Kong: Skull Island

Kong: Skull Island 
Dir: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Cast: John Goodman, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L Jackson,

John C. Reilly. Toby Kebbel

       The summer blockbuster season gets off to an early start in this feature from 
  WB and Legendary Pictures. It also pays homage to classic monster movies of
  the 1950's & 60's.

       It's the early 70's and during the Vietnam War, a group of scientists studying 
MUTOs  (Massively Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) send some researchers 
to a remote island hidden deep in the South Pacific. There, they come across 
a gigantic ape the size of a building that inhabits the island.

       Leading the expedition is Gov. agent Bill Randa (John Goodman).To help him 
are a Ber Grylls type adventurer James Conrad (Hiddleston), a cute photographer
girl, Mason (Larson) and strict colonel Preston Packard (L. Jackson).

      When the army begins to drop napalms, Kong is awakened and starts attacking
 the military copter. Col Packard makes it his personal mission to hunt down and 
 kill Kong after witnessing this. The survivors band together and try to get off 
 island when they meet a wacky Navy pilot (Reilly) whose been stranded there
 for almost 30 years. His quips during the film make for a good comic relief.

     The cinematography is amazing and the panoramic shots are incredible along with 

some great closeups. The CGI used during the monster battles looks fantastic. While

it plays out like an average monster film, the story is nothing to write home about. 

The film focuses more on King Kong fighting the monsters that inhabit his island 
than the characters who aren't fleshed out as one hoped. They're just fodder to move 
the story along.

    All in all, it's a fun popcorn movie that doesn't take itself seriously. You can turn
off your brain for awhile and enjoy it for it is. While it may not win any major awards.
it's serviceable in it's own right in the WB/ Kaiju universe. 

  Grade: B+ (7/10)