An edge of the seat action monster flick!

Rating: 7/10 (11 March 2017)

Kong: Skull Island is about a team of scientists and soldiers who went on to explore an uncharted island. Little did they know that they are trespassing into the territory of the Kong, the King of Skull Island. Also, the island is filled with many mythical creatures, hidden from the rest of the world. Now, the team must fight to escape the wrath of these creatures. The movie is directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, known for 'The Kings of Summer', and starring a stunning cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson and John C. Reilly.
The special effects team is the one to give credit for the success of the film. The movie starts with a bang and ends with a bang. Everyone of the action sequence, whether it be the introduction scene of Kong or the final fight between Kong and 'Skull Crawler', are so created so well that it develops, and maintains the thrill throughout the movie. The film is well paced. Character build up is concise as we were not there to know about a bunch of soldiers or scientists were we? We went to the theaters to watch the Kong, the mighty monster. We wanted him to throw things, to smash something, to kill and that is what the movie makers understood while making the film. They introduced Kong early and gave him ample extent of screen time. I saw many from the audience screaming in enthusiasm every time Kong appeared on screen. I guess the character has gained a decent amount of fan following. There were a lot many scenes involving different mythical monsters which added to the excitement.
Apart from the constant edge of the seat action, two other things which I liked were the location and the soundtrack. The film is set in the era of 1970s, right after the Vietnam War. So, its soundtrack gave a feel of the 70s with songs by David Bowie, Iggy Pop etc. If we talk about acting, well, there was not much need of special efforts to be put in this department. If I have to mention someone I would say that I really like the character Hank Marlow, played by John C. Reilly. He was responsible of providing half the humor the movie has. All the other just added to the star value of the film.
I can confidently say that the film fits into the pattern of a well- executed monster movie. Compared to the one which came in 2005, this one definitely has much more to offer, but I still can't choose if you ask me which one is better. But what I can tell you is that this one is going to be a part of something bigger, so make sure you watch this, and the 2014 Godzilla movie. Legendary films have recruited writers to create a monster universe (A Mosterverse!) including Godzilla and King Kong, how cool is that right!