Too stylized to be taken seriously![+57%]

Rating: 6/10 (27 June 2017)

Jordan Vogt-Robert's version of Kong is a film where style towers over screenplay and characters. Previously reported to be helmed by Neil Marshall, it took nearly 11-12 years to reboot the franchise, and this film will be regarded as the second entry in Legendary's Monster- verse and is expected to converge with the Godzilla series in the near future, following the pathway of the MCU & DCEU and Universal's Darkverse.
While Kong: Skull Island is not a bad film by a long shot, one is left to wonder why reboots/remakes still seem to be the primary agenda of Hollywood when there are plenty of original stories to be told. Leaving that question aside, how does Kong fare as a standalone flick? It's an engrossing ride for sure, with a couple of interesting characters thrown in, such as John C Reilly's Lt. Hank Marlow who has been living in an unmapped island for close to three decades, and Samuel Jackson's Col. Packard who wants to get revenge on Kong for taking down his men, and doesn't flinch a facial muscle when he comes face-to-face with the behemoth ape. The lead pair of Hiddleston-Larson don't really come across as astounding. While the initial hour lays out plenty of casualties and takes on a rather formidable outlook, the comic relief is brought about through the introduction of Reilly's character. Performances are pretty even, but none of the characters really stood out (hardly a memorable moment for any of them!).
The film is mind-blowingly dazzling to look at..by all means a visual treat. Cinematographer Larry Fong (of 300, BvS and Now You See Me) captures the locales quite remarkably. The color tones applied are appropriate and lend a distinctive facade to each frame. The VFX is close to flawless, and Kong's battles with the other monstrous entities of the island are choreographed phenomenally well(although the practicality of it remains questionable!). This film's fairly low emphasis on its human characters (and the effects of their invasive deeds) almost gives the viewer a notion that it needs to be treated as nothing beyond a popcorn summer blockbuster..the expectation it does fulfill, while there's not much to ponder over when you witness the quintessential 'happy-ending'. Hint: Kong saves the woman (who inadvertently saves Kong) yet again!
Post-credits ensure the crossover with Godzilla and co. in the next few years. While that's not something I'm highly looking forward to seeing, it would indeed spark a fair bit of interest as time progresses, given the kind of writing/directing/acting talent on board for all the upcoming films.