The Legend Returns In A Monster Of A Popcorn Movie
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Starring; Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, Jing Tian, Toby Kebbell, Corey Hawkins, John Ortiz, Terry Notary and John Goodman
Rated: 14A
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Running Time: 1 Hr, 58 Mins
Sometimes the best way to inject new life into a pop culture icon is to strip it down to its core, peel away the old skin and modernize it just enough to drag it into (or close enough to) the present. Reveal what made it a legend in the first place, let the story be carried by some new bones and hope it connects with contemporary audiences. It isn’t a formula that would work for everything, but it works well enough for Kong: Skull Island.
Video: Warner Bros. Pictures
It’s 1973 and as the United States withdraws from its failed conflict in Vietnam, a motley crew of explorers, scientists and soldiers head to a newly discovered island in the Pacific ocean. Hidden from the eyes of the world for thousands of years by a wall of storms, the island has been dubbed Skull Island by locals because of the legends that surround it.
It doesn’t take long for the newcomers to understand why. Not only does their geological survey anger the titular Kong, but it also awakens other, far more dangerous prehistoric threats. Forced to cross the island on foot, they encounter creatures straight from their nightmares, the indigenous population who speak without words and an eccentric pilot stranded on the island for nearly three decades (John C. Reilly). Along the way it’s revealed that some members of the crew had secret agendas going into the expedition while hardened military commander Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) finds a new enemy to fight.
Despite the updated take on the King Kong story, there are few surprises. There’s lots of action, people dying horrible deaths at the hands of nightmarish creatures, tragic misunderstandings and some pretty impressive monster fights. The climactic fight between Kong and his primary nemesis was worth the wait and director Jordan Vogt-Roberts keeps the film moving briskly towards it.
The plot is simple and straightforward; taking advantage that by now everyone knows the story of King Kong. But not only does Skull Island modernize the story by setting it in the early seventies instead of Depression era America, it also removes the distorted Beauty and the Beast angle. It was an unsettling dynamic that never felt comfortable (in the 1933 original, Kong tried several times to lift Fay Wray’s skirt-which was weird to say the least).
As always, Samuel L. Jackson chews up every scene he’s in as a lifelong military man desperate for a new war. A newly svelte John Goodman does an adequate job as a discredited monster hunter and Tom Hiddleston impresses in his first action lead. He’s never going to be confused with Dwayne Johnson or Jason Statham, but he managed to pull off his part as a reasonable man of action with few flaws. John C. Reilly provides most of the film’s levity as a soldier stranded on the island since 1944 and you soon find yourself rooting for him to escape more then anyone else. But the true star is Kong.
Skull Island offers a great new take on the classic beast (portrayed by Terry Notary). This Kong is powerful yet agile, strong yet lithe. Previous incarnations have often looked bloated and clumsy yet this one is more than convincing sailing effortlessly through the air, hurling boulders and battling monstrosities. Yet the film doesn’t abandon the tenderness Kong is known for, and while he has a soft spot for Brie Larson he doesn’t just reserve his compassion for the ladies. He is a majestic, dignified warrior/guardian rather than the blonde obsessed engine of brutal destruction he’s been portrayed as in the past.
There are a few plot points it would have been nice to see Skull Island explore further. It would have been interesting to see the film dig a little deeper into Packard’s descent into madness, the scientific principle behind the explorers’ obsession with the island, the indigenous population and the mythology they created around their protector Kong. The caveat is that digging would have bloated the movie’s length, which already teeters on two hours (previous Kong moves-especially the 2005 version-were savagely long).
Kong: Skull Island is solid action-monster movie hybrid. It probably isn’t going to make too many top ten lists come the end of the year, but it isn’t going to make any worst lists either. In the end it’s a strong return for a Hollywood legend with plenty of potential for more (there’s a post credit scene teasing a possible King Kong/Godzilla meeting). While 2017 may just be getting started, Skull Island is its best popcorn movie so far.
Image: Warner Bros. Pictures
