Tuesday 14 March 2017

Film Review: "Kong: Skull Island" (2017).




"Awaken the King" He has finally awaken in Kong: Skull Island. This monster film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, written by Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly, from a story by John Gatins and based on the eponymous character by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The film is a reboot in the King Kong franchise and serves the second instalment in Legendary's MonsterVerse. The film centres on a team of scientists explore an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong, and must fight to escape a primal Eden.

In July 2014, Legendary Pictures announced a King Kong origin story, initially titled Skull Island, with a release date of November 4, 2016 at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con. Guillermo del Toro and Joe Cornish were originally considered for the director's chair before Jordan Vogt-Roberts was announced in September. In the same month, Legendary announced that film was moved from Universal to Warner Bros, so they could later make a King Kong and Godzilla crossover film, which would be released in 2020, since Legendary still had the rights to two Godzilla sequels with Warner Bros. The studio also announced that Tom Hiddleston would play the lead role. In December, the film was re-titled to Kong: Skull Island. Several screenwriters were attached to pen the script, which included Max Borenstein, John Gatins, Dan Gilroy and Derek Connolly. Borenstein and Vogt-Roberts' initial influence for the film was Apocalypse Now (1979). By November 2015, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Jing Tian, Toby Kebbell, John Ortiz, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Terry Notary and John C. Reilly were confirmed for the film. Principal photography began in October 2015, the film was shot throughout various location in Australia, Hawaii and Vietnam. The film features the tallest incarnation of Kong in an American film, standing approximately 104 feet (31.6 meters) tall, this is the tallest incarnation since King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), which stood approximately 147 feet (45 meters) tall. By comparison, Peter Jackson's Kong was only 25 feet (7.6 meters) tall. Kong's design is inspired by a combination of the 1933 incarnation and the Japanese incarnation.

The film features an ensemble cast that includes; Hiddleston, Jackson, Goodman, Larson, Tian, Kebbell, Ortiz, Hawkins, Mitchell, Whigham, Mann, Notary and Reilly. With little to no characterisation, the cast gave the best performances they could. Hiddleston and Larson's characters were the weakest and the least interesting. While John C. Reilly was the best character in the film and stole the entire show.

With just enough Apocalypse Now inspired flair to anchor the spectacle of Kong roaming and brawling, Jordan Vogt-Roberts' Kong: Skull Island satisfyingly restores the franchise's giant ape glory. It is truly the first joyous popcorn action movie of the season. However, like Godzilla (2014), the issue with the film was that the human characters were not that fun to watch. Sometimes we wish they would just leave the screen when he or she was there, they were a letdown.

Simon says Kong: Skull Island receives:


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