Kong: Skull Island is the reboot film for the
King Kong character set in Legendary’s MonsterVerse. The film is directed by Jordan
Vogt-Roberts and is set in the 1970s at the end of the Vietnam War as a group
of scientists and an organization called MONARCH are given a military escort to
travel to and study a previously undiscovered island in the South Pacific. The
film stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, John
Goodman, Corey Hawkins, Toby Kebbell, Thomas Mann, Shea Whigham, and Tian Jing.
Leaving
the theater after seeing Kong: Skull
Island I couldn’t speak much to its story depth but I could say I had a
good time. With additional time to think and absorb the film, my conclusions
about it at the time have lasted and I would say that Kong: Skull Island is a fun romp and definitely something worth
checking out.
What
worked most effectively in Kong: Skull
Island was the film’s ability to keep me adequately engaged throughout
while delivering extremely high quality action sequences. The film managed solid
pacing with enough elements that I cared about as an audience member to capture
me during the downtime between what people most want to see in a film about
King Kong. With respect to what we want to see (great action), Kong: Skull Island delivers in spades.
There are plenty of interesting action sequences throughout the film and,
unlike its MonsterVerse predecessor Godzilla
(2014), we get a lot of Kong himself in the film. This kinetic pacing coupled
with great action really made this an enjoyable watch.
Further,
this film is stunning to look at. Accomplished cinematographer Larry Fong was
the director of photography for this film and it showed. Much like what Seamus
McGarvey did on Godzilla, Fong brings
a level of sophisticated cinematography that makes this film incredibly
striking to watch. The film is very much inspired, thematically, narratively,
and visually, by the Francis Ford Coppola classic Apocalypse Now and Fong brings that influence into the work he does
on the piece with expert precision. This felt very much in the vein of Apocalypse Now in its look which is one
of the highest compliments I can award any film as that was one of the best
shot films of all time.
The
final positive of the film came from the performances. Despite the characters
being largely underwritten, the performers in this piece make you appreciate
and invest in them more than you might otherwise. Brie Larson, Tom Hiddlseton,
Samuel L. Jackson, and John Goodman, in particular, exemplify this by having so
much personality that you can’t help but connect to whatever it is their
character is doing. None of them have a lot to do in the film (although Jackson
does have an interestingly drawn character) but they all manage to keep you in
the pocket and ready for whatever the film will throw at you next.
Kong: Skull Island is neither a perfect, nor
even great film, however. As I eluded to above, the characters in this film don’t
have a lot to do. They are all written effectively enough get you moving
through the story but not so effectively that absent the performers
personalities you would connect with them. They are sort of meat sacks meant to
propel the audience through the story for the most part. This wouldn’t be ideal
in most films, especially character driven dramas, but Kong: Skull Island hardly pretends to be that (with the possible
exception of Jackson’s character). It is a classic monster film at heart and
the characters do suffer to a marked extend as a result.
Further,
this film is unbelievably cheesy. Unlike Godzilla
which would lean into its cheese in moments but made attempts to otherwise feel
real, Kong: Skull Island throws real
out the window. The dialogue in this film is beyond ridiculous and the set up
for situations similarly so. There were
many moments in the film I couldn’t help myself from laughing at even though
they weren’t intended as a joke. They were so divorced from reality in a way
that was funny, however. This level of cheese is something most films don’t get
away with and it certainly keeps Kong:
Skull Island from being a better film than it is.
Finally,
I was really not a fan of what John C. Reilly did and the Toby Kebbell should
not have been in this film. John C. Reilly is an accomplished and talented
performer, however, here he is reduced in some ways to the comedic relief. It
all makes sense with his character, mind you, but it still felt frequently
jarring to my viewing detriment. He is also a strong focal point in the movie
and when I should have felt some emotional beats I didn’t because of the
silliness of his character. With respect to Kebbell, as usual he isn’t bad but
isn’t given anything to do. He seems at first like a character who would have
more depth than some of his comrades but winds up not being all that
interesting on the whole (and no, that’s not a spoiler, he’s just not interesting).
Overall
I think that Kong: Skull Island did
everything I needed it to do to be effective. I just don’t think it went above
and beyond in any way and wound up being extremely average as a film. I had an
extremely great time in the theater though and walked out smiling knowing that
I had two hours of mostly enjoyment even if said enjoyment wasn’t life changing.
Word to the wise, relax and grab some popcorn and enjoy the ride. Oh, and be
sure to stay for the post-credit scene. It was my favorite in the film and
absolutely worth seeing!
Ryan’s
Score: 7/10
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