More endless CGI action from Hollywood

Rating: 6/10 (30 July 2017)

KONG: SKULL ISLAND is a Hollywood blockbuster intended as a prequel for a forthcoming KING KONG VS. GODZILLA remake along with lots of other upcoming monster mayhem. Thankfully, this does away with the usual nonsense business of yet another KING KONG remake; the action is set entirely on Skull Island and there's none of that sappy romance between the giant ape and a human female. In terms of quality, it's a real mixed bag, one which gets by thanks to the big scale CGI action sequences in which Kong battles various giant enemies. Kaiju fans will be happy, and the post-credits coda is the icing on the cake.
The human cast fare less well here, with a wooden Tom Hiddleston failing to make any kind of impact and Samuel L. Jackson overacting in a predictable role. John C. Reilly bags the only real characterisation while others like Toby Kebbell and Jing Tian are wasted. The worst actor of the whole thing is Brie Larson, whose wide-eyed reaction shots are an example of ridiculous, and quite embarrassing, overacting. The overload of CGI does get wearying at times, and the film is occasionally laughable, what with the CGI deer and helicopters in proliferation, but otherwise it's typical brainless entertainment that keeps you distracted for its running time.