Not quite King

Rating: 6/10 (20 August 2017)

Plot; A team of soldiers and scientists go on an expedition to a mysterious island where many dangers await them.
Film #2 in the so-called "MonsterVerse"--because everything has to be part of a (Insert here)verse these days--Skull Island is an at times shockingly violent and gory movie that pushes the boundaries of its PG-13 rating. Where Godzilla was handsomely made, but ultimately dull and unsatisfying, Skull Island gives us more of the sorts of throw-downs we naturally would expect from this genre. It tries--not always successfully--to marry this to some deeper themes and allegory than it has the trunk space to carry, but it puts just enough meat on its bones to give it some heft. The cast is better than the characters they play, but the real star here is Kong anyway, and he's rendered exceptionally well.
Ultimately there are a number of commendable elements here, but when it was all over I couldn't help but feel that the whole was a tad less than the sum of its parts.