Kong: Skull Island

Rating: 4/5

When it comes to reinventing a story told many times, Kong: Skull Island is a definite success.

In the early 1970's, Bill Randa (John Goodman) and Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) are trying to get government approval to lead an experimental expedition to an uncharted island. Though they claim the trip is to find beneficial resources for the U.S., it is clear that Bill has ulterior motives for the dangerous journey.

Once approved, Bill asks for a military escort before heading out to the island. Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) and his squadron are assigned to accompany Bill and Houston on their journey, along with war photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) and famed tracker James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston). Together, the crew head out for the storm inclosed island, discovering much more than they ever could have bargained for.

Kong: Skull Island is better than most of the recent monster films I have seen, even if it is a bit "Kong-lite" in the middle. It's got plenty of oversized creatures to be consistently interesting, but seems to be missing its' namesake for the majority of the second act. Visually, the monster fights are great, and much better than those in Peter Jackson's King Kong, in the sense that the duration of the battles don't drag on for too long. The monster action is present just long enough to be fun and exciting, and then allows for the film to move along at a steady pace.

Kong: Skull Island is filled with more impressive cinematography than I would have anticipated from a film of its' nature. The sequence where the main characters first encounter Kong is easily one of the best parts of the movie. The color of the sun against Kong's shape and the helicopters is practically visual eye candy guaranteed to make any film lover happy. That being said, beyond the skilled opening, many of the shots tend to repeat themselves or become too obvious at trying to be artistic or interesting. That aside, Kong: Skull Island is still an undeniably fun watch.

As far as the modern remakes of classic monster flicks go, this one contains my favorite cast. The actors making up the seemingly endless number of expendable soldiers aren't exactly memorable, but you'd be hard pressed to find an action film with Samuel L. Jackson in it that isn't at least improved by his appearance. Brie Larson is quickly becoming one of my more favorite actresses in Hollywood right now, and Tom Hiddleston is great as the mysterious and dangerous lead of the film. Together, they make a solid cast that are up to the challenge for taking on such an iconic franchise.

I've never been one to gravitate towards monster movies, but this newest installation to the world of King Kong has made me excited about the prospects of the crossover films to come. It is effortlessly entertaining and an all around good time.