Kong: Skull Island

[bigthunder]

I enjoyed it more than expected, it's main purpose seems to be setting up a monster shared universe for future films (ultimately Kong Vs Godzilla). Worth seeing for the action scenes anyway.

[Jayman]

Even Kong himself is a more straightforward creation, lacking the emotional weight of previous incarnations, despite the mocap efforts of Terry Notary and Toby Kebbell. Like Andy Serkis in King Kong, Kebbell plays a human character as well as Kong, but his Koba in Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a much more interesting role than either.

I'm not so sure about this. Only Terry Notary seems to be officially credited and Wikipedia suggests that Kebbell merely provided guidance.

He played Chapman in the fantasy action film Kong: Skull Island (2017), while also providing guidance for Kong's motion capture sequences.[13]

[RF123]

The Kings of Summer director Jordan Vogt-Roberts finally follows up his impressive 2013 coming of age debut film with something completely different.
The sporadically entertaining creature feature Kong Skull Island.
Set at the tail end of the Vietnam war which finds a group of scientists and military personnel travelling to a remote South Pacific island believing that they are on a geology expedition but are in reality on the hunt for proof of monsters. I doubt it would be a spoiler to say that they find exactly what they are looking for and more.

The film is at its best when it's exploring just that, resulting in some effective creature design and some exciting set pieces. Though the film peaks a little early when a multiple helicopter ride to the island is rudely and violently interrupted by the titular beast.
The 70s Vietnam setting is also well used and gives this a strong and different feel from most modern blockbusters. Which is helped no end by cinematographer Larry Fong's solid work.
Though the film does overdo the nods to Apocalypse Now/Heart of Darkness a little. From the shots of helicopters flying over jungles to a 70s rock soundtrack to John C Reilly's comic riff on Colonel Kurtz, as a US WW2 fighter pilot who's been stranded on the island for 30 years (named Marlow after the central character in Joseph Conrad's novel), to a boat trip up a river, the film's debt to Coppola's classic is hard to ignore. The film also throws in a bit of Hell in the Pacific too, so though it goes out of its way to offer something different from previous Kong movies, it still pilfers from other war movies to tell its story.


Where the film falters quite noticeably and disappointingly however, is in regard to its plot and characters.
A basic 'getting from A to B' plot is overpopulated with thinly sketched characters that its impossible to get emotionally involved with. Frankly they could probably cut out Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson's characters and you'd barely notice. If you asked me to describe their characters beyond guide/mercenary and war photographer I'd struggle to be honest. The fact that Hiddleston's character is called Conrad is about as deep as he gets. Several other excellent actors including John Goodman, Samuel L Jackson, Shea Whigham, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell and Thomas Mann do their best to breathe life into these one dimensional characters but with only moderate success. John C Reilly gets the closest to offering up a slightly more rounded character but then his mostly broad comic performance also feels like it's been lifted from a totally different movie anyway. Even Kong himself is a more straightforward creation, lacking the emotional weight of previous incarnations, despite the mocap efforts of Terry Notary and Toby Kebbell. Like Andy Serkis in King Kong, Kebbell plays a human character as well as Kong, but his Koba in Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a much more interesting role than either.

For all its impressive CGI, striking visuals and effective set pieces, a wafer thin plot and one dimensional characters mean that Kong Skull Island never quite rises above the level of competent B movie. It certainly has enough fun moments to make it worth watching but it could have been so much more.

For those willing to stick around right to the very end, there is a post credits scene that hints at the possibility of more monsters to come. If they can come up with a better plot and characters we actually care about it may be worth looking forward to.

Damn. I missed the post credit scene because I urgently needed the loo. Grr

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[xtrip86]

Watched this last night and was disappointed. Seemed a very by the numbers version of Kong. I like the Vietnam setting and there were some terrific shots but the film played everything a little too safe for my liking. Solid not spectacular.

[tobyjonathans]

Had a lot of fun with Kong, the effects were great and it all bounced along nicely. Still, completely ridiculous and a bit of a mess all told. The cast deserved a much better script - Kong himself I double each of their characters emotional investability

[alythonian]

I thought this was pretty tedious and dull. Hiddleston running around in a tight Tshirt . It was just boring. Special effects effects were impressive.
It was fine on a cold snowy night but I'd not make a fuss and it would put me off a sequel.

[Smarties]

I thought this was just okay. Nothing special or very memorable about it. I did really like John C. Reilly's character though, he was the stand out of the film.

[ejwrank]

I thought this was poor. Tom Hiddleston standing around in various absurd poses and Brie Larsson taking photos of everything. What a waste of talent and money. Another rubbish film we have had to endure in 2017.

[nosila50]

Not as good as previous versions, but if you approach it with a sit back and enjoy approach, then it ticks the boxes. I found some moments very funny and not sure that was meant. Samuel L Jackson was his usual gang honself, so didn't disappoint. All in all an entertaining couple of hours. 7/10

[D-Fens]

Not sure what complexity people were expecting from this, Kong in existential crisis because he wanted to get out of the monkey business?

If anything it should have been even simpler with just the army, Hiddleston (guide) and Larson (stowaway) on the island. Then all the character stuff could have gone to those two so maybe we'd care just a little.

Hiddleston could have turned out to be a buff scientist (twist) and Larson (brie) could have been looking for C. Reilly (crackers).

The ape was well realised but for some reason the movie was just a procession of underdeveloped actors going to stand near it and explain why they were there. "I'm in Vietnam and carrying a device to measure the size of this things feet..."

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