“Kong: Skull Island” transports a classic villain into a clever new historical time period. One of my earliest memories is watching the 1933 version of “King Kong” at my grandparents’ house and being absolutely terrified. I’ve grown to appreciate this monster movie star over the years, but he continues to grow fiercer with each modern incarnation, first in 2005 and now again in 2017. Unlike the Peter Jackson remake, this reboot places the discovery of Kong in the midst of the Vietnam War. Skull Island has been located in the South Pacific throughout the history of the Kong franchise, making this setting a natural fit. The film welcomes an all-star cast featuring John Goodman, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, Samuel L. Jackson, and Tom Hiddleston. These actors elevate the film beyond your typical monster movie with Reilly playing a particularly endearing role (especially toward the end). Often times the characters in these films are underdeveloped and afterthoughts to their monster counterparts, but their depth adds so much to the story. While the setting is interesting and the acting is great, the real reason to watch this film is its Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. Some films get this nomination for their explosions or their otherworldly atmospheres, but “Skull Island” is all about the creatures. Kong is incredibly realistic, the Skullcrawlers are terrifying, and you’ll have nightmares for weeks about giant spiders hovering above your house. I still prefer the 2005 remake for its preservation of the original story, but “Kong: Skull Island” turned out to be a very worthwhile action film fueled by nonstop adrenaline and vivid visual effects.
[Pictured: The script does a great job of incorporating an epic creature battle into this story of Vietnam soldiers]
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