Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Kong: Skull Island tells a fresh story about the legendary King Kong.
As United States military and scientists team up for a mission to an uncharted and mythical island, they come across something they've never seen before. They've seamlessly wandered into Kong's island; his home. As the story unfolds, the humans must seek a way out of the very dangerous island while trying to survive attacks from monstrous creatures.
Praises
Kong: Skull Island is the epitome of what a monster movie should be. Whilst centering mainly on the humans, this movie also explores the abstract Skull Island and its terrifying creatures. There were many great action sequences during this film, and none of them fell short of amazing. The final "boss" sequence was a joy to watch because its all I've ever wanted to see in a King Kong movie. It is safe to say that this scene beats the T-Rex v. King Kong scene in Peter Jackson's rendition. Yeah, King Kong is a total badass.
John C. Reilly steals the show as Hank Marlow. From his first scene on the screen, Reilly brings comedic relief and a soft touch of emotional depth to the movie. Reilly was at his best during one particular scene towards the end of the movie. He says something that shouldn't have been funny, but was extremely so. His presence on screen was refreshing, and I hope for him to come back in future sequels.
For a PG-13 rated movie, Kong: Skull Island was extremely, and unexpectedly, gory. There were scenes that surprised me due to the amount of bloodshed. While happy with the gore, I was left wondering how truly epic an R-rated interpretation of King Kong would have been.
The 2-hour run-time worked perfectly in favor of this film. By the time the end credits hit, I wanted more. Wanting more isn't necessarily always a bad thing. I wanted more, but I knew that if I got exactly that, the movie would have dragged on or gotten boring. This way, the writers have more to work with the next time Kong is on the big screen.
Polishes
I love Brie Larson and believe she deserved her best actress award a couple years back, but her portrayal of Mason Weaver was atrocious. She was comical and cheesy as the photographer. Her facial expressions were cringe-worthy, and again, cheesy. Very very cheesy. Although she obviously didn't give it her best as this character, the blame cant all be on her. Her character was very poorly written and limited. It felt as if she was squished into the movie because there needed to be a damsel for King Kong to save at one point. I hope she returns for a sequel because she's a great actress, and with a more efficient script, she can truly shine.
Verdict
Kong: Skull Island was better than I ever expected it to be, and I cant wait to watch it again. As a child, I grew to love King Kong and went crazy whenever Peter Jackson's movie was on television. I've been waiting a long time for this movie and I did not leave disappointed. I cant wait to see more of him.
Monster Epic - 86%
