Problems And Prejudices

Rating: 2/10 (8 March 2017)

Attending the premiere of Kong many of one's anticipated problems and prejudices come true. I will keep this short because it is not meant as a polemic against anything, but rather a warning bell against the cliché-ridden den that is Hollywood, soon to be Chollywood.
Did you watch X-Men: Days Of Future Past? How about Independence Day Resurgence (which they did not want to call Resurrection because there were so many of those!)?
The well-known Hollywood problem of greed and avarice reappears when they have, absolutely cliché-ridden have, to insert a token Chinese character... not because he or she is integral or needed, but because they want to sell the film to China and show it in China. Plain and simple. Said actors should be ashamed of themselves as being there for no good story, acting or plot reason and Hollywood should be ashamed of itself. But then again, they have never atoned for their sin of 'product placement' why stop now?
Did you think the last King Kong was too stylish? Then brace for Kong! Forced plot meandering, token Chinese chick prancing there for no good reason while doing exactly nothing other than sell to China (like Chinese audiences are so desperate and needy) and to satisfy new Chinese owners and investors, etc. Again Skull Island is not Crouching Tiger or Hero that tells a story with Oriental characters (and I love those), but it is a forced injection of token East Asian as Legendary Pictures promises to do going forward in every Batman movie now that Chinese conglomerate has purchased that studio. So, what do we get a useless Chinese woman not knowing why she is there in yet another sequel/remake/reboot/whatever/who cares anymore? Which takes me to another problem. Hollywood, get an original idea once.in.a.while. What another reboot? Yes, Jurassic park made tons of dough so the fault is ours. But, what is the price of loss of dignity? Look at JJ Abrams. No credibility, no future. He made a ton of money with his unadulterated accountant-driven so-called Star Wars, but he is now washed up and over exposed as a no-talent. The same is happening with these Chinese investors taking over films and force feeding audiences something that is obviously, er, force fed. As for this film, well it is a stylized Kong battling not against humans at first, but against local predators. And there is a token Chinese who is a female scientist. Whoopedeeda! Can you say Rebooted Star Wars syndrome? One last thing, there is a Vietnam connection and so the marketing collateral oh so cleverly hints at Apocalypse Now.
Price of admission? Free at local premiere Value of story? None Predictor of the future? Sadly, high. Hollywood has a rope and it will hang itself with it.