Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Simply Perfect

Excellent but underrated film

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the story and I liked the actors and I liked the island, however the biggest problem with this version of King Kong is the monkey himself. The CGI gorilla didn't act, or walk or eat like a real gorilla. Gorilla's walk on all-fours, and they are vegetarians. The gorilla in this movie walked up-right the entire movie, he basically walked like a man! Also, in one scene the Gorilla kills and eats a giant octopus? What! Gorilla's are vegetarians. Had they used the same "gorilla" from the 2005 version, it would have made a better movie, more realistic, not that giant gorilla's are realistic, but I was thoroughly disappointed by the gorilla who walked like a man and ate sea-food!

This is non stop fun & action. If your having a bad day then turn no further to Kong Skull Island

Kong skull island is the next instalment of a classic monster universe that's been started up that began with 2014's Godzilla, which I rather liked and now this next instalment is here to give us a Kong vs Godzilla remake I guarantee is coming. So in the film, a group of scientists and soldiers go to skull island in the chances of mapping out the uncharted island and this leads them to a grand island of exotic and fantastical wildlife the king of which is Kong, the iconic gargantuan gorilla who we all grew up with. And when the group comes to the island, as you say in the trailer, destruction, Kong throwing down and most of what you'd expect from a monster movie of today. The build up to this film was rather well anticipated with fairly interesting trailers and marketing especially the poster which I must say, I love. I was interested in this movie and the potential to create a fun universe was possible. But I'm rather upset to say that, for me, the film didn't really deliver what I expected. While there are some fun and entertaining scenes in this film, I was ultimately let down with the film. As we all expected, Kong throwing down in the film was going to be great and this film does deliver on those scenes and they are great. Kong is such a badass classic monster and it's so great to see him back on the big screen again.The setting and design of Skull Island is awesome too. Although, the aspects that bring the film down are, to begin with, the characters. The vast majority of the characters in the film are very uninteresting and have next to no shred of backstory or motivation. Tom Hiddleston's, James Conrad is there to be their guide and he only really receives one small scene in which he expresses a moment of his past and it's so brief and aren't impactful. All other scenes, his character is just a guy who's really good at tracking and can occasionally take on winged creatures with a katana, as you saw in the trailer. John Goodmans character also is barely given anything except one short line about his backstory and that's it. Same with Brie Larson who also is given near nothing. The best character in the film is John C Reilly as someone who crash landed on the island many decades before and at least his character had some interest and some okay humour but still isn't a great character. Furthermore, the editing of the film is very choppy and is very conflicting with itself. For example, for many of Kong's fight sequences, the transitions are smooth and also well filmed in large wide shots, but then the action sequences with the human characters adapts to a 300 style fast to slow motion style which felt extremely off putting and not effective at all. The film also, during the first act , to be specific, quickly rushes through to give us the characters without the needed development they needed to get them straight to the island and for kong to get on screen. Also, a lot of the shots where characters are in frame with kong in the background have incredibly noticeable green screen that appeared very dated despite the okay CGI with the creatures. So in conclusion, Kong was a rather disappointing remake for me. There are definitely positive aspects to the movie and the moments with Kong are great but due to the poor characters and conflicted editing, I must say that the film was only slightly above average for me and i'm gonna give Kong: Skull Island a...6/10

I had no interest in another King Kong movie. Peter Jackson's 2005 remake was a boring rehash. When I first heard there was coming another I was like well they have to drag the franchise out for another try. Several big actors were to be in it but I had never heard of the director. But then the trailer and marketing for it started coming and it looked quite interesting and also and maybe especially it looked different. So eventually I actually went to the cinema to see Kong: Skull Island. Luckily that I did because this is really a movie which should be seen in the cinema.Kong: Skull Island is the definition of a popcorn movie. Where the 2005 movie was drawn out and almost pretentious this movie wastes no time to get to the action and adventure. The action is outstanding in entertainment. Obviously there is a lot of cgi. However I'm not against computer made effects just for no reason. Some things are hard to do in other ways and as long as it doesn't feel like it's used for laziness sake it's fine. And in this movie it works fine. The action in this movie was among the most exciting I saw last year. Some complained about the characters being thin and while that criticism does have a point I don't think it matters much here. This is a fun action adventure that doesn't need deeply developed characters. They are not what's important. They are just enough for this type of movie. And the performances are good. Samuel L Jackson is the bad*** that he always is and does so well, Tom Hiddleston gives us a glimpse that he could definitely play James Bond, Brie Larson works well with what she's got even if it's not a lot. The best is John C. Reilly, his character is the most interesting and performance the most entertaining. Simple they may be but they do all have some distinct personality. Minor complaints are that many of the quotes that are meant as jokes don't land but for me it wasn't a big issue, the movie is funnier in other ways. Like previously stated I knew nothing about the director who it turns out had only directed one other movie but he totally nailed this one. He gets great performances even if the script probably didn't give much to work with. I love the look of the movie, the style it's done in. The shots of helicopters flying over the island and Kong silhouette against the sun. It could have taken this grim and gloomy look which I'm so glad it didn't. Another thing is the music, while there is tunes that are written for it the movie uses a lot of songs from the era when it is set which works perfectly. Having a lot of well known songs can work greatly in the right kind of movie but not all. Kong: Skull Island was one of the most surprisingly good movies in 2017. A movie that knows what it is and embraces it. It's campy and over the top and I like it. No one would claim it to be any amazing piece of work but I believe the filmmakers totally know it and all for the better. I have seen a lot of 2017 movies and Kong: Skull Island was while definitely not the best but one of the most thoroughly entertaining. See Kong: Skull Island if you haven't already. I have several times.