A military expedition heads to an uncharted island in the South Pacific, where they encounter a world of strange creatures ruled by a giant ape.
ACTION/SCI-FI
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Kong: Skull Island (2017)Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Written by Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein, Derek Connolly Starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, Corey Hawkins, Shea Whigham, Jason Mitchell, Toby Kebbell, John Ortiz, Tian Jing Reboot of 1933's King Kong Oscar Nominations - Best Visual Effects |
Hollywood has been trying to get a modern King Kong right since Ray Harryhausen created him back in 1933. In 1976, they dropped the ball hard. Then in 2005, Peter Jackson dropped it again. I'll admit that when they announced another Kong, it wasn't really on my radar of 2017's most anticipated. Until, of course, they announced a Kaiju MonsterVerse that started with 2014's Godzilla and continued with this reboot of Kong. After watching this film, I'm happy to say that Hollywood has finally done right by the King, providing an action-packed adventure through a world untouched by man and just enough interesting characters to keep it anchored in reality.
Let me start off by saying that Kong looks better than ever. The mo-cap work was phenomenal. Not only does he look great, but he also has something Kong has lacked for decades. He has personality. He's a character instead of a plot device. Speaking of characters, I believe every actor did a fantastic job, particularly Sam Jackson and John C. Reilly. I enjoyed John Goodman's deceptive scientist, but I wanted to know more about him. How much does he know about other monsters? Does he know about Godzilla? These questions never got answered, and I know they never will. Kong: Skull Island was way more violent and brutal than its PG-13 rating led me to believe. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just don't take your kids. This film sports a flawless Vietnam-era soundtrack and some gorgeous cinematography and filming locations. It's a good King Kong movie, but it's also an exciting big screen romp that's destined for surprise success. I can't wait to see the new Kong face off against Godzilla in the coming years. Considering how good this film was, I simply don't know who to root for anymore. |
