Kong: Skull Island

The Plot

It's 1973, the Cold War is at it's peak and the war with Vietnam has just ended. William Randa (John Goodman) working for the top secret organization 'Monarch' has pulled all the possible strings to procure government permission for exploring the remote and hitherto untouched 'Skull Island' in the South Pacific. The goal of the mission - To excavate and unearth the hidden treasures on the island which has so far been inaccessible to all civilized life. Accompanying the scientists on this dangerous expedition are expert forest navigator ex-Capt. James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston best known as Loki in Thor and The Avengers), the Sky Devils helicopter squadron led by embattled and disgruntled Lt. Col. Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) and truth seeking war photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson). What dangers await the team on Skull Island? Is Kong a savior or a destroyer? Will anyone escape the island alive? To answer all of these questions...well you know what to do, you gotta watch the movie. You ask me why? Let me tell you why.

Pros

Gripping Characters: A monster movie is not about awful looking creatures terrorizing characters we don't care about. It's in fact all about interesting characters with diverse agendas caught in a fight for their survival. Kong gets this point right by painting a canvas filled with colorful characters. It also helps that all of the main actors are in top form lending instant credibility to the characters they portray. John C. Reilly in particular (as the home sick Hank Marlow), is in excellent form and his dialogues do tickle the funny bone.
Kong: Kong the mammoth ape is one of the most misrepresented and misunderstood characters in movie history. From being portrayed as a hopeless romantic to a headless ravager Kong has been it all and we the audience have seen it all. Skull Island gets Kong's character right and achieves the subtle balance which is required for us to understand the true nature of Kong.
The climax: I won't reveal much but most of the main characters get what they deserve and the movie thankfully ends without a trick ending which would force the audience to see a potential sequel. The climax of this movie should serve as a tutorial for franchises which have made it a habit to serve half-baked endings under the pretext of creating a series.

The Best Scene

The scene where Samuel Jackson's character sees King Kong for the first time through a curtain of flames. Kong's supreme power and Jackson's defiance take the intensity of the scene to a whole new level and set up the foundation for the climatic battle.

The Verdict

This is the third King Kong movie I watched after the 1976 one and Peter Jackson's 2005 remake (I did enjoy the 2005 movie by the way and found it very touching). This is by far the most fast paced, most action oriented and least melancholic of all. Plus it also has a happy ending which as you all know by now is a must for me to enjoy any movie. Kong is not a perfect movie but who needs perfection when you have a movie which can keep you invested in the proceedings. It's an ideal movie for a day where you badly want to be entertained. So go out there and have a good time.

Rated: Time Pass

Until Next Time,

Your Movie Buff,
J.J. Chaitanya

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