Movie Review - Kong: Skull Island (2017)

[Dave Gray]

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Premise: As Vietnam ends, a cryptozoologist convinces the army to investigate the storm-surrounded Skull Island, where they find a prehistoric, dangerous land, and the massive ape, Kong.

Rating: More fun than I expected to have.

This movie plays out like a horror film.  There are lots of characters introduced quickly, and they mostly serve as fodder to get gruesomely disposed.  The special effects are very good and though there are cliches, the movie recognizes them and occasionally subverts them in hilarious ways.

Like other monster films, the part that matters is the monsters, and Kong's action sequences are dope, as are those of the various other creepy crawlies on the island.  There is a plot and motivations of characters, but they work with varying degrees of success.  Motivations are sometimes unearned or unclear, but honestly, it doesn't really matter.

John C. Reilly is in this movie as a weird character that I wouldn't expect to work, but he's pretty much the heart of the film.

And it's not very long, so you drop in, see some funny, cool action sequences and you drop out.  I recommend it.