Technically, the most compelling Kong of 'em all

Rating: 7/10 (24 June 2017)

Yes, the review title may sound ridiculous, especially if you're one of those people who hate remakes. And I agree, it's kinda crazy that the story of a gigantic ape now got its fourth installment. But if you rise above the prejudice, you will see that there's more to this film than just a monetary incentive.
Over the years, I happened to watch all the King Kong films (not the sequels, just the story openers), including the 1933 classic. And while their plot is generally the same, it's the accents that make the difference and show what the films were about in each particular epoch. The first film was basically a wow-inducing breakthrough with a social undertone (showing a giant ape in chains for the white crowd's amusement might ring some bells in 30's America). The film from the 70's was much more of a melodramatic tear-jerker. And what Peter Jackson did, apart from actually remaking some of the original scenes like a fight with a T-Rex, was ultimately devoid of a substantial core of any kind, so the only thing I do remember from that film is Jack Black's character's ridiculous ending line said with a totally unfitting pathos.
But the progress moves on, and even the old tropes acquire additional depth the audience has come to expect from films no matter what the genre they belong to (unless the genre is the CGI metal porn directed by Michael Bay). And this Kong, compared to the previous films, tries its best not to be shallow.
We've been given the characters with reasonable agendas, ones that might seem insane per se but are quite believable in this particular setting. We've got the story progression that gradually shifts our view of Kong from a bloodthirsty killing machine to something worth feeling sympathy for. And all that is done without emotional manipulation of any sort - and that thing alone earns Kong: Skull Island my respect.
But the best thing of this film is that, unlike what others say and what I've been kinda expecting myself, it doesn't just spray acting talent around hoping that the famous names and faces cement the whole gig. No, the film exploits its acting squad just right, making even the secondary/expendable characters memorable. So it's actually not so big of a surprise that the whole emotional narrative of this film is built not around the classic "beauty and the beast" line but around a letter that one of the soldiers keeps writing to his son. And the fact that that soldier is played by Toby Kebbell, the same guy who's behind Kong himself, adds even more humanity to this film, something that even the talented Andy Serkis failed to bring to its 2005 predecessor.
Even though Kong: Skull Island is far from perfect, with its own preposterous moments, it's still a film that's enjoyable to watch. And it's something that even being the third remake can't spoil.