Skull Island | Wikizilla | Fandom powered by Wikia Skull Island in King Kong (1933) Film producer Carl Denham received a strange map marking the location of a mysterious uncharted island located west of Indonesia. Determined to explore the island and shoot his next picture there, Denham assembled a film crew and left for the island from New York on board the Venture. After months of sea travel, the Venture came upon the island, which was shrouded in fog and marked by a gigantic mountain on the center of the island shaped like a human skull. Denham and his crew came ashore on the island and discovered a massive wall surrounding a native village. The crew entered the village and witnessed the natives performing a ritual, preparing to sacrifice a woman to their god, " Kong ." The native chief, after seeing Denham's leading lady Ann Darrow , offered to trade several of his tribe's women for her. Denham refused, angering the natives. The crew returned to the Venture, which was anchored off the coast of the island. During the night, a group of natives used canoes to approach the ship and abduct Ann.

The natives brought Ann back to their village and tied her onto a pedestal located outside of the wall. Eventually, a gigantic gorilla, the natives' god Kong, emerged from the jungle and grabbed Ann, carrying her off back into the jungle. After learning of Ann's disappearance, Denham and his crew came ashore and followed Kong. Along the way, they encountered a Stegosaurus and were attacked by a Brontosaurus while trying to cross a swamp. Eventually they came to a log spanning a chasm and tried to cross it. Kong noticed and grabbed the log bridge, tossing it into the pit below, along with every member of the search team except for first mate Jack Driscoll and Denham himself. Denham returned to the village to regroup with the members of the Venture crew that stayed behind, while Jack continued his pursuit of Kong. Meanwhile, a Tyrannosaurus rex attempted to eat Ann after Kong had set her down on a tree, prompting Kong to come to her rescue. After a vicious battle, Kong killed the T-Rex by breaking its jaws.

Kong brought Ann to his mountain lair, where he was attacked by after defeating the serpent, Kong brought Ann out to a cliff overlooking the island, only to be attacked by a Pteranodon . While Kong was distracted, Jack managed to rescue Ann, and the two of them jumped off the cliff into the water below. Kong followed the two back to the village, tearing down the wall and terrorizing the natives. Using their supply of gas bombs, Denham and his crew were able to knock Kong unconscious. Not willing to leave empty-handed, Denham decided to bring the unconscious Kong back to New York and put him on display. Kong was then loaded onto the Venture and taken to New York. Son of Kong After being racked with lawsuits due to the damage caused by King Kong in New York , Carl Denham returned to the Venture and sailed around the world with Captain Englehorn. During the voyage, a mutiny was staged on the ship and Denham, Englehorn, the cook Charlie, and a stowaway named Hilda were set adrift on a raft.

Eventually, they arrived on Skull Island, where Denham and Hilda encountered the son of Kong, a 12-foot-tall juvenile albino gorilla named Kiko . Deeply regretful of what he did to Kong, Denham decided to stay with the juvenile Kong and aid him whenever they were faced with a threat. After braving attacks by various creatures, Denham earned Kiko's trust, and the young Kong helped Denham and Hilda recover a large diamond necklace in a temple on the island. Shortly afterward, an earthquake struck the island, causing it to begin to sink into the ocean. Englehorn and Charlie managed to get onto a small boat and rescue Hilda, but Denham and Kiko became trapped on a small piece of land. With his leg stuck between rocks, Kiko accepted his fate and held Denham up above the water, sacrificing his life to allow Denham to board the boat and escape alive as all of Skull Island sank into the depths of the ocean.

King Kong (1976) The Petrox Explorer landing crew approaching Skull Island in King Kong (1976) After hearing of a potentially massive hidden oil well located underneath a gigantic fog blanket in the Pacific Ocean west of Indonesia, Petrox Oil Company executive Fred Wilson prepared to lead a surveying expedition to find it. After the expedition's ship, the Petrox Explorer left New York , a stowaway primatologist named Jack Prescott was discovered on board. Wilson was convinced that Prescott was a spy from a rival oil company, but Prescott explained he had stowed away on the ship to see the hidden island that presumably contained the oil well himself. Prescott revealed that throughout history, there had been accounts of ships traveling into that fog blanket and discovering "the beach of the skull," where they reported seeing a gigantic ape-like creature. Prescott explained that he wanted to see just what exactly those explorers had seen. After some convincing, Wilson decided to allow Prescott to stay on the expedition as its official photographer. Along the way, the ship picked up a castaway named Dwan, an aspiring young actress who had been on board a yacht that suddenly exploded. When the ship reached the fog bank, it passed through and found a large island.

Believing he had found the "big one," Wilson ordered a landing party to come ashore. Prescott and Dwan accompanied the party and landed on the beach. After traveling inland, the party discovered a gigantic wall. Wilson said the island was uninhabited and the wall must be ancient, but Prescott noted that the wall looked to be constantly maintained, meaning natives must live on the island. The party passed through the wall and found a village filled with natives, who were performing a religious ritual. The natives were upset at being disturbed, claiming they were preparing to offer a human sacrifice to their god, " Kong ." However, the witch doctor saw Dwan and believed she would make a superior offering to Kong and offered to buy her from the crew. When they refused, the natives prepared to take her by force, but were scared off by the party's guns. The team returned to the Petrox Explorer, but a group of natives followed them and kidnapped Dwan. Dwan was taken back to the village and adorned with native jewelry and tied to a pedestal outside the wall. The jungle shook as a giant ape, Kong himself, emerged from the jungle and grabbed Dwan before carrying her away. Kong brought Dwan to a clearing and set her down.

Believing Kong was going to kill her, Dwan begged for her life, only to eventually realize Kong meant her no harm and was actually infatuated with her. Meanwhile, Prescott and several members of the expedition followed Kong into the interior of the island in an attempt to rescue Dwan. When they reached a fallen log spanning a chasm, they attempted to cross it, only for Kong to appear and throw the log into the chasm below. Only Prescott and another crew member named Boan survived. Prescott told Boan to return to the village, where Wilson had set up a base camp, while he continued his pursuit of Kong. Kong brought Dwan to his lair and prepared to undress her, only to be attacked by a giant boa constrictor . While Kong battled the boa, Prescott rescued Dwan and the two ran back to the village. Kong noticed and quickly tore the snake's jaws, then proceeded to chase after his bride. Once Prescott and Dwan reached the village, Wilson and his men set up a trap behind the wall: a pit filled with chloroform. When Kong reached the wall, he smashed the gate down and entered the village, only to fall into the pit and be knocked unconscious.

The natives surrounded their fallen god and bowed. Since the oil deposits found on the island were of such low quality they were essentially worthless, Wilson decided to bring Kong back to New York and use him as an advertising gimmick for Petrox. Kong was loaded into the Petrox Explorer's cargo hold, and the ship set sail for New York. King Kong (2005) Failing film director Carl Denham , in order to escape prosecution for fraud, assembled a crew to travel to the uncharted Skull Island and film his newest picture. After Denham found his leading lady, Ann Darrow , and tricked playwright Jack Driscoll into boarding the Venture, Denham set sail for the island. After months at see, the Venture reached Skull Island, an ominous rocky island blanketed in fog and bearing a gigantic mountain in its center in the shape of a human skull. Denham and his crew set foot on the island, only to discover a hostile tribe of natives. The natives, attempting to steal Ann so they could sacrifice her to their god, " Kong ," attacked Denham's party, killing one of them with a spear.

Denham and his crew escaped back to the Venture, but were followed by the natives, who kidnapped Ann and brought her into their village to sacrifice her to Kong. Kong, a giant ape, arrived and grabbed Ann, carrying her off to his mountainous lair. Ann was worried Kong would kill her, but he seemed to be romantically interested in her. Ann used her dancing skills to try and entertain Kong, but when she fell he began to laugh. Kong then repeatedly knocked Ann over with his hand whenever she tried to dance until Ann became angry and yelled at him, causing Kong to storm off. While the Venture crew tried to find Ann, braving a Brontosaurus stampede and other dangers, Ann escaped from Kong's lair and wandered the island, only to come face-to-face with a Foetodon, a giant crocodile. Ann ran from the creature, only for it to be killed by a Vastatosaurus rex. The V-Rex saw Ann and chased after her, eventually leading her to a second V-Rex. Kong arrived in time to save Ann from the V-Rexes, only to be attacked by them both along with a third V-Rex.

Kong defeated one, but he and the remaining two fell off a cliff and became entangled in vines. As Ann fell from the vines, Kong grabbed her and the two of them fell to the ground. One V-Rex was trapped, while the other jumped down and resumed its battle with Kong. Without any backup, the V-Rex was overwhelmed and killed when Kong broke its jaws. After being saved by Kong, Ann developed a sympathy for the beast and willingly allowed Kong to take her back to his lair. Most of the Venture crew were sent to their deaths when Kong tossed the log bridge they were crossing into a chasm. There, they were attacked by various gigantic insects, who killed most of the men until Bruce Baxter arrived and rescued them. Jack decided to continue pursuing Kong while Denham and the others returned to the village. Jack reached Kong's lair and managed to grab Ann while Kong was distracted by a flock of Terapusmordax. The two of them jumped off the cliff of Kong's lair and into the water below before returning to the village. Kong pursued them and broke through the village wall, destroying the natives' village in search of Ann.

Denham and his crew threw bottles of chloroform at Kong until he fell unconscious. Denham decided to bring Kong back to New York and put him on display, believing it would make him a fortune despite his inability to make a film on the island. Kong was loaded onto the Venture and brought back to New York, where he would be exhibited on Broadway. Kong: Skull Island Skull Island will once again be the home of King Kong in this reboot to the franchise, which is set in the year 1971 and in the same universe as Legendary Pictures ' Godzilla . Scenes featuring Skull Island were filmed in Hawaii and Vietnam. The island itself seems to be larger and more open and mountainous than in past versions, and the skeletons of various prehistoric species, including Kong's, litter its terrain. Monsters Living on Skull Island King Kong | Heroes Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia [ show ] Plot summary & Death The film opens in New York City, 1933 at the height of the Great Depression. Having lost her job as a vaudeville actress, Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) is hired by troubled filmmaker Carl Denham (Jack Black) to be an actress in his new motion picture.

With time running out, Ann signs on when she learns her favourite playwright Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) is the screenwriter. As the SS Venture sails to mysterious Skull Island, they slowly fall in love. As for Carl, a warrant is out for his arrest and Captain Englehorn (Thomas Kretschmann) begins to have second thoughts, following the fears of his crew about Skull Island. Despite his attempt to turn around, the ship is sucked up in fog and crashes into rocks encircling the island. Carl and his crew explore the island, with a deserted village against a wall, but they are attacked by the vicious natives. Mike (Craig Hall), the sound technician, is speared, one of the sailors has his head crushed, and Jack is knocked out. Ann screams, and a roar beyond the wall responds. The matriarch vows to sacrifice her to "Kong", a 25 ft (7.6 m) gorilla. Englehorn and his crew break up the attack and return to the damaged ship. They finally lighten their load to steer away, until Jack discovers Ann has been kidnapped. On the island, Ann is hung from a balcony on the side of a valley.

The crew come armed, but are too late. Carl sees the gorilla that has taken her. Englehorn gives them 24 hours to find her. In the meantime, Ann discovers the remains of previous sacrifices, and stabs Kong's hand with her ceremonial necklace to no avail. Kong takes Ann into the jungles of the island. Captain Englehorn organizes a rescue party to find Ann and hunt down the beast. The rescue party is caught up in a Venatosaurus (modern day Velociraptor) pack's hunt of Brontosaurus, and Herb (John Sumner), the camera man, is killed along with three sailors. Ann manages to entertain Kong with juggling and dancing, but he does not kill her when she refuses to continue, leaving her instead. The rest of the rescue party come across a swamp. It is here that Bruce Baxter (Kyle Chandler) and two others leave the group. The survivors stumble across a log, where Kong attacks, shaking them off the log into a ravine. He returns to rescue Ann from three Vastatosaurus Rex (modern day Tyrannosaurus), and takes her up to his mountain lair.

Englehorn and the rest of the crew rescue whomever is left of the rescue party from the pit of giant insects, and as Jack decides to continue to search for Ann, Carl decides to capture Kong. Jack comes to Kong's lair, and disturbs him from his slumber. As Kong fights a swarm of flying Terapus mordax, Ann and Jack escape by grabbing the wing of one of the bats and then jumping into a river. They arrive at the village wall, with the angry Kong following them, and Ann becomes distraught by what Carl plans to do. Kong bursts through the gate and struggles to get her back, but he is eventually knocked out by chloroform. In New York around Christmas, Carl presents Kong — the Eighth Wonder of the World on Broadway, starring Baxter and an imprisoned Kong. Ann has become an anonymous chorus girl and a double of her is no replacement for Kong. Camera flashes from photographers enrage the gorilla. Kong breaks free from his chrome-steel chains and chases Jack across town, where he encounters Ann again. They share a quiet moment on a frozen lake in Central Park, before the army attacks.

Kong climbs onto the Empire State Building, where he makes his last stand against the Curtiss Helldivers, downing three of them. Ultimately, Kong is hit by several bursts of gunfire from the surviving planes, and gazes at a distraught Ann for the last time before falling off the building to his death. Ann is greeted by Jack, and the reporters flood to Kong's corpse. Carl takes one last look and says, "It wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast." Abilities Kong looked and behaved more like a real gorilla: he had a large herbivore's belly, walked on his knuckles without any upright posture, and even beat his chest with his palms as opposed to clenched fists. In order to ground his Kong in realism, Jackson and the Weta Digital crew gave a name to his fictitious species, Megaprimatus kong, which was said to have evolved from the Gigantopithecus. Kong was the last of his kind. He was portrayed in the film as being quite old with graying fur, and battle-worn with scars, wounds, and a crooked jaw from his many fights against rival creatures.

He is the most dominant being on the island; the king of his world. Like his predecessors, he possesses considerable intelligence and great physical strength, like the other Kong incarnates, this Kong can easily kill a T-Rex by splitting its jaws in two; he also appears far more nimble and agile. This Kong was scaled to be only 25 feet tall on both Skull Island and in New York. Jackson describes his central character: “We assumed that Kong is the last surviving member of his species. He had a mother and a father and maybe brothers and sisters, but they’re dead. He’s the last of the huge gorillas that live on Skull Island, and the last one when he goes...there will be no more. He’s a very lonely creature, absolutely solitary. It must be one of the loneliest existences you could ever possibly imagine. Every day, he has to battle for his survival against very formidable dinosaurs on the island, and it’s not easy for him. He’s carrying the scars of many former encounters with dinosaurs. I’m imagining he’s probably 100 to 120 years old by the time our story begins.

And he has never felt a single bit of empathy for another living creature in his long life; it has been a brutal life that he’s lived.” Relationships Universal unleashes creature details from ‘Skull Island: Reign of Kong’ ride | Fox News Universal unleashes creature details from ‘Skull Island: Reign of Kong’ ride Published March 25, 2016 This giant slug is one of many terrifying creatures you'll encounter on "Skull Island: Reign of Kong." Think King Kong is scary? The gargantuan gorilla may be no match for the other creatures inhabiting his world. This summer, Universal’s Islands of Adventure is set to open a brand new Kong-themed attraction , “Skull Island: Reign of Kong.” The thrill ride will introduce visitors to some terrifying predators including a giant slug with gargantuan fangs and a flying beast with treacherous talons, says Universal’s official blog. Park guests will take a safari-like expedition vehicle through the mysterious Skull Island and learn about all the creatures that inhabit the famous gorilla's world. The ride is an updated take on the classic "Kongfrontation" attraction, which opened in 1990 and closed in 2002.

Check out some of the lethal creatures you’ll be encountering on Reign of Kong. The Carnictis "The giant, slug-like Carnictis lacks eyes or facial features. But its gaping, oozing mouth—ringed with sharp, jagged teeth—is a distinguishing feature that allows this slow but relentless creature to feed on dead and wounded beings that have succumbed to the wretched, murky chasms of the island." Terapusmordax "These are the largest flying predators on the island, with wingspans up to 10 feet. They live in colonies within the island’s interior caverns and are easily provoked. Spearing victims with lethal talons, they use large carnivorous fangs to penetrate anything—or anyone—caught in their jaws of death." Arachno-claw "These carnivorous arachnids move throughout the swampy underworld of the island’s dark caverns, foraging for dead or injured creatures. The six-legged scavenger uses its crab-like claws to crush its prey before feasting on the remains." Vastatosaurus rex "The V. Rex is the largest, most intimidating dinosaur that roams the island’s dense jungles.

Despite its large, bulky head and tough leathery skin, it’s an agile predator, changing direction at high speeds and ripping into its prey with razor-sharp teeth." Advertisement Amazon.com: Doc Savage: Skull Island (9781618271136): Will Murray, Joe DeVito: Books Will Murray Page 1 of 1 Start over Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon.com. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here . Editorial Reviews About the Author Will Murray is the author of more than 50 novels starring Doc Savage, Remo Williams and Nick Fury. Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here , or download a FREE Kindle Reading App . Product Details Publisher: Altus Press (February 26, 2013) Language: English Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds ( View shipping rates and policies ) Average Customer Review: By J North on February 13, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase There's much to love and much to dislike in this one.

One thing that I really liked was that Doc was brought down to a more human level. He stumbles, and misses, and makes mistakes, but in minor ways. It also showed the strange relationship he had with his father. His father has a Mayan warrior at his side whom was quite interesting to read about. What I don't like about it, mostly deals with Kong. I got this book for Kong, and he doesn't appear until about 68% of the way through the book. When he does appear, he does very little. He is actually a minor character in the story. Despite what the cover suggests, this is not Doc vs Kong. The two never battle, and Doc doesn't run around in a shredded white shirt like he seems to be in the habit of doing in nearly every cover (this is a bit of a minor complaint of mine, I enjoy Joe as an artist, but these covers are getting repetitive, and actually a bit silly). Of the wild series, I have read this one and the Shadow one, I'd highly recommend the Shadow one over this. The guest star makes a heavy appearance in that one, and plays a heavy role in the story itself.

All in all, this is a fun, but forgettable read. By Charles on April 25, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase I'm a fan of Doc Savage, and this is my favorite book to date. We get to see a younger Doc, meet some more of the Savage family, spend lots of time on Skull Island. This is a truly great adventure, through and through. Cannibal badguys with blow darts. King Kong. Dinosaurs trying to eat our heroes. Ships on the high seas. Tommy Guns in the jungle. Seriously, there is so much amazing stuff in this one little book its crazy. Classic adventure pulled right from the 1930s serials. Plus we get a lot more (IMHO) character development from Doc. Lets face it, I love the Doc Savage character, but very often he's so stoic he almost becomes a cardboard character. In this younger version we get to see a lot more of Doc's humanity while still getting all the excitement out of his super-trained, super-intelligent persona. Just a great read all around. Doc Savage fans will love it. King Kong fans will love it. Adventure seekers will love it.

By all means, give it a read. By Tim Melander on February 23, 2015 Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase My hopes were high for this addition to the Doc Savage adventures. And it does start out well, though I found the strange relationship of Doc and his father rather troubling. (Indiana Jones had a warmer relationship with his father than Doc and his dad!) My biggest problem with the book was the marginalizing of other pulp and action heroes. It seems Doc is a real person, as was Kong, but those famous folks like Tarzan or Sherlock Holmes or Nick Carter, they're just 'storybook' creations. That really bothered me. Farmer, who wrote Doc's famous family tree, considered quite a few of the early heroes and sleuths of the pulps to be as 'real' as Doc was. And why shouldn't that be? All that said, while I'm still a fan of much of what Mr. Murray has done for Doc Savage and his further adventures, I think it may be time for someone else to take up the pen. Even the great Lester Dent didn't write all the original texts. By T.

Hsu on April 21, 2013 Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase I'm a big Doc fan and enjoyed this latest story, but it's not one of my favorites. I especially liked the different approach to this yarn which took place right after Doc was discharged from the U.S. Army after WWI and revealed more of the Bronze Man's early history. Making Doc a survivor of the Titanic disaster was a great idea and linking him with King Kong was even better. I wasn't too thrilled with the oftentimes mushy words between Doc and Clark Sr. which makes Jr. seem a bit wimpy. Maybe that's because I'm used to the Doc of the 1930's who's strong and more self controlled. I'm not too crazy about the later Doc stories either, where he's often scared and bitter, and less capable than in the earlier adventures. The more violent Bronze Man is a welcome change from the later Doc who's a nicer guy to criminals and other scumbags, acting more like a modern, bleeding heart liberal. In this story, Doc's more like the Shadow, the other of my two favorite pulp heroes, who would just as soon terminate a bad guy than rehabilitate him.

By the way, contrary to the movie, the real reason why King Kong climbed the Empire State Building was because he saw Monk going in the entrance and mistook the simian chemist for his long lost son, kidnapped from Skull Island several years before Kong was taken too. Kong with Ann Darrow in his hand, climbed the building searching for Monk and nearing the 86th floor, stepped on a banana peel left on the ledge by a careless window washer. The giant ape slipped on the banana peel and barely had time to put down Ann before plunging to his death on the street below. Maybe in a future Doc story, we will also learn that Clark Jr. was one of only two WWI pilots who survived an aerial encounter with the Red Baron. In both cases, the adversaries ran out of gas dogfighting without getting off a kill shot and waved at each other before returning to their airdromes. The other pilot to survive an aerial duel with Manfred von Richthofen was Kent Allard, aka The Black Eagle, aka The Shadow. As I write this, today is the 95th anniversay of von Richthofen's death on April 21, 1918.

Who Knows (The Shadow does), maybe in a future story, Doc might even meet the infamous Frankenstein monster or Count Dracula. By Amazon Customer on November 14, 2014 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase Freed from the restraints of following a Kenneth Robeson (Lester Dent) outline and, let's face it, formula, Murray really found his groove with this adventure. I didn't know about the "Wild Adventures" line of Doc Savage stories, but I'm very interested in reading all of them after this. It combined two of my favorite 30's characters (Kong and Savage) in a solid action-packed story that felt very true to both, while expanding on their respective histories in ways that added greatly to both. I first started reading Doc's stories in the Bantam reprints in the mid-70's and was left with many questions about Clark Savage, Sr. Apparently, Murray felt the same way and even though this book's selling point is the collision of a giant ape and a man of bronze, the real heart of the story is the relationship between Doc and his father. Highly recommended for Doc Savage fans, and King Kong fans will enjoy it too....

Skull Island | Wikizilla, the Godzilla encyclopedia 5 Comments Description In the original 1933 King Kong and Son of Kong , Skull Island is an island situated somewhere off the coast of Indonesia and surrounded in a dense fog bank. The island's waters are full of huge sharp rocks, while the island itself is covered in both thick jungles and mountainous areas. The island's most distinctive feature is the huge mountain shaped like a skull located in the island's center, giving the island its namesake. Not far inland, there is a village inhabited by a tribe of natives, surrounded by a colossal wooden wall. The jungles past the wall are inhabited by various species of giant prehistoric creatures, as well as King Kong himself. In the 1976 remake , Skull Island does not have a huge skull shaped mountain, nor is it inhabited by dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, just Kong and a Giant Boa . There is still a village inhabited by natives and surrounded by a huge wall. This version of the island is located within an incredibly thick fog bank that has kept it invisible from most navigators over the years, and is also home to a large oil deposit, though the oil is not at all usable.

In Peter Jackson's King Kong , Skull Island is very similar to its portrayal in the original film. It once again bears a colossal skull-shaped mountain in its center, and is inhabited by numerous species of prehistoric creatures. According to the tie-in book The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island, Skull Island was once part of Gondwanaland, located on a particularly violent boundary between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates that fractured the island and created its treacherous terrain. Eventually it ended up in a region west of Sumatra where it was afflicted by magnetic anomalies and storms which concealed it from the outside world. Three thousand years before the present, an unknown civilization that worshiped Kong's species flourished on the island, but vanished abruptly, leaving behind the giant stone ruins permeating the island and the current primitive tribe. Over the past thousand years, Skull Island had been rapidly sinking back into the sea. Fifteen years after Kong was killed, Skull Island sank completely. In the intervening years, Carl Denham led seven successful expeditions to the doomed island to study as much as they could before it disappeared.

In Kong: Skull Island , Skull Island is actually shaped like a skull when viewed from above, rather than bearing a skull-shaped mountain. The island appears to be concealed by tropical storms and hurricanes. This version of Skull Island is very mountainous, and also possesses dense jungles and barren plains. The skeletons of numerous prehistoric species, including Kong's, litter this island's terrain. A tribe of natives lives on this island as well, and appear to make their homes inside of shipwrecks. History Skull Island in King Kong (1933) Film producer Carl Denham received a strange map marking the location of a mysterious uncharted island located west of Indonesia. Determined to explore the island and shoot his next picture there, Denham assembled a film crew and left for the island from New York on board the Venture. After months of sea travel, the Venture came upon the island, which was shrouded in fog and marked by a gigantic mountain on the center of the island shaped like a human skull. Denham and his crew came ashore on the island and discovered a massive wall surrounding a native village.

The crew entered the village and witnessed the natives performing a ritual, preparing to sacrifice a woman to their god, " Kong ." The native chief, after seeing Denham's leading lady Ann Darrow , offered to trade several of his tribe's women for her. Denham refused, angering the natives. The crew returned to the Venture, which was anchored off the coast of the island. During the night, a group of natives used canoes to approach the ship and abduct Ann. The natives brought Ann back to their village and tied her onto a pedestal located outside of the wall. Eventually, a gigantic gorilla, the natives' god Kong, emerged from the jungle and grabbed Ann, carrying her off back into the jungle. After learning of Ann's disappearance, Denham and his crew came ashore and followed Kong. Along the way, they encountered a Stegosaurus and were attacked by a Brontosaurus while trying to cross a swamp. Eventually they came to a log spanning a chasm and tried to cross it. Kong noticed and grabbed the log bridge, tossing it into the pit below, along with every member of the search team except for first mate Jack Driscoll and Denham himself.

Denham returned to the village to regroup with the members of the Venture crew that stayed behind, while Jack continued his pursuit of Kong. Meanwhile, a Tyrannosaurus rex attempted to eat Ann after Kong had set her down on a tree, prompting Kong to come to her rescue. After a vicious battle, Kong killed the T-Rex by breaking its jaws. Kong brought Ann to his mountain lair, where he was attacked by after defeating the serpent, Kong brought Ann out to a cliff overlooking the island, only to be attacked by a Pteranodon . While Kong was distracted, Jack managed to rescue Ann, and the two of them jumped off the cliff into the water below. Kong followed the two back to the village, tearing down the wall and terrorizing the natives. Using their supply of gas bombs, Denham and his crew were able to knock Kong unconscious. Not willing to leave empty-handed, Denham decided to bring the unconscious Kong back to New York and put him on display. Kong was then loaded onto the Venture and taken to New York.

Son of Kong After being racked with lawsuits due to the damage caused by King Kong in New York , Carl Denham returned to the Venture and sailed around the world with Captain Englehorn. During the voyage, a mutiny was staged on the ship and Denham, Englehorn, the cook Charlie, and a stowaway named Hilda were set adrift on a raft. Eventually, they arrived on Skull Island, where Denham and Hilda encountered the son of Kong, a 12-foot-tall juvenile albino gorilla named Kiko . Deeply regretful of what he did to Kong, Denham decided to stay with the juvenile Kong and aid him whenever they were faced with a threat. After braving attacks by various creatures, Denham earned Kiko's trust, and the young Kong helped Denham and Hilda recover a large diamond necklace in a temple on the island. Shortly afterward, an earthquake struck the island, causing it to begin to sink into the ocean. Englehorn and Charlie managed to get onto a small boat and rescue Hilda, but Denham and Kiko became trapped on a small piece of land.

With his leg stuck between rocks, Kiko accepted his fate and held Denham up above the water, sacrificing his life to allow Denham to board the boat and escape alive as all of Skull Island sank into the depths of the ocean. King Kong (1976) The Petrox Explorer landing crew approaching Skull Island in King Kong (1976) After hearing of a potentially massive hidden oil well located underneath a gigantic fog blanket in the Pacific Ocean west of Indonesia, Petrox Oil Company executive Fred Wilson prepared to lead a surveying expedition to find it. After the expedition's ship, the Petrox Explorer left New York , a stowaway primatologist named Jack Prescott was discovered on board. Wilson was convinced that Prescott was a spy from a rival oil company, but Prescott explained he had stowed away on the ship to see the hidden island that presumably contained the oil well himself. Prescott revealed that throughout history, there had been accounts of ships traveling into that fog blanket and discovering "the beach of the skull," where they reported seeing a gigantic ape-like creature. Prescott explained that he wanted to see just what exactly those explorers had seen. After some convincing, Wilson decided to allow Prescott to stay on the expedition as its official photographer.

Along the way, the ship picked up a castaway named Dwan, an aspiring young actress who had been on board a yacht that suddenly exploded. When the ship reached the fog bank, it passed through and found a large island. Believing he had found the "big one," Wilson ordered a landing party to come ashore. Prescott and Dwan accompanied the party and landed on the beach. After traveling inland, the party discovered a gigantic wall. Wilson said the island was uninhabited and the wall must be ancient, but Prescott noted that the wall looked to be constantly maintained, meaning natives must live on the island. The party passed through the wall and found a village filled with natives, who were performing a religious ritual. The natives were upset at being disturbed, claiming they were preparing to offer a human sacrifice to their god, " Kong ." However, the witch doctor saw Dwan and believed she would make a superior offering to Kong and offered to buy her from the crew. When they refused, the natives prepared to take her by force, but were scared off by the party's guns. The team returned to the Petrox Explorer, but a group of natives followed them and kidnapped Dwan.

Dwan was taken back to the village and adorned with native jewelry and tied to a pedestal outside the wall. The jungle shook as a giant ape, Kong himself, emerged from the jungle and grabbed Dwan before carrying her away. Kong brought Dwan to a clearing and set her down. Believing Kong was going to kill her, Dwan begged for her life, only to eventually realize Kong meant her no harm and was actually infatuated with her. Meanwhile, Prescott and several members of the expedition followed Kong into the interior of the island in an attempt to rescue Dwan. When they reached a fallen log spanning a chasm, they attempted to cross it, only for Kong to appear and throw the log into the chasm below. Only Prescott and another crew member named Boan survived. Prescott told Boan to return to the village, where Wilson had set up a base camp, while he continued his pursuit of Kong. Kong brought Dwan to his lair and prepared to undress her, only to be attacked by a giant boa constrictor . While Kong battled the boa, Prescott rescued Dwan and the two ran back to the village. Kong noticed and quickly tore the snake's jaws, then proceeded to chase after his bride.

Once Prescott and Dwan reached the village, Wilson and his men set up a trap behind the wall: a pit filled with chloroform. When Kong reached the wall, he smashed the gate down and entered the village, only to fall into the pit and be knocked unconscious. The natives surrounded their fallen god and bowed. Since the oil deposits found on the island were of such low quality they were essentially worthless, Wilson decided to bring Kong back to New York and use him as an advertising gimmick for Petrox. Kong was loaded into the Petrox Explorer's cargo hold, and the ship set sail for New York. Later, after King Kong began his rampage through the city, he started to make his way towards the World Trade Center . Prescott theorized that this was because the plaza's North and South Towers resembled a natural rock formation on Skull Island that was familiar to Kong. King Kong (2005) Failing film director Carl Denham , in order to escape prosecution for fraud, assembled a crew to travel to the uncharted Skull Island and film his newest picture. After Denham found his leading lady, Ann Darrow , and tricked playwright Jack Driscoll into boarding the Venture, Denham set sail for the island.

After months at see, the Venture reached Skull Island, an ominous rocky island blanketed in fog and bearing a gigantic mountain in its center in the shape of a human skull. Denham and his crew set foot on the island, only to discover a hostile tribe of natives. The natives, attempting to steal Ann so they could sacrifice her to their god, " Kong ," attacked Denham's party, killing one of them with a spear. Denham and his crew escaped back to the Venture, but were followed by the natives, who kidnapped Ann and brought her into their village to sacrifice her to Kong. Kong, a giant ape, arrived and grabbed Ann, carrying her off to his mountainous lair. Ann was worried Kong would kill her, but he seemed to be romantically interested in her. Ann used her dancing skills to try and entertain Kong, but when she fell he began to laugh. Kong then repeatedly knocked Ann over with his hand whenever she tried to dance until Ann became angry and yelled at him, causing Kong to storm off.

While the Venture crew tried to find Ann, braving a Brontosaurus stampede and other dangers, Ann escaped from Kong's lair and wandered the island, only to come face-to-face with a Foetodon, a giant crocodile. Ann ran from the creature, only for it to be killed by a Vastatosaurus rex. The V-Rex saw Ann and chased after her, eventually leading her to a second V-Rex. Kong arrived in time to save Ann from the V-Rexes, only to be attacked by them both along with a third V-Rex. Kong defeated one, but he and the remaining two fell off a cliff and became entangled in vines. As Ann fell from the vines, Kong grabbed her and the two of them fell to the ground. One V-Rex was trapped, while the other jumped down and resumed its battle with Kong. Without any backup, the V-Rex was overwhelmed and killed when Kong broke its jaws. After being saved by Kong, Ann developed a sympathy for the beast and willingly allowed Kong to take her back to his lair. Most of the Venture crew were sent to their deaths when Kong tossed the log bridge they were crossing into a chasm.

There, they were attacked by various gigantic insects, who killed most of the men until Bruce Baxter arrived and rescued them. Jack decided to continue pursuing Kong while Denham and the others returned to the village. Jack reached Kong's lair and managed to grab Ann while Kong was distracted by a flock of Terapusmordax. The two of them jumped off the cliff of Kong's lair and into the water below before returning to the village. Kong pursued them and broke through the village wall, destroying the natives' village in search of Ann. Denham and his crew threw bottles of chloroform at Kong until he fell unconscious. Denham decided to bring Kong back to New York and put him on display, believing it would make him a fortune despite his inability to make a film on the island. Kong was loaded onto the Venture and brought back to New York, where he would be exhibited on Broadway. Kong: Skull Island Skull Island as depicted on discoverskullisland.com , a viral marketing site for Kong: Skull Island Skull Island will once again be the home of King Kong in this reboot to the franchise, which is set in the year 1973 and in the same universe as Legendary Pictures ' Godzilla .

Scenes featuring Skull Island were filmed in Hawaii and Vietnam. The island itself seems to be larger and more open and mountainous than in past versions, and the skeletons of various prehistoric species, including Kong's, litter its terrain. Unlike past versions of the island, which usually have a large mountain shaped like a skull in the center of the island, this version of the island as a whole appears to be shaped like a skull when viewed from above. Monsters Living on Skull Island Everything We Learned About ‘Kong: Skull Island’ — nerd ANALYSIS (@TheNerdAnalysis) April 11, 2016 Kong: Skull Island doesn’t have any monsters yet: It’s aiming for a 2017 release date and still needs to build them. But MTV had a first look at the movie last night, and it told us a lot about the movie while offering up a few unanswered questions. Back To The ’70s First off, the movie is set in the Vietnam era, with GIs, Brie Larson’s peacenik photojournalist, Samuel L. Jackson as a big game hunter, and Tom Hiddleston as a former SAS operative.

It appears the movie is riffing a bit on Dino De Laurentiis’ notorious ’70s remake, as we see a brief shot of Corey Hawkins in front of what looks like an era-appropriate corporate logo. There Is, Or Was, More Than One Kong Well, more so than usual, on an island where giant man-eating slugs are the least of your worries. Most of the shots from the movie we see take place in a fog-shrouded giant monster graveyard of sorts; among the sights are a Kong skeleton and a Triceratops skull. Dinosaurs are pretty common on Skull Island, but the idea that there’s more than one Kong is somewhat new. Kong Has Yet To Leave The Island It appears that Skull Island is uncharted and, following up on the Kong/Godzilla shared universe , this will be the beginning of the Monarch organization that figured so prominently in 2014’s Godzilla. So Kong was never found in the ’30s, was never abducted from his home…and there’s a fairly good chance that the team heading to this island has no idea what they’re in for.

It May Be A Race To Get Off Skull Island From the looks of things, this is more Jurassic Park than Beauty and the Beast. We see a few clips of things unsurprisingly going very wrong on the island–from Samuel L. Jackson’s character setting a massive fire to several military vehicles being trashed–so hopefully everybody’s health insurance is paid up. There’s likely much more in the way of mystery here. We still don’t know how John Goodman’s politician fits in, or just why everyone’s on the island in the first place. But we won’t have to wait too long: Kong: Skull Island is on the way for March 10, 2017. Share This By: The Curse of Marino 04.11.2016 @ 3:00 PM There were Kong skeletons in Peter Jackson’s movie, so thats probably just a little shout out to that film By: Stanley Cubicle 04.12.2016 @ 4:49 AM All I needed to know about this movie is that Brie Larson is in it. My heart sings!!!! King Kong | Monster Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit King Kong is simply a giant gorilla.

His size ranges anywhere from 6 to 45 meters, depending on the incarnation. In the original King Kong, Dino DeLaurentis' remake, its sequel King Kong Lives, and Peter Jackson's 2005 remake, King Kong is 6 meters tall and weighs 5 tons. In King Kong vs. Godzilla, he is 45 meters tall and weighs 25,000 tons. In King Kong Escapes, Kong is 20 meters tall and weighs 1,000 tons. Origins Edit King Kong is the last member of a species of giant prehistoric apes called Megaprimatus Kong. He remained secluded on a remote island populated by other giant creatures and was worshiped as a god by the island's natives. Kong's exact origins vary from film to film. (sorry but what movie is this origins from?-mmm) Please answer here: History Edit Filmmaker Carl Denham and his crew arrived on the uncharted Skull Island to film a motion picture. The natives of the island kidnapped the film's leading lady, Ann Darrow, and sacrificed her to their god, King Kong. Kong burst through the jungle and beat his chest fiercely.

Upon seeing Ann, Kong picked her up and admired her beauty. He then took her away into the jungle. Kong set Ann on a tree and wandered off to deal with members of the expedition who were pursuing him. As the men crossed a fallen log bridge, Kong grabbed and twisted the bridge, sending all of the men plummeting to their deaths except Jack Driscoll. Meanwhile, a tyrannosaurus noticed Ann and tried to eat her. Kong hurried back to the scene and battled the T-Rex. After a fierce battle, Kong broke the T-Rex's jaw and retrieved Ann. Kong took Ann to his mountain lair, where he was suddenly attacked by pterodactyls. In the confusion, Jack rescued Ann and the two escaped from Kong's lair. After killing the pterodactyls, Kong chased after the two. He followed them to the natives' walled-off village, where the rest of the crew was hiding out. Kong tore the village apart in anger, but the film crew threw chloroform bombs at Kong, putting him to sleep. Denham decided to take Kong back to New York City and put him on display, claiming it would be a major attraction.

Kong was put on display inside of a theater in downtown New York before a stunned crowd. Denham assured all in attendance that they were in no real danger as Kong was held by unbreakable chrome steel chains. However, when photographers began taking pictures of Ann, Kong felt they were attacking her and broke free from the chains. Ann, Carl, and Jack evacuated safely, but many civilians were crushed by Kong as he smashed through the theater. Kong rampaged through the city streets, tossing cars and trains aside like toys. Kong followed Ann and kidnapped her from her apartment. Kong then began to climb the Empire State Building. The army deployed a squad of biplanes armed with machine guns to pursue Kong. Kong set Ann down on the very top of the building and roared defiantly at the planes. The planes opened fire on Kong with their machine guns, seriously wounding him. Kong still managed to tear the wing off of a plane and knock others out of the sky. Eventually, the bullet wounds were too much for Kong and he began to weaken. Kong looked down at Ann one more time and then fell from the building, smashing violently into the sides of the skyscraper as he plummeted.

Crowds gathered around Kong's lifeless body in the street below. A policeman remarked to Carl Denham that the planes successfully stopped Kong, while Denham solemnly replied "It was beauty killed the beast." King Kong vs. Godzilla Edit Mr. Tako, the head of the Pacific Pharmaceuticals Company, sent an expedition to the remote Farou Island to search for a giant monster that was rumored to live there. The expedition were immediately met by natives, who begrudgingly permitted the party to stay on the island but claimed no responsibility if their god, King Kong, ate them all. Kong's roar pierced the skies, and the natives bowed and prayed to him. Even the explorers were shaken by the roar. The next morning, the expedition tried to find the source of the roar, but were driven back to the village as the mountain began to collapse. The natives prayed again, believing it to be a sign of Kong. Meanwhile, a Giant Octopus came ashore in search of the Soma berry juice produced by the natives. The villagers attacked the Giant Octopus, but were thrown violently aside by its tentacles. Suddenly, King Kong tore through the gate protecting the village and beat his chest fearsomely.

Kong tossed rocks at the Giant Octopus, which responded by jumping on Kong's face. Kong threw the Octopus off and pelted it with rocks again. Defeated, the Giant Octopus slithered back to the sea. Kong then picked up large jugs of Soma juice and began drinking them. The juice made Kong drowsy, and eventually he fell on his back. The natives chanted an danced until Kong finally fell unconscious. With Kong incapacitated, the party decided to bring him back to Japan as a publicity stunt for their company. Along the way, the ship pulling the raft carrying Kong was stopped by the Japanese Coast Guard, who told Mr. Tako that he was financially liable for any destruction Kong caused. Suddenly, Kong began to stir. The men aboard the ship detonated the dynamite on the raft carrying Kong, only for Kong to rise from the water in anger. Kong swam to the Japanese mainland and wreaked havoc along the coastline. Meanwhile Godzilla , who had just awakened from his seven-year hibernation in an iceberg, arrived on the mainland an encountered Kong in the wilderness. Kong threw rocks at Godzilla, only for Godzilla to respond by blasting Kong with his atomic breath.

Burnt from the fiery blast, Kong walked away, leaving the victorious Godzilla clapping and mocking Kong. Later, after Godzilla was repelled from Tokyo by an electrical barrier, Kong tore the wires down and absorbed the electrical energy before entering Tokyo himself. Kong grabbed a passing subway train and kidnapped a woman from it. Kong then climbed onto the Diet building. Using rockets filled with Soma berry juice and the music of the natives, the Defense Forces put Kong to sleep and caused him to slide off the building. His hostage was recovered, and Kong was tied to giant balloons in order to be taken to Mt. Fuji and fight Godzilla again. Kong was dropped on the slopes of Mt. Fuji the next morning and landed on top of Godzilla. The two monsters battled again, but Godzilla gained the advantage after Kong hit his head on a boulder and was left dazed. Godzilla set the forest ablaze with his atomic breath and seemingly was about to burn Kong alive, but suddenly a lightning storm passed overhead. The lightning revitalized Kong, who rose to his feet and shocked Godzilla with his touch. Godzilla and Kong grappled once more, with Kong's supercharged electrical attacks doing effective damage to Godzilla.

Kong and Godzilla eventually fell over the side of the mountain and into the ocean, causing an earthquake. As the waves settled, Kong rose victorious from the water, with Godzilla nowhere in sight. Kong swam back to Farou Island to live in peace, while the humans decided to let him be and not pursue him any further. Carl Denham | King Kong Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Carl looking for an actress for his movie. In the 2005 remake, Denham is much less sympathetic: unscrupulous, morally bankrupt, monomaniacal, willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get his picture made. For example, he essentially steals his company's resources to move his filming location to the mysterious Skull Island. Also, after making an inspirational eulogy to a colleague killed by Skull Island natives, Denham repeats the same eulogy for his assistant killed later on by a Venatosaurus . He is also devious and cunning, capable of altering his plans in an instant in order to provide circumstances of best advantage to him. Denham still has moments of courage and loyalty, however, and is hinted to feel sympathy (and probably guilt) for Kong's death at the end.

Comment Edit Carl Denham is the deuteragonist of the film. Carl Denham had never had a truly successful film, despite turning in nature documentaries with often stunning footage. Although he made interesting pictures over the years, his work was dismissed as 'near success,' and he has little to no respect in the film industry. He decided that the answer was to make a film with a narrative, including a beautiful actress who could act as a love interest. He and his devoted, young assistant, Preston, obsessively searched for an actress to cast in this project, eventually discovering Ann Darrow. Just as in the original, she first believes Denham is searching for a prostitute, but Denham convinces her the job will involve no "funny business." Carl at Skull Island filming with his camera. Denham had obtained a map of Skull Island and opted to produce his next film there. This meant abandoning plans to film on set, which had lost him his studio's favor. They decide to take what footage he has and sell it as stock footage to other studios. This drives Denham to steal the equipment necessary to make it to the island. However, he had misinformed his crew that they were heading to Singapore.

He only admitted the truth to screenwriter Jack Driscoll who was still working on the screenplay as they set off. This was then overheard by Jimmy causing dissension among the men. Upon reaching the island, Denham unsuccessfully attempted to establish peaceful relations with the natives by giving a native child a candy bar. The natives attack, two crew members are killed, and this ends up driving Denham and crew back to their ship. That night, Ann is captured by the natives and delivered to Kong. Denham, Driscoll, Hayes, Jimmy , Lumpy , Choy , Bruce Baxter , Preston , Herb , and other crew members set off in a rescue mission. Carl running during the Brontosaurus attack. He filmed the first dinosaur attack on camera and filmed the death of a crew member in the swamp in the extended cut. He survived the attack by a Ferrucutus in the extended cut (in which no one died, but during which some were injured), the manic Brontosaurus stampede, the swamp journey of the extended cut, and the log chasm and insect pit. Upon returning to the island, Denham was the first of the crew, besides Ann, to see Kong.

After surviving many attacks and eventually rescuing Ann, Denham decided to switch his plan from producing a film to capturing Kong and sailing him to New York City after his camera was destroyed in the incident with Kong and the log, where he expected to make a fortune showing off Kong. Kong eventually escaped and rampaged through New York City, captured Ann and was eventually killed by airplanes. Upon reaching Kong's body, Denham was heard to say that "It wasn't the airplanes, it was Beauty killed the Beast." Kong: King of Skull Island Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Doc Savage: Skull Island Customer Reviews 4.5 out of 5 stars 97 Price:$24.95+ Free shipping with Amazon Prime Your rating( Clear )Rate this item 38 people found this helpful 5.0 out of 5 starsTop o' the Jungle, Ma! ByJ. Beardon March 7, 2013 If you're like me, you probably wondered what exactly we'd be getting in the new Doc Savage novel, SKULL ISLAND, it being both a Doc story featuring King Kong and a way to celebrate the 80th anniversaries of both legendary creations.

Well, after reading the book, I'm happy to report that author Will Murray's put some definite heart and soul into it and crafted what is now my most favorite of the recent "Wild Adventures of Doc Savage" series of novels. But, that said, it's different from just about any other Doc book you've ever read, something we're clued in on by the "Will Murray" byline and the absence of the traditional "Kenneth Robeson" house name. For me, the story was literally one that I didn't want to put down; it's that engaging. It begins at the end, right after Kong's infamous nosedive off the Empire State Building, which leads directly to Doc's involvement - or, rather, his telling of a tale to his aides of when he first met the giant simian. Yes, the great majority of the novel is a flashback to Doc Savage's early days and therein is found its fascinating core. In essence, what we have here is the heretofore Secret Origin of Doc Savage.

Doc and his father - yes, you read that right; his father - head off on a quest for Doc's grandfather, Stormalong Savage, which takes them into strange waters and exotic climes...and ultimately Skull Island. There they run afoul of enemies of many different stripes and discover wonders beyond their imagining. And a humongous ape-like "god-beast" called Kong. Murray's defining of the relationship here between Clark Senior and Clark Junior is practically worth the price of admission alone. This is a young Doc, fresh out of World War I and not exactly the bronze hero of the pulp adventures we know so well, and it's with that admission that I can see some potential backlash with diehard Doc fans. This is a Doc who has not quite found his mission in life yet, nor honed all his skills and formed his famous tenets - most especially the rule against killing. This Doc kills and kills in often savage ways, which at points drenches the narrative in a bloodbath that may even disturb some readers. But, and it's important to point this out, there's a method behind Murray's seeming madness - it all leads to something and something significant, namely the forging of the Doc Savage of the famous pulp adventures.

And Murray does this all with style and careful thought and exciting imagery and action. One of the things I loved about this novel is its use of language, precisely that which flies back and forth between elder and younger Savage in many bouts of witty verbal "fencing." Will Murray has obviously crafted all his Doc books with care, but in SKULL ISLAND I believe I saw even more attention to detail, to dialogue, to atmosphere and to adventure. The story moves right along, only slightly bogging down a bit past its mid-section, and really defines the term "page turner." Murray gives this one his best and finest and the book benefits from that in ways too numerous to list. As I said before, this is a story of origins. Here we learn the origin of Doc's trilling, of his disdain of guns and his inexhaustible search for knowledge, even the origin of the Hidalgo Trading Co. hanger. We also discover more information on the Savage family then we've ever had revealed to us before and hints of not only some of Doc's other early adventures - did you know he was on the Titanic? - but also those of his father and grandfather, both famous explorers in their own right.

Heck, we even hear about Doc's uncle, another adventurer in the family. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the author is suggesting here that readers might care to hear more of these adventures, as separate works. But, again, it's the relationship between father and son that really stands out in the novel, one that careens between dysfunctional and loving, and it's that which will stay with me for some time to come. In fact, knowing the fate of Clark Savage Senior in 1933's MAN OF BRONZE will perhaps add another layer of pathos to your reading of SKULL ISLAND. And, oh yes, King Kong is here, too. You will discover much more about his origins, also, as well as Skull Island's original inhabitants. And that's all fascinating as well. Dinosaur fans will especially have reason to love this book. Kong and his environs are not given short shrift in the slightest; the King looms over this book with all the weight and gravity he deserves. In all, I'm a richer pulp fan for having read SKULL ISLAND.

Will Murray takes our expectations and delivers upon them while still striking off on his own path, assembling a story that will please both Savage and Kong aficionados and remind us all just how cool pulp can be. There's heart and soul here, like I said, and I for one can't quite see how Murray will manage to top this one....but I know he will, somehow. Get this book and settle in for a trip to the South Seas and beyond, Savage style. 7 people found this helpful 2.0 out of 5 starsStick with "The Land of Terror" Bybillybookson August 7, 2013 Doc Savage meets King Kong -- what more could you ask for? Maybe a book that's a little more fun and doesn't on occasion get kind of pretentious about both the big ape -- or ape-like creature -- and the Man of Bronze, whose father comes off like a obnoxious twit for most of the book. To be fair, a lot of this book is entertaining and well-done, especially some of the earlier sections -- although be warned that it takes over a hundred pages to get to the island, and the book is more than half over before Kong makes his first appearance.

The blowgun-bearing Dyaks become tiresome very quickly and take up too much space in the narrative. The book is by no means bad, just disappointing. The last few chapters drag until I just wanted the darn thing to be over. If you love the idea of Doc meeting dinosaurs then check out "The Land of Terror," but if you're a real Doc fan I'm sure you already have.

Question: What giant beast was kidnapped from Skull Island?
Answer: King Kong