Kong - an exciting, satisfying monster mashup

Rating: 7/10 (9 March 2017)

The construction of cinematic universes seems to be the new fad of commercial Hollywood, ever since the Marvel train came along with the original Iron Man and proceeded to churn out hit after universe-expanding hit. Now, we have a "Monsters" universe, with Kong back just a decade after Peter Jacksons (superior) rendition of the character to tie into the universe of the lacklustre Godzilla film of 2014.
Fortunately Kong: Skull Island manages to feel like its own movie. What separates this new addition to the Kong mythos from all other films of its ilk is its distinctive visual aesthetic, an aesthetic I can only assume is a gargantuan love letter to Apocalypse Now. Vittorio Storaro's iconic cinematography from Coppola's classic has been reinvented in spades with state of the art CGI effects. Every two minutes or so we are treated to a breathtaking shot - mist and fog are thrillingly utilised, as well as a night scene eerily similar to the Do Long Bridge sequence of Apocalypse Now. While this is perhaps relying too much on a far, FAR, better film, it was refreshing to know that at least from a visual standpoint there were genuine artistic influences that could be discerned, the sense that the filmmaker wanted to put a new spin on the monster formula.
The important thing to note is Kong and his wide array of monster peers deliver the goods. All of the action sequences are fluidly filmed, thrillingly executed, with breathtaking CGI and the help of such atmospheric cinematography as I detailed above. The monsters have real menace and bite, and they're imposing in all the right ways. Through what seems to be on location shooting, you also get a nice sense of Skull Island as a landscape, its harsh and alien nature. When the monsters attack it's always a blast.
Unfortunately when they don't attack, we have to rely on the characters, and there isn't much to rely on. Lazy characterisation and archetypal "there purely to be killed" characters are abound, and several great actors - Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Shea Whigham, John Goodman, Jason Mitchell, Toby Kebbell - are really shortchanged for genuine arcs and motivations. Luckily the sheer talent and likability of these actors makes up for a great deal, and when copious eye candy and monster throwdowns occur, it didn't bother me too much. Only John C Reilly and Samuel L Jackson truly stand out, and it's because their characters have genuine development and intrigue.
The soundtrack felt a tad on the nose, with popular 70s tunes, including CCR and Bowie, popping in and out for little reason other than to hamfistedly evoke an era in the broadest possible way. What cannot be faulted however is the film's pacing - there is never a dull moment, with the action and tension kept admirably flowing for a tight sub 2 hour run time ( a far cry from Peter Jackson's 3 hour epic ) In all I had a fun time with Kong. It's likely to leave my memory pretty soon, but that being said it delivers in spades on what anyone would savour in a crazy big budget monster movie spectacle as this, and even with poor characterisation, its visual appeal and effects make it worthy of recommendation.