When I first heard about “Kong: Skull Island,” my first thought was “Why the hell are they making another King Kong movie.” And I wasn’t the only one-- in fact, no one would see it with me because they thought the movie would simply be a remake of the 2005 version. However, after watching the trailer, I was dying to see it. I liked the Peter Jackson 2005 King Kong movie, but I was absolutely blown away with “Kong: Skull Island.”
First off, I absolutely adored the cast. Every second Tom Hiddleston was on screen was a godsend, and his acting was just as impressive as his stunning facial features. Not only that, but Brie Larson was in the film as well and she is one of my favorite actresses/people ever. I first fell in love with Brie Larson after her role in “Room” for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress. Larson plays a anti-war photographer in the film and a total badass. Though I haven’t seen many Samuel L. Jackson movies, his role as a war hungry veteran who wants his revenge on Kong for killing some of his men.
The camera work was phenomenal. The CGI alone made it worth seeing and Kong definitely took the cake. The scenery, monsters and Kong himself just look so real it was incredible. I don’t usually recommend 3D movies because usually they don’t add much to the movie besides ten extra dollars to your tickets, but seeing “Kong: Skull Island” in 3D is a must. The island just felt so real that I found myself really wanting to visit-- despite the horrifying monsters
It was funny, action-packed and short. I didn’t expect the movie to be humorous, but hilarious one-liners made the movie a lot more light-hearted and added a different twist than the other movies. Not only that, but the movie was actually a reasonable length. Clocking in at around 1 hour and 45 minutes, this is an action movie that is do-able for anyone. The action scenes are badass and not ridiculously overdone. Kong is bigger than ever, but he does not fall in love with the beautiful women in the group nor does he travel to New York and have a last stand on top of the Empire State Building.
There’s political allegory that’s not overdone. The movie ingeniously parallels itself with the Vietnam War in a fascinating way. Not only that, but the friendships between soldiers from different sides, relationship between the humans and Kong and the anti-war sentiment just adds a powerful layer to the story. The story is set during the Vietnam War and reflects the antiwar sentiment present during the time period, but the themes are still relevant in today’s society. I especially love the fact that Brie Larson’s character always raised her camera instead of her gun. She has her badass action moments, but the majority of time she turns to art instead of violence.
To conclude, “Kong: Skull Island” is definitely a must see and definitely worth paying the extra bucks for 3D. I didn’t expect to fall in love with a King Kong movie, but I will definitely recommend it to anyone who will listen.
