Kong: Skull Island (2017) User Reviews

Kind of all over the place but distinct enough

[spencergrande6 · 7/10 · 22 April 2017]

A strange movie. It is kind of all over the place with its themes and influences but it has a distinct enough personality and some solid setpieces.

This is a straight adventure story with giant monsters, and the way it's shot and the hammy dialogue are mostly B-movie and comic book derived (check out those Dutch angles and blistering colors and 10 times too big sun, moon, aurora...).

But there's also a clunky Vietnam metaphor that's a straight-up over the top "homage" to Apocalypse Now, et al. The song choices even more so. It makes sense in theory (VietKong anyone?) but I don't think it ever really works and it's just an excuse to make Sam Jackson a bad guy to counterpoint Kong's "human" side.

Characters are fine for the most part. They serve their cardboard purposes and that's what's expected. Hiddleston and Larson in particular feel vastly underdeveloped. Everything they say and do fall instantly from memory and their disappearance from the movie all together wouldn't have changed it that much.

But what we want are monsters and we get them. Most of them are wonders to behold (the water buffalo, spider legs, and octo tentacles yum) except the generic Skullcrawers (the scene where Reilly names them is embarrassing - I don't think Larson or Hiddleston had any idea what to do the dialogue is so ferociously dumb. Reilly almost saves it however).

This Kong feels like a very different movie than the new Godzilla. This is very much an entertaining B-movie with strong comic book influences worn loud and proud. It will be interesting to see how these two worlds collide. If any franchises deserve an extended universe, it's these! That's what they're all about.

Shut Down Your Brain and Enjoy the Adventure

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 9 April 2017]

When the Vietnam War ends, Bill Randa (John Goodman) and his partner Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) from the Monarch organization succeed to get the financing for an expedition to the recently discovered Skull Island from Senator Willis (Richard Jenkins). He hires the former Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) to guide the expedition; a group of soldiers under the command of Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson); and the awarded journalist and photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson). On the arrival, the helicopters need to cross a storm and soon they drop bombs on the forest to map the seismology of the island. Soon they are attacked by a huge gorilla called Kong that destroys the helicopters and kills part of the crew and scatter the rest through the island. The group commanded by Conrad meets Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly), a survivor from the World War II that lives with a tribe of natives. He explains that Kong protects the island and the natives from underground monsters and shall not be killed. But Colonel Packard is insane seeking revenge for his men that died.

"Kong: Skull Island" is a brainless adventure with several stupidities. For example, the number of helicopters in the beginning of the journey of Randa, Conrad and Packard is totally incompatible with the size of their ship. Bo pilot would dare to cross a storm like that in a helicopter. The attack of all the helicopters to Kong is absolutely imbecile. Most of the survivor's attitude are at least unreasonable. On the other side, the adventure is highly entertaining and the special effects are top notch. Therefore the best option to the viewer is to shut down the brain and enjoy the adventure since this is the purpose of this type of blockbuster. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Kong: A Ilha da Caveira" ("Kong: The Skull Island")

Tour of Duty makes an excursion to Skull Island

[Coventry · 7/10 · 22 November 2019]

I usually don't comment on massively budgeted blockbusters, but "Kong: Skull Island" is such a joyfully tongue-in-cheek homage to giant monster B-movie cinema that I simply had to make an exception! This is a tremendously over-the-top and silly creature-feature, but the undemanding popcorn-entertainment value is just irresistible. The original King Kong, from 1933 already, is a monumental piece of cinema and still very powerful today. The more recent (2005) and expensive Peter Jackson remake was, at least in my humble opinion, a very boring and overlong romantic drama. "Kong: Skull Island" nicely falls right between these two extremes. By no means, it's great cinema, but at least it provides thrills, chuckles and adrenaline rushes from start to finish. The intro and scene-setting are already incredibly dumb, but oh so fun! We're supposed to believe that there exists a secret government agency (yes, another one) named Monarch, and their area of expertise is searching around the world for monsters and oversize animals. In 1973, The agency's CEO (an energetic John Goodman) benefices from the US-army's retreat out of Vietnam to recover soldiers and assets for a mission to the secretive Skull Island; a place where - and I quote - God left his creation unfinished.

"Kong: Skull Island" certainly doesn't waste any time! The helicopters have barely begun circling over the island, and there already emerges the humongous ape King Kong to slap them out of the sky like tiny ping-pong balls! The few remaining soldiers, led by the frustrated platoon leader Samuel L. Jackson, continue on foot and swear to destroy King Kong, but they soon learn that the island homes lots of other giant and unspeakably evil monstrous creations, and that Kong isn't even such a bad fella. It's a mission impossible to take this film seriously, but with the right mindset (and perhaps a few six-packs of beer) you'll have a great time. Seeing the story takes place in 1973 and has an abundantly clear Vietnam collection, it also somewhat feels like a long-feature "Tour of Duty" movie with a downright awesome 70s soundtrack. The special effects are cheesy and exaggerated, the dialogues are deliciously tacky ("hm, a mushroom...that means there must a river nearby!") and the casting is perfect. I already mentioned John Goodman and Samuel L. Jackson, but there's also John C. Reilly as the bewildered WWII veteran who's been stuck on the island since 1942.

Enjoyably distracting monster movie

[bob the moo · 30 July 2017]

Looking back at old movies, the effects date quickly and they become rather cheesy in their simple pleasures. Someday I will do that with this film, because essentially it is a creature feature, albeit one that happens to be being delivered with the biggest stars, biggest budget, and state-of-the-art effects. And the thing is, despite all this superficial polish, the film is essentially big monsters and spectacle.

On this front it is enjoyable though; it has plenty of action, lots to look at, and a reasonably successful mix of humor and drama. I say reasonably, because the plot isn't up to much, and different characters seem to be in different films depending on who they are. This is matched by the performances which range from the silly fun (Reilly) to the stupidly OTT (Jackson) to the starry but bland (Hiddleston, Larson); the film doesn't seem to have a handle on what it wants to do, and the mix that it produces is not always successful, and it relies on big moments of action and noise to try and cover it. Perhaps at some point there was some smart commentary about US foreign policy in there, but that is lost in the mix too.

Still, it works as a monster movie with great effects and lots of polish, so enjoy it for that even if there is not too much beyond that.

Visually impressive but otherwise mediocre kaiju yarn

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 9 February 2018]

Similar to a number of Godzilla films from the '90's, 'Kong' turns out to be a guardian monster (despite the carnage with which he greets Samuel Jackson's crew of tough 'Nam vets) who protects humans from some existential threat, in this case, vicious two-legged lizard-kaiju ('Skullcrawlers') from the bowels of the Earth. The film follows the usual trajectory: John Goodman assembles a team of soldiers, a retired SAS spook, a bunch of generic scientists, and hot-shot female photographer to travel to Skull Island, the last undiscovered land on the planet, as part of his obsession to find evidence for a hollow earth and giant monsters. After a 'first act' of mood-drenched slow-mo shots of helicopters, classic 60/70's rock and roll, tough-guy posturing, bro-bonding, and fish-out-of-water shtick, they get to the titular Island, where things immediately go bad. The expedition promptly gets split into two (one group learns the truth, the other is consumed by a need for revenge). All of this sets up a series of action scenes where humans (ineffectively) and Kong (effectively) fight the skullcrawlers. The film is not connected to the original King Kong story and Kong himself is not intended to be a giant gorilla, but rather the last of some primordial species. As such, while his head is certainly gorilla-like, his body and posture is more like a very hairy Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with simian hands and feet. Despite this odd hybrid status, the titular kaiju looks very good and the CGI for both him and his adversaries is outstanding, as is the scenery (real and otherwise) seen at the beginning of the film. Unfortunately, the story is not as good as the visuals, relying on too many improbabilities, contrivances, and coincidences to be taken seriously. An entertaining, but not memorable film with little 'watch it again' appeal.

Very cool

[doomedmac · 7/10 · 24 April 2020]

This is a really cool movie! It's not deep or complex, but it's visually great and a lot of fun.

Delivers the goods for fantasy-adventure lovers

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 7 May 2017]

Released in 2017 and directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, "Kong: Skull Island" takes place in 1973 where a military crew about to depart Vietnam is commissioned to guide an expedition to map out the eponymous island. Of course, the giant ape, Kong, is soon discovered, as well as several other deadly colossal creatures, including reptilian underground monsters dubbed "Skullcrawlers." Will anyone make it out alive?

Like my title blurb says, this delivers the goods for fantasy-adventure lovers. The opening act is great with its kinetic air and excellent late 60s/early 70's soundtrack. The rest of the movie more or less keeps up the entertainment value, highlighted by the racially diverse cast, led by Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson and John C. Reilly; there are many others.

"Skull Island" has the high adventure demanded in a King Kong flick and is arguably on par with the original "King Kong" (1933), as well as the 1976 and 2005 versions, although it's superior to the latter because it lacks that one's pretentious over-length, cartoonish CGI-jungles and overkill action sequences (like the absurd brontosaurus stampede). Of course, it's criminal to compare a modern CGI-oriented flick with a classic like the 1933 film (or even the '76 version); I'm just saying that, if you favor those movies, you'll probably relish this one because it's cut from the same cloth and is effective for what it is, a colossal creature adventure flick. For further comparison, "Skull Island" is pretty much as good or, IMO, better than any of the Jurassic Park pictures.

Along with the thrilling jungle escapades, there are some interesting subtexts and gems to mine, like the quasi-Ahab subplot and the fact that dropping myriad bombs might not be the best answer. Early in the film the photographer (Brie) tells the the gung-ho Colonel (Jackson) that America lost the Vietnam War. Yet, this isn't really accurate since the USA won every battle of that infamous conflict. So the colonel rightly corrects her: "We didn't lose the war; we abandoned it."

The movie runs 118 minutes and was shot in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh, Vietnam; Oahu, Hawaii; and Queensland, Australia; with studio work done in Los Angeles.

GRADE: B+

A stylized version of Kong that you may or may not have wanted

[andrew-marks59 · 7/10 · 4 March 2017]

Some people go to the movies to be wowed by the superb acting, heart wrenching and well written story, and overall solid production... THIS has good effects? The acting in this film isn't bad, but it definitely won't win any awards for it.

The story has characters Bill Randa (John Goodman) and Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) piggybacking on an expedition to an uncharted island to test their "hollow earth" theory. Tom Hiddleston plays a tracker, Brie Larson plays a photographer, and John C. Reilly plays a surprisingly funny WW2 vet marooned on Skull Island.

The film takes place in 1973 and loves to remind you with CCR and old technology as if it was a hundred years ago. Kong: Skull Island pays homage to Apocalypse Now quite frequently even though it seems a bit excessive at times.

Kong looked good, almost all the creatures looked cool and all the fights between them looked really good, especially in IMAX 3D. Some of the green screen effects, like backgrounds behind characters, were distractingly bad. Ultimately, you get some great stuff out of all the effects if you're not looking too closely.

The characters are more hollow than the earth (according to the film's characters themselves), the story is mediocre, but the effects reign king in this film adaptation.

My suggestion: See it! it's a blockbuster meant to fill seats, not win awards. Take it for what it is.

Seen at an advanced IMAX 3D screening in Minneapolis.

Completely Entertaining Throughout

[Her-Excellency · 8/10 · 10 April 2017]

THIS is the way a movie should be done.

Have you ever watched the scene from The Princess Bride where the grandfather tells the kid: It's got everything. "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love ...". Well, in a way, that's this version of KONG, and I am really happy and surprised at just how GOOD it was.

Take a bit of the original Kong, mix it with one part Private Ryan, a dash of The Deer Hunter, some Monty Python, lots of Jurassic Park, a pinch of A Space Oddity and mix well with some (insert your favorite lower-key funny movies HERE). The result is a pleasing fare one can really sink their teeth into and enjoy.

It has some familiar faces too, and what's best about it, is that not only do they live up to their so-called stardom, but even the unfamiliar or not-yet- "famous" actors with smaller roles, really do a great job and sell it. At no time while you are watching this movie do you feel it far-fetched or unbelievable that Kong actually exists, and isn't that, in a nutshell, what all movies should aspire to - the suspension of disbelief? Mission accomplished on this one, and good job to the creators.

A definite must-watch.

Fun!

[BandSAboutMovies · 7/10 · 26 March 2021]

The second film in the Legendary MonsterVerse, Kong: Skull Island reboots and remakes King Kong for a new generation that would see the 70's remake as silly, the Peter Jackson film as old and if that last statement is true, would think that the 1933 original was some kind of archaeological find like the Shroud of Turin. In 1944* and 1973, Kong has made his presence known as war continues to intrude on Skull Island. This leads Bill Randa (John Goodman), head of the U. S. government organization Monarch, to send a team to that island to find out exactly what's going on with the monsters that have emerged. Once there, Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel Jackson), former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) and seismologist Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins, playing the younger version of the character from Godzilla: King of the Monsters) begin dropping seismic explosives and mapping the island before Kong attacks. The battle separates the scientists and soldiers, with Packard wanting to kill Kong and the others meeting the natives and discovering that the big beast is the last of his kind, protecting the island and its natives from the Skullcrawlers that wiped out its entire family. By the end, Kong is victorious and has proved his true good nature. Monarch recruits Conrad and Weaver, while revealing that Kong is not alone, revealing cave paintings of Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah. I'm excited to see what happens next, as the films have placed both Kong and Godzilla on the same emotional playing field. They're both the last of their kind, dealing with the loss of their race to an enemy (the Skullcrawlers and the Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) and are absolute predators. However, Godzilla has no interest in human beings while Kong serves as their protector. Who knew that a modern King Kong movie would reference seventies films like The Conversation and Apocalpyse Now, somehow becoming one of the best films in the series? Here's to being pleasantly surprised. * I love that John C. Reilly's character has been on the island since World War II. He also has on a jacket that references Kaneda's in Akira: "Good for your health, bad for your education."

Unbelievably juvenile. Ridiculous story.

[latinfineart · 2/10 · 17 March 2017]

Not even sure what to say about this one. Kong was 950 feet tall. And sweet. So sweet. Unless you threatened him or made him angry. Which they managed to do. I think pretty much anything that Samuel Jackson is in these days, must be avoided like the Bird flu. He is a compromised actor of extreme proportions, and will literally do anything for a buck. He is so tired. His routine is so old. Here he plays an army officer, who of course has no respect for nature, animals, or the earth. Hence the environmental statement. It is a statement that feels like it was written by a 5 year old. Hollywood being the nearly culturally bankrupt institution it is, seems to be incapable of a balance, nuanced, elegant statement of any sort. So, they keep producing this kind on inane garbage.

Why did 14 helicopter pilots, when faced with a 950 foot tall Kong, who has a wing span the size of several football fields, fly within swat range of this beast? Was it not possible they could have done any better than that? Does Hollywood really need to continue to insult us at every possible opportunity?

The only redeeming quality this movie had was John C. Reilly. His comic touch was all that kept me from walking out on this turkey.

Hollywood, you can do better than this. You need to stop catering to Chinese teenagers. This movie was terrible.

Kong is King

[GrandJury · 10/10 · 11 April 2017]

My review is short and sweet.

Half the people on here saw it on the day it leaked - just check review dates - and on their phone screens and then can't understand why they didn't really like it.

Not much you can do for those people if they choose to cheat themselves out of a great movie experience, but just don't let them cheat you out of one.

This is a very well put together movie with excellent everything including cast, sound, graphics, plot, lines, cinematography, you name it.

Can't do more than point you in the direction of a good movie and up to you to watch it or not, but in my book, this Kong was King.

A film of stunning scenery and shallow thrills

[Samiam3 · 6/10 · 12 July 2017]

Some of the superficial elements that make up Kong: Skull Island, almost make the film worth watching, almost. An exotically stunning picture where the rain forests are so bright and golden as if sunlight was radiating from in between the trees. Kong emerges under the fiery halo of a setting telephoto sun that takes up half the screen. But it was that that moment when I began to have this feeling that I've had too often before, the movie is spectacle and little substance.

We begin with John Goodman convincing a senator to fund an expedition to a newly discovered island (captured by satellite camera). He also gets the luxury of a military escort. Enter Samuel L. Jackson as the commander, perfectly type cast with his bravado Schick that is no longer entertaining. The film also succeeds in wasting Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson. The highlight of the cast, is John C. Riley. Stranded on the island for two decades, he has befriended the local indigenous people and knows all the Islands secrets. His humour and energy, are a relief from watching everyone else perform with zero enthusiasm.

As for King Kong, He is the biggest we have seen yet in a major motion picture. Unfortunately he is stuck in a movie that is not 'King Kong'; a movie that about a monster finding his humanity. This Kong is all about attitude and not soul. The idea is that he is the guardian protector of the island, who fights to keep nature in balance, by controlling the numbers of the other big inhabitants. He is the last of his kind, and his family was killed by a species that looks like an amphibious version of the distinctive skulled ape in Temple Run.

The climax pits Kong against the big daddy of these beasts, a riveting fight scene but with an inevitable outcome. Other highlights include a daddy 'super' long and another giant insect that can disguise itself as a decrepit fallen tree. The jarheads in the movie are virtually nothing more than bodies to feed to creatures like these. In fact the movie often feels like a realized version of the games we used to play with dinosaurs and little toy soldiers.

Director Jordan Vogt Roberts seems to be mimicking Michael Bay films. You can see it in his use of slow motion, his stagy camera angles, and framing, and in his comic book color palette. He handles his action scenes with a greater sense of orientation, but like Bay, he fails to summon any suspense, thrill or anticipation. The film always seems too eager to get to the action oriented punchline of every scene.

The finished product, is a sexy looking, 50's throwback monster movie, with lots of crazy beasts, stunning scenery and nothing in the way of character development or intelligent dialog. Samuel L. Jacksson points a gun and says, "unless you tell me what I don't know, I will blow your head off." You can't get much cheesier than that right?

Oh, boy.

[vaughnd711 · 2/10 · 12 March 2017]

I want to start off by saying that I am not going to sit here and pretend to be above wanting to see a 100-foot tall ape shred through some giant lizards and whatnot for around 2 hours.

If you were worried that Kong would wait 40 minutes to show the action only to cut-away when the fan makes contact with the feces, then you can put those worries to rest because this giant hairy grump is in your face right off the bat.

I could immediately tell that this film wasn't about to shy away from what we all craved so dearly in 2014's Godzilla, because from the first gunshot onward this script hauls some serious behind straight toward that colorful Skull Island which we were all so eager to see from the trailers.

Now, I have learned from a number of painful years that discipline is a key ingredient both behind the camera and beneath the projector. I like to think that my expectations were fair. I did not look at any reviews at any point before I hit that seat on that Thursday night - popcorn and drink in hand. I was ready, man.

If I told you that the neat visuals surrounding the lineup of lovecraftian nasties rendered into digital existence to confront the titular ape was enough to save this picture, then I would be lying straight to your face.

Yes, of course we get to see a glorious pair of giant angry ape fists make heavy and satisfying contact with: Some helicopters, a couple of lizards without legs (which is funny, because the T-Rexes in Peter Jackson's King Kong lacked arms), a giant squid because, you know, we needed 5 seconds of squid footage in the trailer I guess, more lizards, and a big lizard whose sole purpose in life is to rustle some serious jimmies.

But unfortunately, these scenes are sprinkled between around 2 hours of having the camera choppily bob and weave between two separate groups containing some of the most boring and uninteresting characters I have ever come to forget. There is a cardboard hero who is good at everything that the script needs him to be good at, a photographer who takes, like, pictures I guess, and John C. Reilly, who is arguably the closest this film gets to an interesting character.

And this is not because of the script. This is because he is John C. Reilly adding his own touch to the script he was given, like Gordon Ramsay doing his best after being handed a bag of plain rice and half of a dildo.

Everybody else is a nameless nothing that we get to see be picked off by giant insects in front of some of the worst green screen I have seen in some time. Good, lord. What time of day was it again? Because I swear to sweet baby Christ on a cracker that the sun set about six or seven different times in the same day.

The helicopter's encounter followed (after seemingly quite some time) by the final throw-down between Kong and captain ptorsodactyl mcwigglynoodle was what truly got me through the cringe-inducing humor and painfully humorous deaths.

This is one of those red-box gems that you'll have a better time with once there is a beer in your hand rather than a 7 dollar popcorn.

03/10

A Better Than Expected Adventure

[garethvk · 7/10 · 8 March 2017]

The legendary King Kong returns in an all new adventure that gives the classic tale a much needed update and new setting. Unlike Perter Jackson's retelling of the original Black and White film, "Kong: Skull Island" eschews the old for the new and in doing so breathes a much needed new life and vitality into the franchise.

The film is set in 1973 when William Randa (John Goodman), informs the government that they have detected a previously unknown island and need to investigate it before the Soviets learn of it and beat them to whatever the island my hold.

William recruits a team which includes a former British officer named James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), and Photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), to assist his team lead by Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins), in mapping the island.

William also asks for a military escort and the government enlists Lt. Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), and his team to accompany the mission. Packard is trying to find his place in the world as he and his helicopter combat team are dealing with the recent end of the Vietnam War. His men are looking forward to going home and resuming their lives, but a dour Packard jumps at the chance for another mission over the uncertainty of the future.

Upon arriving on the mysterious island and starting their survey mission by using seismic charges, the team attract the attention of Kong who is not at all pleased with the intrusion on his island. Kong makes short work of the copters and the team finds themselves scattered about the dangerous island. They soon learn that Kong is not the only danger on the island and must find a way to rejoin each other and make it to their extraction point alive.

Naturally some of the characters have a hidden agenda and there are dangerous and action around every corner. Further complicating matters is the appearance of Marlow (John C. Reilly), a downed WWII pilot who has been stranded on the island for 23 years and warns of dangers far greater than Kong that are ahead of the team.

The film combines a solid cast with state of the art special effects to take a new twist on the standard adventure fare. While many parts of the film remain silly Popcorn entertainment, the quality of the assembled cast allows the film to move beyond being just an assembly of potential victims for a menagerie of CGI creatures to dispatch. While the story is more in lines with the linear and thin plots of adventure films of old, the sum of the parts does add up to an enjoyable film experience for those who like the giant creature films. You will want to make sure to stay after the credits as there is a very good scene that shows a setup for a future film that had those in attendance at our press screening cheering.

The film may be a bit intense for younger viewers but if you are looking for a touch of nostalgia and action, you may find the film just what you need.

3.5 stars out of 5.

Better Than Most Kong Remakes

[iNickR · 5 November 2017]

Any movie, or anything, really, that keeps my attention is good. Although I didn't really like the orange tinge everything seems to have in the very beginning, the technical side improves dramatically as the film progresses.

It takes place in 1973, just after the Americans "abandoned" the Vietnam War (according to Samuel L Jackson's Preston Packard character). The 70's production design is good and brings me back to my childhood (the soundtrack was awesome with plenty of 70's hits), although you don't see much of the 70's vibe after the first 20 minutes or so. The CGI is very good and doesn't make me feel like I'm playing a video game. This movie is like Jurassic Park meets Godzilla and they had a baby called Platoon and it grew to become a mash-up of the three of them with its own uniqueness called Kong: Skull Island.

Just under two hours in length and "hold onto your butts" and watch the credits.

My favourite quote from the movie is, "A camera is more dangerous than a gun." Seems like SLJ get's all the good lines.

This Viet-Kong Monster Movie is not quite king, but it was entertaining. It could be, a little bit better.

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 17 March 2017]

Sadly, this movie is not as iconic as the first movie. When first released in 1933, 'King Kong' broke all previous box-office records, becoming one of the very first blockbuster in film history. It was a phenomenal, influential landmark film that raised the bar for special effects for many decades. It was so good, that the film was remade, multiply times; most famous in 1976 and 2005, in lesser favor. In 2017, Merian C. Cooper's work was reboot, yet again, this time, very loosely with 'Kong: Skull Island'. While, both movies have the basic plot of a group of explorers going to a remote and exotic location, only to find out that, the island is home to many gigantic beasts, in which they must escape from. The movie directed by Jordan Vogt Roberts goes with a different vibe than the traditional plot of Hollywood filmmakers trying to film a movie. Instead, this film set in 1973, has a group of helicopter squadron pilots and group of scientists going to the island for a survey mission, only to find hell on world. In many ways, Skull Island serves as social commentary about the morals of the Vietnam War, with the American soldiers not quite understanding, who or what they're fighting for or with. Like the war in Vietnam, it's a world of hurt; with dragons like creatures acting like Communist 'Tunnel Rats', and King Kong as giant gorilla moral burden on their backs. Because of this, I felt that this movie is trying to be smarter than it looks, but it's trying too hard to appease to the general audiences with it's over the top, somewhat cartoony action that it lost some viewers, looking for something more sophistical in their B-Movie experience. Nevertheless, the movie still has many subtle sequences of this film, that still kinda work, but it just didn't click for me with, the sillier parts of the movie. Although, some comedy scenes are patch, awkwardly to horror & action. I do have to say, the movie does flow in an enjoyable paced. However, I just wish, the movie had a little more suspense with how they dealt with Kong, as I felt that they were delivering all their cards, way too early. Unlike director Gareth Edwards' 2014's film, 'Godzilla', Vogt-Roberts wastes little time introducing Kong. Much like the last remake, Kong was portrayed via motion capture, specifically by Terry Notary, whom previously did motion cap work on many various movies, including the Planet of the Apes rebooted films, with some assistance from Toby Kebbell whom is also part of the human cast as the character, Jack Chapman. However, Kong was missing a lot of elements that make Kong into a sympathetic tragic character. While, I'm glad, they didn't add the weird awkward love affair, Kong has for human females; I think the movie should had explain more, why a giant gorilla is protecting the tribe from the skull crawlers in the first place. As much, as I hate the originals for its savage portrayal of the island people; at least, those primitive versions have the tribe, do something for Kong; here not so much. Why is Kong allowing these freeloaders to live!? Also, how does an island have a self-containing storm, surrounding it, years long, yet the island hasn't caved in, due to having a hollow earth!? It doesn't add up. Film would, had work, better, without all of the BS science, mucho jumbo. Despite that, the movie was still beautiful shot and the CGI was great. Many of the sequences remind me of 1979's film 'Apocalypse Now", ranging from a psychedelic, napalm-scented, Helicopter carpet bombing to the 'Heart of Darkness' boat ride from hell. It's clear that the three screenwriters for this film, Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein & Derek Connolly were indeed fans of author Joseph Conrad & director Francis Ford Coppola's works. However, some parts of it, did go a little overboard with the writing, like how they portrayal Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson). I get that, he's sees the fight with Kong as a way to justified his service for his country, due to the failure of the Vietnam War, but by 2017, the "Crazy Vietnam Veteran", who was suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder is way too much of a common stock character. It felt like Samuel L. Jackson playing as insane Samuel L. Jackson. Still, I had to give him, some credit, he stood out, more than the other characters in the film, like James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) & Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) whom I found forgettable. They weren't even acting right. There was no sense of fear, between these two actors. They encounter several dangerous exotic giant creatures, and they act like they were only minoring annoyed. It was crappy. The rest of the soldiers were a little more developed, but there was a little too many to remember, plus, they were quickly getting eliminated like a bunch of red suits. The only other character that kinda stood out, besides Colonel Packard, was John C. Reilly's character, Hank Marlow, an eccentric but wise and virtuous WWII pilot who spent 28 years stranded on Skull Island. He gave the movie, some of its greatest moments, besides the sound editing and the blood-pumping 1970s rock soundtrack. Even though the movie has no shortage of scary or violent moments, that borderline what PG-13 can show; I was a bit disappointed that there was no scenes in New York City in the second half. It was a bit strange. However, I did like the hints on the future movies, at the end of the post-credits. I can't wait for other Monsterverse, (Kaiju-based Shared Universe) to come out. Overall: Although, it was cheesy, clichés and absolutely terrible at parts. Warner Bros.' newest attempt at bringing back the King was alright. Worth seeing it in IMAX and 3D.

Impressive and overwhelming adventure in which a motley crew formed by scientists , adventurers soldiers , journalists embark on an adventure into the unknown at Skull Island

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 13 March 2020]

In 1944, two World War II fighter pilots , American pilot Hank Marlow and Japanese pilot Gunpei Ikari, parachute onto an island in the South Pacific after a dogfight and engage war in close combat, but the fight is interrupted by a huge ape . It goes forward in 1973, U.S. government agent Bill Randa (John Goodman) and his colleague Houston (Corey Hawkins) hire former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) , a skilled tracker, as well as awarded anti-war photographer Weaver (Brie Larson) who thinks about the expedition is a secret military operation, and intends to expose it , all of them set out for the infamous Skull Island, to guide an expedition to map out . The voyage aboards a ship and, subsequently, going by helicopters into the dangerous island with plenty of flora and giant fauna , but soon realize ,they got more than they bargained for. The recently discovered island known as Skull Island , it is a place as perilous as it is gorgeous , it is a mythical, uncharted location in the Pacific . No one knows what they will encounter on this island and why it is so mysterious, but once they reach it, they will soon find out. Living on this hidden island is a giant gorilla . Once there, they discover that King Kong is a real creature, living in a massive jungle where creatures from prehistoric times have been protected and hidden for millions of years. As the explorers search for the great ape, their quest puts them up against both Kong and his pre-historical enemies. They are escorted by Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) and his underlings . Later on , the bunch is joined by a former pilot (John C. Reilly) isolated at the mysterious from WWII . At Skull Island they encounter a marvel of evolution , a colossal thing of power called Kong. The squadron and subordinates venture into the domain of the mighty Kong, as their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong. Along the way , the squad avoiding and battling all sorts of creatures and beasts , whilst Colonel Packard has another plan in mind.The eighth wonder of the world.

This nail-biting movie contains noisy action , thrills , emotion and a lot of breathtaking battles including gigantic fights among monsters and helicopters crashing on ground . This spectacular movies is well-suited to its subject , concerning diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers unite to explore a sinister island , finding King Kong and igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As the real starring turns out to be the monstrous ape¨Kong¨, the all-powerful eight-metre-tall silverback gorilla who faces off a handful of valiant but insignificant defenders must fight tooth and nail with formidable adversaries and the isle's mighty ruler . This ¨Kong¨retools the original's iconic components through the hyper-evolved wonder of 21st century CGI . The great ape himself is really the big star of the wonderful show , delivering the necessary goods to surprise and wonder us . Kong gives an enormous spectacle made with a level of photo-realist detail so expensive and intricate as to be unimaginable to the Stop-Motion , painted-glass by maestros Willis O'Brian and Ray Harryhausen in 1933 King Kong version directed by Ernest B Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper or the animatronicist with Kong made by Carlo Rambaldi of the 1976 version or the former 2005 by Peter Jackson , made by means of abundant digital effects similar to this last one , Kong : Skull island . It is a stunning technical achievement , but one that threatens to overwhelm the potent tale it supposedly serves . All over two hours , the movie's gigantism extends ways beyond the scale of its effects . The script attempts hard to build on its more interesting components , mixing adventures , military feats and jungle battles as wel as songs in ¨Apocalypse Now¨ style . The screenplay is unreservedly on the side of Kong , in spite of making an excessive massacre, more than the proud and vengeful Colonel Packard/Samuel L. Jackson . And the movie's spiriited climax is worthy of its ancestry . The fim packs a colorful and brilliant cinematogaphy by Larry Fong .Being shot on several locations in Oahu, Hawaii, USA , Los Angeles, California, Chicago , Illinois ,Tân Hoá, Quang Binh, Vietnam Ha Long Bay,Quang Ninh,Vietnam ,Moreton Bay, Gold Coast, Mount Tamborine, Queensland, Australia ,Village Roadshow Studios, Oxenford, Queensland,Australia .As well as a moving and thrilling musical score by Henry Jackman. The motion picture was well directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts .

Other renditions about this fantactic story about adventurers encountering at an island new and terrifying species of animals, including a massive twenty-five foot gorilla result to be as follows : the classic 1933 retelling King Kong by Ernest B Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper with Fay Wray , Robert Armstrong , Bruce Cabot . King Kong 1976 by John Guillermin and Dino De Laurentiis with Jessica Lange , Jeff Bridges , Charles Grodin, John Randolph . King Kong (2005) by Peter Jackson with Naomi Watts , Jack Black , Colin Hanks, Adrien Brody , Thomas Kretschmann and Andy Serkis as Kong . And recently made, in post-production , Godzilla vs. Kong , 2020 by Adam Wingard with Kyle Chandler , Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall , Elza Gonzalez .

Dumb Fun action film

[sionetupou-25970 · 7/10 · 29 November 2022]

As someone who watched a black and white action figured kong to peter jacksons Kong climb a tower, I really enjoyed seeing the character return in his own habitat. Seeing the Island fleshed out with other creatures, knowing the tribals perspective and culture around Kong I enjoyed it. Action packed and dumb fun.

The human sections are very one dimensional but a good effort is made to make them tolerable, even reasonable in their own movie logic convictions. I can't say I connected with any character nor was I rooting for them to survive. Big stars, big talent wandering in their mediocrity till their next MCU payday.

As my title suggest, dumb fun action film. I'm excited what the future holds for this icon of a monster.

Kong: Skull Island 2017 Review

[chandean-69762 · 8/10 · 27 January 2021]

Just a quick personal anecdote:

In December 2018 I went to Hawaii, specifically Kualoa Ranch where they filmed scenes for Jurassic World, the original Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, Hawaii Five-O, and Kong: Skull Island. They had a section of the big canyon area where they filmed the bone pit scenes and they still had all the huge styrofoam bones and skulls like the big Kong skull and the triceratops skull. They let us all walk through the field that the characters walked through, but since it's been a year plus since they filmed Kong the styrofoam bones were starting to fall apart due to rain and wind.

Anyways, Kong: Skull island is full of action. And coming off of Godzilla (2014) i'm so glad we finally get to see the action as it happens. The action combined with some dope creatures / monsters all with super unique designs keep this film fresh and amazing to look at. Speaking of, there's also some really nice cinematography / visual choices that I was really surprised by. Character were great, I don't think there's a single performance that bothered me or more stand-offish than the others, it was pretty solid all around. I did really like John C. Reilly's character as he added some good comedic relief to this film. Kong: Skull Island is just a joy to watch, nothing too serious, some great action, good acting all around, a pretty satisfactory story and some nice cinematography and visuals.

A sufficient reboot of the King Kong franchise

[MrDHWong · 7/10 · 9 March 2017]

Kong: Skull Island is a monster film starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, and Brie Larson. Packed with all the giant monster movie clichés and fun action scenes one would hope to see, it serves as a sufficient reboot of the King Kong franchise.

In 1973, a group of explorers led by a band of soldiers journey to a mysterious uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean. Upon arrival, the group realise the island is swarming with giant monstrous animals and insect-like creatures who have called this place their home for millions of years. After becoming separated amidst the chaos, the groups eventually meet with the local natives who worship a skyscraper-sized ape named Kong who protects them from the giant monsters.

While the film doesn't offer much in terms of actual plot, the action and fight scenes more than make up for it. The special effects were great and the CGI for Kong and the other giant monsters were all very convincing. The characters were all essentially stock action roles but thanks to the believable performances from the lead actors, they're still fun to watch. I also enjoyed the fact that Kong has more screen time and a greater relevance on the film's story, unlike with how Godzilla was barely in the 2014 film. I look forward to seeing these two monsters duke it out in a future film.

I rate it 7/10

What did I just watch???

[zach0308 · 1/10 · 7 April 2017]

Hey. You wanna see this movie? I can write it out for you and you will literally get the same experience as watching it. Ready?

Kong: Skull Island

*Opening credits*

*Introduce characters and story as fast as possible, with no back story, making sure you don't care about them at all*

*Bad dialogue*

*Unbelievably cliché Vietnam era music plays*

*Bad dialogue*

*Unbelievably cliché Vietnam era music plays*

*Some shot that adds literally nothing to the movie*

*Bad dialogue*

*Random slow motion shot for no reason*

*cliché music*

"Who are these people?? What? Why? Hold on wait...what? Helicopters can fly through hurricanes? Why isn't any rain getting inside? The doors are open...whoa. There's king kong. He totally just took down a helicopter. We should probably fly higher..since hes only like 100 feet tall...and we are in helicopters? No? Well OK I guess..."

*pew pew pew...booooom. pew pew*

*ROAR SMASH*

*slow motion as cliché music plays*

*lots of bad dialogue and stuff that doesn't make any sense*

*comic relief*

*bad dialogue in slow motion*

*pew pew pew boom boom people die pew pew in slow motion as crappy music plays*

*plot and story that makes no sense*

*pew pew boom roar smash ending fight*

*credits*

FIN

An absolute masterpiece. 10/10. Would rather scratch my eye balls out with rusty nails.

A Truly Great Ape

[blaskofilms · 9/10 · 10 March 2017]

Movies used to be fun. Genuinely fun. Kong: Skull Island is a throwback to the era when movies were fun - like, Stars Wars fun. Like Jaws fun. That kind of fun. The leads embody characters that are all understandable and genuinely likable. The plot isn't stuffed with technical geek references and "easter eggs" that weigh down other universe-building films. From the fire- singed Kong fur to the slick skull crawler tongues, the special effects are brilliantly detailed and animated. And it's genuinely refreshing to watch an action/monster film in which native peoples are depicted with dignity and respect, and where black and Asian characters aren't used as props or fodder for violence (admittedly, the film could have gone further with this, but I sensed some progress being made). Kong: Skull Island isn't Life is Beautiful. It isn't Casablanca. But it is genuinely, thrillingly, rigorously fun. It has heart, scales, teeth and a ferocious roar. Monster movies are back. Get in line. Hail to the King.

Kong: Skull Island is not the traditional King Kong. But if you accept that, this is a really fun time.

[jms-915 · 7/10 · 22 May 2017]

I say that this is not the traditional King Kong for many reasons. This is not the same story that you all know and love. This is barely even the same monster; this one is much taller. The whole movie really only exists to set up 2020's Godzilla vs Kong. That being said, this is a fun, action packed movie, that rarely feels like a cheap setup to another movie.

The story revolves around a group of scientists and soldiers in the nineteen-seventies who conduct experiments on Skull Island, unaware of the monsters that inhabit it.

The concept is not taken as seriously as many previous renditions of Kong. It focuses mostly on intense action, and features comic relief, mostly via John C Reilly's character. But it is still suspenseful, with many characters dying unexpectedly. It also has some pretty good cinematography, and many scenes reminiscent of Apocalypse Now.

This new version probably won't appeal to all King Kong fans. A lot of people will probably hate the lighter tone and the liberties taken with the monster. But it does what it set out to do: deliver a fun action movie. It is nowhere near as good as the original, or even the Peter Jackson remake, but I was thoroughly entertained by it. I'd also say I'd prefer it to the recent Godzilla movie it's set to crossover with. This is a good movie if you know what you're getting into.

jaythemovieguy.blogspot.com

Plot Holes You Could Drive Through

[streeton1-43-160066 · 3/10 · 19 March 2017]

I like to see a movie that on some level is at least plausible and does not require you to suspend reality entirely to go along with what you are seeing on the screen. First why would all twelve choppers stay within striking distance of Kong after the first couple were knocked out of the sky?? And then all of them get destroyed as well - Ridiculous! Second how does a creature the size of a ten story building sneak up on the unsuspecting human characters over and over? After Kong being machine gunned early on in the film and seeing that he was bleeding heavily and in quite a bit of pain he miraculously heals as if it had never happened! The leader of the squad of pilots somehow thinks he can kill Kong to the exclusion of all rationality in the face of overwhelming adversity and convince his fellow pilots to go along with him - ludicrous! How do giant squids and the giant skull crawler appear out of nowhere in shallow water not even up to Kong's knees? I could provide many more examples but I think I have made my point clear. Whoever writes these scripts does not base things on even vaguely realistic scenarios which makes for a less than satisfying viewing experience.