'.
That said, while no one goes into a Kong flick expecting well-developed characters and/or a complex plot, I needed more from both. The cast is talented, but they are barely utilized here; cardboard cut-outs with barely anything interesting to say or do. Tom Hiddleston looks the part; gun-wielding brooder. But he's not overly effective as the 'lead'. Ditto Oscar-winning Brie Larson; segueing from small indies to a big Hollywood blockbuster -- she simply has very little to say or do. John Goodman is fine. Sam L. Jackson does his Sam L. Jackson thing. Toby Kebbell impresses as Chapman/motion-capture Kong. And John C. Reilly creates the only character to care about, at all. That's my biggest beef. Everyone could have died for all I care; they're a big 'nothing'. You won't feel anything {for humans or otherwise}. At least the '33/'76'/'05 versions made you feel something. See 'Kong: Skull Island' for the adventure, excitement & monster showdowns. For popcorn fare, this film does the trick. Just don't expect greatness.
They're then joined by Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), a spirited 'anti-war' photo-journalist, & given a military escort, led by resentful Lt. Col. Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) with his intrepid squadron (including Toby Kebbell, Thomas Mann, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham & Eugene Cordero). When the helicopters arrive & start dropping bombs to shake-up the isle's seismic core, Kong takes them out {swatting them like flies}, killing much of the expedition & stranding the rest. Before long, they encounter a plethora of supersized creatures, including birds, lizards, a spider & other strange beasts. Soon the large crew is divided, with Packard set on getting revenge, while Conrad & Weaver run into the enigmatic Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly), a marooned American pilot who's been surviving among the isle's natives since WWII. Marlow explains that Kong is the king & guardian of the 'Skull Island' and that it's the slithering underground monsters known as Skullcrawlers that are the real danger. Chaos ensues.
More a reboot than a sequel/prequel, 'Kong: Skull Island' leaves its mark in the King Kong pantheon, but barely. Sure, there are some amazing, memorable creature battle scenes -- loads of fun, and gruesome! Though the narrative is "B-movie", the special effects truly are "A-level" incredible -- never before has Kong looked so realistic. And the fact that he's 300 ft. tall - instead of the usual 30 ft. - makes him all the more impressive to witness {he's 300 ft. here to accommodate a big battle with Godzilla in a later movie}. Every creature: designed to perfection. The scale of everything: incredible. The tropic locales: breathtaking. The camerawork: scintillating. The sound design: booming! The action sequences: well-choreographed {look out for an epic battle btwn. Kong & an octopus}. I even admire the pro-environment, anti-war themes that are sprinkled throughout the screenplay. The film even recalls elements from Apocalypse Now, at times. See, much like last week's Logan ... this film is technically well-done. Many attributes 'click'.
That said, while no one goes into a Kong flick expecting well-developed characters and/or a complex plot, I needed more from both. The cast is talented, but they are barely utilized here; cardboard cut-outs with barely anything interesting to say or do. Tom Hiddleston looks the part; gun-wielding brooder. But he's not overly effective as the 'lead'. Ditto Oscar-winning Brie Larson; segueing from small indies to a big Hollywood blockbuster -- she simply has very little to say or do. John Goodman is fine. Sam L. Jackson does his Sam L. Jackson thing. Toby Kebbell impresses as Chapman/motion-capture Kong. And John C. Reilly creates the only character to care about, at all. That's my biggest beef. Everyone could have died for all I care; they're a big 'nothing'. You won't feel anything {for humans or otherwise}. At least the '33/'76'/'05 versions made you feel something. See 'Kong: Skull Island' for the adventure, excitement & monster showdowns. For popcorn fare, this film does the trick. Just don't expect greatness.