Mindless but entertaining

Rating: 5/10 (23 August 2017)

Sometimes, you have to lower your expectations, or just abandon them. Kong: Skull Island is an example. More or less, Kong movies have been remakes along the original theme. In this re-imagined twist, Kong stays on the island, goes ape on helicopters and local creatures alike, and doesn't get the girl. There are liberal helpings of supposedly smart people undone by their own bad decisions and twisted logic. Music and 'copter shots are obvious homages to Apocalypse Now. Anachronisms, bad science, and violations of the laws of physics abound. Most CG seems pretty good, although the water buffalo creature moves like a puppet on strings. Nothing stands out as a redeeming quality, but neither would I run out and warn all my fiends to never see this flick. We've all watched movies we'd categorize as an OK way to blow a couple of hours. Just OK. Somewhere in this less than perfect execution, there is a story line and a heavy-handed moral or two. Don't expect too much and enjoy the photography.