Kong: Skull Island – Film Review

Title: Kong: Skull Island

Age: 12A

Released: 10th March 2017

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Rating: **** (4/5 stars)

About: Scientists, soldiers, and adventurers unite to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean. Cut off from everything they know, they venture into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As their mission of discovery soon becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape from a primal world where humanity does not belong.

Review: I don’t really know what I was expecting when I bought my ticket for this film, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised (and pleased) by what I watched. I think I was expecting it to be like the version with Jack Black in it (you can definitely see that they share similar elements because, of course, it about King Kong but anyway), this film is something different – and I really enjoyed it.

Before I delve into my review of this film, I first want to mention the situation I was put in by the Vue cinema – this isn’t a major thing, it’s just really silly.

So anyone who goes to the Vue cinema might notice they do this thing where they make the cinema completely dark to ‘get your attention’ so that you’ll turn your phone off etc. . . Anyway, it just so happened that when they made the room completely black was the moment that I’d reach the row of seats that I had booked to sit on.

Unfortunately, I could not see, so my sister and I were stood awkwardly waiting for there to be light. This may only be a small thing, but the moment seemed to last forever before we braved the descent down the row of seats, trying to avoid the people already sitting down. We made the right choice by waiting, or else we may have trod on a fair few people’s toes (something which I don’t think people would have appreciated).

Anyway, back to the film.

I think that this film had a very strong cast, who manage to survive through the struggle of uncharted lands and very good special effects.

I found some moments comedic and I was entertained throughout most of the film, to be honest. Further, it certainly took the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. One moment, the people are all in awe and smiling because they made it through the storm, the next moment there is absolute chaos.

What I noticed with this film is that it definitely tried its hardest at the shock factor. One moment they’re walking through the woods, the next a man is impaled through the mouth with a tree trunk/leg (when you watch the film you’ll realise what I mean by this).

I loved the character of Hank Marlow (played by John C. Reilly), he had witty comebacks for everything and I appreciated the fact that he had been living with the tribe of people and had come to learn their ways (I also liked the fact that the people weren’t depicted as cannibals or inhumane beings, like in some film versions, because that really freaks me out).

John C. Reilly pretty much rules every scene he’s in and I do think that without his humour this film would have flopped (sorry – but I obviously still enjoyed this film because I gave it 4 stars).

The character of Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) really annoyed me, not that I don’t think he’s a good actor. But he was so hell bent on destroying Kong that he refused to listen to anyone and because of this, he got so many people killed for his own selfish reasons.

And he wasn’t the only one to have selfish reasons either, Bill Randa (John Goodman), certainly couldn’t see past the idea of just being proved right (admittedly, I can see why he wanted to get it done, but he still lied). I also quite liked the bit with his camera, and how it was eaten by the evil creature thing and kept flashing in the fog as they tried to kill it. 

There’s a lot that goes on in this film, but at the same time it flows really nicely – nothing too complicated and I think anyone would enjoy it. This film is very good, in the sense that it’s very easy to watch. I would happily go and see it again some time soon.