Kong: Skull Island (Film Review)

What do you get when you cross elements from King Kong with elements from Apocalypse Now, and combine them into an entertaining popcorn flick?

The answer is Kong: Skull Island.

Now, I really shouldn’t have to reinforce this, but just in case: while it borrows elements from the two films, in terms of overall quality and impact, Kong: Skull Island is certainly no King Kong or Apocalypse Now.  Skull Island’s name of the game is to entertain on the purest of basic emotions—no intricate plot line, no complex characters, no revolutionary themes, just a B-movie monster flick (with an A-movie budget) following modern day tropes like Dracula: Untold and Godzilla.  In such regard, Skull Island is a success, even more so than the former two films.  It’s a fun, well-paced, adrenaline-pumping adventure that delivers with its action and creatures—particularly its title ape.

Creativity is abundant in regards to Skull Island’s fauna, the variety they come in, and the methods they use to attack. MAJOR SPOILERS BEGIN: Some of Skull Island’s best scenes include:

1. Kong eclipsing the sun as he begins assaulting the expedition team’s helicopters—destroying them one by one with javelin-ed trees and hammer thrown rotorcrafts. 
2. The soldiers traversing through a bamboo forest, only for the bamboo to start impaling them as they look up to see a towering, terrifying arachnid—using the bamboo as camouflage to stealth kill. 
3. Bill (John Goodman) getting devoured by a Skullcrawler, causing his swallowed camera to continuously go off every few seconds (creating a quick flash and loud pinging sound) as the creature scurries around in the hazy background—creating a thrilling sense of tension as the crew try to predict where it’ll appear next. 
4. The epic finale between Kong and the full-grown Skullcrawler, where Kong uses a freaking boat propeller as a makeshift flail/brass knuckle to kill the beast. MAJOR SPOILERS END

Skull Island’s plot is fairly straightforward.  The story and characters are nothing new or innovative: sticking to the general action tropes seen dozens of times before.  Yet to Skull Island’s credit, the story and characters are neither trite, frustrating nor disruptive to the film’s creative environment.  The characters are an enjoyable bunch—even the antagonistic ones—though a lot of that has to do with their casting choices: being played by big named, skilled actors such as Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, and John C. Reilly.  The actors’ natural chemistry make their characters likable from the get-go, and I actually grew rather invested in John C. Reilly’s—who provides a solid dose of lighthearted, effective humor throughout—character arc (which ends on a surprisingly touching conclusion).

MAJOR SPOILERS:  For once, the film ends with Kong living to see another day.  The reason for this is obvious: potential sequels!  Kong’s massive increase in size likewise creates the opportunity for a (recently announced) Godzilla vs. Kong crossover film.  I can already see it now: Godzilla and Kong meet up and begin duking it out, only to be interrupted by a more dangerous foe—forcing them to team up and defeat the enemy, thereby saving the day and parting ways on respectful terms until needed again.  It’ll be like Batman v. Superman—with Kong as the weaker yet more intelligent Batman, and the unstoppable lizard as the unstoppable Kryptonian (maybe they’ll even be a “death scene” for Godzilla)—though a lot less gritty, and a ton more enjoyable.  If such crossover can retain Kong: Skull Island’s adrenaline-pumping adventure and lighthearted fun, Godzilla’s great cinematography and applause-worthy moments, and both films’ awesome Kaiju battles, then it’ll certainly be a treat to see.