Movie Review: Kong: Skull Island

Bringing the "monster movie" genre to a whole new level, Kong: Skull Island allows viewers to see Kong in his natural habitat, the audiences get to see him for the King that he really is. So, nope-no climbing of skyscrapers in this one. 

Set right after the Vietnam war, Skull Island gets a funky 70's upgrade with the music, which I will talk about in length because I am a music geek. I loved how the film integrated a rather sturdy portable record player in the story which allowed for some awesome songs such as Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" and "Run Through The Jungle" by Credence Clearwater Revival, which are just some of my favorites from the soundtrack. I have a portable record player of my own, so seeing that in the movie was a personal treat for me. 

Another aspect of the film which made me happy was seeing the movie through photography with Brie Larson's Mason Weaver, a feisty "anti-war" photojournalist, of all the characters, she had the most 70's vibe about her, which I appreciated, though very subtle. It was nice to see the story told behind the lens which in my opinion added to the human side of the movie.    

While history, music and photography are just added bonus in the film, this is still of course a "Monster Movie" to its core and it was a monster movie of epic proportions, the jump scares were effective and I found myself screaming in my seat (more than once) and watching from behind from my fingers. I can say that it is my favorite monster movie to date. That final battle will leave you at the edge of your seat as Kong ensures his place in his kingdom and claims the title of "King". 

While the story is simple enough -get in uncharted island, find monsters, people run, people die, we need to escape-there are still some talking points in the characters, mostly in Samuel L. Jackson's Preston Packard who after feeling the shame of losing the Vietnam War is desperate to regain some kind of honor, even at the point of putting his men in danger, this desperation turns to an insatiable thirst for revenge in the movie, its funny what war does to a person.  

Speaking of characters, there were pretty thin, save for Jackson and Larson. Tom Hiddleston's saving grace was his tight blue shirt and that hero shot of him running through a cloud of poisonous gas while slashing through monster birds with a Japanese sword. 

John C. Reilly as a marooned survivor with his dry humor was a crowd favorite and the end credits dedicated to him was a nice touch. 

Since we are talking about post credits, make sure to stay after the credits as there is a post credits scene which teases at how the film sets up for the Monster Cinematic Universe. *wink* *wink* (Godzilla). 

8 out of 10. Kong: Skull Island is an enjoyable Monster Movie, one that I will surely see again. I recommend that you see it in cinemas though (IMAX) if possible for the full "monster experience". There are also some beautiful images in the film, such as Kong's silhouette against a raging orange sunset with helicopters flying in to take on the king and seeing that on the big screen is a must! 

Movie News: NEW “KONG: SKULL ISLAND” TRAILER UNLEASHES RIP-ROARINGADVENTURE

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have just released the official final trailer for “Kong: Skull Island” which may be viewed at https://youtu.be/C9GbY9gRslg.

“Kong: Skull Island” reimagines the origin of the mythic Kong in a compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“The Kings of Summer”).

In the film, a diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific – as beautiful as it is treacherous – unaware that they’re crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong.

“Kong: Skull Island” stars Tom Hiddleston (“The Avengers,” “Thor: The Dark World”), Samuel L. Jackson (“The Hateful Eight,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Oscar winner Brie Larson (“Room,” “Trainwreck”), John Goodman (“Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Argo”) and John C. Reilly (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Step Brothers”). The international ensemble cast also includes Tian Jing (“Police Story: Lockdown”), Corey Hawkins (“Straight Outta Compton”), Jason Mitchell (“Straight Outta Compton”), John Ortiz (“Steve Jobs”), Thomas Mann (“Beautiful Creatures”), Shea Whigham (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Toby Kebbell (“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”) and Eugene Cordero (“The Kings of Summer”).

Vogt-Roberts is directing the film from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, John Gatins, Dan Gilroy and Derek Connolly. “Kong: Skull Island” is produced by Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni with Mary Parent. The executive producers are Eric McLeod and Alex Garcia.

To fully immerse audiences in the mysterious Skull Island, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and his cast and filmmaking team filmed across three continents over six months, capturing its primordial landscapes on Oahu, Hawaii – where filming commenced on October 2015 – on Australia’s Gold Coast, and finally in Vietnam, where filming will took place across multiple locations, some of which have never before been seen on film.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Present a Legendary Pictures Production, “Kong: Skull Island.” The film will be released in the Philippines in 2D, 3D in select theatres, and IMAX beginningMarch 9, 2017, from Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.