Kong: Skull Island

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2017)

The original 1933 Fay Wray version is great, the 1976 Jeff Bridges / Jessica Lange version is awful, and the 2005 Peter Jackson version is long, but good, this was the latest film to bring us one of the most famous movie monsters. Basically in 1973, U.S. government agent Bill Randa (John Goodman) hires former British Special Air Service Captain and skilled tracker James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) to guide him on an expedition to the charted but unexplored place known as "Skull Island". Also recruited are Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), his right Major Jack Chapman (Toby Kebbell) and Captain Earl Cole (Shea Whigham), and the Vietnam War veteran helicopter squadron, the Sky Devils, to escort them to the island, they are also joined by pacifist photojournalist Mason Weaver (Brie Larson). Arriving on Skull Island, besides Conrad's objections, the men drop explosives developed by seismologist Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins), to determine if the ground is hollow. Suddenly the helicopters are attacked by a 100 foot-tall bipedal ape, most are destroyed, the survivors escape those that crash, they know their only hope is that a resupply team will meet them at the island's northern end in three days time. They split into two groups, Packard confronts Randa, holding him at gunpoint for an explanation, Randa reveals he is part of a secret government organisation called Monarch, and the real purpose of the expedition is to acquire proof of the existence of forgotten monsters, Randa also mentions seeing a monster attack a Navy ship himself. The dead comrades are buried by Packard and his men, they begin searching for the missing members of the expedition, including Chapman, they encounter a giant spider-like creature that attacks them. While Conrad, Weaver, Brooks, biologist San Lin (Tian Jing), soldier Reg Slivko (Thomas Mann), Landsat employee Victor Nieves (John Ortiz) and others encounter the local Iwi natives, and they meet American pilot Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly), who crashed on the island in 1944, during World War II. Marlow reveals that the giant ape, known as Kong, is worshipped as a god by the natives, he is the last of his kind, and he is the island's guardian, protecting the people from reptilian underground monsters, called Skullcrawlers, the creatures killed Japanese pilot Gunpei Ikari (Miyavi), who also landed on the island with Marlow. Marlow explains that Kong only attacked the helicopters to stop the bombs waking the "Big One", meanwhile, miles away, Chapman is alive, he witnesses Kong wrestling and defeating a giant octopus, Chapman flees to the woods, he encounters a giant stick insect, before being eaten by a Skullcrawler. Weaver is awed by the compassion of Kong after the ape saves her from an encounter with a giant sker buffalo, following this Conrad's group set off in a boat down, built by Marlow and the now-deceased Ikari, built from parts of their crashed planes. Following an attack by pterosaur-like creatures called Leafwings, and Nieves being killed, the survivors connect with Packard, he insists on continuing the search for Chapman, Marlow reluctantly leads the team to the Forbidden Zone, a forgotten battleground between Kong's ancestors and the Skullcrawlers. The same Skullcrawler that killed Chapman devours Randa and massacres many soldier, it is killed by Weaver triggering an explosion, a vengeful Packard blames Kong for the deaths of his men, he plans to trap and kill Kong, while Conrad will lead the non-military personnel back to northern end to rendezvous with the resupply team. While scouting the path ahead, Conrad and Weaver encounter Kong up-close and personal, they and Marlow resolve to save him, Packard's trap incapacitates Kong and he wants the men to set explosives around the ape. Before Packard can kill Kong, Conrad's group intervenes, Conrad and Weaver convince the other soldiers to spare Kong, but Packard is consumed with lust for revenge and refuses to back down, then suddenly "the big one" appears, an enormous alpha Skullcrawler, all but Packard flee when it attacks. An injured Kong recovers and crushes Packard to death, Kong is overpowered by the Skullcrawler, the survivors are chased towards the shore, Cole fails to kill the Skullcrawler in a suicidal strike, the humans are cornered, but Kong returns and successfully kills the creature, ripping its guts out through its mouth. In the end, Kong allows the surviving humans to leave, but more helicopters are approaching the island, Kong awaits their arrival, it is unclear what will happen next, also sometime later Marlow returns home to his family, his wife and now grown up son, who have not seen him since the war. In the post-credits sequence, there is a reference to the existence of other monsters, including Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah, the roar of Godzilla hints that maybe there will be a follow-up where Kong and Godzilla will meet. Also starring Jason Mitchell as Mills, Marc Evan Jackson as Landsat Steve, Richard Jenkins as Senator Willis and Robert Taylor as Athena Captain. The cast all do their parts well, the story is nice and simple, obviously this reboot is different as Kong never goes to New York or to the top of the Empire State Building, but it doesn't matter, there are plenty of exciting sequences, and the brilliant special effects bring to life the gigantic gorilla and many nasty creatures in the one location, a worthwhile return to the franchise, a terrific fantasy action adventure, It was nominated the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Very good!