First Take: Kong: Skull Island- a literal gorilla monsoon

SYPNOSIS: 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.

Back in 2014 we got a reboot of the Godzilla franchise courtesy of Warner Bros and Legendary Entertainment. Now, as part of their wider ‘monsterverse’, it’s time to reboot King Kong. Brace yourselves, there be a rant cometh.

Three separate writers worked on the screenplay for this film, one of them being Dan Gilroy (of Nightcrawler fame), and it obviously shows in the very weird and complex structure of the film. This is no fault of director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, but the pacing is all over the place as a result, and with a heavy reliance on CG, the film simply doesn’t feel believable. A beautiful piece of irony considering how much praise 2014′s Godzilla reboot got for its realism. It is shot well by Larry Fong though, and with a blaring Henry Jackman score (alongside one of the best uses of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid in a film), the technical aspects of the film show some promise, but unfortunately the plot just fails to satisfy.

However, there are some redeeming factors in the performances. Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston are two very likable leads, with John Goodman and Samuel L Jackson holding it together in supporting roles, but I left the screening with a real sense of disappointment and anger. However, the post credits scene, particularly one very god-like roar, made up for the near 2 hours of boredom that the film brought on. All I really need to say is that 3 people were in my showing, and left straight away. That’s how dull it got.

THE VERDICT

Dull, predictable yet salvaged by some great performances, Kong Skull Island feels like a perfect case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. It feels rushed and forced, and considering the amount of blockbusters to come this year, it feels forgettable.

RATING- 3/5