Kong: Skull Island

(510) comments

• 
  CANpatbuck3664March 2, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island is Action-Packed, Stylish and Surprisingly Funny

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  BigGuyMarch 2, 2017Reply

  Should be John C Reilly Island

  I just saw a sneak preview of Kong: Skull Island. I don’t think this
  will be a long remembered monster movie. It’s a fun movie, but
  ultimately forgettable. The CGI Kong, Samuel L Jackson, and John
  Goodman all took a backseat to John C. Rielly, who did a superb job
  playing a WWII pilot who was shot down and landed on Skull Island.
  Seriously, his role is the greatest thing in this movie.

  The movie is set in 1973, and the premise is that LandSat (land mapping
  satellite) has taken pictures of an elusive island (Skull Island) that
  has been rumored to exist, but not proved. John Goodman convinces the
  government to launch an expedition to explore the island. They take
  some soldiers who were pulling out of Vietnam, and are headed by Samuel
  L Jackson. They also pick up a British ex-special forces ”tracker” (Tom
  Hiddleston) and an ”anti-war” photographer played by Brie Larson.

  They start the mission by dropping bombs on the island to map the
  bedrock, ostensibly to look for mineral deposits. That’s when Kong
  shows up to smack the helicopters out of the air, and generally wreak
  mayhem on the team. The scattered survivors then have to survive on an
  island filled with monsters and get to the extraction zone. One group
  finds John C. Reilly’s character, who has been stranded on the island
  for 29+ years.

  That’s about all I’ll say about the story, so as to avoid serious
  spoilers. The story line is fairly conventional with very little arc to
  the characters. In many regards it actually sets up more like a horror
  movie than action/adventure movie. In fact, there are numerous
  jump-scares and other horror movie devices throughout the movie.

  In many ways, it felt like the movie couldn’t quite decide what it
  wanted to be. Is it a monster movie? A horror movie? An action movie
  (anti-war)? There are also numerous characters who seem like they were
  intended to play more significant roles. For instance they bring along
  a biologist, played by Tian Jing, who does no biology and seems to
  mainly appear to allow another character to give exposition. Similarly
  most of the LandSat team, who seem to be around for comic relief
  (horror movie style comic relief). Even some of the major characters do
  little aside from provide a single plot piece.

  Then there is Kong. I think they could have spent a bit more time
  developing Kong, partly as a character and partly as an animation. The
  CGI was pretty good, but his proportions looked wrong and his motions
  were wooden.

  Anyway, I think there was just too much going on, and not enough time
  for this movie to be really good. I think it could have been an
  excellent mini-series, or TV season. As it is, it’s an okay movie, that
  is fun if you go in with a low-bar. 6/10, so I enjoyed it, but not
  enough.

• 
  ericdavidami-33507March 4, 2017Reply

  Kong:Skull Island is the PERFECT Monster movie

  No Spoilers here.

  Kong: Skull Island is the perfect monster movie. It’s an epic display
  of what a popcorn movie should be. Great visuals, soundtrack, and a
  pleasant plot that is not bogged down by the melodrama that killed the
  Godzilla flick from 2014. It’s a giant monster movie. Have fun.

• 
  Andrew MarksMarch 4, 2017Reply

  A stylized version of Kong that you may or may not have wanted

  Some people go to the movies to be wowed by the superb acting, heart
  wrenching and well written story, and overall solid production… THIS
  has good effects? The acting in this film isn’t bad, but it definitely
  won’t win any awards for it.

  The story has characters Bill Randa (John Goodman) and Houston Brooks
  (Corey Hawkins) piggybacking on an expedition to an uncharted island to
  test their ”hollow earth” theory. Tom Hiddleston plays a tracker, Brie
  Larson plays a photographer, and John C. Reilly plays a surprisingly
  funny WW2 vet marooned on Skull Island.

  The film takes place in 1973 and loves to remind you with CCR and old
  technology as if it was a hundred years ago. Kong: Skull Island pays
  homage to Apocalypse Now quite frequently even though it seems a bit
  excessive at times.

  Kong looked good, almost all the creatures looked cool and all the
  fights between them looked really good, especially in IMAX 3D. Some of
  the green screen effects, like backgrounds behind characters, were
  distractingly bad. Ultimately, you get some great stuff out of all the
  effects if you’re not looking too closely.

  The characters are more hollow than the earth (according to the film’s
  characters themselves), the story is mediocre, but the effects reign
  king in this film adaptation.

  My suggestion: See it! it’s a blockbuster meant to fill seats, not win
  awards. Take it for what it is.

  Seen at an advanced IMAX 3D screening in Minneapolis.

• 
  moviexclusiveMarch 7, 2017Reply

  Big on action, thrills and pure spectacle and lean on everything else, this latest iteration of pop culture’s mightiest simian is good old monster mash fun

  No sequel, spin off or remake has come close to matching up to the
  mythology of the 1933 classic, and just to be sure, neither does this
  latest iteration of pop culture’s mightiest simian. Instead, this
  origin story largely set in the 1970s when America was pulling itself
  out from the quagmire of the Vietnam War inspires to be no more and no
  less than a monster-mash adventure of epic-sized proportions, pitting
  not just Man-against-Kong but Man-against- nature-itself, the latter
  represented by supersized species the likes of towering spiders,
  blue-blooded pterodactyls and giant saw- toothed lizards referred to as
  Skullcrawlers that are all too eager to get a literal taste of human
  flesh. Oh yes, this is a CGI showstopper in many, many more ways than
  one, with state-of-the-art Industrial Light and Magic technology
  complemented with inventive creature design by Carlos Huante to create
  a fitting modern-day throwback to the B-movie action-driven creature
  features of the past.

  Dispensing with any hint of nuance, the straightforward and utterly
  functional plot has John Goodman’s scientist cum bureaucrat Bill Randa
  assemble a team under his top-secret government-funded Monarch project
  to explore the hitherto uncharted Skull Island, a long- hidden landmass
  in the South Pacific hidden by constant electrical storms and magnetic
  interference which has been only recently uncovered by the first
  Earth-mapping satellites sent up into space by the US. Among those whom
  end up one way or another on the mission: Tom Hiddleston’s former SAS
  officer turned tracker-for-hire James Conrad, Brie Larson’s anti-war
  photojournalist Mason Weaver, and last but not least Samuel L.
  Jackson’s embittered Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard and his
  helicopter squadron (some of the more recognizable faces include Shea
  Whigham and Toby Kebbell). There are about a half dozen other
  characters too difficult to keep track once the film gets underway,
  such as Jing Tian and Corey Hawkins’ pair of token-minority scientists
  who get a couple of pointless lines and no real purpose.

  Withholding knowledge of the real intent of the expedition to ”document
  the existence of massive unidentified terrestrial organisms’, Randa
  instructs Colonel Packard’s men to start dropping bombs from their
  helicopters under the guise of mapping the island seismographically,
  which naturally irritates the hell out of its eponymous chief resident.
  Kong’s grand dramatic entrance consists of hurling a napalm tree
  towards one of the choppers, before tearing through each and every one
  of them by either ripping them apart or tossing them against each
  other. Oh yes, you’ll be glad to know that (unlike Randa) Kong doesn’t
  hold anything back right from the get- go, meaning that you will get to
  see him in all his massive vicious glory in every single scene that he
  is in. That awesome introduction not only cuts the ensemble down to
  those in the opening credits and divides them into two groups, but also
  sets up the enmity between Kong and Packard.

  Given the simplicity of the storyline, it is no surprise that the
  characters are but stock types – in fact, the most fully developed
  character only joins midway through the film, a WWII vet named Hank
  Marlowe (John C. Reilly) who survived the Japanese pilot after him when
  both their fighter planes crash-land back in 1944 and has since learned
  to live peacefully among the natives there. Reilly steals every scene
  he is in – more than just as supporting comic presence, he is a real
  live wire injecting warmth, humour and dryness as an eccentric
  lost-in-time pilot. Jackson comes a close second with his brash gusto,
  but the rest of the actors are not much better than as body count.

  But really, who are we kidding – you’re probably not here for the story
  or the characters but the damn ape himself, and boy, does he look
  magnificent. With tactile fur and soulful eyes, Kong comes to life in
  breathtaking realism, aided with motion capture by ‘Dawn of the Planet
  of the Apes’ actor Terry Notary. This Kong is majestic on his own (one
  such moment has him taking a break in a lake while Kebbell’s terrified
  major watches from behind a rock a few feet away), and jaw- droppingly
  powerful during any one of the startlingly photoreal sequences of
  bestial combat. It bears noting that the monsters which emerge to
  challenge Kong or which simply make an appearance as part of the fauna
  of the titular island are also just as stunning, especially a
  confrontation in a foggy graveyard between the remaining survivors and
  a Skullcrawler and the climactic Kong- versus-giant-Skullcrawler
  smackdown that is impressive even by modern-day CGI standards.

  Despite being a visual effects novice, indie director Jordan Vogt-
  Roberts proves right at home in a big-budget motion picture. He creates
  an immersive pre-historic paradise to complement the exciting monster
  scenes, and mixes 70s war imageries from ‘Apocalypse Now’ and ‘Platoon’
  into the ‘Jurassic Park’ setting to keep his audience hooked. Because
  of his firm grasp on pace and rhythm, what is two hours feels much less
  so – and if there is one unintended outcome of that, it is the fact
  that we end up wanting to see more of Kong. As much as it is Kong’s
  movie, there are also stretches in between where he is nowhere to be
  seen, and the other nasty dino-like creatures on Skull Island take
  center stage to exert terror on the human intruders.

  Ultimately, this is a movie fashioned on pure action spectacle, using
  state-of-the-art CGI to breathe new life into the old-school monster
  movie mash genre (you would do well to note that this is meant to be an
  origin story in Legendary/ Warner’s MonsterVerse franchise, setting up
  the beast for a planned showdown against Godzilla in 2020). It may all
  seem familiar, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun or thrilling, so
  really just grab your popcorn, sit back and enjoy the ride.

• 
  DiMarch 7, 2017Reply

  Kong Surprised Me

  I had a free AMC preview of the movie on March 1st, 2017. My husband is
  not a fan of some of the actors in this film BUT he loves KONG! So,
  during the movie I felt he was enjoying it. I’m not going to give away
  anything because I hate when people do that; all I will say is the
  skull crawlers gave me a nightmare and the entire movie from start to
  finish was really really good.

  The plot was good, the acting was outstanding. I really felt I was in
  the 70’s. The music in the movie was dead on perfect.

  Hope you go out and support this movie because I am sick of remakes and
  this is NOT one of them, This movie stands alone by itself! A MUST
  SEE…

  Stay to the very end…

• 
  garethvkMarch 8, 2017Reply

  A Better Than Expected Adventure

  The legendary King Kong returns in an all new adventure that gives the
  classic tale a much needed update and new setting. Unlike Perter
  Jackson’s retelling of the original Black and White film, ”Kong: Skull
  Island” eschews the old for the new and in doing so breathes a much
  needed new life and vitality into the franchise.

  The film is set in 1973 when William Randa (John Goodman), informs the
  government that they have detected a previously unknown island and need
  to investigate it before the Soviets learn of it and beat them to
  whatever the island my hold.

  William recruits a team which includes a former British officer named
  James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), and Photographer Mason Weaver (Brie
  Larson), to assist his team lead by Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins), in
  mapping the island.

  William also asks for a military escort and the government enlists Lt.
  Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), and his team to accompany
  the mission. Packard is trying to find his place in the world as he and
  his helicopter combat team are dealing with the recent end of the
  Vietnam War. His men are looking forward to going home and resuming
  their lives, but a dour Packard jumps at the chance for another mission
  over the uncertainty of the future.

  Upon arriving on the mysterious island and starting their survey
  mission by using seismic charges, the team attract the attention of
  Kong who is not at all pleased with the intrusion on his island. Kong
  makes short work of the copters and the team finds themselves scattered
  about the dangerous island. They soon learn that Kong is not the only
  danger on the island and must find a way to rejoin each other and make
  it to their extraction point alive.

  Naturally some of the characters have a hidden agenda and there are
  dangerous and action around every corner. Further complicating matters
  is the appearance of Marlow (John C. Reilly), a downed WWII pilot who
  has been stranded on the island for 23 years and warns of dangers far
  greater than Kong that are ahead of the team.

  The film combines a solid cast with state of the art special effects to
  take a new twist on the standard adventure fare. While many parts of
  the film remain silly Popcorn entertainment, the quality of the
  assembled cast allows the film to move beyond being just an assembly of
  potential victims for a menagerie of CGI creatures to dispatch. While
  the story is more in lines with the linear and thin plots of adventure
  films of old, the sum of the parts does add up to an enjoyable film
  experience for those who like the giant creature films. You will want
  to make sure to stay after the credits as there is a very good scene
  that shows a setup for a future film that had those in attendance at
  our press screening cheering.

  The film may be a bit intense for younger viewers but if you are
  looking for a touch of nostalgia and action, you may find the film just
  what you need.

  3.5 stars out of 5.

• 
  ([email protected])March 8, 2017Reply

  King Kong + Jurassic Park on steroids!

  This was huge fun! I immensely enjoyed this movie, as a big fan of the
  King Kong story, I walked in with great expectations but also with some
  fear of disappointment….I was wondering: how can such an iconic story
  be proposed in a way that is still engaging after so many remake? Well,
  they did it!Great special effect, superb cinematography, super cool
  music and above all a story that manages to successfully innovate the
  King Kong story. The movie is action-packed, you have to cling to your
  seat for the entire movie, it is like a two-hour roller-coaster.

• 
  Ali BarterMarch 8, 2017Reply

  Problems And Prejudices

  Attending the premiere of Kong many of one’s anticipated problems and
  prejudices come true. I will keep this short because it is not meant as
  a polemic against anything, but rather a warning bell against the
  cliché-ridden den that is Hollywood, soon to be Chollywood.

  Did you watch X-Men: Days Of Future Past? How about Independence Day
  Resurgence (which they did not want to call Resurrection because there
  were so many of those!)?

  The well-known Hollywood problem of greed and avarice reappears when
  they have, absolutely cliché-ridden have, to insert a token Chinese
  character… not because he or she is integral or needed, but because
  they want to sell the film to China and show it in China. Plain and
  simple. Said actors should be ashamed of themselves as being there for
  no good story, acting or plot reason and Hollywood should be ashamed of
  itself. But then again, they have never atoned for their sin of
  ‘product placement’ why stop now?

  Did you think the last King Kong was too stylish? Then brace for Kong!
  Forced plot meandering, token Chinese chick prancing there for no good
  reason while doing exactly nothing other than sell to China (like
  Chinese audiences are so desperate and needy) and to satisfy new
  Chinese owners and investors, etc. Again Skull Island is not Crouching
  Tiger or Hero that tells a story with Oriental characters (and I love
  those), but it is a forced injection of token East Asian as Legendary
  Pictures promises to do going forward in every Batman movie now that
  Chinese conglomerate has purchased that studio. So, what do we get a
  useless Chinese woman not knowing why she is there in yet another
  sequel/remake/reboot/whatever/who cares anymore? Which takes me to
  another problem. Hollywood, get an original idea once.in.a.while. What
  another reboot? Yes, Jurassic park made tons of dough so the fault is
  ours. But, what is the price of loss of dignity? Look at JJ Abrams. No
  credibility, no future. He made a ton of money with his unadulterated
  accountant-driven so-called Star Wars, but he is now washed up and over
  exposed as a no-talent. The same is happening with these Chinese
  investors taking over films and force feeding audiences something that
  is obviously, er, force fed. As for this film, well it is a stylized
  Kong battling not against humans at first, but against local predators.
  And there is a token Chinese who is a female scientist. Whoopedeeda!
  Can you say Rebooted Star Wars syndrome? One last thing, there is a
  Vietnam connection and so the marketing collateral oh so cleverly hints
  at Apocalypse Now.

  Price of admission? Free at local premiere Value of story? None
  Predictor of the future? Sadly, high. Hollywood has a rope and it will
  hang itself with it.

• 
  spiritof67March 8, 2017Reply

  A Tribute To Hollywood Unoriginality

  If you want a bang-slam action movie, there are lots of them. If you
  want this one, be prepared to suspend a LOT of belief in the power of
  modern ordinance. Believe me, Ol’ Kong wouldn’t survive the first
  encounter with any relative use of modern weaponry.

  But don’t let that stop you. Or maybe you should, and ask Hollywood for
  more new, original characters, protagonists and, well, realism at least
  on some level. Bulletproof apes aren’t at that level.

• 
  mikenontonmuluMarch 8, 2017Reply

  Reboot of One of the Most Iconic Monster of All Time

  Finally! A worthy reboot (remake) of the very famous monster! I was
  very very entertained with this movie. It was full of surprising scenes
  and many crazy fight scenes between Kong and the soldiers, plus Kong
  and other monsters. The special effects of this movie were absolutely
  wonderful. Kong was created using motion capture techniques and the
  rest of the monsters were very lifelike (and scary). The sound effects
  were very good. There were so many moments where we would be surprised
  by the sudden movement (with those shocking sounds) during the movie.

  What I loved about the movie was also the essence of King Kong story
  line like in previous movies were also captured, such as Kong’s fight
  with major monsters, the intention of people to conquer him and even
  his fascination to the female character. And the time of the story
  which was in the 1970s also added a nice oldies feel to the movie. My
  wife also highlighted that she felt the movie was having a real 1970s
  sense which I think was due to the good make up (1970s hair style,
  suits) and equipments like the old choppers or Walkie Talkie you would
  usually see in movies with Vietnam wars.

  Another thing that I loved about this movie was that the introductions
  of the characters did not take too long and it was moving in quite fast
  pace to the main story in the island. The film was almost perfect in
  providing nonstop entertainment and my wife and I also really enjoyed
  the full movie. At the top I have mentioned that the movie is a worthy
  reboot since I believe this movie excel in comparison to the 2005
  version. Despite that movie’s quite loyal to the earlier 1930s and
  1970s versions, I felt that the 2005 movie was not giving the wow
  factor and scary feeling of what King Kong was supposed to make to
  audience.

  Anyway, in conclusion to this movie, I definitely say it is one of the
  coolest action monster movie. There was not a lot of drama in it, just
  pure adrenaline pumping action film. The movie also had some brief
  funny moments and touching moment before the end. Oh before I forgot,
  this movie has got a post credit scene. So better watch out for it coz
  the scene would provide you some very interesting insight and exciting
  future films.

  So for those of you who had not seen the movie yet, please make sure
  you watch it as I am sure you would be very entertained with this film.
  Those who prefer to watch drama or romance or Oscar winning movie, then
  I would recommend to see it without over thinking and just enjoy the
  movie.

  For my complete review: Pls see michaelnontonmulu.blogspot.co.id

• 
  pal05052003March 9, 2017Reply

  A group of soldiers accompany a pair of scientists, and a camera woman to chart an unknown island. Little did they know about the monsters that await them.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Real KriticsMarch 9, 2017Reply

  The new King Kong

  Movie: Kong: Skull Island the fourth remake of the magnificent story
  about a couple of geologists and a military group go off to discover an
  unknown island in the South Pacific, not knowing what they were in for,
  as they are entering the land of King Kong. Now this movie is titled
  after King Kong, but its not just the king himself, in the 2005 version
  the king destroys dinosaurs and other creatures while Kong: skull
  island has a whole range of creatures, call it Kong and friends: skull
  island. In the 2005 version of King Kong which went for 3 hours and 10
  minutes it took half the movie to reveal King Kong, in this one you see
  an early view of Kong straight away. Kong: skull island goes for 2
  hours, which I thought was good because it didn’t drag the movie on for
  to long, it went straight the point. The movies cast was spectacular.
  J.K. Simmons and Michael Keaton were originally supposed to be cast ed
  in this film but both had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts,
  which I thought worked out well because the bad ass Samuel L. Jackson
  took Simmons place and John C. Reilly took over Keaton’s role.

  Actors: as I said, I loved the cast for this movie, Tom Hiddleston as
  James Conrad, a hired soldier for the team, Samuel L. Jackson as
  Preston Packard was the chief, John Goodman as Bill Randa who was one
  of the geologists, and more. Jason Mitchell and Corey Hawkins both
  played in Straight Outta Compton with Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre and
  Jason Mitchell as Eazy E and returned again to play in Kong: skull
  island which was great. You can also tell John Goodman has aged in This
  movie. Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts created the look of the new King
  Kong to look similar to the first King Kong in 1933.

  Editing: the editing in the movie was great, there was great shots and
  clips of the movie that blow you away. Kong himself looked good and
  horrific and so did all the other creatures.

  Feedback: Now, no matter who you are, go see this movie. In my opinion
  everyone would love this movie. The whole movie is so entertaining,
  there’s not much scenes which bore you with scientific information in
  this movie, it is action packed, like a huge gorilla the size of a
  building destroying and killing everything in its path, its just
  spectacular. To me there was no faults in this movie except for a off
  leading ending that wasn’t fully satisfying. There is a after credits
  scene with Godzilla, which I missed and found out later. I was also
  surprised to find out that a majority of the film was filmed in Gold
  Coast, Australia. If your want to see a movie with friends or just want
  to Catch a flick, go see Kong: skull Island in theaters Now! I rate
  Kong: Skull Island a 8.2/10

  Check out my YouTube channel, to find more reviews including this one
  at : Real Kritics

• 
  MrDHWong ([email protected])March 9, 2017Reply

  A sufficient reboot of the King Kong franchise

  Kong: Skull Island is a monster film starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L.
  Jackson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, and Brie Larson. Packed with all
  the giant monster movie clichés and fun action scenes one would hope to
  see, it serves as a sufficient reboot of the King Kong franchise.

  In 1973, a group of explorers led by a band of soldiers journey to a
  mysterious uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean. Upon arrival, the
  group realise the island is swarming with giant monstrous animals and
  insect-like creatures who have called this place their home for
  millions of years. After becoming separated amidst the chaos, the
  groups eventually meet with the local natives who worship a
  skyscraper-sized ape named Kong who protects them from the giant
  monsters.

  While the film doesn’t offer much in terms of actual plot, the action
  and fight scenes more than make up for it. The special effects were
  great and the CGI for Kong and the other giant monsters were all very
  convincing. The characters were all essentially stock action roles but
  thanks to the believable performances from the lead actors, they’re
  still fun to watch. I also enjoyed the fact that Kong has more screen
  time and a greater relevance on the film’s story, unlike with how
  Godzilla was barely in the 2014 film. I look forward to seeing these
  two monsters duke it out in a future film.

  I rate it 7/10

• 
  themadmoviemanMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Action-packed, intelligent and undeniably entertaining

  After the crushing disappointment that was Godzilla, I have to say that
  Kong: Skull Island is a tremendous surprise. Not only a hugely
  entertaining monster movie, but a well-directed, well-written and
  well-acted film full of ideas from start to finish. Its action set-
  pieces are utterly spectacular, the CGI is fantastic, and there’s even
  a story that’s genuinely interesting throughout, something that I
  definitely didn’t expect going in.

  But by far the greatest achievement of this film is the presence of
  Kong himself. As plain as most of the film was, the biggest issue with
  Godzilla was that there just wasn’t enough Godzilla. Fortunately, Skull
  Island rectifies that exact problem, and makes Kong as big a character
  in the film as any of the humans, appearing on screen at regular
  intervals, and actually playing a genuine role in the story.

  And that story is probably the thing that surprised me most of all.
  Again, Godzilla was a slow, empty and formulaic monster movie that
  really bored me. Kong: Skull Island, on the other hand, is a fast-
  paced and absolutely jam-packed action movie that actually gets better
  and better as it moves along.

  Of course, there’s a part of me that’s a little sad that we’re not
  getting the classic story of King Kong that made both the 1933 and 2005
  films so beautiful. However, Skull Island does do a fantastic job at
  bringing the character to a different time period and making a new,
  riveting story.

  Above all, the film’s ingenious parallels with the Vietnam War make for
  fascinating viewing. Bringing a different dynamic to the relationship
  between the humans and Kong, the way that Skull Island looks at the
  story through the lens of the anti-Vietnam War sentiment of the 1970s
  adds an impressive layer of depth to the story, keeping Kong an
  interesting and emotionally resonant character despite removing his
  love with Ann Darrow.

  What’s more is that some of the film’s characters have some very
  layered and interesting backstories. In particular, Samuel L. Jackson’s
  character, a stubborn, war-mongering colonel taken from the Vietnam War
  he loved fighting in, is hugely interesting to watch. At times
  mimicking the role of film director Carl Denham from the original, at
  others adding a far darker and more serious edge to the story of the
  invasion of Skull Island, he’s absolutely fascinating to follow from
  start to finish.

  There are a whole host of other characters that bring some impressive
  depth to the story, depth that I certainly didn’t expect after the
  two-dimensional heroes of Godzilla, and make the film’s large ensemble
  cast work amazingly well.

  One more positive from the film is undoubtedly the action. As I said,
  this is a very exciting monster movie that’s full of action throughout.
  Above all, the opening and closing action sequences really stand out.
  Both because of the amazing visual parallels drawn with Vietnam War
  films like Apocalypse Now, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, but also
  thanks to the stunning CGI that allows Kong to tower over the screen in
  comparison to the humans, but also puts a formidable and genuinely
  terrifying enemy on a very level playing field.

  As far as blockbusters go, Skull Island is top-quality, but it still
  isn’t entirely perfect. For one, whilst it’s brimmed with ideas and
  interesting characters throughout, that does lead the film to becoming
  a little crowded at times. The lack of a main character amidst the huge
  ensemble cast means it’s definitely not as streamlined as I would have
  liked.

  Also, the parallels with Vietnam, whilst unique and great to see in a
  movie like this, are a little overbearing at times. Particularly in the
  first act, there comes a point where the film really hits you over the
  head with how similar it is to Apocalypse Now, and although that does
  die down to a better level later on, it’s a little frustrating at
  times.

  Simply put, Skull Island is an impressively brainy and innovative
  blockbuster, but it goes a little too far with everything it does.
  That’s far better than a completely empty film like Godzilla, but with
  an enormous main cast and a story that’s so jam-packed, I felt like
  things could have been carried out a little smoother than the finished
  product.

  Still, I had a really good time with Kong: Skull Island. It’s a
  massively entertaining monster movie that places its title character
  right in the thick of the action, surrounded by more interesting human
  characters, excellent visuals, stunning action sequences, and a
  genuinely engrossing and intelligent original story.

• 
  Carl RangelMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Not as expected but OK to watch…

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  gogarrettMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Went with no expectations. Very pleased. STAY TO THE END!

  I came to watch another movie and ended up in the Kong theater. The
  previews I had seen before looked promising; however, I have never
  liked Kong movies before. This one was very different. I liked the
  changes and all the surprises in this version, taking place in 1973
  after the Vietnam War. Some parts of the film were very intense and
  violent and parts were sprinkled with welcome humor, mostly because of
  the character of Hank Marlow, played by John C Reilly. I recommend this
  movie for adult viewing. The acting, writing, directing, filming, sets
  and cgi/special effects were all top notch. If you haven’t seen the
  movie yet I have 2 recommendations for you. Watch all the way past the
  credits for the surprise ending AND keep your eye on the actor Toby
  Kebbell, who until now I thought just played the part of the soldier,
  Jack Chapman. I can’t say any more without ruining this review with
  spoilers. Go see the movie.

• 
  rgkarimMarch 9, 2017Reply

  The King Has Returned!

  Giant monster movies are always toss up when it comes to quality. They
  either really impress us, or turn us into monsters as we tear the movie
  apart. Tonight, the ”King” of monster returns to the silver screen, in
  what looks to be a high-definition adventure made for the theater
  technology. With an all-star cast including Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L.
  Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, and John Goodman this could be
  the giant monster flick we have been hoping. Robbie K is back with
  another review, hoping to shed some light on Kong: Skull Island.

  LIKES: • Human perspective • Awesome Visuals • Awesome Soundtrack •
  Action • John C. Reilly

  SUMMARY: Most monster movies are often focused on the monster (or man
  in a rubber costume) wreaking havoc on the environment, only
  occasionally panning on a human actor. This rendition of Kong shifted
  that balance back to the humans, putting the tale more from there trek
  across the killer island. Don’t get heated though, because Skull Island
  has plenty of moments centered on the big ape and all his…naked glory.
  Kong isn’t the only visual the movie has to offer though, as the team
  is able to create the nightmare that is skull island in fantastic
  displays of CGI and real life setting. The environment has a
  culmination of setting that capture both the beauty and horror that an
  isolated, prehistoric ecosystem has to offer. The flora, and inanimate
  stone structures, aren’t the only impressive visual though. Skull
  Island’s fauna are also stunning to watch, imaginative creatures that
  fit well into habitats they call home. Both my friend and I agreed the
  team did an awesome job crafting monsters that dwell in your darkest
  dreams, giving them bark, bit, and in some cases slime to truly be
  deadly. Visuals aside, the soundtrack also has some diversity to it.
  Our humans theme song seems to be songs from the 70s that will have you
  classic rock groupies smiling with glee. While those who like powerful
  symphony work, will enjoy the edge the orchestra brings to the more
  exciting parts.

  Speaking of excitement, Kong: Skull Island brings the action to the
  full front. Unlike Godzilla (2014), Kong doesn’t skimp on the monsters
  actually doing something other than walk around. Much of the movie
  involves the humans lighting the creatures up with their guns as they
  dodge lethal appendages. Yet Kong himself has his moments to shine, in
  heart pounding, special effects laden sequences that will have you
  screaming in delight. I myself was impressed with Kong’s sweet
  wrestling moves, including the epic finishes our WWE guys only dream of
  copying. Sound like too much action? Not to worry, John C Reilly has
  got you covered with well- timed, well-delivered comedy to lighten the
  mood.

  DISLIKES: • Story is okay • Uneven characters • Rushed Scenes • Cheesy
  Moments

  SUMMARY: The story of King Kong has been told in so many iterations,
  but most of these renditions give the beast a lot of character outside
  of wrestling champion. In this telling, the story takes a major dip in
  favor of the action. As laid out in the trailers, Skull Island’s main
  premise is survival, with a majority of the plot focusing on our human
  casts journey to get off the land. Oh sure, they try to inject a few
  other morals into the mix (including vengeance and love) and they do
  try to give Kong some other qualities in an attempt to develop him.
  However, many of these extra points shallowly developed, lost to the
  special effects and battles waiting in the jungle. I missed the deeper
  nature to Kong’s character, but I give props for venturing off the
  traditional path.

  In addition to the simplistic story, Kong’s Skull Island also has some
  editing/developmental issues for me. First off, the uneven characters.
  Our band of humans is a little skewed, with some getting decent
  development to others being just another pretty face (that may or may
  not get devoured). It’s the problem when hiring big casts, but this
  reviewer would have liked a little more backstory to add some emotional
  turmoil to the mix. The shallow character development paints
  predictable targets on most of their backs, leading to rushed moments
  where a character is abruptly, and in some cases pointlessly,
  eliminated. Sure, it keeps in theme with the island is always hungry,
  but Skull Island’s team needed to go in a clean-up these hasty moments.
  Ironically, the one thing (outside of the action) they focused on was
  the anger/hate between Kong and Jackson. Yours truly found the intense
  stare off and peeing contest between the two to be a touch overdramatic
  and drawn out. Suspense building? Maybe. Ridiculous? You bet it is.

  The VERDICT:

  Both my friend and I agree that Skull Island is one of the better
  portrayals of the King of the Jungle. With impressive visuals,
  dangerous environment, and fantastic battles, this is the monster movie
  we have been waiting for. While there are some story elements that need
  tweaking and some balance restored, the film gives me faith for future
  giants vs. human films and the inevitable sequels to come. With all the
  special effects and action, yours truly recommends this one for the
  theater, and could see it having some extra oomph in 3-D. And despite
  what you may expect, one should stick around when the lights go down.
  You might just find yourself stoked for what is to come.

  My Scores: Action/Adventure/Fantasy: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0

• 
  sossevarvoMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Kong – an exciting, satisfying monster mashup

  The construction of cinematic universes seems to be the new fad of
  commercial Hollywood, ever since the Marvel train came along with the
  original Iron Man and proceeded to churn out hit after
  universe-expanding hit. Now, we have a ”Monsters” universe, with Kong
  back just a decade after Peter Jacksons (superior) rendition of the
  character to tie into the universe of the lacklustre Godzilla film of
  2014.

  Fortunately Kong: Skull Island manages to feel like its own movie. What
  separates this new addition to the Kong mythos from all other films of
  its ilk is its distinctive visual aesthetic, an aesthetic I can only
  assume is a gargantuan love letter to Apocalypse Now. Vittorio
  Storaro’s iconic cinematography from Coppola’s classic has been
  reinvented in spades with state of the art CGI effects. Every two
  minutes or so we are treated to a breathtaking shot – mist and fog are
  thrillingly utilised, as well as a night scene eerily similar to the Do
  Long Bridge sequence of Apocalypse Now. While this is perhaps relying
  too much on a far, FAR, better film, it was refreshing to know that at
  least from a visual standpoint there were genuine artistic influences
  that could be discerned, the sense that the filmmaker wanted to put a
  new spin on the monster formula.

  The important thing to note is Kong and his wide array of monster peers
  deliver the goods. All of the action sequences are fluidly filmed,
  thrillingly executed, with breathtaking CGI and the help of such
  atmospheric cinematography as I detailed above. The monsters have real
  menace and bite, and they’re imposing in all the right ways. Through
  what seems to be on location shooting, you also get a nice sense of
  Skull Island as a landscape, its harsh and alien nature. When the
  monsters attack it’s always a blast.

  Unfortunately when they don’t attack, we have to rely on the
  characters, and there isn’t much to rely on. Lazy characterisation and
  archetypal ”there purely to be killed” characters are abound, and
  several great actors – Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Shea Whigham, John
  Goodman, Jason Mitchell, Toby Kebbell – are really shortchanged for
  genuine arcs and motivations. Luckily the sheer talent and likability
  of these actors makes up for a great deal, and when copious eye candy
  and monster throwdowns occur, it didn’t bother me too much. Only John C
  Reilly and Samuel L Jackson truly stand out, and it’s because their
  characters have genuine development and intrigue.

  The soundtrack felt a tad on the nose, with popular 70s tunes,
  including CCR and Bowie, popping in and out for little reason other
  than to hamfistedly evoke an era in the broadest possible way. What
  cannot be faulted however is the film’s pacing – there is never a dull
  moment, with the action and tension kept admirably flowing for a tight
  sub 2 hour run time ( a far cry from Peter Jackson’s 3 hour epic ) In
  all I had a fun time with Kong. It’s likely to leave my memory pretty
  soon, but that being said it delivers in spades on what anyone would
  savour in a crazy big budget monster movie spectacle as this, and even
  with poor characterisation, its visual appeal and effects make it
  worthy of recommendation.

• 
  Alexander_BlanchettMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Great reboot for a new generation

  A very entertaining modern adventure flick with great references to
  Vietnam war dramas like ”Apocalypse Now”. The effects were great,
  nothing too new but effective and convincing. The only problem I had
  with the film were the rather flat characters. The screenplay itself
  was good enough for a monster flick like this but the character really
  needed some work. The only character that was fleshed out was the one
  by John C. Reilly and he also gave the finest performance in the film.
  Tom Hiddelstone was rather underused and a bit pale. I really looked
  forward because I thought he fit great into that adventurous
  environment. Samuel L. Jackson was in typical Samuel L Jackson mode.
  Brie Larson was sexy but didn’t provide much to her character either.
  Even John Goodman was almost invisible. The direction was original, tho
  I could have done without the slow motion bits. The score was
  effective. The entertainment value very high and thus the film mostly
  succeeded in its task. I also loved the imaginary mostly due to the
  cinematography. Definitely way better than ”Godzilla” and in the end a
  very good old fashioned monster adventure flick.

• 
  autisticreviewersMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Autistic Reviewers Opinion Of This Movie.

  Following the route of the 2014 reboot of Godzilla, Warner Bros and
  Legendary Pictures re-team to continue to expand the ‘MonsterVerse’
  with a retelling of the iconic classic King Kong. Packed with epic
  action, monsters and adventure, this movie doesn’t fail for the fans
  for Kong and Godzilla.

  The plot is basically straight forward and requires no brains for
  thinking and realism to be taken seriously; a group of Vietnam soldiers
  and explorers head out to the South Pacific to explore an island that
  may have signs of life and discovery. They find more than what they
  have been told with a massive and destructive gorilla that is hailed as
  a king, due to his presence in protecting the natives from the
  creatures that hunt and feed on the humans. The battle of man vs nature
  commences but it’s not long till they discover that maybe the king is
  the one in need of protection.

  With an awesome eye on action, monsters and scale, first time director
  Jordan Vogt-Roberts delivers a fun ride. First fault though was the
  plot, there’s not much originality on screen but it does carry the
  tones to Godzilla. Writers Dan Gilroy and Max Borenstein make the best
  attempt to make the story work, based on the story by John Gatins and
  Dan Gilroy who based it on the original film’s writers from 1933.

  The acting from the cast, raging from Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson,
  Samuel L Jackson, John Goodman and such is all great for this type of
  film. The humorous moments are from John C Reily, who gives a fun role
  in the adventure. Another problem though was the lack of character
  development, they don’t seem to expand themselves fully but then again
  it’s primary focus is on the monsters and the mythology they come from.

  The soundtrack, both the music score by the great Henry Jackman and the
  70’s themed songs from the era are all amazing. Unlike Suicide Squad,
  the music is used when it’s needed and its not heavily frequent.

  Kong: Skull Island has all the right tones to make it fun, action
  packed and feel like a summer blockbuster type (much like Pacific Rim).
  Despite the lack of character development and a plot that isn’t
  original, it makes up for it greatly with the amount of monster action
  and scale of the adventure on offer. Hail, King Kong! 4/5 – Nick

  A team of explorers and soldiers travel to an uncharted island in the
  Pacific, unaware that they are crossing into the domain of monsters,
  including the mythic Kong.” The movie starts off rather quickly and you
  really do believe you are in the 70’s. The movie captures the whole
  ”good old days” feel. It never takes too long for each scene to get to
  the point.

  Within the first 20 mins you see Kong. So the good news is that this
  isn’t another Godzilla remake where you see Godzilla for the finale 15
  mins. This is Kong’s Movie and you see him in action plenty throughout.
  Smashing helicopters, fighting with the creatures of the island etc,
  he’s totally badass. The CGI of Kong and the creatures are quite good
  as well. There were times where you knew the actors were in front of a
  green screen, and it’s so obvious in parts.

  The biggest problem with this film is that there is absolutely no
  character development or explanation what so ever. The acting was
  actually the weakest part of the whole film. The only 2 good actors
  were Samuel L. Jackson and John C. Reilly. Reilly probably had more
  character development than anyone else in the entire film, and Reilly
  really plays his part so well. He made a stupid character so memorable
  and great. Jackson did well with his part as well, playing the badass
  soldier and stops at nothing until the job is done.

  All in all it’s a 50/50 type film. It has good elements and bad
  elements. If it weren’t for Kong himself the film would have flopped
  big time. P.S. Watch until after the credits. You’ll see! 3/5 – Jay

  Check out Jay and Nick (The Autistic Reviewers) on facebook!

• 
  Reinier BrandsMarch 9, 2017Reply

  The best possible outcome of a movie about a big ape.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Arm-LizardMarch 9, 2017Reply

  A mishmash of extravagant themes, flashy tone, and some top notch set pieces

  Watching the new version of Kong yesterday felt like riding a crazy
  over-the-top roller coaster without fastening seat belts, and it took
  me some time to recover from the dizziness.

  The movie is soaked in style, and it’s humongously entertaining, It’s
  not what you’re expecting from a prototypical blockbuster creature
  feature, but instead, it’s a mishmash of extravagant themes, flashy
  tone, and some top notch set pieces.

  What cheered me the most was how they handled the coloration and
  cinematography. All those irrational close-ups of Richard Nixon’s
  crazily-moving head doll, the reflection of some massive explosion on a
  pair of shiny sunglasses resting on a soldier’s smiling face, the brief
  shot of the clapping monkey, the rough cuts, the surprises, and the
  overall surreal tone. Some may see this as an absurdity, but not me.
  Tastes vary.

  This movie intended to be a pure action spectacle, take it for what it
  is.

• 
  Gordon-11March 9, 2017Reply

  A great blockbuster

  This film tells the story of a team of scientists and army personnel,
  who head off to a remote and uncharted Pacific island for a
  cartographical expedition. Little do they know, that monstrous
  lifeforms are waiting for them on the unexplored island.

  I didn’t think I would enjoy ”Kong: Skull Island” so much! The story is
  very engaging because of the constant unknowns. The characters are
  divided into good and bad, while monsters are also likewise divided.
  This quadratic division gives characters a clear personality, and what
  the character represent. The visual effects are really good, as there
  is just no way that you can tell that the island and it’s unusual
  creatures are computer generated. The credit scene touches me to tears.
  The post credit scene is comparatively long, and is worth staying for.
  I think this is a great blockbuster.

• 
  RaoulGonzoMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Don’t go into someone’s house and start dropping bombs unless you’re picking a fight

  As far as big blockbusters go, Kong: Skull Island is not half bad. The
  first 30 minutes or so pass by and plays out in typical fashion, the
  soldier stereotype as seen in countless films meat headed with a gung
  ho mentality. Which in essence is a moral of the film ”don’t go into
  someone’s house and start dropping bombs unless you’re picking a
  fight”. The first 30 mins despite the roaring action is pretty dull,
  the CG graphics are pretty spellbinding the detail on Kong
  specifically.

  Not until John c Reilly turns up was I fully invested and in all
  honesty he steals the show. He provides a couple of dazzling lines and
  weirdly enough injects some much needed heart into a so far emotionless
  ride.

  The music was good except it suffered from the ”suicide squad” syndrome
  it was over used almost to breaking point. An excellent use of
  Jefferson airplanes white rabbit can always be forgiven though. Kong
  references a whole bunch of other films some obvious choices, others
  not so obvious. Ranging from music cues (the shining, fear and loathing
  in Las Vegas) then to some more on the nose Vietnam flicks ( apocalypse
  now, platoon, full metal jacket)

  Never tries to be smart and plays Upto the ridiculousness of the story
  to good effect. In all honesty I’ve never seen a Vietnam pastiche quite
  like it. For the most part it’s extremely enjoyable and there is tons
  of fun to be had.

• 
  paulspencer-90394March 9, 2017Reply

  If you are a writer, this is an interesting film to watch.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ryanberrisford2001March 9, 2017Reply

  A Fun Kong Film, but doesn’t Live up to Godzilla (2014)

  Just to say, Godzilla (2014) is my favorite film in the world to be
  honest, I loved the characterization and the build up to one of the
  most epic third acts in movie history, people may say it had little
  Godzilla and too much character. So the creators of Kong: Skull Island
  listened.

  Kong Skull Island is pack with great sequences… when Kong is in the
  picture, its so much fun seeing him kick more monster butt on the big
  screen again, and the characters John C Reilly and Samuel Jackson are
  both great and shine in this film, and personally I thought Tom
  Hiddleston was a cool bad-ass who had little characterization, but
  lived up with his tricks.

  The problems are, them three I mentioned were the only ones with
  characterization, maybe Toby Kebball but I didn’t care. The Characters
  are lame and bore me, I just wanted Kong, I wanted to love these
  characters like in Godzilla, that’s why it never bored me. Another
  problem is, as I loved how Godzilla (2014) teased you from the
  beginning of a big fight but never showed adding anticipation, which is
  why the final battle is so AMAZING, due to its build up, if we already
  earlier on saw Godzilla fight, we would think ”well… I’ve already
  seen this” But in this it shows too much Kong kicking ass that it
  ruined the final battle, don’t worry I loved the scenes, its just that
  I didn’t recognize that near the end, that this was a final battle as
  it was just the same as the earlier scenes, so it didn’t wow me.

  But that end credits scene…. IS WORTH SPENDING ALL YOUR MONEY TO SEE
  Overall, it was okay and fun at points, just with big mistakes I hope
  they learn from it, as they seemed to listen to the Godzilla feedback.
  I rate this a 7/10

• 
  CJFourakiMarch 9, 2017Reply

  The movie exists….and that’s about it.

  If you want a popcorn flick, then yeah, this is alright. Have fun. I
  wanted a King Kong movie however and this is where it failed.

  The King Kong films are what make up a big part of my childhood. I
  watched the hell out of them and loved them – being the 1933, 1976 and
  2005 versions. When I heard they were making this, I asked ”why so
  soon?” and ”what will they ruin?”.

  Firstly, here’s how I see the other major Kong films. I love the
  original, it’s one of my favorite films. I have a soft spot for the ’76
  one even though it wasn’t as good and I love Peter Jackson’s ’05
  version, which was almost as good as the original and also one of my
  favorite films. Each film served a masterclass in the visual effects
  for its time period, being (in order), stop motion, animatronics and
  CGI.

  Now we get to Kong: Skull Island, a movie that really doesn’t offer
  anything new or anything great. It kinda happens and then has a fart of
  an ending.

  Acting – Everyone was good in their roles. Nobody stood out. John C.
  Reilly was good. S.L.Jackson was good. Tom Hiddleston was good. Brie
  Larson was good. John Goodman showed up. Nothing fantastic or deserving
  of applause. They were just people on a screen.

  Story – It’s a reboot of the franchise, set in the 70s. It’s still
  pretty much the same story of survival and stuff, but nothing to do
  with romance or capturing Kong. It was bland and is really just there
  so the popcorn action can happen.

  Writing – Nothing special. There were some good lines for S.L.Jackson
  and John C. Reilly. Everybody else had maybe one okay line but the rest
  was exposition or nothing interesting. The pace felt off. There were
  slow moments where nothing was happening (including a lot of missed
  opportunities to develop some of the other characters) and then it
  kicked straight into action and then action again and then slow and
  then 5 seconds of action and then slow. It wasn’t a quick 2 hour film.
  It just felt like it’s exact 2 hour run-time. And the ending just
  happened. I was honestly shocked at how quickly they ended the movie.
  It was garbage because they couldn’t end it well like the other Kong
  films because they have to leave it open for what will be the
  abominations known as the Kong vs Godzilla film.

  Action/Effects – Yeah, it was pretty good, nothing we haven’t seen
  before in the other recent garbage/average monster movies like Godzilla
  and Pacific Rim respectively. But just like the story, the action kinda
  just happens. Most of the characters are barely developed so there’s
  really no tension when people are about to die, especially when you can
  pin-point who’ll make it through to the final action sequences based on
  screen-time. There’s some cool moments where Kong gets to be awesome
  and become a force of reckoning. The bad monsters are kinda lackluster
  though except for the final one that actually puts up a fight. There’s
  no choppy editing (and there shouldn’t be anyway if nearly everything
  is CGI) so everything is easy to watch and the action sequences don’t
  get entirely frustrating to follow.

  Cinematography – There’s a lot of cool shots that really show how
  massive and intimidating Kong is, especially when shown full size next
  to humans. There’s some good shots utilizing silhouettes. Whenever you
  see the sun though, it’s color and position is that of the sun setting
  but always seems to return to the middle of the day when it cuts back
  to the characters which I found distracting/weird.

  Music/Sound – It’s the early 70’s, so when they play songs from the
  60’s and 70’s, it’s awesome although they are often drowned out way too
  quickly to be appreciated. As for the original soundtrack, it’s
  whatever. Barely noticeable. Doesn’t even have to be there. Action
  sequences sound punchy however, which is good, and it all blends
  together to become this chaotic cacophony of violent sounds.

  Kong: Skull Island was disappointing for me as a massive King Kong fan.
  It’s an average movie at best and not much better as just a blockbuster
  action film. Out of this and Godzilla (2014), I’d easily say this was
  better than that pile of turd because even though it’s characters/story
  weren’t great, they had a lot of scenes of Kong kicking ass and that
  was pretty cool. Jokes, like in a Marvel film, were plentiful, and just
  like in a Marvel film, some were a hit, most were a miss.

  Overall, if you’re going to watch this film, might as well be on the
  big screen where it belongs. Otherwise, it’ll be pretty crappy on a
  small screen. I won’t be going to watch this again at the cinemas and I
  won’t be going out to buy the DVD to add it to my other Kong films. The
  movie is okay. It could have been better.

  But as for now 6/10. Go watch the other 3, infinitely better versions.
  Peter Jackson had respect for the original when he made his 2005
  version. This was just a cash grab. If they were trying to be
  respectful of the property in this movie, I didn’t see it.

  Next stop, putting Kong into a film with a boring Godzilla. Man, I’m
  sure that’s gonna be a blast and totally not bastardize the King Kong
  name. I couldn’t care less about Godzilla, but I really hate that
  they’re dragging Kong into this poop storm again.

• 
  FlashCallahanMarch 9, 2017Reply

  All Fail The King……

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Corey JamesMarch 9, 2017Reply

  He’s back…only just

  This review of Kong: Skull Island is spoiler free

  *** (3/5)

  LIKE HIS Japanese counterpart, King Kong has entered the world of
  cinema, left it and been resurrected an uncanny amount of times,
  however only a few of them explored the inner reaches of his uncharted
  home the mythical Skull Island. But it’s been over a decade since he
  was last brought to life, and although 2005s King Kong did go to the
  island it didn’t explore it the way we would have liked, it had the
  plot to find Kong and capture him to show him to the world and then he
  raided New York, you know it. In Kong: Skull Island we explore the
  inner reaches of the island, and are constantly threatened by the giant
  beast, for which Samuel L. Jackson’s war-hammered soldier here asks
  ”How big is it? How fast is it? And what it do?”

  Of course how big he is and how he is, is obvious to those who are
  familiar with the monster, his speeds vary through different films. Yet
  with the advantages of CGI only coming in before 2005s version he went
  as fast as the computer would take him, although in that version he was
  played by Andy Serkis in motion capture. Here he’s only seen in CGI
  visuals roaring from sound effects, and looking more dazzlingly like an
  ape than ever. His facial features looking more real, and his height
  even more terrifying here he’s about the size of other monsters beside
  him.

  This is the second film in Legendary Entertainment’s MonsterVerse
  series; the first was 2014s Godzilla directed by Gareth Edwards, who
  thanks to his special effects team made the beast look more real than
  it ever did, but also gave him extra height, it’s too hard to imagine
  how big they’ll in their next fight. Although now Kong is noticeably
  smaller (at around 104 meters) but he’s still growing as the film tells
  us but he can still pack one hell of a punch when he needs to. Were as
  Godzilla is full sized, he probably has the advantage over the giant
  ape but we won’t know until the next film Godzilla: The King of
  Monsters comes out. But for now Kong: Skull Island makes its debut
  reigning supreme on his home turf, where it’s dangerous by day but even
  more dangerous by night, as a lot of the island’s inhabitants are there
  to kill its human invaders. Some more terrifying than others.

  Next to Kong, on the island there are some horrific looking beasts with
  nasty teeth, really quite dinosaur looking, some can fly, some have
  horns and giant some are creepy crawlers, as the humans soon find out.
  However they don’t help Kong, he isn’t the most dangerous, and he’s the
  protector of the island’s native human inhabitants. There is something
  trying to kill him, in addition there is emotional heft to this story,
  too when it explains that Kong is the last of his kind proving to
  Jackson’s hardened soldier that animals, even giant ones have feelings
  too, and he has the feeling of anger when the unwanted guests try to
  destroy his home, there is a gorgeous shot of the primate’s fist
  colliding with the helicopters that he’s scared of. Of course he has to
  be scared of something.

  On land, the human invaders recover from the attack here Jackson
  angrier than ever, decides that Kong is the threat and wants to fight
  against him, but others try to get him change his mind about the war.
  The group of men and women include: Tom Huddleston’s hardened tracker
  James Conrad, who hired by Bill Randa (Goodman) explores the island in
  search for evidence as to why evolution comes to an end, he lists the
  ways they are going to die on an uncharted island leaving one specific
  note (the giant monsters). Brie Larson’s anti-war photographer Mason
  Weaver she takes an immediate liking to Kong and wonders why the other
  creatures want to kill him, and end the human territories on the
  island. Later, they meet with Hank Marlow (Reilly), a World War II
  soldier who’s been stranded on the island since 1944 he steals the show
  from the rest of the players. Unfortunately he’s the only one with
  character in the film, the rest of the characters are bland, even a
  talented actor like Hiddleston is wasted here. Sure he makes a decent
  impact with his bad-ass moments in a bar fight and sword swinging
  through dinosaur birds but it’s not much.

  This is perhaps the main flaw of the film, granted it looks gorgeous
  but the characters are dreary with a non-characterizing screenplay, yes
  there are flaws but there goodness here, too, the action is stunning
  it’s the monsters that have the bigger impact, or in Kong’s case has
  the bigger punch. When goes to punch helicopter of the sky it looks
  gorgeous as he’s surrounded by smoke and fire. In the third act the
  action hits its peak, when he has to fight a giant creature that
  matches him to save the humans. Despite the horrendous flaws, like the
  bland screenplay Kong: Skull Island is a jaunty film with goodness and
  although it’s not the best monster film it’s still enjoyable, let’s see
  how far he’ll go in the future.

  VERDICT: King Kong is alive again! Only just, in this derivative, dumb
  but consistently fun latest addition to the MonsterVerse series. It’s
  just about over the line of Godzilla’s strength, but not by much.

• 
  george.schmidt ([email protected])March 9, 2017Reply

  Size Matters – Epic KONG Conquers

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  GODZILLA_Alpha_PredatorMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Pacific Rim meets Jurassic Park with monstrous adrenaline.

  This will probably become my biggest guilty pleasure of 2017. Although
  I do believe Peter Jackson’s King Kong is one of the few great remakes
  that have been made, a part of me always wished they would just skip
  the first hour on the boat and spend the rest of the movie exploring
  Kong’s world called Skull Island. Rising director Jordan Vogt-Roberts
  definitely delivers on that. He presents an ecosystem of giant
  creatures that stands apart visually from other monster movies like
  Jurassic Park. And it shows Kong less as a misunderstood monster but
  more as protective figure in this new mythology.

  When the director described this new King Kong as a god he really
  wasn’t under-selling it. Kong has never been more intimidated and
  powerful then ever. He is re-imagined to be more then just an animal
  and monster but as this powerful force of nature that is both ferocious
  and benevolent. He felt like a combination of the Marvel’s Hulk and
  Planet of the Apes’s Caesar. By removing the beauty and the beast
  story, Kong is explored more as a character with almost sentient
  qualities and we see what his existence is like on the island. His best
  moments range from him taking out helicopters with his fists during his
  big reveal to when he is just sitting around and killing time with
  stunning visual effects that rival what what was done in the 2005
  remake. And the island itself is presented as a character with always
  having unique ways to reveal the other creatures that hide within
  Kong’s kingdom in suspenseful and surprising ways. The creatures are
  both beautiful and scary as they feel like they’re one with the
  landscapes. I could watch a whole nature documentary on this fictional
  world. The most terrifying out of all of them are the Skullcrawlers. If
  Kong is a god then the Skullcrawlers are the island’s demons. They feel
  like a combination of the creatures from Jurassic Park, Aliens and Bong
  Joon Ho’s The Host. They really make up this great threat to both the
  humans and the island in new and surprising ways.

  Jordan Vogt-Roberts uses a fresh way to show the action and visuals in
  this big-budget movie. While Gareth Edwards’s visual style in Godzilla
  felt similar to Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan, Vogt-Roberts is
  closer to that of Zack Snyder, Edgar Wright and Guillermo Del Torro.
  The action and editing is very energetic and quick with warm vibrant,
  colour tones. When he shoots action you feel like you are suddenly
  thrown into the middle of it with amazing slow-motion shots to help you
  process the destruction and detail you are seeing. This movie has some
  of the most gorgeous cinematography I have seen in a monster film
  thanks to DP Larry Fong. The beautiful and exotic real-like locations
  give Skull Island an extra sense of depth and believability. The
  Vietnam locations like a Ninh Binh and Hao Long Bay make me believe
  they could actually hide 100-foot creatures. The monster fights are
  very brutal and feel very much like a Ray Harryhausen movie where there
  are long shots that stay on the titanic creatures brawling with each
  other. The final battle is unique enough to stand apart from the
  dinosaur fight in 2005 as it shows Kong’s intelligence being used in
  battle in order to challenge the Skullcrawler’s agile and nimble
  movements. The end of that fight makes breaking a T.Rex’s jaw look tame
  by comparison.

  What unfortunately holds this movie back from being great is the human
  narrative. I wouldn’t say it’s terrible but there is nothing special
  either. The list of big-name actors injects some personality into it
  but what you get with most of the characters is just what’s on the
  surface and nothing more. Tom Hiddleston is similar to Aaron-Taylor
  Johnson in Godzilla where he was just there as a plot device to get
  from point A to B. Sam Jackson’s military leader is uniquely written
  and has justifiable reasons for wanting to kill Kong but still feels
  like other roles he has played before. Corey Hawkins and Jing Tian only
  really exist to setup universe building. Out of all the human
  characters John C. Reily was the only one I was truly invested in and
  felt like he matched the movie’s stylized surreal tone. Got a kooky Tom
  Hanks Cast Away vibe from him. His crazy personality and backstory is
  what kept me going through the scenes without any monsters. His scenes
  of exposition could have been handled poorly but work when he is
  delivering them with some well-time jokes. Brie Larson’s role in this
  is not going to measure up to her Oscar-winning Room performance but at
  least she isn’t portrayed as a useless damsel like in most monster
  movies. I did also enjoy the dynamic between Jason Mitchell and Shea
  Whigham surprisingly. In Godzilla, the movie felt subtle about giant
  monsters rising from the earth being served as a metaphor for our
  over-reliance on nuclear power and lack of control on nature. Skull
  Island’s thematic messaging about military power invading native lands
  like Vietnam felt more forced and didn’t leave as much of an impact on.

  Overall, I would say that Peter Jackson’s remake has a stronger
  emotional story with more depth but Vogt-Roberts delivers a King Kong
  movie that is simple, and more unique. Similar to Pacific Rim, the
  humans serve more as a way for us to explore this world of giant
  monsters then be emotional centre piece. The movie knows when to inject
  fun, humour and energy when it needs to and doesn’t become too reliant
  on these characters that can’t carry the movie without having a giant
  monster on screen. I definitely look forward to seeing this new Kong
  take on Godzilla in 2019. Also I got child-like excitement when I saw
  the after-credits scene for Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

• 
  Peter ParkerMarch 9, 2017Reply

  A reboot with lots of action

  It’s a different movie from the original; there is no romance with the
  blond girl (Brie Larson), everything happens in the island.

  The movie is in the 70s & every little detail is excellent (the music);
  the landscape is a homage to Apocalypse Now, some parts look like
  Predator or Alien.

  The characters aren’t well developed since there are a lot of them;
  Kong (Twice as tall as the original) is the main protagonist & his
  fights with giant monsters/creatures.

  Samuel L. Jackson is a insane colonel who wants to hunt his Moby Dick
  (Kong) but James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) has to track him.

  Warner Bros wants to build this new cinematic universal.

  There is a post-credits scene.

• 
  Sam JohnsonMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Apeocalypse Wow!

  First off, I’m a total Kong fanatic, have been ever since I can
  remember, so needless to say, I was beyond excited when it was
  announced they were bringing the big guy back for a new generation! But
  as time passed, and with each new trailer they rolled out, I became
  more and more apprehensive. I was worried they were going to butcher
  the mythos into some third-rate Marvel wannabe or something.
  Thankfully, I was wrong; Kong: Skull Island is a great time at the
  movies!

  It’s kind of what I remember blockbusters were, when I was a kid.
  Adventure, fantasy, monsters, without trying to be overly
  pretentious… and lots and lots of popcorn- munching action. Man, this
  movie has a lot of it, so buckle up! If you were disappointed with the
  lack of monster-stomping madness in 2014’s Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island
  has you covered.

  The characters, the dialogue, etc. it’s all (mostly) good, and the
  movie didn’t let me down on that front, as I’d feared. But let’s not
  kid ourselves, this is a monster movie, and that means it really all
  hinges on one thing…

  I’m pleased to say that this is probably my favourite iteration of Kong
  since the 1933 original. As you probably know, he’s an absolute
  behemoth. Way bigger than we’ve known him in the past. But, thankfully,
  Kong is far and away the most well developed character. He’s a
  protector, a peaceseeker, and the keeper of balance in Skull Island’s
  chaotic ecosystem. But when forced to protect his island, he’s
  absolutely brutal. He’s a total barroom brawler. We’ve never seen a
  Kong like this before, and I loved every second of it! I’ll tell you,
  Godzilla definitely has his work cut out for him in 2020!

  So, go see Kong: Skull Island, order a jumbo popcorn, don’t overthink
  it, just get lost in the world and you’ll have a hell of a time!

• 
  blonditheraphosaMarch 9, 2017Reply

  Better than all MCU movies combined

  Kong: Skull Island is an action pack filmed, the cinematography is
  awesome! It is la combination of Zack Snyder’s cinematography in a
  colored view and Guy Ritchie’s PoV.

  Don’t believe on other reviews giving a low score,they just hate Warner
  brothers because WB own DC and people always bash DC anyways this movie
  is perfect! Better than Doctor Strange and Avengers, hell better than
  Avengers Infinity War.

• 
  Dave McClain ([email protected])March 10, 2017Reply

  Simply fantastic!

  Tarzan may be ”Lord of the Jungle” and Godzilla is called ”King of the
  Monsters”, but King Kong bows to no one – man or beast. He is, after
  all, ”The Eighth Wonder of the World”, according to the original movie.
  American filmmaker Merian C. Cooper (who co-directed that film) named
  and created the character of the giant ape, with minor contributions
  from British writer Edgar Wallace (whom Cooper had hired to write the
  script, but who died early in the revisions process). The result was
  the iconic 1933 film – followed by several other movie versions and
  multiple representations of Cooper’s monster in various media and other
  forms. Over a 72 year span, three films carried the simple title ”King
  Kong”.

  That first version (starring Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong and Bruce
  Cabot) is dated by today’s standards, but featured groundbreaking
  special effects and music with a script written by Ruth Rose, the wife
  of co-director Ernest B. Schoedsack (at a time when there were a higher
  proportion of female screenwriters than today) and remains high on many
  all-time best lists. The cast of the 1976 remake (produced by famed
  Italian filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis and directed by the prolific John
  Guillermin) was led by Charles Grodin and then-20-somethings Jeff
  Bridges and Jessica Lange (in her film debut). 2005’s ”King Kong”
  starred Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black & Andy Serkis and was
  directed by Peter Jackson. The original has higher ratings on IMDb and
  Rotten Tomatoes than its sequels, but all made big profits.

  The various cinematic incarnations of the titular great ape have seen
  him with different personalities (sometimes as a wantonly destructive
  beast and others as a sympathetic anti-hero), at different sizes
  (portrayed between 12 feet and 60 feet tall) and with different levels
  of human-like characteristics (for example, walking upright in the 1933
  and 1976 versions, but on all-fours for the 2005 movie). He also
  battled his rival for the title of biggest, baddest monster in the 1962
  Japanese film (and its 1963 re-edited American version), ”Godzilla vs.
  King Kong”, which became and remains the most-attended Godzilla film of
  all. Regardless of how he looks or what he is doing, the colossal
  primate has become such a fixture in our cultural consciousness that
  the 2017 version need only refer to him by a single name, joined with a
  reference to what outsiders call his kingdom: ”Kong: Skull Island”
  (PG-13, 1:58).

  Rather than another remake of the original 1933 version, 2017’s mammoth
  monkey movie is a reboot. It’s an origin story for the King Kong
  character and the second installment in Legendary Entertainment’s
  MonsterVerse series which began with 2014’s ”Godzilla” reboot. ”Kong:
  Skull Island” leads into another Godzilla movie, followed by a King
  Kong – Godzilla crossover. A clever and game-changing post-credits
  scene reveals the connection and sets the stage for the coming movies.
  Meanwhile, this one, although based on an original story by John Gatins
  (”Real Steel”) and a script by Dan Gilroy (”The Bourne Legacy”), Max
  Borenstein (”Godzilla”) and Derek Connolly (”Jurassic World”), had a
  number of cinematic influences. According to director Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts, those films include ”Apocalypse Now”, ”Platoon”,
  ”Princess Mononoke”, ”Spirited Away” and even ”Pokémon”. After seeing
  ”Kong: Skull Island”, I’d have to add ”Jurassic Park” to that list.
  However, as compared to the former, the latter is… a walk in the park.

  After that admittedly overly long introduction (which really only just
  scratched the surface of the background and influences to ”Kong: Skull
  Island”), it’s finally time to talk about the movie’s plot: In 1973,
  government official William ”Bill” Randa (John Goodman) and scientist
  Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) convince a Senator Willis (Richard
  Jenkins) to support their proposed mapping expedition of a mysterious
  island in the South Pacific. Bill and Houston travel to Vietnam where
  they hire former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad (Tom
  Hiddleston) to lead the mission. They also secure a military escort
  from U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson)
  and his ”Sky Devils” helicopter squadron, which includes his executive
  officer, Major Jack Chapman (Tony Kebbell), and a diverse and colorful
  group of experienced soldiers. Rounding out this large group of misfits
  are other government representatives (John Ortiz and Marc Evan
  Jackson), another young scientist (Tian Jing) and Mason Weaver (Oscar
  winner Brie Larson), a war photographer who is suspicious of the
  expedition’s purpose.

  After flying through storm clouds which perpetually surround the island
  and keep it isolated from the rest of the world, the helicopters start
  dropping seismic charges, ostensibly as part of the mapping mission.
  The de facto simian ruler of this island doesn’t take kindly to anyone
  disturbing his home. Kong (walking upright, appearing to be about 100
  feet tall and played through motion capture by Terry Notary) takes out
  his anger on those helicopters, killing about half of the expedition’s
  personnel in the process. The survivors, separated into small groups
  (and one individual) with limited communications, all set out for the
  other side of the island, where they are to be picked up in three days.
  Along the way, they encounter a variety of large, unique and deadly
  creatures, a tribe of island natives and an American (John C. Reilly)
  who has been stranded on the island for many years. Meanwhile, Lt. Col.
  Packard, as obsessed as Captain Ahab in ”Moby Dick”, is determined to
  avenge the loss of his men at all costs.

  ”Kong: Skull Island” is simply fantastic! The casting,
  characterizations and acting are especially strong, the fight scenes
  and visual effects are even stronger and King Kong appears
  appropriately powerful, and terrifying, but also sympathetic. Rather
  than simply building towards one huge showdown, there are surprises and
  exciting moments throughout the film, but the intensity is
  well-balanced with some comic relief, mostly from the loopiness of
  Reilly’s character. This film is at least as good as previous Kong
  movies, or 2014’s ”Godzilla”, and is a terrific lead-in to subsequent
  adventures. ”A”

• 
  blaskofilmsMarch 10, 2017Reply

  A Truly Great Ape

  Movies used to be fun. Genuinely fun. Kong: Skull Island is a throwback
  to the era when movies were fun – like, Stars Wars fun. Like Jaws fun.
  That kind of fun. The leads embody characters that are all
  understandable and genuinely likable. The plot isn’t stuffed with
  technical geek references and ”easter eggs” that weigh down other
  universe-building films. From the fire- singed Kong fur to the slick
  skull crawler tongues, the special effects are brilliantly detailed and
  animated. And it’s genuinely refreshing to watch an action/monster film
  in which native peoples are depicted with dignity and respect, and
  where black and Asian characters aren’t used as props or fodder for
  violence (admittedly, the film could have gone further with this, but I
  sensed some progress being made). Kong: Skull Island isn’t Life is
  Beautiful. It isn’t Casablanca. But it is genuinely, thrillingly,
  rigorously fun. It has heart, scales, teeth and a ferocious roar.
  Monster movies are back. Get in line. Hail to the King.

• 
  Special-K88March 10, 2017Reply

  good ingredients but with familiar results

  In the early 1970s, a government team is assembled for a portentous
  exploration of a mysterious, uncharted island in the Pacific. Among
  them are a former British SAS officer paid to act as an expert tracker
  and mercenary, a government agent who may know more than meets the eye,
  a fanatical U.S. Army officer commanding the military escort, and a
  photojournalist with a different agenda all together. Naturally, their
  journey turns into one of nonstop peril when they encounter a various
  assortment of dangers along the way. Well-cast, occasionally
  exhilarating, with more than enough special effects to please the eye,
  but doesn’t provide much of anything that you haven’t already seen in
  previous renditions. **½

• 
  hegedus_dani02March 10, 2017Reply

  The monster movie you’ve been waiting for!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  LiL BoxMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Really Really Bad!

  OK, I will be short, really short. This movie has so many loopholes in
  the script i just don’t know where to start.. so i decided not to go in
  details. Seriously i don’t know how this movie has so many good reviews
  and good rating.

  Summary – Acting is not so bad but very bad script and one liners,
  seriously. – You never seem to get into the plot, you never care if
  anyone dies or not. The plot is written by 15y.o. kid who wants to
  impress his parents. – The music is average at best. – The script has
  loopholes, after loopholes, after loopholes OK you get it. – The
  selection of characters is very debatable, im still confused why Loki
  has agreed to participate in this movie? (the girl is hot though)

  The only good part is editing and visual effects at the end and thats
  it.

  Don’t waste time and money to see this.

• 
  cruise01March 10, 2017Reply

  Kong is big, loaded with action and visuals.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  asifuzzamanredoyMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Story was not rich Though but action was good

  As this is something new based on the previous king Kong movie ,the
  story could be much better as we all know there will be a big monkey
  and of course there will be a beautiful girl also .But overall the
  actions,scene were good and thanks for not bringing the KONG in the
  civilization that was new ! .

• 
  Trevor Pacelli ([email protected])March 10, 2017Reply

  Monstrous Epicness for the Ape Minded

  Were you disappointed by the amount of screen time by the giant lizard
  in Godzilla? I have good news for you: the big ape of Kong: Skull
  Island hits the screen immediately before the opening credits in all
  his grandness, and appears constantly throughout the film with constant
  action and explosions in the mix. Yet even without the ape on screen
  all the time, the amount of swords, flames, helicopters, bombs, and
  Skullcrushers satisfactorily draw out everything moment by moment in an
  approach comparative to various scenes in Apocalypse Now.

  So whether if you’re a millennial or a baby boomer, the action should
  satisfy. Standard to the tradition of Skull Island, other behemoths are
  accompanied to confront both Kong and the humans in search for him.
  These camouflaged beasts include a swamp ox, a log insect, a giant
  spider amongst a bamboo forest, reptilian birds, and a kraken who
  becomes Kong’s dinner. Other colorful sights on this god forsaken
  island range from the mesmerizing northern lights to the horrific
  pale-tinted mass grave of great ape skeletons, creating a believable
  look to a testing world against man’s successes.

  Would such an experience keep you talking in the long run? Will you get
  pumped for Kong’s eventual confrontation against Godzilla?

  Well, let’s rewind the clock to answer that question, shall we?

  As the movie starts, a World War II soldier crash lands on a deserted
  island in 1944, only to come face to sword against a Japanese warrior.
  Compared to past King Kong movies, this slightly different period
  setting receives a rather poor treatment; I mean, when the first five
  minutes persuades us to cheer on a US soldier fighting against one of
  the Pearl Harbor bombers, has racism really changed at all by 2017
  standards?

  Then the opening credits shows historical footage of man’s scientific
  progress up until 1973. Then we see a researcher intent on proposing a
  government-funded trip to an unexplored destination named ”Skull
  Island,” the one island God did not finish creating. They compare it to
  the Bermuda Triangle, as nobody has ever come back alive. So right at
  the Vietnam War’s end, a team of US soldiers, investigators, and a
  photographer set out to explore. Eventually they find the same soldier
  who crash landed in 1944, and introduce the old soldier to the worlds’
  robust change since he left humanity, and team up with him to head back
  home. Although could man really be king here? Especially when the
  castaway tribe worships a 200 foot tall ape?

  Kong may be an epic time for all you men out there, but you ladies may
  be napping once or twice, as your only mode of connection is Oscar
  winner Brie Larson (Room, Short Term 12), who exists here purely to
  play THAT kind of female lead. You know, the one who exists just so
  women have a celebrity name to gush over. The one who gets wet while
  wearing a skimpy gray tank top. If you’re still not underwhelmed, what
  if I told you about her romantic subplot, one that meets absolutely no
  resolution?

  You may not even notice any predictable romantic subplot anyway, as
  there are so many millimeter thick cardboard cutout characters, none of
  which have a proper introduction to tell you who they are as human
  beings. Some of them are even there purely for comic relief’s sake. The
  large cast’s screen time balance of screen time has so little
  attention, you don’t feel any hint of tension or sorrow whenever one of
  them gets killed or mauled.

  Now one question still remains: how will it be when Kong has to fight
  Godzilla in 2020? I can absolutely presume the fight will be epic. I
  mean, if Kong can deliver the nonstop action and cinematic grandness we
  asked for, while also learning its lessons from 2014’s Godzilla, then
  it should turn out entertaining enough.

  On the other hand, if you prefer a much deeper story featuring
  characters who are worth cheering on, then you’d probably be better off
  watching Peter Jackson’s version as opposed to investing in future
  films similar to Kong: Skull Island. It may not be a particularly good
  movie, nor was it trying to be, but it’s still a pretty sweet thrill
  ride!

• 
  AlexFalzonMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Review – Kong: Skull Island – Surprisingly enjoyable.

  Man, the tone in this film is all over the place… and I mean that in
  the best way possible. It never stops feeling strange, but it also
  never feels wrong, either. We’ll be enjoying a light-hearted scene set
  to the tune of a ’70s rock song. Suddenly, gruesomely, fatally, we have
  a terrifying encounter with an enormous monster. Then we’re back with
  another ’70s hit over a montage as our protagonists journey to their
  next obstacle. It’s bizarre, and it works.

  If you’re expecting to see that same Kong story with which you are
  familiar, alter those expectations radically. Kong never leaves Skull
  Island, never kidnaps a blonde, and is around five times larger than
  you’ve ever seen him before (unless you saw Japan’s 1962 film King Kong
  vs. Godzilla). Unlike the original film, Skull Island is set in 1973,
  immediately after Nixon pulls out of Vietnam, and, oh, boy, do the
  filmmakers have fun with this. As well as the aforementioned
  soundtrack, the score, cinematography, even the film’s posters all
  channel the era, with nods to Apocalypse Now sometimes taking up entire
  scenes.

  This isn’t to take away too much from the creativity of the film. The
  excellent cinematography is the work of Larry Fong, who’s done a bunch
  of Zack Snyder films, and the CGI is phenomenal, with a couple of very
  small exceptions with regard to the small(er) animals that drifted just
  a little too far into the uncanny.

  Our characters (a helicopter squadron and a group of scientists, neatly
  separated by colour, as well as a tracker, a photographer, and three
  members of the mysterious organisation ”Monarch”, which you may
  remember from 2014’s Godzilla…) head to the strange island after
  picking it up for the first time via satellite (what if something
  good’s there and the Russians get it!?). After Kong, they also meet the
  other denizens of the island – enormous buffaloes and spiders, new,
  fictional monstrosities, and good old human natives. At this point the
  objectives of the characters divide; some want to flee the island, some
  want to hide and wait for rescue, others still enter Ahab territory and
  are resolved to take down the big gorilla himself.

  The screenplay has obviously gone over a couple of drastic revisions.
  Characters say things like ”this happened in ’72”, which is a little
  weird, because the film is set in ’73. Why not just say ”last year”? I
  can only guess that the year in which the film is set changed during
  pre/production.

  Tom Hiddleston and John Goodman are solid. Brie Larson and Samuel L.
  Jackson somehow manage to deliver excellent performances in a very
  silly (but fun!) movie. John C. Reilly is great, blending that great
  sense of humour and timing with just the right dosage of sobering
  heartbreak that comes with being stranded on an island for thirty
  years; he crashed during World War II.

  Many cute references are sprinkled throughout the film, and done so in
  a charmingly subtle way; ”Hold onto your butts” says Jackson’s
  character. I breathed a sigh of relief when they elected not to
  actually play Ride of the Valkyries during an already extremely
  Apocalypse-Nowy sequence. It’s actually a pretty clever movie, and I
  was very pleasantly surprised.

• 
  Harry T. Yung ([email protected])March 10, 2017Reply

  What’s in a name/title?

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  muvi-fan-73March 10, 2017Reply

  Fantastic treat of some lost world.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Matthew HenryMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Best Kong since the original!

  Finally, after being disappointed by film after film after film after
  film this year we have the only film other than Hidden Figures that has
  lived up to my expectations. Kong: Skull Island is easily the best film
  about Kong since the original. The story takes place in 1973 as the
  Vietnam War is coming to an end which, in my opinion, sets a great
  atmosphere for what is about to come. The backstory feels a little
  rushed, especially for a two hour film, but that means we don’t have to
  wait very long for the main character to make his appearance. There are
  many elements and story lines which mirror the original story while
  still telling a new one. Visual effects are wonderful, as is the
  soundtrack. Kong: Skull Island is definitely worth seeing, and even
  more so if you have the opportunity to see it in IMAX 3D. P.S. Don’t
  forget to stay for the added scene after the final credits.

• 
  Perra117March 10, 2017Reply

  KONG: You have the power.

  I saw this on cinema today , and I can say I was surprised so good this
  movie is , everything is perfect from the start to the end.

  Kong is a big true hero here and a perfect Monstermovie for all fans
  that love the old King kong and Godzilla movies.

  Go and see this movie or catch it when it coming out on Blu-Ray.

  HAIL THE KING !

• 
  ([email protected])March 10, 2017Reply

  Full body KONG with just a hint of story

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  WoodBangers EntertainmentMarch 10, 2017Reply

  entertaining

  Over the years there had been many attempts to bring the story of King
  Kong to the theaters and each time had been an epic failure, so after
  the trailers of Kong: Skull Island (2017); we had to go see it. The
  trailer for Kong had already shown a huge progress between this movie
  and every other King Kong related film and the cast for Kong: Skull
  Island (2017) was certainly an eye catcher.

  Last night on the first viewing we were in our seats ready to enjoy the
  movie, it wasn’t a big crowd. In reality probably 20 people in the
  theater. The lights went out and the film began and right off the start
  we were saying ”this looks to be really good”. The graphics, for the
  most part, are extremely good, there were only two or three spots that
  you could really see the film set and green screen hiccups. The script
  was well put together for the most part until about ⅔ of the way
  through as the film starts to lose steam. By mid-way through it many
  items were starting to stand out for example: If someone had just come
  out of the water completely soaked and two seconds later in the film,
  their hair and makeup had been redone and they’re dry. Items like that
  sort of started to show themselves more and more towards the ending as
  if the film was completely rushed to finish up.

  Now, in short, this film is very entertaining and it is marketed
  towards the right audience and age group, I’m certain that area will
  miss a lot of the items I pointed out. We did have a wonderful time
  watching the film, and it is the best King Kong made film to date. The
  graphics are as good, if not better than Michaels Bay’s ”Ninja
  Turtles”. Would we see it again? Yes.

• 
  Alexander KleinMarch 10, 2017Reply

  The King Returns

  What a trip! The movie takes place in the early 70′s and the entire
  movie has that vibe. As the movie starts the soundtrack of classic 70′s
  rock lit up the theater and really blended well with the whole island
  vibe. This is a great movie that seemed more concerned with a good
  story than focusing on the big monkey himself and that is a good thing.

  A crew of military and scientific people head to an island never before
  seen until recent satellite images discover it for the first time. From
  the beginning the crew realizes the man heading the expedition, John
  Goodman, knows more than he is letting on. Everyone still goes along
  with it all for their own reasons that are fleshed out as the movie
  progresses. Samuel Jackson plays a army general not quite done with the
  battlefield. Tom Hiddleston is a tracker who is searching for something
  more. Brie Larson is a photographer looking to snap the next big thing.
  If this sounds like a Marvel reunion then this is the movie for you.
  Everyone plays their part in this film and while there are plenty of
  different characters they are all fleshed out just enough to make you
  want to know more. As with giant cast movies the filmmakers could have
  dropped the ball like a certain Star Wars movie but that didn’t happen
  here. All the characters have their own quirks especially the
  incredible John C Reilly.

  Kong himself is a technical marvel. At this point in the game CGI
  really is make or brake and him along with all the other creatures on
  the island are beautifully rendered. The island itself is also
  stunning. The whole filming process really had me ooing and awing at
  everything. This was a very colorful movie fill with very vibrant
  scenes. Along with that it was really well shot with a lot of thought
  put into making the movie feel like an art piece. It is hard to
  describe exact shots but it’s the sort of thing that you will know when
  you see the film.

  As I stated earlier, the soundtrack really added to the movie. There
  were many songs that were perfect for the film along with a really
  great score. This was a really great telling of Kong and a perfect
  entry into the monster franchise that started with Godzilla. Speaking
  of which, there is an after credits scene that fleshes more of that
  world out so I would recommend staying until the final credits roll.

  Overall this was a fantastic movie. Perfect for the whole family.
  Perfect for fans of Steve Brule. This is a great movie to go to after
  having a personal pan pizza that you might have waited too long in line
  for. It is also is the type of movie for a fan of big screen monsters
  but also cinephiles who love a little art in their movies. Go feast
  your eyes on this flick.

• 
  drjgardnerMarch 10, 2017Reply

  EcoWarrior theme falls a bit flat

  Why on earth would you want to remake the 1933 classic King Kong? It
  came out during the Golden years of Hollywood Horror, with such films
  as Frankenstein (1931), Dracula (1931), Dr. Jekly & Mr. Hyde (1932),
  The Invisible Man (1933), etc. To this date those classics (mostly from
  Universal) remain the best of breed. Attempts to re-make the classic
  Kong in 1976 (Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange) and 2005 Jack Black, Naomi
  Watts) both failed.

  In the original, the cast (Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong), the director
  (Merian Cooper), producer (David O Selznick) and the animation (Willis
  O’Brian) are all first rate. (FWIW – Willis was the mentor to Ray
  Harryhausen who is perhaps even better known for his work on
  stop-action animation) Kong has been in several other films, mostly
  Japanese including King Kong vs Godzilla (1962) and King Kong Escapes
  (1967). There was even a ”Son of Kong” released just a few months after
  the original, re- starring Robert Armstrong but absent Fay Wray.

  The current film has a large cast (Samuel Jacklson, John Goodman, John
  C Riley, Tom Hiddleston).Uniformly they do a good job, especially Riley
  and Jackson. The director is virtually unknown but the writer Dan
  Gilroy has done some good projects like Real Steel (2011), The Bourne
  Legacy (2012) and Nightcrawler (2014). Photography is excellent.

  This 2017 version is clearly superior to the other versions, except for
  the original. The anti-war ecology theme is a bit heavy handed, but the
  real problem is the ”monsters” who are done very poorly, and even Kong
  gives us very little more than the 1933 version did. In fact, I’m going
  to say, even less. Also, we’re missing the romance.

• 
  abisioMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Barely OK King Kong reboot

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  BlackrabbitninjaMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Save your money

  I hated everything about this movie. Cliques, bad acting and a terribly
  predictable plot made me face palm and wince throughout its duration.
  The film has lots of A-list actors but it’s hard to tell who acted the
  best in this film; perhaps it was the ”Skullcrawler” who seemed to
  unintentionally or not cut out the BS the movie served you up.

  All in all, save your money and see a movie actually worth watching,
  unless you have a kid that wants to be entertained by monsters fighting
  and things exploding

  4/10

• 
  dexteriotMarch 10, 2017Reply

  A Cheap Screenplay with Weak Dialogues vs Excellent Visuals

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  hotohori_zMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Kong is fun but don’t expect too much!

  Going into this film I had low expectations. But I was pleasantly
  surprised coming out of the theater that this movie kept my attention
  for as long as it did.

  The cast of this film: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson,
  John Goodman and John C. Reilly all do adequate jobs here. I describe
  it as adequate because no one’s performance was mind-blowing or
  terrible they just did the job and went about the movie. Does this make
  you hate the characters? Not really but Sam L. was channeling Captain
  Ahab from Moby Dick thru parts of this movie.But does it make you care
  about them? Not really either.

  Overall the plot is really nothing special, SURVIVE is basically it.
  The action thru the parts of the film are exciting to watch but it does
  suffer from some slower moments which seemed like they wanted to build
  up tension but never really surfaced. Deaths came off a bit jump-scary
  but nothing too crazy bad but you can tell by the end they are setting
  up and world building to something bigger. Fun for the for the older
  kids with a bit of scares here and there. 7/10 — Definitely could
  watch while doing house work in the background.

• 
  James KozakiewiczMarch 10, 2017Reply

  B-style cheese platter

  Only through the words of a human is Kong’s character developed, and
  that sucks particularly in contrast with previous tear-jerking
  franchise installments. This movie does offer colorful monster violence
  without the vomit-inducing cinematography of similarly cheesy
  blockbusters, so, it’s passable. See it at the cheap seats.

• 
  yinkblingMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Very Entertaining, great CGI but nothing out of the ordinary

  OK I would go straight to the point here, Kong was action filled
  coupled with very good acting as I did expect, however the story-line &
  dialogue at some point could be likened to that of a 12-year old, very
  weak & lacks purpose. Without the fighting / action scenes I probably
  would have rated the movie 4/10 as the other scenes were very boring.
  At some stage, I couldn’t understand what the mission was because it
  got very confusing and plain. Looking at the positives though, CGI was
  totally top notch, Kong was scary, powerful and his engagements with
  other creatures were very interesting. Acting was also OK, Tom
  Hiddleston & Samuel L Jackson delivered, the other actors weren’t bad
  either. To round it all up, the movie is still a very good watch if you
  not expecting so much but for decent action scenes and good brawls.

• 
  Akhil BalachandranMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Watchable only because of King Kong!!!

  With the help of soldiers, a group of scientists goes on a mission to
  visit an Island in Southeast Asia. After reaching the Island they start
  to drop bombs, until someone shows up to fight. This is the second film
  in the series of monster movies that starts with Godzilla 2014 which is
  far better than this movie. The failed attempt of character development
  was the main problem that faces the whole story. The technical team did
  an excellent job and the actors are all talented. Now comes the King
  Kong factor which is the only thing that is worth watchable. The intro
  action scenes and the ending scenes were outstanding. The night scenes
  look ridiculous in 3D. The Academy award winner Brie Larson is assigned
  to take pictures in the movie and apart from one stunt scene there is
  nothing much to do for her. The only reason why she signed this movie
  is the popularity of King Kong movies, Other than that, I don’t know
  why she acts in this movie. Samuel L Jackson’s eye to eye contact with
  King Kong was unbearable to watch. Overall, it’s watchable only because
  of King Kong and that’s the only thing that keeps the movie alive.

• 
  tvsweeney-39052March 10, 2017Reply

  No Question: 10 out of 10

  This isn’t a horror movie, it’s a war movie, with an ape incidental to
  the plot…and it ends the way we’ve always wanted this particular
  movie to end. (I hope this isn’t considered a SPOILER)

  Beginning with the opening credits, displayed in a unique and original
  style setting the stage and explaining the plot while rapidly spanning
  from 1944 to 1973 as the cast is shown, the story leaps directly into
  the action, without all the talky exposition, while the end credits
  promise Things to Come. This is not only an exciting action adventure
  flick, but also a beautifully photographed film. Part of it is
  reminiscent of the WW2 movie A Walk in the Sun, and there will be many
  pointing out a resemblance in tone to Apocalypse Now.

  There were characters I hoped would survive and regretted when they
  didn’t. A good many of them play against type, which is refreshing.
  Juxtaposition of some shots foreshadow later scenes. The parallels
  between scenes of Col. Packard and Kong in body language isn’t to be
  missed and definitely points out these two characters’ relationship.

  AS for the monsters themselves…original, imaginative, and definitely
  deadly. (Loved the giant water buffalo, by the way.) Beautiful scenery
  and creative filming, with unusual camera angles aren’t to be missed.
  If I were asked,I’d nominate the cinematographer as well as the special
  effects people for Oscars. Having seen ALL the Kong films, from the
  original to the Jack Black version (which I also like in spite of
  critics views to ebb contrary), I easily give this one 10/10.

• 
  quinnolynykMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Great classic monster movie fun

  This movie for me personally was just a fun classic monster movie with
  funny characters and great action.

  – Great visuals, Skull Island did not disappoint me.

  – Mix of funny and serious characters blended very well together. Tom
  Hiddlestone, Brie Larson, and John C Reilly were my personal favorites.

  – King Kong was actually represented as a different kind of ape
  entirely, not just a giant gorilla. He was also given a personality,
  maybe not as well as Peter Jacksons King Kong, but fairly close.

  – Skull crawlers served their purpose greatly, with them being visually
  terrifying but also not overfilling the movie with their presence.

  – Story was easy to follow and interesting to watch.

  Overall, this movie for me has already placed itself in my list of
  favorite movies this year and it’s only March. I can’t wait to see what
  else 2017 can throw at me.

  One last thing, definitely stay for the end credit scene, it does not
  disappoint.

• 
  John AbuSaleemMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Message to all the studios: stop with the reboots and all the hacks you hire to write good reviews

  So it is like Ghostbusters 2016 all over again. On the day of release
  of another unrequested, unwanted, unappealing reboot a whole bunch of
  accounts appear and write super duper positive reviews. Well, they are
  all fake. Although these fake reviewers are getting more
  ‘sophisticated.’ Look at tvsweeney-39052 for example, the account was
  created several months ago and give Village Road Show and Columbia
  releases all 10/10, but has thrown in a couple of bad reviews of other
  studios’ releases in the interim.

  This movie sucks. The unoriginality stinks to high heaven The token
  Chinese cow to satisfy Chinese investors and Chinese ticket sales is
  beyond useless and cannot act and Kong is not even Kong (they don’t
  even want to call him King because he is so off). This is one of those
  standard cliché films where the grown up audience knows after 5
  minutes, that the target group is hacks. Even in the middle of the
  film’s major actions scene, the whole logic pauses, as two supposedly
  cool characters have to talk, run and get into danger and make the
  audience yawn, because it is just so bad.

  Unlike many fantasy films, this film is not interesting at all. If some
  young script writer thought that it would be ”cool” for a remote island
  to be ”interesting”, then the accountants at the studio would write
  this script for him.

  Yawn

• 
  steve beard ([email protected])March 10, 2017Reply

  Best Kong Movie Ever

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Lance SneadMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Good Popcorn Movie, But Far From A Classic

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  James De BelloMarch 10, 2017Reply

  5/10

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  dee.reidMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Into the ”Heart of Darkness” with King Kong

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  amigosmoviereviewsMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Style over Substance

  Kong: Skull Island doesn’t provide you with interesting characters or a
  compelling story-line to make this a worthwhile monster flick.

  You see King Kong 30 minutes into the movie, allowing no suspense to
  build up until then. Unlike Godzilla, where you waited a good hour to
  see Godzilla, and it was exciting.

  With an A list cast, you would expect more out of them, but the
  characters in this movie have little to no background information, and
  seem very bland.

  You know where this movie is going, it is very predictable, and
  everything that you think is going to happen most likely will.

  Overall rating: 6/10

• 
  Sheridan TurnerMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Nothing like traveling to an exotic far away beautiful tropical island……only to get chased and attempted to be eaten. Fun Times. Thank Goodness for Kong!

  **Do not leave until all credits roll….there is more footage after
  the credits!**

  I have to say, I was mostly pleased with this movie. Soundtrack was
  spot on for the era…..the soldiers seemed authentic…..and Kong was
  awesome.

  One minor complaint…..there was not enough time to build the
  character connection of Kong to the audience or the cast. felt

  But….the special effects were awesome, this could be my favorite Kong
  to date. It still felt short however. I hope there will be a longer
  version available on Bluray in the future.

  I like how this movie took place in the past, basically setting this up
  for modern day installments, and collaborations.

  The acting was great. Funny moments were funny. Touching moments were
  touching.

  The film delivered.

  I am going to keep this short and sweet, and let all the pros write you
  a book.

  Go see this film if you either like King Kong, or Kaiju movie in
  general.

  Hard core fan will be catching all kind of easter eggs and
  references…..all the way until the end credit scene plays.

• 
  OberratedMarch 10, 2017Reply

  A superb spark to the Monsterverse

  ”Kong: Skull Island” is great entertaining fun. The action is packed on
  and you can see that the backlash against the 2014 ”Godzilla” was heard
  in regards to the minimal exposure to the monster and the lack of
  action until the very end. Kong is featured plenty in this film and the
  action, both human and monster, is constant and adrenaline inducing.

  All performers did great. To be honest, I didn’t feel anyone was a
  standout performance but they were all notable and entertaining. If I
  could choose any standouts it would be John C. Reilly, Sam Jackson, and
  Tom Hiddleston, but again, they were nothing mind-blowing. All decent
  performances all-around.

  Lastly, the images produced by this film were stunning. I found myself
  sitting in my seat mouthing ”wow” on multiple occasions with what I was
  seeing unfold on screen. Most images of Kong were superb and the action
  sequences were incredible to watch. There was a terrifying beauty to
  every scene.

  Big recommendation here purely for how entertaining this action film
  was.

  — Oberrated.com —

• 
  aniseprakashMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Kong has returned but not with a bang

  Inspired by many movies Jordan Vogt-Roberts has brought Kong: Skull
  Island. Though the largest ape to ever live (At least in movies) was so
  popular in Hollywood and appeared time to time on the screens was last
  seen in 2005 with Peter Jackson behind the script. Jordan has given
  some new colors to the original Kong with a modulated script.

  Unlike other Kong movies or monster movie you don’t have to wait long
  to meet Kong instead he shows up in the first scene itself. Though
  Kong’s screen presence is reduced, still he impresses us whenever he
  shows up. The fights between Kong and the other monsters are a treat to
  watch.

  Since frame one the movie is on the script. The character introductions
  are crisp and fast. We land in Skull Island within the first 15 minutes
  into the movie. The enchanting visuals keep the audience hooked. Jordan
  along with Larry Fong has captured the island with some appealing
  visuals. The slow motion effect adds up to the excitement.

  The monsters that pop up time to time enthralls and we could here wows
  now and then in the theatre. The final battle between Kong and the
  Skull Crawler is the top notch. Apart from all the background score is
  the best thing I enjoyed about the movie. The songs like Jefferson
  Airplane (”White Rabbit”), Black Sabbath (”Paranoid”), Creedence
  Clearwater Revival (”Bad Moon Rising”) and David Bowie (”Ziggy
  Stardust”) were used to perfection.

  Lags: Though the movie is great up to some extend it does have many
  down falls. The story doesn’t fall in line and the editing adds up to
  the misery. Few forced scenes might raise our doubt over the perfection
  of the movie.

  The movie has a strong cast, but except Samuel L. Jackson and John C.
  Reily no one has much to offer (Only for marketing). Apart from all
  Kong is not so emotional this time which is rather unlikely in Kong
  movies. He just shares a brief moment with Brie where she touches him,
  but that isn’t emotional.

  At times some funny one liners are thrown in but fades before it
  settles down. The slow motion effect is good, but a little too much.

  Final words: Lags apart Kong: Skull Island is a must watch if you love
  monster movies. Children would love it and are advised to watch it with
  parent – The movie is violent (A little). The post credits show that
  more monster movies are to follow and next time it would be a fight
  between Godzilla and the Kong.

• 
  Troy_CampbellMarch 10, 2017Reply

  High on rampaging action, low on plot.

  Largely eschewing the solemnity and symbolism that is often attached to
  the story of King Kong, this cinematic reincarnation focuses on
  delivering good ol’ popcorn entertainment and very little else.
  Transplanting Kong into the sun-drenched Vietnam War era is the first
  step towards lightening the mood, with a cracking 70s soundtrack,
  playful Apocalypse Now references and vibrant cinematography all
  amplifying the fun factor. But lets face it, this more
  action-adventure-ish take on Kong is all about its set pieces. Luckily,
  they range from very good to downright amazing, with top-notch CGI
  throughout. The final showdown between skyscraper-sized ancient beasts
  is a suitably epic climax, although the standout is an explosive and
  exhilarating introduction (excluding a sneak peek in the pre-credits
  scene) to the eponymous gorilla. The sheer scale of Kong is showcased
  in glorious moments throughout this sequence, director Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts combining slow motion, a rumbling sound design and tricky
  one-shot takes to immerse and elate. Action aside, there’s a nice
  streak of casual humour to offset the death and destruction, and the
  noteworthy cast—Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John
  Goodman, Toby Kebbell, John C. Reilly—ham it up in the best way
  possible. To the movie’s detriment, however, is a script that is
  fundamentally lazy, only providing enough background info on characters
  so we ostensibly care whether they live or die, yet without following
  through on majority of subplots. This lack of depth results in some of
  the ’emotional’ moments either falling awkwardly flat or providing
  unintentional comic relief. Not as narratively rich as previous King
  Kong films, but certainly more exciting and visually pleasing, Kong:
  Skull Island is an exuberant and action-packed blockbuster that
  rightfully doesn’t take itself too seriously.

• 
  Lloyd BayerMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Skull Island isn’t impressively intelligent but it is overwhelmingly gorgeous and a kickass spectacle worthy of the big screen.

  Right from its opening scene – a cheesy montage that would come into
  play during the second half of the film – Kong: Skull Island is a
  reiteration that size matters at the movies. If BIG is what you want,
  then that’s exactly what you get – big budget, big effects and an ape,
  much, much bigger than his cinematic forefathers from the 1933 classic
  to the 2005 epic from Peter Jackson. But unlike Jackson’s bitter-sweet
  romanticization of beauty and the beast (which has always been at the
  heart of a King Kong film) Skull Island is neither a prequel nor a
  sequel in Kong’s storyline. It isn’t entirely a reboot either because
  none of the characters from the previous films are brought back in this
  film. Instead, this version feels like a pilot episode in its own
  cinematic universe.

  Set in 1973 and just after US forces have all but accepted defeat in
  Vietnam, we follow a group of explorers and American GIs who set out to
  geo-map the titular but unchartered island. Their grand entrance into
  the storm shrouded island is the first of a series of kickass
  spectacles and essentially why you would want to watch this film on the
  biggest screen possible. It’s also the new Kong’s awesome introduction
  in all his colossal glory…and fury. After their Hueys are extended the
  same welcome as annoying mosquitoes, the group is divided into two
  teams in an increasingly hostile environment. One team is led by John
  Goodman’s government agent posing as a scientist along with Samuel L.
  Jackson in a cakewalk role as a vengeful Vietnam veteran. Led by Tom
  Hiddleston as a tracker and Brie Larson as a war photographer (who
  serves no real purpose except the tradition that Kong has a thing for
  blondes), the second team makes an interesting discovery – a stranded
  WWII pilot (John C. Reilly) is just as eager to leave the island as
  they are.

  What sets this film apart from previous Kong lore is the instantly
  noticeable visual splendour, an aesthetic that seems like a very
  obvious love letter to Apocalypse Now (1979) but mixed with the cheese
  and chowder of a Jurassic Park adventure. This in turn wreaks havoc on
  the tone of the film, resulting in constant shifts between bombastic
  action, dead-eye terror, pop culture, political and ecological
  allegories, and whimsy humour including show stealing levity from
  Reilly. Add to that a stellar cast stuck with stereotypical roles in a
  telegraphed screenplay and you get an old school monster movie mash
  with teeth bigger than its bite. But then, who are we kidding? Anyone
  paying to watch this film will expect their money’s worth of copious
  eye candy and that’s precisely what Skull Island promises in return.

  Despite being a novice behind the lens, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts
  can be credited with the creation of a tentpole film that is
  overwhelmingly gorgeous even if it isn’t impressively intelligent.
  Spectacular action, photorealistic CGI, surreal cinematography, and era
  specific soundtrack will keep you entertained but it’s the deliberate
  tease at the end that will leave you wanting more. If not New York,
  maybe Japan? Come 2020, we’ll know for sure.

• 
  Michael_ElliottMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Great Monster Battles Make This a Must See

  Kong: Skull Island (2017)

  *** (out of 4)

  A monster hunter (John Goodman) leads an expedition onto Skull Island
  where they come across various monsters including the mightiest of them
  all: King Kong.

  KONG: SKULL ISLAND is an attempt to get the giant monster back onto the
  big screen and it was obviously trying to get everything set up for
  future films. Look, nothing will ever beat the original KING KONG,
  although I did enjoy the first remake and even films like KING KONG VS.
  GODZILLA. With that said, I found the Peter Jackson film to be
  downright terrible and when I walked into this movie I was just hoping
  for something better than it. Thankfully, KONG: SKULL ISLAND is much
  better than that as long as you turn your brain off at the door.

  I thought for the most part the film worked quite well. For starters,
  the filmmakers appeared to realize that what movie fans want are giant
  monsters who battle one another. You don’t have to wait too long for
  the first glimpse of Kong and this here is a major plus. Once we reach
  the island is when all of the fun starts and it really goes for the
  throat as there’s a very fun adventure on the island. I’m obviously not
  going to spoil everything that happens but the entire running time
  takes place on the island and this leads to some very fun monster
  battles.

  There’s no question that the best thing about this picture are the
  monsters including Kong. Yes, the King Kong is CGI but he looks
  terrific and very realistic. I thought the entire creation was an
  extremely good one and the film perfectly allows you to believe that
  what you’re seeing is real. The other monsters also look terrific and I
  thought the filmmakers really nailed the look of the monsters. The
  battle scenes are certainly a lot of fun and especially the final one
  where Kong must go up against something much bigger than him.

  As far as the cast goes, no one is spectacular but they’re at least
  fun. Tom Hiddleston is a pretty laid back lead but he does fine. John
  C. Reilly and Samuel L. Jackson are both good, although they’re both
  pretty much playing the type of character we’ve seen them do countless
  times before. Goodman is fun when he’s on the screen. The only real dud
  is Brie Larson as the photographer. She’s good in the film but I must
  say it’s a pretty bland and boring part and especially coming after
  winning an Oscar for ROOM.

  Technically speaking the film is quite impressive and we’ve got a
  rousing score to go with everything. The plot is certainly very simple
  but I’m actually glad. I mean, I’ve never believed these types of
  movies need to clock in at two and a half hours. This one is just under
  two-hours and that’s the perfect time for this type of action movie.

• 
  KrissyGMarch 10, 2017Reply

  It’s King Kong – meets Jurassic Park – meets Hacksaw Ridge – meets Any Film With Peculiar Beasts.

  A King Kong theme can never go wrong. However, despite the visual
  effects – I saw it in 3-D – I never really engaged with any of the
  characters, apart from the Richard Attenborough-style mad doctor.

  It is a familiar pattern of one action scene after another. Whilst this
  may enthrall young audiences, I actually found it quite boring and
  over-long.

  In all, it was King Kong – meets Jurassic Park – meets Hacksaw Ridge –
  meets Any Film With Peculiar Beasts.

  I scored it seven as I LOVE King Kong, and the concept of a primitive
  olde-worlde island covered in the skulls of prehistoric monsters
  appeals to me greatly. The primitive tribe is an excellent example of
  costume and makeup. The beautiful Japanese girl should have had more of
  a leading role than having to play support to the tired
  female-in-distress wearing the skimpiest clothing in the lookalike
  style of Laura Dern.

  It’s a rehash of all the Kong films you ever saw. Storyline could have
  been better. Soundtrack is a 70’s style ‘Good Morning Veitnam’.

• 
  jamesmatthewbyersMarch 10, 2017Reply

  Bow to the King

  With pounding fists against his chest, The mighty Ape delights.
  Gigantic, when the choppers fly, Derailed from on their flights, The
  island, somewhere time forgot, Is home to creatures large. But even
  when the lizards roam, You know who is in charge. The mighty Kong is
  king, indeed, And as he makes his play, The humans set opposing sides,
  But Kong wins, either way. Tom Hiddleston, a tracker who Embarks upon a
  quest- And then Brie Larson photographs- She adds such zeal and zest.
  Ah, Jackson- favored Samuel- Yes, L., he sets the tones- As napalm and
  those hand grenades Unleash the crawling bones. And not to say John
  Goodman’s man Is anything but grand. As John C. Reilley steals the
  show, We must give him a hand. Throw Toby Kebbell in the mix, And Corey
  Hawkins, too- With Tian Jing, diversity Invigorates this crew. Director
  Jordan Vogt-Roberts Creates a woven mesh- I left the movie full of
  hope- And here, certified fresh- I recommend to see it twice- No, maybe
  much, much more. And say King Kong is back on top- With kaiju to
  explore Are coming in this MonsterVerse, This film is solid; strong.
  Skull Island waits to bury you, So go, pray to King Kong …

• 
  Neil-M09March 10, 2017Reply

  An entertaining and thrilling movie in several scenes, and a promising ending

  It isn’t like the classic version of King Kong, it is only focused on
  action, there is no city, much less the Empire State, only an
  unexplored island. Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) is hired as a
  guide for the expedition, as well as Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard
  (Samuel L. Jackaon) and his platoon, photographer Mason Weaver (Brie
  Larson) and other members to join the expedition. A few minutes from
  being in air territory, the helicopters are shot down by King Kong and
  the survival of the characters begins. In the course of history will be
  revealed the true intentions of certain members of the expedition
  causing more setbacks. Despite this they find another ally, Hank Marlow
  (John C. Reilly), a pilot lost for years who survived within the tribe
  of the island.

  Considering that the cast contains an acclaimed British actor, an Oscar
  winner actress and two actors nominated to the same, I must say that in
  terms of performance was just acceptable but not beyond that. The
  script has as pro, to be divided in several events due to the
  separation of the expedition but not beyond this, the rest will be to
  escape of the island and to survive the beasts inside the same.

  As a recommendation, wait for the credits, where it is shown that this
  movie is just the prelude to a bigger project.

• 
  Gonzalo LlancaMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Good

  KONG: THE SKULL ISLAND

  The story goes back in 1973, when some scientists go to a deserted
  island to unmask the strange happenings that happen on the island.

  Let’s start with the actors. Tom Hiddleston seemed very good in his
  role, I found the character a little lively. Brie Larson was the most x
  of the actors, their interpretation did not strengthen the film, but
  neither is bad. The actor that I liked a lot is John C. Reilly, like
  crazy, with sanity, that has been more than 30 years in the island next
  to the natives. John Goodman is the one presenting the plan to the
  government to investigate the island. The strange thing about all this
  is that he knew there were strange things on the island. Why did he try
  so hard for many people to die? And Samuel L. Jackson seemed like the
  typical villain of the movie that wants to kill the monkey, a villain
  that works well.

  And here come the bad things … The initials 30 minutes found them
  exhausting, very boring. The leadership of the characters seemed very
  poor, Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson are for more …

  But all that I forget after seeing the effects of this movie, the
  action scenes and the design of … of … those things.

  8/10 Good

• 
  brankovranjkovicMarch 11, 2017Reply

  The biggest Kong you’ve ever seen, bigger than any other version

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Scott-101March 11, 2017Reply

  A bit squeamish-inducing but plenty of bang for the buck

  Owing a bit more to the James Cameronesque horror of grotesquely-shaped
  beasts than to the simplistic awe of a majestic beast, Kong: Skull
  Island is an effective nail biter. It’s not for the squeamish, however.

  With the genuine shocks of adrenaline and the action geared towards 3-D
  viewing, Kong: Skull Island feels like a two-hour roller coaster ride
  but there’s an honest attempt at characterization and story.

  There’s a loosely-established mythology that Kong is the last of his
  kind and protector to a tribe of very indigenous looking people and a
  necessary balance to the ecosystem from the dangers of a very ugly
  creature called the skull duggers and yada yada yada. The film’s need
  for moral parable is precipitated by the fact that Samuel L Jackson
  (who normally plays such level-headed characters) plays a military
  commander who’s attitudes towards animals are evil with a capital ”E”
  which sets up the main narrative conflict of the film, prompting the
  need for the good guys to step in and rescue Kong from animal cruelty.
  Perhaps, it’s because of the Vietnam setting that the film has an
  anti-military stance as Jackson’s character represents militarism run
  amok.

  Chief among the good guys is a castaway played by John C. Rielly who is
  both a throwback to 50’s B-movies (other reviews liken him to
  ”Apocalypse Now”) and an endearing character in his own right as a
  castaway who has been stranded on Kong Island for nearly three decades.
  Brie Larson makes her first big post-Oscar move in style as a
  Ripley-esque action heroine and Thomas Hiddlestone proves that this guy
  has a future as a leading man (piggybacking on his great performance in
  the in ”Night Manager”).

  ”Kong: Skull Island” is beautifully shot and highly entertaining
  provided you can stomach it.

• 
  ArgemalucoMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island

  Part Apocalypse Now, part Moby Dick and part Jurassic Park. That’s not
  exactly what I was expecting from Kong: Skull Island, but I have to
  admit that the eclectic combinations of ideas works in order to sustain
  the story of this sequel which takes us to the ”origin” (not exactly)
  of the giant gorilla Kong. But, is it really a sequel? Nothing in the
  screenplay confirms whether the events portrayed in King Kong (either
  the version from 1933 or the one from 2005) happened in the same
  universe of Kong: Skull Island, or if this is a completely new reboot
  ready to become a franchise (by the way, don’t forget to stay for the
  after- credits scene, which promises very interesting things for the
  future). After all, the connection to King Kong doesn’t end up being
  very relevant, because, under the firm hand from director Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts, Kong: Skull Island establishes its own rules and takes us
  to the action with an unusual quickness, outlining the minimum
  necessary elements to develop the characters and sow the seeds of the
  mystery of the island. Most of the soldiers is employed as disposable
  victims, but the scientists and civilians are solidly developed, and
  the actors make a good work in those roles. As the mercenary who is an
  expert in jungle territories, Tom Hiddleston keeps the measure even
  under the most extremes situations, avoiding his character from
  becoming a caricature. Brie Larson also makes a credible work as the
  photograph of the team, while Samuel L. Jackson efficiently transmits
  the deep psychological wounds which motivate his character’s motivation
  to destroy Kong. John Goodman, Corey Hawkins and Tian Jing also bring
  solid performances as the scientists, and the great John C. Reilly
  displays friendliness and conviction as the ”comic relief” and
  conscience of the expedition. Regarding the monsters… I won’t say too
  much; Industrial Light & Magic (with the support of half a dozen of
  additional studios) creates an amazing bestiary with an impressive
  detail and biological imagination. In conclusion, Kong: Skull Island is
  a very entertaining ”B-Movie” made with huge quantities of money and
  enough dramatic subtext which excuse some absurd creative decisions and
  squeaks in its narrative gears to a certain point. Summing up: it was
  much better than I expected, and I hope it has enough economic success
  in order to have the continuation we are promised in the ending.

• 
  ctowyiMarch 11, 2017Reply

  This is a BLAST!

  I really had no high hopes for this as I ventured inside the cinema,
  but surprise surprise, I came out with a bounce in my step and if
  nobody were around I would have beat my chest and roared.

  Kong is the second movie in the MonsterVerse series, following Godzilla
  (2014). The latter is a bit of a disappointment – the monster element
  is fine, its height used to great advantage and the huge vistas of
  mayhem and destruction is a young kid’s wet dream. However, I couldn’t
  wrap my head around the heavy-handed and joyless storytelling. The
  human component felt neglected; they barely registered a presence
  beyond the crazy one, the screaming one, the gung-ho one, the running
  one, the brooding scientist whom no one bothers with but still keeps
  around for some alternative voice. I find all the big-name actors very
  cardboard-y and lifeless. It also didn’t help that the story is so
  fatiguing with so much overbearing self-importance. Fast-forward to
  2017’s Kong, I would love to say the filmmakers have learned from their
  predecessor, but in all honesty I can’t. However, Kong is a lot more
  entertaining than Godzilla and for a B-grade movie it embraces its
  shortcomings with finesse. This is a blast!

  Kong has the right blend of silly humour and all-out monster action.
  Yes, the human characters still feel hollow, the exposition can be
  clunky and the story is unoriginal and riffs off Francis Ford Coppola’s
  sublime Apocalypse Now, but it is plain dumb to expect the ensemble
  cast and screenplay to hold up during award season. What this is is a
  good ole pulsating monster mash of fun. There is a wee bit pressing of
  genre refresh button in that Kong doesn’t fall for a white woman which
  will lead to his downfall and the sandbox playground is no longer a
  skyscraper city but Kong’s Eden home ground, which is home to a
  multitude of humongous creatures. It is getting increasingly tiresome
  to see another city getting devastated, so it is refreshing to see a
  straight-up survival movie on an island where the human beings aren’t
  on top of the food chain. The star is definitely the lonely God, Kong
  and the rest of crazy inhabitants of Skull Island. The visual and sound
  effects are stellar, and most importantly, the action doesn’t feel
  repetitive. Each time Kong goes mano a mano against another monster,
  there isn’t that dreaded been-there-done-that feeling. My fave is
  definitely Kong having an octopus sashimi for lunch; definitely won’t
  be forgetting that for a while, especially when I am chewing on a tangy
  squid or octopus.

  The impressive ensemble cast plays second fiddle to Kong and his
  monster ”friends”, and they seldom rise up beyond a distinctive
  character trait. Tom Hiddleston as John Conrad has to be some kind of
  convenient homage to Joseph Conrad whose Heart of Darkness is obviously
  an inspiration. Brie Larson, after her award-winning turn in Room,
  shows off different levels of seriousness. Samuel L. Jackson almost had
  time to utter his famous muthafcuking line. John Goodman plays a
  corporation type with affable charm. John C. Reilly obviously had the
  most fun playing a WWII pilot marooned on Skull Island for decades.
  Then we get a myriad of soldiers playing fodder and meals for the
  inhabitants of the island. This being a partially financed movie by
  China, we also get a completely disposal China actress doing ”I don’t
  know what”. Sure, the complete cast doesn’t get much of a chance to
  shine, but they are definitely colourful and not bogged down by an
  overly important story.

  Remember to hang back for a post-credit sequence that entices a neat
  future prospect. After that you can stand up and beat your chest with
  animalistic confidence and shout ”All hail the King!”

• 
  markhaazenMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Classic monster movie!!

  Kong: Skull Island is a 2017 American monster film; let’s be clear this
  isn’t Shakespeare and unlike the dreadful 2014 Godzilla the film
  doesn’t take itself too seriously. The film has the feel of a classic
  90s Blockbuster; now depending on your view of 90s Blockbusters this is
  either a good thing or a bad thing. The film is a rip roaring, funny
  and fast paced monster movie where the monster gets the same amount of
  screen time as the rest of the cast. Although this is the cast; Tom
  Hiddleston as James Conrad, Samuel L. Jackson as Preston Packard, John
  Goodman as William ”Bill” Randa, Brie Larson as Mason Weaver, Jing Tian
  as San Lin, Toby Kebbell as Jack Chapman, John Ortiz as Victor Nieves,
  Corey Hawkins as Houston Brooks, Jason Mitchell as Glenn Mills, Shea
  Whigham as Earl Cole, Thomas Mann as Reg Slivko, Eugene Cordero as
  Reles and John C. Reilly as Hank Marlow. 13 main cast members all vying
  for 118 minutes worth of screen time.

• 
  monstermayhem32March 11, 2017Reply

  The return of King Kong

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  MisterWhiplashMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Kong Rocks – practically all of this does too; a sharp, smart, exciting blockbuster

  Though not without a few WTF moments – and not in the way that is fun
  but more head-scratching, like a couple of characters dying out of
  nowhere – this is the most entertaining monster movie since The Host
  and possibly from Hollywood since… well, the Jackson King Kong
  (though it also has some debt to Jurassic Park and, to a degree a
  friend reminded me after seeing the film, Aliens). Aside from what is
  in the movie in and of itself, which is plenty as an ironic and
  satirical blockbuster (at least up to a point, in small but enough
  doses), as a world-building enterprise it’s spectacular, and is a step
  up from the previous entry in this new WB/Legendary
  ”Moster-Kaiiju-Verse”, Godzilla.

  I think the difference between the two is simple but profound: Edwards
  was fascinated more with spectacle and the presence of Godzilla, but he
  wasn’t so set on building human characters to connect with (except for
  Bryan Cranston, who was shamefully wasted after a promising start).
  Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts is all about characters, and even gives
  some time to people who should be nothing secondary ones (I know the
  complaints already coming, that there are too many, and that may be
  true – on a first viewing I was fine with it for the simple fact that
  the dialog given to these military runts and other scientist-types were
  either funny or clever enough. Everyone has charisma and characters who
  need to have chemistry (Hiddleston-Larson, or Larson and Kong) give it
  enough juice in that area.

  But more than that is that Kong himself is done right by the writers
  and filmmakers. Unlike in Godzilla as well, here we have a character
  who actually IS a character, someone who functions in the story, shows
  deeper wells of emotion (yes, a carry-over from the best of the 1933
  and 2005 Kong movies is that Kong is vulnerable), and finds through
  non-verbal communication how to connect – or decidedly not, quite the
  opposite – with these Vietnam war hosts. He has goals and real
  motivations; while they are steeped in monster movie lore, it’s sharp
  and exciting monster movie lore, and things are explained by John C.
  Reilly here and there (he’s the 28-years-gone survivor of being left
  during WW2, a more innocent-yet-still-bloody time in US history, also
  with us vs some Asian menace), yet a lot is left to the imagination.

  How do these prehistoric-ish ”Skull Crawlers” come out from these
  blasts put out by these helicopters? Who knows? Who cares? The point is
  these giant lizard things are genuinely terrifying; there’s some
  limited creativity in their designs, but what’s exciting is that the
  direction is all about drawing out suspense. And the island itself has
  many surprises (there’s one point where a creature is revealed as
  something you would thing you could sit on!) and also with the natives
  who are… just scenery, mostly, but at least the movie doesn’t try to
  go too far into cultural insensitivity or anything. They’re simply
  there and do what they can for the Reilly character over these many
  years; Reilly, by the way, scruffy and laughing often and happy even as
  he is totally terrified (”I’ve only been here 28 years,” he says at one
  point up against military/US egotism personified by Samuel L Jackson)
  is what Bryan Cranston was to Godzilla, only here there is much more
  and he’s possibly the best human presence in the movie.

  How about the satire, if it is there? I think there’s more that could
  be dissected with it being Vietnam, or more specifically in 1973 as
  Nixon is preparing for pulling out troops (of course that wouldn’t be
  for a full two years later, but you get the idea). Jackson’s Col
  Packard is trying to hide his anguish at having to ”abandon” this war
  (he can’t bare to say defeat) so this other South-East conflict will
  do; it’s Us vs Them and Us as usual not recognizing all of our might is
  insignificant when on their turf. It’s not the sharpest commentary
  ever, but it’s not without accident it’s there either. The iconography
  is compelling as well: all of those helicopters, blasting away Black
  Sabbath’s ”Paranoid” as these charges drop on the island – asking for
  it, in monster movie fashion (messing with nature, you fools!), but
  this time there’s the added element of how soldiers and civilians act,
  and recognizing who is ”King” in the end.

  This is a spectacular good time at the movies, in case I didn’t make
  that clear. All of the actors are doing excellent work, the kind that
  you would never get to see back when monster movies were in the realm
  of square B-movie territory. If anything this would be a splendid
  double feature with Jurassic Park (aside from the eye-roll at Jackson
  repeating a ”butts” line straight-faced, as if the movie would be in
  trouble unless he did it), as both involve charismatic, memorable
  actors and relatively decent supporting characters facing off against
  monsters that are from another time and place, with snappy dialog, and
  visual effects that are out of this world. And the climax – my Kong!
  Spinkle some 70’s Vietnam-Rock icing and you got yourself a blockbuster
  cake of exceptional proportions.

• 
  Zbigniew_KrycsiwikiMarch 11, 2017Reply

  ”An uncharted island? Let me list all the ways you’re going to die.”

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Anup APu KumarMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Extravaganza , Yes , that’s the word.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  giggems55March 11, 2017Reply

  Total waste of time!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  sanjidparvezMarch 11, 2017Reply

  All Hail the King !!

  An absolute blast of a monster mayhem flick! Unlike Gareth Edwards’
  GODZILLA (2014), liked the way this time they made it sure of nobody
  can complain on Kong or any other monster’s lack of screen presence
  time. A must see & quite a perfect entertaining flick for monster movie
  lovers. I understand how or why some of the critics are complaining on
  cheesy dialog & lack of character development parts of the film but to
  me, those issues were nicely compensated by releasing one after another
  vicious, weird & interesting massive creatures on screen along through
  the ”survey job” turned survival journey of an expedition team on Skull
  Island. Moreover, this time it isn’t that tragic ‘The Beauty & the
  Beast’ tale of a colossal ape who all just wanted to have a long date
  with his woman of love but ended up falling down dead from the Empire
  State Building. This Kong is quite an angry young lad who’s damn
  serious about protecting his territory and its all helpless inhabitants
  & creatures from anything that’s threatening his kingdom. The epic
  final battle was a treat to watch & will be remain as something to
  highly regard & talked about for the monster lovers for a long time. My
  only complaint is that they really did showed too much (almost all the
  creatures) on those countless clips & trailers before the release that
  left little amount of surprise in terms of newly introduced M.U.T.Os
  for ‘MonsterVerse’.

• 
  dgrangerMarch 11, 2017Reply

  They finally got King Kong right!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  regula1March 11, 2017Reply

  Great monster fights, very dull humans. The (almost) perfect monster movie.

  A 15-story ape throws a palm tree like a dart through the windshield of
  a Vietnam-era Huey with Creedence Clearwater Revival playing in the
  background.

  And that’s just the first thing Kong does.

  If all you want is more stuff like that, plus some amazing monster on
  monster battles, then this is the movie for you. If you’re looking for
  compelling human characters to go with those fights, then you walked
  into the wrong auditorium.

  Kong:Skull Island is the second film in the still-forming Monsterverse,
  the first being 2014’s Godzilla. As such, there are several threads to
  tie these two films together. Don’t worry, there are no real spoilers
  here.

  Of course, the main point of this film is to see King Kong fight some
  monsters, but the story before that involves John Goodman’s character,
  an agent of Monarch, the monster organization from Godzilla, lead an
  expedition to Skull Island. Ostensibly, they are there to survey an
  uncharted island that’s been inaccessible for centuries, but as the
  humans soon discover there’s more to the mission than first thought.

  To qualify the opening statement, this film is really not about any of
  the people shown. As such, no character is given any real development
  or subtext except for John C. Reilly’s character, a stranded World War
  II fighter pilot named Marlow (read as reference to Apocalypse Now,
  which this film clearly emulates, down to its Vietnam-era setting and
  themes.) At times, the human characters get their brief hints at deep
  moments, dragging the scenes out too long, until some are inevitably
  killed by one creature or another.

  However, by far the best parts of this film are the creatures.
  Obviously Kong is the main creature, and the CGI work on him is
  incredibly detailed. But the other creatures as well, such as a giant
  water buffalo, giant spiders, and especially the lizard-like
  Skullcrawlers, are all entertaining to look at whether the humans are
  (trying) to kill them or Kong is bashing them apart.

  This film is really about the monsters, as well it should be. All of
  the great monster movies of old followed the same basic set-up. Some
  human story that gets characters to go on some vaguely-defined mission
  that quickly falls out of importance in favor of epic battle scenes
  between two or more monsters, broken up every so often by more human
  scenes which serve only as a rest break for the audience between battle
  scenes.

  This film follows that model to a tee, and in a sense is a response to
  criticism of 2014’s Godzilla which had hardly any great battle scenes
  between Godzilla and the MUTOs, and too much human interaction with
  characters we didn’t necessarily care about.

  The humans do indeed take more of a back seat in Kong, and there are
  way more creature battles and action scenes. However, the humans still
  have slightly too much screen time, and at these times the movie plods.

  Nevertheless, this film is worth it for the creature battles alone, and
  the end credit scene which reveals so much tantalizing promise for the
  future.

• 
  zdedyomixMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Decent monster flick with many, many technical problems.

  Quite a few issues I had with it, but overall I enjoyed it. LOVED the
  shots, the imagery, cgi for the creatures and Kong. Sam L. Jackson and
  John C. are American treasures. Enjoyed most of the characters,
  surprisingly except for Loki and Captain Marvel. Really took me out of
  it at times, those two. No spoilers but I love who we discover who the
  true antagonist is. Also, don’t leave. In classic Marvel fashion, post-
  credits scene, DO NOT LEAVE. The editing – really annoyed me as well.
  And the humor. Jackson and John C. both had only one moment that made
  me actually laugh, and I feel like both lines they delivered were ad
  libbed. The many many slow-mo action shots got under my skin as well. I
  noticed this film also borrowed a few shots, classic pieces of imagery
  from Jurassic Park. The many many slow-mo action shots got under my
  skin as well. The bad writing and line delivery, and Hiddleston,
  Kebbel, and Larson’s characters were just bad.

• 
  phanthingaMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Watch out everyone the King is back

  For a non-American like me i don’t really know much about King Kong or
  his influence on modern day monster movie but that not a problem to
  hold me back from watching this movie in theater and it was an absolute
  blast to finally knowing the King of monster movie in America:Kong.I
  actually did a research and find out the plot of this movie is kinda
  similar to the original movie in 1933,it both follow a group of people
  travel to a unknown island soon find themselves being hunt and chase by
  a giant ape called Kong for trespassing his territory and disturb the
  peace of the island.First time directing monster movie Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts did a fantastic job on shooting the island with beautiful
  cinematography that deliver the savage look of Kong and the rest of
  monster on island as well.The cast is very large and full of talented
  actors like Tom Hiddleston,Samuel L. Jackson… and surprisingly John
  C. Reilly that brought many good and comedic moment so when there
  aren’t any monster around the movie don’t feel boring and dragging to
  watch.Of course everyone favorite parts is always the monster fight
  scene and this movie has plenty of it although for the most time is not
  all involved with Kong but trust me when the fight happen seeing Kong
  punching,kicking and throwing stuff is a very crowd pleasing moment(My
  favorite is the final fight).It maybe not all that great for some
  hardcore fan of the series but for new fan like me this is the best
  monster movie i saw since Pacific Rim.I strongly suggest audience going
  to see that movie please wait until the after credit

• 
  rockman182March 11, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island (2017)

  Kong: Skull Island When I heard that a cinematic ”Monsterverse” was
  being planned, I got excited. I love giant monster films. There’s
  something about a badass giant monster wrecking havoc that is so
  captivating. I think Godzilla (2014) was a bit slow and flawed from a
  storytelling perspective but the monster action scenes were fantastic
  and its really all you can ask for from a monster film. As expected its
  more or less the same deal with Kong: Skull Island. Its a flawed film
  but the monster scenes and the action is terrific.

  The film follows a team of people who have been hired to explore the
  mysterious Skull Island. What the crew do not realize is that they have
  disturbed a giant inhabitant of the island: King Kong. Much like with
  Godzilla, Kong is a bit of an antihero. There are more dangerous
  creatures on Skull Island and Kong is a protector against them. The
  main foes in the film are giant lizard-like beings that kill whatever
  is in their way and are at war with King Kong. Much like other monster
  films, humans are caught in between. For my review, I will start with
  all the negatives before divulging into the positives.  The characters
  in this film for the most part suck. They are bland, muted, unmotivated
  and just are there without much characterization. The ones with a bit
  of character (John C. Reilly) are fed uninspiring dialogue. The
  humorous moments are predictable and fall flat. Brie and Tom didn’t
  have much chemistry and both characters were so bland and could have
  disappeared without notice. Its a relatively unknown director at the
  helm of this Kong film, I think he did a good job but the film would
  have prospered with a better script, characters, and direction. At
  times (not that often) the CGI looks ropy at best and its distracting
  (especially with the non Kong creatures).

  Now the positives. Every scene with Kong in it is captivating and
  mesmerizing. There’s more of Kong in this than say Godzilla in the 2014
  reboot, which is nice. You don’t want to overdo the monster presence
  and this film just had it right. The final battle between Kong and the
  skull crawler was fantastic. If you love monster films and blockbuster
  action sequences, prepare to be on the edge of your seat. Kong took a
  while to get used to but overall he looked great, had great visuals,
  and a nice roar. The poster scene with helicopters flying at Kong
  against the backdrop of the setting sun was incredible.

  The film is flawed for sure. The human moments aren’t very inspiring,
  its hard to connect with any of the characters, and there’s a bit too
  many bland characters running around. However, if you are like me you
  are here for some epic monster v monster action and in that regard you
  will not be disappointed. I’m excited with the prospect of a
  Monsterverse. Also, stay tuned after the credits for something really
  great.

  7.5/10

• 
  Edgardo RivasMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Not Bad, But the 2005 version is better

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  thesar-2March 11, 2017Reply

  Come Along with Kong

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  stephaniemiller-44904March 11, 2017Reply

  Action, Packed, Adventure Film That is a Must See Event.

  When I saw Skull Island on opening day, I could wait to see it as I sat
  in my seat inside the theater. I was so epic to see this film. From
  scene after scene I couldn’t stop watching it. I saw this film twice in
  one day and I have to say it was worth the watch. If you love Kong and
  you love movies about monsters this a ticket you can’t miss out on.

  The actors in this film were great especially John C. Reilly’s
  character and is love for the Chicago Cubs baseball team. As a baseball
  fan I have to laugh at that. From top to bottom this film is definitely
  a blockbuster ticket and a great adventure to be on. When you see this
  film you’ll enjoy the ride.

• 
  fuzzhead72March 11, 2017Reply

  fun monster movie

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  bankofmarquisMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Very Fun Monster Movie

  I love me a good monster movie.

  And, KONG: SKULL ISLAND is a very good, very entertaining monster
  movie.

  Directed by relative newcomer Jordan Vogt-Roberts, KONG: SKULL ISLAND
  delivers pretty much what you expect – a group of explorers (with
  Military escorts) descend upon the mysterious Skull Island to find out
  what’s there and what they find are monsters…plenty of
  monsters…with Kong as King of the Island.

  I applaud the restraint that this film shows.  The action is first
  rate, but not over the top, the CGI is very, very good and the laughs
  are plenty enough to keep you entertained.  It is stylish, but not
  overly so.  Adventurous, but not too daring.  CGI fight- filled, but
  not overblown.  The quick-cut, shaky cam that is so prevalent in other
  films is kept to a minimum here and the monsters are sizable enough for
  the average audience member to understand without getting overwhelmed
  by it.

  But it is the use of the actors that really stands out.

  Starting with the casting of John Goodman as the head of the group
  heading to the island and good ol’ Samuel L. Jackson as the head of the
  Military team that goes in.  Instantly, the audience recognizes and
  understands their generic characters – based on the history of
  characters that these two have played – and it is like eating comfort
  food.  Add to this, Tom Hiddleston (Loki in the Marvel films) and Brie
  Larson (soon to be CAPTAIN MARVEL) as our hero and heroine, and we have
  a top 4 that are easy to watch and comforting in their presence.

  Now…add onto these 4…solid supporting characters.  From John Ortiz
  and Marc Evan Jackson as ”Corporate Suits” caught in the fray to
  soldiers Shea Whigham, Jason Mitchell and Toby Kebbell (who also –
  magnificently – does the motion capture work as Kong) to Corey Hawkins
  and Tian Jing as young scientists, all do solid work, not a weak
  performance in the bunch.

  But the real surprise to me is the  wonderful, fun, turn by John C.
  Reilly as an Air Force pilot who has been stranded on the island for
  decades.  I blow hot and cold with Mr. Reilly’s antics.  He can be very
  good and sympathetic (Boogey Nights, Chicago) or he can be bland when
  trying to be over-the-top zany (anything he does when he tries to match
  zany performance with Will Ferrell) but here he finds the right balance
  in fun, energy, pathos and grit.  He is, truly, the character I ended
  up rooting for in this film

  Clearly, the Producers (paired with the successful 2014 GODZILLA film),
  see a potential ”Cinematic Universe” with these 2 characters.  Make
  sure you stay for the important scene at the end of the end credits –
  not just the ”home movies” that are shown during the credits, but the
  actual scene at the end – and you will see how this film fits into the
  previous film and how they will be connected going forward.

  I, for one, am looking forward to more adventures in this Universe.

  Letter Grade: a solid B+

  8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)

• 
  tinovalkkiMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Surprisingly entertaining

  To be honest, I didn’t expect much about Kong: Skull Island. Actually I
  was just waiting to see pretentious effect rumble movie. I was glad to
  see I was wrong. Of course the biggest thing in this movie are great
  CGI-effects, but surprisingly there is something more too. There is
  some great ragging to Americans about Vietnam war and also a reminding
  that sometimes it is better to let earths nature to alone or we might
  face even bigger problems in future. Quite clear parable to climate
  change and present human kind. Even movie has these ”deeper meanings”
  it is fundamentally funny and stupid effect rumble movie. Of course
  there is also that Beauty and the Beast aspect, like in every Kong
  movie.

  The storytelling and movie action are thrilling and great to watch.
  Some great evergreen songs slates movie action and cgi-effects greatly
  and quite enjoyable way. At the beginning of the movie it is very
  clearly who are the bad guys of yhe story and earn to get killed by
  Kong. Actually Kong is the stories Biggest lonely hero (in all way),
  who keeps safe the rest of Island inhabitants.

  Although the story is quite stupid and brainless effect rumble, it has
  it’s good moments too. Crazy scenes is easy to laugh and in many way
  they are the best part of the movie. CGI-effects are great and in their
  silliness surprisingly believable. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has
  created very enjoyable neoromanticism Kong-story in quite old fashion
  way. The biggest lesson of the movie is that the human is the biggest
  monster of the nature and they should learn their lesson, before we
  have to face even bigger catastrophe. Kong: Skull Island is very
  entertaining CGI movie and well done new Kong story.

  This movie is in it’s best when you watch it from big screen. 3D works
  well and is well worth of a movie ticket price.

• 
  Thomas DrufkeMarch 11, 2017Reply

  ”You Guys Aren’t Scientists”

  After the complaints of Godzilla’s presence being far too scarce in his
  own movie, you’d think Warner Bros and Legendary Entertainment would
  have resolved that by making King Kong the center of his own movie,
  right? Well, that’s not entirely the case in Kong: Skull Island.

  Originally titled Skull Island, this film feels much more like an
  exploration into the island itself than it does a King Kong film. With
  a run-time of 118 minutes, Kong maybe makes up about 25 minutes of
  that. To be fair, after several repetitive King Kong films, the
  franchise could use a refreshing take. But if you’re going to make a
  King Kong film, you expect to see the giant ape more than some random
  humans. So, that’s the first major issue.

  The second, and perhaps far more important, is that the script is
  downright awful. Even worse, the tone is all over the place. I expected
  that this film was going to take itself as seriously as the 2014
  Godzilla film did, especially after several trailers that were clearly
  trying to emulate Apocalypse Now. What we got is more along the lines
  of the humor from a Fast & Furious movie that tries to veer into the
  seriousness of a DCEU film. Except, the humor never hits. My theater
  was packed, and not a single joke granted a crowd- wide laugh.

  However, the film is beautifully shot by Larry Fong and the action is
  impossible to take your eyes away from. Kong has never looked better,
  and the final fight between him and other creatures is about as
  impressive of an action sequence as you’ll see all year. But Is it
  really a shock that every second Kong is on-screen is great and every
  time they cut to a human that you don’t care about, the film dull and
  boring? When you have the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson,
  Brie Larson, John Goodman, Jason Mitchell, and Toby Kebbell there
  should be at least one character worth rooting for, right?

  Well, as it turns out, John C. Reilly’s ‘Hank Marlow’ is the only
  redeemable character worth mentioning. Hiddleston is useless, Jackson
  is way too over-the-top, Kebbell & Mitchell are annoying, and Larson is
  merely passable. I like all of these actors, but they got stuck with
  sloppily written characters that are far from fleshed out. Perhaps
  cutting out 5 or 6 of the leads and giving that screen time to either
  Kong, or to add depth to the more significant roles.

  I’m still invested in this ”monster-verse” because I, like everyone
  else in the world, can’t wait to see Kong & Godzilla duke it out for
  the ”King” title in a few years. But pushing aside the main attraction
  for some good looking actors isn’t what I want from a monster film. The
  thrills are a little too few and far in between. So for me, Kong: Skull
  Island is a big letdown.

  +Gorgeous to look at

  +Kong impresses

  -…When he’s on screen

  -Waste of an extremely talented cast

  -Awful script

  5.7/10

• 
  jadepietroMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Going Ape

  (RATING: ☆☆½ out of 5)

  GRADE: C

  THIS FILM IS MILDLY RECOMMENDED.

  IN BRIEF: Kong’s back…bigger and duller.

  JIM’S REVIEW: ”Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, Beauty
  and”…wait a second…that’s the wrong beast movie! Hmm…let’s try
  again…”Is that a monkey?”…Yeah, now we have the right beauty and
  her beast tale. This remake, newly titled Kong: Skull Island, has no
  real love story or any remote emotional connection. Beauty does not
  kill the beast in this update. No, instead, we have boredom that kills
  the moviegoer.

  While the CGI is very well done, especially the immaculate detailing of
  matted fur and expressive eyes on our big silly ape, other features are
  sorely missing, like believable characters, a plot that makes sense,
  action sequences that build tension, dialog that sounds authentic.
  Would that the filmmakers had spent more energy and effort on a
  convincing script, the film could have at least been entertaining. It
  just wastes everyone’s time.

  The King Kong legend dates back to 1933, with numerous remakes
  (including the vastly superior one by Peter Jackson in 2005). But our
  reboot begins in 1943 until it fast forwards to 1973. The plot (as
  before) involves a group of explorers who venture onto a primitive
  island filled with monsters, historic beasts, and a big galoot of a
  gorilla. This time, however, Kong rules over the island (sans the King,
  because no one likes a monarchy anymore). Not only is our ape ”as big
  as a building”, he is literally a treehugger who cares about ecological
  balance. When he feasts his eyes on the lovely Mason Weaver (Brie
  Larson, a poor-man’s substitute for Fay Wray), there is no love
  interest. It’s more of a mutual admiration society, as if she is an
  active member in PETA.

  While no animals were injured in the making of this film, several fine
  actors have certainly damaged their reputations. Such talented actors
  like Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Shea Whigham, and
  the aforementioned Ms. Larson, are wasted in their underdeveloped
  roles. Only John C. Reilly succeeds in making his character
  interesting.

  Besides the fine special effects, the only other redeeming feature is
  the stunning cinematography by Larry Fong that does impress, although
  his photography aligns itself too frequently to Francis Ford Coppola’s
  Apocalypse Now with its wartime imagery of whirling helicopters and
  red-lit skies. But one has to admire that he set the bar high for his
  goal.

  The direction by Jordan Vogt-Roberts is not that lofty. It is merely
  adequate. He stages the action scenes well enough but relies too
  heavily with a 1970’s pop soundtrack that overstates everything. All
  seems rote and predictable. The dangers the characters face are not the
  least exciting as there is no build-up or tension. His pacing of the
  film is off-kilter. (The film takes a good half hour even before the
  mission begins.)

  However, the majority of the blame goes to its rightful source, the
  screenplay-by-committee team of Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein, and Derek
  Connolly. They strand the actors on the island with banal conversation,
  long tedious exposition, and stock characters. (At one point, the
  travelers are warned about the giant ants on this isle, but they never
  make an appearance in this misguided adventure/fantasy. Nary a crumb in
  sight.)

  Kong: Skull Island is just not a very enjoyable movie experience. The
  CGI holds your interest momentarily, but there are no real scares or
  thrills in this monster movie. This Kong may be a lot bigger, but it’s
  not a whole lot better.

• 
  mitchellsterlaceMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Marlon Brando really let himself go

  This movie destroys most of all the things I never understood about the
  old king kong movies. First, this movie’s violence is extremely well
  used, placed, and made. The CGI in this movie was some of the best I
  have literally ever seen. Coming from the guy who thought Tarkin in
  Rogue One was amazing. The next best thing in this movie is the acting,
  and before you think this guy has some low standards listen. This movie
  is not supposed to be an ”acting movie.” the characters are there to
  have five or six to like and one or two to love. and this casting
  assemble killed this and understood that. This is a person who loves
  retro, throwbacks, and all styles paradise. REASONS I LOVED IT!! ONE –
  They toned down the love affair between the lead female charter and
  kong. TWO – The two leads that so happen to be opposite genders don’t
  have to fall in love. THREE – Kong, for the most part, is saving HIS
  ISLAND more than the humans. FOUR – The movie realizes that it’s not a
  FREAKING REALISTIC MOVIE!! You can have things like a man using a
  samurai sword and unconventional uses of violence to make it BADASS
  (ONE OF THE MAIN REASON Tarantino IS LOVED SO MUCH!!!) FIVE – it’s
  downright hilarious in so many scenes. If you hate movies designed for
  just making money and love to see an original action-packed film this
  comes both in such an amazing way.

• 
  AnhedonicKnightMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Solid popcorn entertainment, could’ve been a bit more.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  whoadavidMarch 11, 2017Reply

  God Awful Boring Movie

  This movie was dumb, boring, awful, and nothing new. Same old stuff. We
  watched it in 3D, thinking it was gonna be good. We walked out an hour
  in and got a refund. 3D tickets are $20 dollars for each person. People
  were texting or on Instagram instead of watching Samuel l. Jackson old
  ass (awful actor). Go see Logan instead…..

• 
  lambiepie-2March 11, 2017Reply

  A Saturday Matinée Kong

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  scottingramMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island Film Review

  The new action adventure film which the latest film in the King Kong
  film franchise after the King Kong films from 1933, 1976 and 2005
  starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman,
  Tian Jing, John Ortiz, Terry Notary, John C. Reilly, Toby Kebbell,
  Corey Hawkins, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Jason Mitchell, Eugene
  Cordero. In Kong: Skull Island the great ape roars back onto the screen
  in this spectacular reboot of the classic monster movie. In the 1970s a
  group of scientists, soldiers and government agents make the epic
  journey to a remote, uncharted Pacific island in the Pacific Ocean the
  largest ocean on Planet Earth. But its natural beauty is soon revealed
  to harbour terrifying secrets in the form of enormous ape King Kong,
  revered by the locals as a god. But there are even deadlier threats to
  be faced if the team want to make it off the island alive, namely the
  man-eating, subterranean skull- crawlers. The latest instalment in
  Warner Bros’ ongoing shared monster universe that began with 2014’s
  Godzilla, this all-action creature feature presents us with the largest
  incarnation of the rampagingly iconic Kong yet. He’s poised to fight
  the big lizard in the planned 2020 movie Godzilla vs. Kong. Fighting
  for their lives are an all-star cast led by English actor Tom
  Hiddleston (Thor films, Avengers Assemble) as James Conrad, American
  actress Brie Larson (Room, Trainwreck) as Mason Weaver, American actor
  Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Die Hard With A Vengeance) as Preston
  Packard, American actor John Goodman (The Flinstones film 1994,
  Patriots Day) as Bill Randa, American actor John C. Reilly (Guardians
  Of The Galaxy, Gangs Of New York) as Hank Marlow, American actor Corey
  Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton, Non-Stop) as Houston Brooks, American
  actor John Ortiz (Ransom, American Gangster) as Victor Nieves, Tian
  Jing (The Great Wall, Special ID) as San, English actor Toby Kebbell
  (Fantastic Four 2015, Gold) as Major Jack Chapman / Kong, American
  actor Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton, Contraband) as Mills,
  American actor Shea Whigham (Non-Stop, The Wolf Of Wall Street) as
  Cole, American actor Thomas Mann (Barely Lethal, Project X) as Slivko,
  Eugene Cordero (The Kings Of Summer, Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates)
  as Reles, American actor Marc Evan Jackson (22 Jump Street, The Kings
  Of Summer) as Landsat Steve, Will Brittain (Everybody Wants Some!!, A
  Teacher) as Young Marlow / Marlow’s Son, Miyavi (Unbroken) as Gunpei
  Ikari, American actor Richard Jenkins (White House Down, Jack Reacher)
  as Senator Willis, Allyn Rachel (Million Dollar Arm, Look In The
  Mirror) as Secretary O’Brien, Australian actor Robert Taylor (The
  Matrix, Vertical Limit) as the Athena Captain, American actor James M.
  Connor (Watchmen, Passed The Door Of Darkness) as General Ward (voice),
  Canadian actor Thomas Middleditch (The Final Girls, Search Party) as
  Jerry (voice) and American actor Terry Notary (Rise Of The Planet Of
  The Apes, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes) as Kong. Filming locations in
  Kong: Skull Island include countries all over the world like USA, US
  State of Hawaii, Queensland, Australia, Saigon, Vietnam, Asia, Bangkok
  the capital of Thailand, Asia. Overall Kong: Skull Island is a good
  action adventure film filled with action, shooting, violence,
  creatures, animals, guns, stunning scenery on the islands, tall trees
  in the forests, heavy rain, soldiers, scientists, government agents,
  political figures, fast paced on the edge of your seat stuff,
  helicopters, waterfalls, treacherous grounds, places, waters, fall
  outs, disagreements, arguments, loyalty, togetherness, team work,
  friendship, turbulent weather, so many close shaves and many other
  things throughout the film. So I will give Kong: Skull Island an
  overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars and I will say Kong: Skull Island is
  worth seeing if you like monster / creature films like the previous
  King Kong films, The Planet Of The Apes films, the Godzilla films, the
  Jurassic Park films, A Monster Calls, Warcraft: The Beginning,
  Battleship, the Anaconda films, Deep Blue Sea, Snakes On A Plane,
  Aliens VS Predator films, The Thing films amongst others. So if you get
  the chance to see Kong: Skull Island in the cinema then you should go
  and see it sooner than later.

• 
  Huynh Lap HyMarch 11, 2017Reply

  A blockbuster monsters movie & thrilling adventure

  So I guess my review is the 2nd Vietnamese review on here so far. Yes!
  It’s my country-Vietnam which on-screen in 70% of the film duration
  with the magnificent view from Ha Long bay, Ninh Binh & Quang Binh.
  During the 1 month countdown to the premiere, the present and
  advertising hit the mass media in my country so hard that almost
  everyday. I actually pay attention to this movie about 2 years ago when
  it only a 2017 title on IMDb , before the whole Hollywood crews start
  filming The movie take the audience back to the 1973 in the withdraw of
  US Army from the Vietnam war. The start look promising, the battle
  between the Sky Devils fleet and Kong definitely get you edge of your
  seat( strongly recommend the Dolby Atmos sound and 2D only for better
  experience-just my opinion). The film then catch-up with gripping,
  fast-paced and appear to be little low on plot. The iconic Kong of all
  time now is the king of skull island and look great than ever. The
  giant buffalo and the view of endless field, the village & the splendid
  beauty of Ha Long gain my respect more than ever. The fight in the dead
  valley is quite cinematic and heroic with Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L.
  Jackson came to the crash-site with full of revenge and would do
  anything just to take out Kong. I understand the whole fleet lost put
  him to this point but really deep in his mind is a soldier cant leave
  the war. There many funny dialogue between Marlow & Brooks, Mills and
  Cole (the impressive one with the AK47) which made the audience
  laughing over and over. The final fight is so impressive and full of
  tension, Kong vs the big one Skull Crawler. Kong Skull Island is a
  highly recommend movie for everyone with just some negative argument
  for the plot and the character development. On the other hand the movie
  is great, well direct by Jordan Vogt- Roberts with the A-line cast,
  outstanding graphics, awesome Kong and open up the Monster universe in
  the after credit. The director announce with the public to came living
  in Ho Chi Minh city because he love Vietnam and want to make more great
  movies here-that gains another respect from me. In the end, the movie
  will bring all the goods, beauty of Vietnam nature to the world.

• 
  cdcrbMarch 11, 2017Reply

  giant ape and not bad.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  navi23March 11, 2017Reply

  Completely useless remake – CGI fest for the brain-dead

  This movie is a completely useless remake of a King Kong movie – the
  monkey is uglier (but if you look at it close-up through a lens it
  looks scarier, right? – wrong!) They replaced the T-Rex-es with a
  different kind of creatures that perhaps look scarier if they throw
  them at you in 3D, or in 4DX, when they splash you with water at the
  same time… And, yes, for the 4DX viewing this is a good ”ride” – when
  the monsters fight the chairs are moving intensely and you’re splashed
  and sprayed and rained with water and air and scents… it’s a good
  amusement park ride. But other than that, in the moments when the
  actors… ”act” (do they?!)… this movie is pure boredom. A 5-year old
  would have written a better script. None of the actors matter, none
  stick with you (other than, maybe, the American chick in tank top who
  shows she’s got some boobs and that’s why they put her there) So, if
  you need a 4DX ride and you can do something else when there’s no
  monsters fighting on the screen, see the movie. If you’ll see it in
  plain 3D or IMAX… you’ll be really sorry you wasted the money.
  Honestly. PS Who the f**k is paying a**holes to make the rating look so
  high for dumb movies like this? and write pompous reviews?… Are they
  smoking something?… A Dog’s Purpose got a 3-4 in his opening week,
  although it was a fun, warmhearted movie, just because PETA got upset
  with some nonsense stuff (human actors are way more traumatized during
  filming than that dog who was just being put into the water) – and dumb
  movies like this one have 7-8 scores?!?! So IMDb is clearly
  manipulated… You can’t rely on the ratings here anymore…

• 
  nzswannyMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Great special effects with no decent story makes Kong; Skull Island a dull movie.

  Spoiler free!

  Let me start off first by saying that I didn’t actually like the look
  of this film in the first place. It looked like cheap garbage, even if
  the action scenes looked good. It looked as if it was going to be
  something like the Clash Of The Titans remake. I scrolled down to the
  comments of the trailer on YouTube, and I was actually surprised to see
  the positive feedback for the film. I said, ”Oh, alright,” because I
  could semi-understand that there was a particular taste toward the type
  of film they were going for in the trailer. I didn’t think it looked
  that great, because it wasn’t my cup of tea. I thought that a loud
  movie with loud guns was not good enough for my standard of a good
  film. I think the big point of why that was such a strong opinion for
  me though is because the 1933 King Kong movie is one of my favorite
  movies of all time. Same goes to the 2005 one, which was a loud film
  with loud guns and in a different style with the original, but the
  director still knew how to keep it as a stable good film, letting it
  flow well with great pacing and good acting, along with memorable
  scenes that weren’t in the 1933 one. Kong: Skull Island, however, felt
  that it would be rushed and rather cliché, and not really my idea of a
  good film.

  I watched the film, and I have to say, it just wasn’t my taste. It
  seemed too loud and unoriginal, with forced humor that didn’t get even
  a snicker out of me. The audience I was in the cinema with, however,
  found the film to be very pleasing, and laughed along with the forced
  humor, so maybe I just wasn’t getting the film? It had no memorable
  scenes, no good direction for where it was going, and ended up as
  another cliché blockbuster action movie in my opinion. Of course, as I
  can clearly see, most people like that sort of film, so I can clearly
  classify myself as no sheep, and admit that even if it isn’t my taste,
  it’s plenty of other people’s taste.

  So, I found it to be a dull movie with nothing new. If you, like me,
  only like loud movies with loud guns if they have a substance to it,
  then I’d say you’d dislike this film. If you are the normal person who
  loves movies with big, epic action scenes with tons of CGI and loud
  blockbuster music, then this should be right up your alley. Overall, I
  rate this a 5.4/10 for the average rating, however, if it were my
  personal opinion to rate, I’d rate the film a 3.9/10. If you loved the
  look of the trailer, though, you’ll get exactly what you expect, and
  probably have a good time.

• 
  wrightonmeMarch 11, 2017Reply

  walloping spectacle

  this movie could have easily been a summer blockbuster if released in
  May or July ; John C Reilly , you deserve a supporting nomination ; it
  is totally worth your time to see this and worth the price of the movie
  ticket ; I wonder if this is a start of another trilogy ; I am all
  excited to see what comes next

• 
  shivamt25March 11, 2017Reply

  An edge of the seat action monster flick!

  Kong: Skull Island is about a team of scientists and soldiers who went
  on to explore an uncharted island. Little did they know that they are
  trespassing into the territory of the Kong, the King of Skull Island.
  Also, the island is filled with many mythical creatures, hidden from
  the rest of the world. Now, the team must fight to escape the wrath of
  these creatures. The movie is directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, known
  for ‘The Kings of Summer’, and starring a stunning cast including
  Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson and John C. Reilly.

  The special effects team is the one to give credit for the success of
  the film. The movie starts with a bang and ends with a bang. Everyone
  of the action sequence, whether it be the introduction scene of Kong or
  the final fight between Kong and ‘Skull Crawler’, are so created so
  well that it develops, and maintains the thrill throughout the movie.
  The film is well paced. Character build up is concise as we were not
  there to know about a bunch of soldiers or scientists were we? We went
  to the theaters to watch the Kong, the mighty monster. We wanted him to
  throw things, to smash something, to kill and that is what the movie
  makers understood while making the film. They introduced Kong early and
  gave him ample extent of screen time. I saw many from the audience
  screaming in enthusiasm every time Kong appeared on screen. I guess the
  character has gained a decent amount of fan following. There were a lot
  many scenes involving different mythical monsters which added to the
  excitement.

  Apart from the constant edge of the seat action, two other things which
  I liked were the location and the soundtrack. The film is set in the
  era of 1970s, right after the Vietnam War. So, its soundtrack gave a
  feel of the 70s with songs by David Bowie, Iggy Pop etc. If we talk
  about acting, well, there was not much need of special efforts to be
  put in this department. If I have to mention someone I would say that I
  really like the character Hank Marlow, played by John C. Reilly. He was
  responsible of providing half the humor the movie has. All the other
  just added to the star value of the film.

  I can confidently say that the film fits into the pattern of a well-
  executed monster movie. Compared to the one which came in 2005, this
  one definitely has much more to offer, but I still can’t choose if you
  ask me which one is better. But what I can tell you is that this one is
  going to be a part of something bigger, so make sure you watch this,
  and the 2014 Godzilla movie. Legendary films have recruited writers to
  create a monster universe (A Mosterverse!) including Godzilla and King
  Kong, how cool is that right!

• 
  ThatcherMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Really, really just terrible.

  I am not a movie snob and am easily entertained, but this movie was
  absolutely a complete and utter joke. It felt like a 3rd grader wrote
  the script. It contained every single cliché imaginable, from corny
  Platoon/Apocalypse Now-type one-liners to ridiculous slow-motion
  ”sacrifice” scenes– all incredibly cheap, contrived and void of any
  depth what-so-ever.

  Absolutely NO PLOT– not a single tangible, well-built contextual plot
  exists in this movie. John C. Reilly was the whole point of the movie–
  it should be called ”King Reilly and His Adventures”– but then again,
  there really weren’t any adventures to talk about…

  The worst part of the movie was that I could absolutely not tell when
  the movie was supposed to be serious or a comedic parody, and folks,
  that’s never a good sign, as it usually means the film is not good. And
  Samuel L. Jackson?? I think I just might use his appearance in future
  films as cause to not see them because he is clearly cast for his
  popularity and for a quick marketing boost for films that clearly need
  that extra kick. I am going to binge-watch King Kong (2005) with Jack
  Black until I can forget that I ever saw this new attempted failure to
  reprise Kong. Have our standards really fallen so far?? I honestly do
  not think there was a single frame that lasted longer than 2 seconds, I
  am not joking. Oh, the agony.

• 
  amouhtourisMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Probably The Best King Kong Movie To Date

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  larrymeersMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Not perfect, but a good example of a monster movie.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  JohnMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Fun… Action packed monster movie.

  Went in thinking I’d not like the film… But surprisingly the film was
  a great roller-coaster ride. Yes, it’s a popcorn film but a popcorn
  film that has a great bit. Kong was in it more then I expected and the
  creatures in the film didn’t disappoint. It has one of my top five
  monster kills I’ve ever seen… If you see it… You’ll know the one
  I’m talking about. STAY UNTIL THE END OF THE CREDITS! Everyone left the
  theater except the two of us… Had a funny feeling something was
  coming… and it did.

• 
  jpatrick-68632March 11, 2017Reply

  No sympathy for the Ape

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Duncan GosseynMarch 11, 2017Reply

  Does Everything It Needs to Do

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Oscar Walet TurnerMarch 11, 2017Reply

  A good trailer for a disappointing movie

  The last trailer made me believe that this was going to be a somewhat
  artistic movie with some original and nice shots. I was deceived. It’s
  a traditional blockbuster movie, with okay acting, little to no plot,
  and no attachment to any of the characters at all. Personally, I did
  not find the fight scenes entertaining or interesting at all.

  Furthermore, Kong is not done well in my opinion. He stands and walks
  like a human and not an ape. Also, the monsters are weird looking and,
  in my opinion, not cool at all.

  In the end, I was always looking back at the previous King Kong (2005)
  and comparing it. Therefore, I could only be deceived in this movie.

• 
  Anurag-ShettyMarch 12, 2017Reply

  A monster movie, that delivers exactly what it’s supposed to.

  Kong: Skull Island is the second movie in Warner Bros. Pictures &
  Legendary Entertainment’s MonsterVerse, after Godzilla(2014). A group
  of scientists, American soldiers, a British secret service agent & a
  photojournalist, travel to an unknown island in the Pacific. After
  arriving on the island, they soon discover that it is home to a giant
  ape, named Kong(Terry Notary). However, soon the group realizes that
  Kong is not the most dangerous thing on the island. Now, these guys
  have to do whatever they can to escape from Skull Island.

  Kong: Skull Island is a great film. This movie doesn’t waste too much
  time establishing the backstories of its various characters. Director
  Jordan Vogt-Roberts has realized that people have come to watch the
  titular character in action & not watch the daily lives of its human
  characters. This is how it surpasses Godzilla(2014). That film took way
  too much time establishing the human characters & barely highlighted
  the titular monster. The story is pretty straightforward but, that’s
  what we expect from a movie like this. The visual effects are flawless.
  The CGI-rendered King Kong, the skull crawlers & various other
  creatures in the movie, look extremely realistic. The action set pieces
  are fantastic & look even better in 3D. The highlight of the film is
  the climactic set piece. The cast do their best, with the star of the
  show clearly being the mighty ape. Tom Hiddleston is superb as James
  Conrad. Samuel L. Jackson is spectacular as Preston Packard. Brie
  Larson is outstanding as Mason Weaver. John C. Reilly is awesome as
  Hank Marlow. John Goodman is good as Bill Randa. Corey Hawkins is
  amazing as Houston Brooks. John Ortiz, Tian Jing, Toby Kebbell, Jason
  Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Eugene Cordero & Marc Evan Jackson
  are brilliant as Victor Nieves, San, Jack Chapman, Mills, Cole, Slivko,
  Reles & Landsat Steve, respectively. Last but not the least, Terry
  Notary is mind blowing in his motion capture performance, as Kong.
  Kong: Skull Island is a must watch for fans of monster movies &
  everyone who watched Godzilla(2014). I can’t wait for 2020’s epic
  clash, Godzilla vs. Kong.

• 
  Alex SlettenMarch 12, 2017Reply

  An Amazing Film!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  AdultAudienceMemberMarch 12, 2017Reply

  The facts in ”Goofs” are wrong.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ([email protected])March 12, 2017Reply

  The animals in the movie are depicted incorrectly at size

  In King Kong 1 the Kong was depicted about 1 ton of weight, this size
  is suitable for this animal to lodge and live in the forest. But in
  this Kong 2, the Kong was likely equal at size to the islands, how can
  the Kong survive during bad weather like rains, storm…? No place
  could be a shelter for it. This is a problem of size. One more thing,
  in real world the buffalo is usually equal or bigger at size to the
  monkey, but in this movie the buffalo is much smaller than the monkey.

  – The appearance of the Asian girl ( maybe Chinese) does not go with
  the circumstance. Her skin is too bright and not much dirt-stained like
  the others during the terrible adventure. She doesn’t look like the one
  who knows how to use a gun. She looks more like a clerk working in the
  office. – This Kong 2 is a revenge for Kong 1. in the Kong 1, the human
  tried to protect their world being trespassed by a huge creature and
  the Kong finally died, however it wasn’t the Kong’s fault. The
  audiences were hurt by viewing Kong 1. but in this Kong 2 the Kong was
  trying to kill the trespasser to his own land. The audiences ‘ mind can
  settle down after viewing Kong 2. – The image is beautiful and perfect.

• 
  balsac44March 12, 2017Reply

  Kong is King

  I loved this movie, it was better than I thought it would be… and I
  thought it would be just okay. It gets going quickly and does not mess
  around with a bunch of nonsense. No time is wasted as the movie gets
  into motion and the wheels start rolling. John C Reilly is so good, one
  of the best. Samuel L Jackson was not great, i didn’t like him in this
  role. I kept thinking of his lines from Pulp Fiction every time he
  spoke. I kept thinking he would shout out a similar line to his Snakes
  on a Plane signature remark. The rest of the cast was okay but some of
  the characters were unnecessary. That was no problem as the action
  spoke louder than the chance of any ruination of a movie by the same
  old Armageddon,Prometheus, & Interstellar dumb crew members on a super
  serious mission.

  I like the 1976 and 2005 King Kong movies too, but this one is my new
  favorite. I read in many reviews here that if you like this movie you
  must be a real dummy. I don’t get why anyone would say that. This was
  better than the last two Godzilla movies any way you slice it. I saw
  this at an IMAX in Real D and it blew me away. I’ll buy it on DVD when
  it comes out on DVD. Let the haters hate, because I predict word of
  mouth is going to make this a very successful film. Many people will
  say it was better than they thought it would be. Give it a chance, you
  might say that too. P.S. – the music was great, basically likened to
  the soundtrack of Forrest Gump but not as many total songs. One great
  song I actually didn’t even recognize as the crew headed near the
  beginning of the movie.

• 
  Benjamin SmithMarch 12, 2017Reply

  A Two-Dimensional Comic Book

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  swillikyMarch 12, 2017Reply

  A mediocre update of a classic for a bigger universe

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  WMZx3NYMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Excellent Movie – Not suitable for children under 13

  The movie is excellent, its both fast paced and intense, there is
  literally never a dull moment. As expected there is a lot of violence
  in the movie, this is after all an action movie; however at times the
  violence gets too gory and that’s why as a parent, i don’t recommend
  this movie to children under 13. I hope my review is helpful.

• 
  mwcrunnerMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Best King Kong movie ever

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  CameronMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Second Worst Movie Of The Year

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  rogerdarlingtonMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Entertaining enough but not the best Kong movie

  It seems that you can’t keep a giant ape down and this is at least the
  fourth Kong movie that I’ve seen following the versions of ”King Kong”
  released in 1933, 1976 and 2005. What makes this one different? It
  channels ”Apocalypse Now” big time, setting the action just after the
  Vietnam War and deploying a group of GIs from that conflict led by a
  bombastic lieutenant colonel who insists ”This is one war we’re not
  gonna lose” (yeh).

  Stupidly they start by carpet bombing Skull Island in the same way that
  the Americans did Vietnam with the same effect, except that this time
  it’s not the Vietcong who are enraged but ugly, giant reptiles. I
  suppose another difference is that special effects have moved on, even
  in the decade since the last Kong movie, and there are some striking
  visuals and impressive CGI, but this effort is nowhere near as
  effective as Peter Jackson’s 2005 blockbuster.

  The plot is minimal and the script often dire. Kong appears far too
  early and is not characterised as well as the three other films. And
  there is a massive waste of cinematic talent with the likes of John
  Goodman, John C Reilly, Tom Huddleston and Samuel L Jackson
  under-utilised and/or under- stretched, no more so than with the one
  female role where the talents of Brie Larson – recent Academy Award
  winner for ”Room” – are squandered.

  If you sit through endless credits, you’ll see a clip which appears to
  be setting up a sequel in which Kong faces off with Godzilla
  (apparently in a 2020 release). I won’t be holding my breath …

• 
  David SmithMarch 12, 2017Reply

  OK only

  THis is an OK monster movie that bears out the notion that big budgets
  and successful B movie type ideas don’t mix. The film makers are
  clueless about build up or suspense. The big guy come on in the first 5
  minutes! haven’t they seen the original? The greatest build up to a
  monster reveal ever. Have they ever seen a good monster movie? Have
  they seen Jaws or Alien? Then they do the same thing all over again.
  they reveal the baddie monsters in a pointless and suspense free early
  punch up with Kong so the big action scene in the bone yard has no
  suspense or reveal. Obviously the characters are stupid and cardboard.
  Was there ever a journalist in a movie not angling for a Pulitzer?
  Hiddleston is pure cardboard, Just being a Brit isn’t a character!
  Someone should tell Hollywood editors that the silly slo-mo bit when
  something is thrown or hurled is now so over as to be an utter cliché.
  The CGI was OK but too much fake water. Why didn’t Kong walk like and
  Ape on his knuckles? I would never nit pick like this with a cheaper
  movie. The high water mark of recent monster movies is Tremors.
  Character, build up and great pay off

• 
  ([email protected])March 12, 2017Reply

  Kong Good Story Bad

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  jamiro bontesMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Pretty disappointing

  It is a shame that Kong Skull Island is not even okay. The movie starts
  with John Goodman who want to go to this place called Skull Island. The
  person he asks it to doesn’t want him to go at first but 2 minutes
  later after John ask 1 more time he suddenly does it without a good
  reason so that’s why they go.

  The special effects look sometimes really good and sometimes really
  really bad. The movie doesn’t focus on Kong all that much. Tom
  Hiddleston and Brie Larson are the two leading actors I would say, the
  acting is decent but these characters are really paper thin. If you’re
  characters aren’t that good just make the movie about Kong and not
  these characters we don’t care about.

  Kong Skull Island is a pretty bad movie and I am sad to say so because
  I really looked forward to this movie. What a shame.

• 
  pranayjalviMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Kong : Skull Island delivers the thrills

  ”Kong: Skull Island” delivers a lot of thrills, but not much more than
  that. Working from a screenplay by Dan Gilroy (”Nightcrawler”), Derek
  Connolly (”Jurassic World”) and Max Borenstein, director Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts (”The Kings of Summer”) keeps things moving as he updates
  the old-fashioned adventure flick. Better yet (and unlike Jackson’s
  film), the new movie understands the line between thrilling an audience
  and scaring it silly — between action-adventure awe and horror-movie
  gross-outs. The action and special effects are mostly first-rate and
  Vogt-Roberts maintains a vaguely satiric tone that sidesteps
  schlockiness.

  My Rating : 3.5/5

• 
  Michael Zavala (mz-37866)March 12, 2017Reply

  A visual spectacle with bland hollow characters.

  6/10 Overall Kong: Skull Island is a visual spectacle with bland hollow
  characters. The cinematography of the island is very pretty and with
  the exception of few scenes look very real. Yet, all the characters,
  with the exception of Samuel L. Jackson and John C Reilly, are fairly
  basic. Brie Larson doesn’t get much to do which is a shame and Tom
  Hiddleston has a cool action scene but have no depth as a character.
  Some of the decisions made by the characters made little sense and had
  me and my friends puzzled and laughing at some stupid moments. I like
  the island and all the different monsters, especially Kong. Kong is the
  best part of the film, and every scene with him is very good. Though
  they hardly go into the ”humanity” of Kong which previous versions,
  Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong particularly, did very well. Overall I
  enjoyed the film, but wish there was more in the character department
  for me to connect with. Bring the popcorn and stay to the end of the
  credits.

• 
  rctguy-90653March 12, 2017Reply

  An Action-Packed Thrill Ride! The best Kong film since the original!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  mmcgee282March 12, 2017Reply

  Worthy of a fifth remake

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ImpsmanMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Exactly what you’d expect and thats a good thing

  Last week I wrote a review of Logan after seeing that masterpiece and
  commented how it was not a superhero film like others. Going into
  Kong:Skull Island you would expect to see a film of giant legendary
  monsters causing havoc with the human cast and having a ruckus between
  themselves. This is exactly what you get and it’s all the better for
  it.

  People will go to this film wanting to see a superbly rendered CGI
  gigantic ape swatting helicopters, hurling and treading on minor
  characters and going hand-to-hand, teeth-to-teeth with other giant
  mutated beasties and you get that in spades. The action is pretty
  relentless throughout and because the cast if full of character actors
  rather than stars anyone could be on the menu.

  Those actors do what they need to in their roles without needing to
  push their abilities. Jackson, Hiddleston, Larsen, Goodman, Hawkins and
  the rest are all very capable actors who clearly know that they won’t
  be the reason people pay their money to see this film but strike the
  exact note their roles require. A special note for John C Reilly though
  who is the character and performance which lingers longest after the
  credits have rolled.

  The film isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination and if you
  think about it too much probably won’t make a lot of sense, but its a
  two hour enjoyable monster movie and there’s absolutely no harm in
  that.

  Oh and one last thing….being of a certain vintage absolutely loved
  the soundtrack

• 
  jglick3271March 12, 2017Reply

  Kong done right

  Legendary Pictures may be setting up the greatest ”creature feature”
  mash-up of all time. ”Kong Skull Island” takes place in 1973 with a
  diverse group of military troops, and civilians exploring an uncharted
  island. This ”mission” is approved by a Senator, and is predicated on
  the idea that the Soviets may explore it ”first”.

  It doesn’t take long for the group to run into the film’s real
  ”superstar” the mighty Kong, and from there things begin to go south in
  a hurry for them.

  The action is very good, as a matter of fact that is why the audience
  bought tickets to see this thing…to watch monsters battle it out on
  the big screen, and to its credit this movie does not disappoint, and
  really delivers the goods.

  The acting is what you would expect from a popcorn movie, who’s main
  character is a massive CGI Ape…fairly wooden…except for John C.
  Reilly, who plays a World War 2 soldier who has been one of the
  island’s denizens, after getting shot down during a ”dogfight” with a
  Japanese Soldier. The guy steals every scene he is in. Especially at
  the very end, which actually had me a bit misty eyed.

  This is exactly the type of movie that takes me back to my childhood,
  when Godzilla and King Kong were the undisputed ”King of the Monsters”.
  It looks like round 2 is coming soon, and I for one can’t wait.

  Kong Skull Island is PG 13 mostly for CGI violence, and some pretty
  strong language throughout, including one ”F” bomb. I’m glad I left my
  11 year and 9 year old behind, but I for one am glad that I made a trip
  to Skull Island!

• 
  fritzlangMarch 12, 2017Reply

  great creature feature!

  Boy did I enjoy this film.

  forget plot and logic. This is an all out creature feature…It is
  called Skull Island because that’s where the action takes place with
  all the neat creatures.

  There is a LOT of screen time devoted to Kong and the monsters. And
  LOTS of cool death scenes. Pretty gory, in my opinion, and surprised
  this got a pg-13. Some scenes would be very frightening for little
  ones.

  Most surprisingly, it is the the acting of John Goodman and J.C. Riley
  that stands out – even overshadowing tom Hiddleston. I am not a big fan
  of Goodman or Riley, so this really surprised me.

  For the plot – people go to Skull Island. They encounter Kong and
  various giant monsters. Mayhem and death ensues. Some return home. The
  end.

  Doesn’t sound like much but the monster scenes really made the movie,
  and Kong was fantastic. They really had him move – he was almost like a
  giant Hulk smashing those airplanes!

  Oh, and PLEASE stay after the credits. What was shown put a BIG smile
  on my face… No spoilers.. you have to see it for yourself.

  My wife and I had a blast. The first 20 minutes were regrettably lame,
  but the rest of the movie was a hoot.

  8 out of 10 for fun factor.

• 
  SeanErbMarch 12, 2017Reply

  A lot of potential.

  Honestly, I felt that the atmosphere and the setting of the movie was
  superb. The script not so much. There was not enough ”content” in the
  movie, despite the long duration of the movie. There could have been
  much more ”drama” included to make it more interesting and to really
  grasp the attention of the audience. Sure, the effects were cool and
  Kong was a beast (not just literally). But would I really recommend
  this movie? Probably not.

• 
  kobeandreiMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Enjoyable

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  KalKenobi83March 12, 2017Reply

  A Fun Monster Movie

  So to Open The 2017 Movie Season I Watched Kong Skull Island featuring
  Tom Hiddleston(Crimson Peak) as James Conrad,Oscar Winning Actress Brie
  Larson(Room) as Mason Reaver, Jiang Tian(The Great Wall) as San
  Lin,John Ortiz(The Finest Hours) as Victor Nieves, Toby
  Kebbell(Warcraft) as Jack Chapman , Samuel L. Jackson(The Legend Of
  Tarzan) as Preston Packard ,John C.Reilly(Sing) as Hank Marlow , John
  Goodman(10 Cloverfield) as Bill Randa and Terry Notary(Dawn Of The
  Planet Of The Apes) as King Kong. I had fun with this film love the
  atheistic and visuals but it Lacked Character Development but I still
  Liked The Characters also outside the score it had one of the best
  soundtracks I really I had fun with this film but its average at best,
  but I did it enjoy it Than Peter Jackson’s King Kong I will definitely
  be buying on Blu-Ray and I don’t consider this to be Direct To Video .
  Amazing Score by Henry Jackman(Captain America:Civil War ), Costume
  Design By Mary E.Vogt(Broken Horses ) and Cinematography By Larry Fong
  (Batman V Superman:Dawn Of Justice) also and decent Direction by Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts(The Kings Of The Summer) A Fun Monster Movie 7/10

• 
  hunterj20March 12, 2017Reply

  Worth seeing at the theater!!!

  I had a lot of reservations going to see this. I assumed it was riding
  on the tail of other Kong movies and was going to be a waste of time. I
  was dead wrong. Kong: Skull Island is what a Kong movie should be. It
  was entertaining in many different ways but the best part about this
  movie is the non-stop creative use of death and violence. I know that
  seems strange to hear but go see it and you’ll see. You’ll love how
  creative some of the scenes are!!!! Thank you KONG!!!

  10/10 stars, easy decision!!

• 
  E.W. GerdesMarch 12, 2017Reply

  It Must Be Watched From the Right Point of View

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Josh BartonMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Blows its load too early but saved by some major monster action

  Kong: Skull Island serves as the second film in Legendary’s
  MonsterVerse, following the monster hit that was Godzilla back in 2014.
  With an up and coming director at the helm, a mightily impressive cast
  in tow and, of course, the iconic Kong himself on full show, the
  ingredients were there for this to be another great monster film.

  When a team of explorers and soldiers venture to an unchartered island
  in the Pacific, they get more than they bargained for when they realise
  the island is home to an array of giant creatures, including the mythic
  Kong.

  Let’s get the few negatives I had with Kong: Skull Island out of the
  way first. I wasn’t particularly a massive fan of how they blew their
  load too early by showing Kong pretty much within the first fifteen
  minutes, losing any sense of awe that this iconic monster deserves.
  Compare it to the way Gareth Edwards built up to Godzilla’s reveal and
  it’s almost as if there’s a total lack of respect for Kong.

  Then there are the human characters and the film’s screenplay, both
  void of any real weight. The characters are about as bland as they come
  and they’re matched by some truly uninspired performances from the
  likes of Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson, who really try their best with
  some awful dialogue. The most interesting character is Samuel L.
  Jackson’s Preston Packard, who holds a real grudge against Kong
  however, they miss a chance for Jackson to go fully off the rails and
  his tirade against Kong comes across as half-hearted. John C. Reilly
  was the performance most people were worried about in this film but
  because of how his character is written into the film and the fact he
  isn’t just an annoying joke machine, he is one of the best things about
  the film.

  It’s easy to say this is a film about Kong so we shouldn’t really worry
  about the human characters. If we are supposed to care about what
  happens to these characters then there simply has to be something about
  them for us to give a damn about. Unfortunately, this is a similar
  problem that Godzilla faced.

  Kong: Skull Island may be found lacking in some departments but I can’t
  deny that there is still a lot of fun to be had with this film. Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts’ film moves along at such a blistering pace and he
  certainly shows he can deliver an action sequence. I mentioned that the
  film lacks a sense of awe, particularly with the film moving from giant
  beast to giant beast so swiftly, but Vogt-Roberts manages to make
  amends with the final two set-pieces of the film, the final fight
  between Kong and a ‘skull crawler’ being the film’s stand-out moment.

  Kong himself looks fantastic, brought to life through a motion-capture
  performance from Terry Notary, as do the rest of the visual effects,
  and the decision to shoot on location in places like Hawaii and Vietnam
  rather than in a green-screen studio amplifies the great visual effects
  work on this film, as does Larry Fong’s cinematography.

  I’d have to say Kong: Skull Island left me a little disappointed, even
  if it does deliver plenty of action and has a post credits scene that
  left me excited for the future of the MonsterVerse. It certainly made
  me understand why there was no ‘King’ included in the title.

• 
  Dalton VaughnMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Oh, boy.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  bnemec-929-478125March 12, 2017Reply

  Pure mindless entertainment

  John C. Reilly is the big star of this movie. Everyone else is
  supporting. This is a must see in 3D movie to appreciate the special
  effects which are right on par with what is expected these days. There
  isn’t a lot of character development like The Jackson Kong but there is
  more action and it is nearly non-stop. If you just want to be
  entertained and forgot about your problems for two hours then this is a
  good movie to see. Enjoy.

• 
  BA_HarrisonMarch 12, 2017Reply

  Bigger doesn’t mean better.

  Skull Island features the biggest Kong yet, a towering 100 ft tall
  primate able to swat helicopters from the sky like flies. But bigger
  doesn’t necessarily mean better: while this latest great ape adventure
  is a slight improvement over Peter Jackson’s bloated 2005 remake of the
  ’33 classic, it’s a monster movie desperately in need of a decent plot.
  The special effects laden action sequences cannot fail to impress, but
  the story does not.

  The extremely basic screenplay takes a group of scientists and
  soldiers, has them embark on an expedition to the titular uncharted
  island, where they encounter Kong, who knocks them for six. The
  survivors must make their way to a rendezvous point on the North side
  of the island, avoiding being eaten by a variety of massive creatures
  or getting trodden on by the oversized simian. And that’s about it.
  Kong battles a giant octopus, a massive crab/spider attacks the humans,
  vicious birds swoop out the sky, and nasty lizard creatures crawl from
  beneath the island’s surface, all of which is mindlessly entertaining,
  but not in the least bit inspired.

  5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for token eye candy Brie Larson, who
  strips to a figure hugging vest in an attempt to distract viewers from
  the lack of fresh ideas.

• 
  jacobjohntaylor1March 12, 2017Reply

  A great monster movie

  This is a very scary movie. It has a great story line. It also has
  great acting. It also has great special effects. It very scary. King
  Kong (1933) is better. King Kong (1976) is this also better. King Kong
  (2005) is also better. This is better then Son of Kong. It is also
  better then King Kong vs Godzilla. It is also better then King Kong
  escapes. It also better then King Kong lives. All this King Kong movie
  are good. There is no bad King Kong movie. 7.2 is a good ratting. But
  this is such a great movie that 7.2 is underrating it. I give it 8. See
  this movie it is scarier then The silence of the lambs ever could be.
  What is scarier is King Kong (1933) and King Kong (1976) and King Kong
  (2005) is also scarier. But this is still very scary. See it. See all
  the King Kong movie. This a great remake.

• 
  Josh Padgett ([email protected])March 12, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island ShowMeTheMovies Review

  Better than expected, a not-too-shabby attempt at yet another (insert
  eye-roll here) King Kong picture, starring Tom Hiddleston, John C.
  Reilly and the beloved Samuel L. Jackson.

  Predominantly set in 1973, the flick follows a purpose-built team of
  soldiers, scientists and stragglers as they head for the undiscovered
  Skull Island in search of the unknown. Here they stumble upon a beast
  trapped on the island known as Kong – a potentially misjudged
  anti-hero.

  Highly-anticipated by many, this sequel was – in my mind – always going
  to be either a complete masterpiece or bucketful of disappointment. To
  my surprise(/delight/sadness), it turned out to be neither. Whilst on
  the most part I would praise its’ solid cinematography (some beautiful
  landscape and action shots), as well as Kongs’ expert-use of CGI
  throughout, these couldn’t save it from what appeared to me a
  watered-down premise with fortune-cookie-clichés being pulled out of a
  hat and inserted into every appropriate crevice.

  The acting standard as a whole is admittedly not bad – I have to give
  particular nod to Samuel L Jackson for finally producing a well
  played-out character (seriously, name me a role he’s played well since
  Django Unchained and I’ll be a monkey’s uncle) – but I can’t
  particularly criticise much of the performances throughout. Toby
  Kebbell (yes, that guy that’s been in everything recently that you
  never remember the name of) and Brie Larson were probably the most
  bland – with Tom Hiddleston outshining most of his fellow cast members.

  The fight scenes were indeed the most entertaining part – well-timed,
  well thought-out and, at times, epic! Other than a slight overuse of
  slow-motion features, and a couple of ridiculous shots, I honestly
  quite enjoyed seeing not only the fights with Kong himself but the
  other internal exchanges (no spoilers, I promised!).

  Also, entirely blameless of the creators, but yet another movie this
  season with the insertion of JFK, Vietnam and 60’s culture was really
  not needed (sorry guys!). Despite this, it redeemed itself slightly
  with some fairly enjoyable music throwbacks. Alongside these were
  plenty of well-utilised sound-effects and editing that I found rather
  enjoyable (a complete renunciation from the script).

  I was pleasantly surprised to find Kong: Skull Island didn’t leave me
  wanting 2 hours of my life back; that said, given the choice I wouldn’t
  waste another two rewatching it. Okay to pass the time, Kong exists. If
  you’re after something more worthwhile, perhaps skip this and shove on
  Predator (terribly brilliant) or Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus
  (brilliantly terrible).

  showme-themovies.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/review-kong-skull-island.html

• 
  Richard ChattenMarch 12, 2017Reply

  A Lengthy Trail for the Main Bout Yet to Come

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  mikemcmillan2002March 12, 2017Reply

  Great entertainment, not a love story.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  FilmReviewer835March 12, 2017Reply

  A much different take on the King Kong franchise

  After the Vietnam war, a team of scientists and military men
  investigate an uncharted island full of ferocious monsters including an
  ape named Kong.

  This movie acts as a new installment to the King Kong franchise, an a
  much different take at that. Personally, I’m one of those people who
  wasn’t extremely fond of the 2005 King Kong remake and because of that,
  I was anticipating this movie. Unfortunately, it ended up being a mixed
  bag.

  To start with the bads, I found some of the green-screening way too
  obvious. This trend can first be seen during the beginning of the movie
  as some of the backgrounds don’t match up with ones from the last or
  next shots, as an example. Another issue I had was with the ending.
  Without spoiling anything, I have to say that the ending of the movie
  feels unfinished; it left me confused and had me asking myself: ”Wait,
  that’s it?” However, my main issue with the movie is that despite the
  fact that the movie’s title has the name Kong in it, we barely see him
  outside of the beginning and ending, and that’s pretty disappointing
  for me. As someone who wanted to see more of King Kong throughout the
  film, it kind of is a letdown to see that he only has very few
  appearances. My final complaint has to be that the movie feels too
  different from its previous installments. When you go into a remake or
  reboot of an older movie, you’d expect them to at least somewhat follow
  the formula of the original work. That’s not the case here, as it seems
  like the film is trying to be its own thing. Granted, they do pay
  homages to the original movie, but it doesn’t save this from being one
  of the movie’s weaknesses.

  Now let’s take a look at the goods. To start, the environments were
  beautiful. The movie gives us a breathtaking look at an uncharted
  island and it makes you want to see it for yourself. Another strength
  of the movie has to be the action scenes. The action scenes just looked
  plain awesome and they were the highlight of the film. The action
  scenes had a lot of engaging and gripping moments that left me on the
  edge of my seat. I don’t want to spoil the movie, so if you’d like to
  watch the action scenes in this, then you should go see it for
  yourselves. The last strength of the movie is that it feels different;
  it’s both the film’s strength and weakness. The only real positive I
  can say about the movie being different is that it does a great job at
  being its own thing.

  Overall, I find the movie to be a mixed bag. I like the action scenes,
  environment and the fact that it’s trying to do something different
  with the franchise; although that is a weakness as well as the fact
  that we don’t see the star very often.

• 
  thechoctopfilmblogMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Kong would regret being in this film

  I was confused about the purpose of this film, and sadly, I was still
  confused after watching the film. All the elements of this new version
  of King Kong have been recycled. Taking parts of the originals/remakes
  and hastily gluing them together again in a different way doesn’t mean
  it is going to create an inventive artwork.

  And I knew they would put a scene where Kong saves a pretty lady in his
  palm, I just knew it. All that’s improved from the previous films is
  Kong’s appearance. He is fluffier, angrier and more realistic. Some
  points must be given to the stunning visual effects.

  The characters’ names and faces have also changed, but their nature and
  characteristics are half dimensional and predictable. It is stereotypes
  upon stereotypes. It is a major waste of talent with Tom Hiddleston,
  Samuel L Jackson and Academy Award winner Brie Larson (”Room”)
  struggling in the muddled chaos. You could see and feel the
  disappointment. Even Kong seems confused. The performances are half-
  hearted and there is just no substance for them to work with. I bet all
  they were thinking of while filming was ‘get me out of here’ –
  literally.

  For the majority of the film, everyone says very few words to each
  other. The conversations are forced and laughable. It wouldn’t have
  made a difference if they were just silent. It’s so predictable that
  you would know exactly what the next line would be.

  I thought while watching this, was this meant to be an exaggerated
  satire of King Kong? Or was it meant to be taken seriously? Even the
  execution of the film presents the same questions. At one point, it
  would be slow and mystic, and minutes later, overly upbeat music would
  hit your ears, and we are treated to magnified slow-motion action. It
  feels it is trying too hard to get our attention. And once it does, it
  doesn’t know how to sustain it.

  And finally, there are so many extreme close-ups of Samuel L. Jackson’s
  face, it probably took up half the film. They did it to match Kong’s
  face, so you can imagine how gigantic it was.

  Maybe if Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts figured out from the beginning
  what type and style of film this would be, it would have been a better
  film. It seems like he had an idea but is unconvicted towards it, and
  instead keeps changing his mind to offer more ‘fun’. The result that it
  is a jumble of various pieces that don’t belong in the same puzzle.

• 
  DakotaTheGamerMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Great Movie!!! But Not Better Than Peter Jackson’s King Kong.

  This movie was a great movie it showed all the good things to make a
  really good king kong movie everything was great about the movie it was
  short enough so you don’t get bored and there was a lot of action with
  king kong i really thought this movie was great the only thing that
  made this movie not as good was that it didn’t have a love relationship
  like in the first king kong which is a big part of the king kongs and
  also that maybe starting out it was a little boring so it was kinda
  boring to watch at first but those are the only things that made it not
  an amazing movie but i did think it was a great movie so i suggest
  anyone to see it its really good.

• 
  Anthony IessiMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Kong’s Last Roar

  How many times can they really do King Kong? King Kong 76′? OK. King
  Kong 05′ with Peter Jackson? I can dig that. Kong: Skull Island is
  pushing it. This might be the flimsiest King Kong film to date. It
  reinvents nothing. Sure, there isn’t a blonde woman being kidnapped,
  and sure there isn’t a scene where Kong climes up a skyscraper.. but
  not relying on the tropes of the series doesn’t excuse the
  unimaginative storyline here. It’s aesthetic is a Vietnam war film. CCR
  blasts the soundtrack. You know where this is going. The characters are
  wooden. The only thing they’ve got going for them is their star power.
  John Goodman does a good job as always. John C. Reilly is a treat to
  see. However, Samuel L. Jackson is Samuel L. Jackson.. again. Also, the
  jumps scares.. why? Why is Hollywood still relying on jump scares in
  the horror/sci-fy genre? I’m sick of it. The sound dies down and BOOM a
  creature pops out. This happens a dozen times here. Enough. The effects
  in Kong are as good as they should be, but it’s certainly not a
  standout. The new Planet of the Apes series is truly wowing with
  realistic looking apes. This film could’ve learned a thing or two.
  Also, just in case you’re wondering about what I think of the
  post-credits surprise.. here’s my answer: Sorry, Warner Bros. I’m not
  interested.

• 
  Paul AllaerMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Rousing and fun reboot of the Kong franchise

  ”Kong: Skull Island” (2017 release; 118 min.) starts a new chapter in
  the King Kong universe. As the movie opens, we are told it’s ”South
  Pacific, 1943”, and a US pilot and Japanese pilot crash land on a
  beach, and while they are fighting each other, Kong appears out of the
  blue. Cue forward and now we are ”1973” (as we see Nixon announce the
  withdrawal of troops from Vietnam). Bill Randa is able to get a US
  Senator to approve a ‘mapping mission’ of an unchartered island
  somewhere in the South Pacific. After some quick preparations,
  including getting a military escort, off we go to that mysterious
  island… To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing
  experience, you’ll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

  Couple of comments: this is the latest reboot of the King Kong
  franchise, more than a decade since the last one (by Peter Jackson).
  This time, Kong is bigger and better and ‘badder’ than ever before, and
  with lots of other monsters on the island, much to our viewing
  pleasure. The movie has a distinct ”Apocalypse Now” vibe going in the
  first part, even more so as the herd of helicopters approaches the
  island and is met by Kong. Once the action shifts to the island, there
  is a distinct ”Jurassic Park” vibe to it. We all know fully well that
  there is a lot of CGI in the movie, yet it never bothered me, and in
  fact I’ll see that the movie feels very authentic from that
  perspective. The support cast is okay, with John C. Reilly (as the
  stranded US pilot now 30 years later) absolutely stealing the show
  (sorry John Goodman, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, et al.). There is a
  terrific score to the movie, courtesy of veteran composer Henry
  Jackman, and there are also a ton of song placements (Black Sabbath’s
  ”Paranoid”, CCR’s ”Run Through the Jungle”, etc.). BEWARE: this movie
  is rated PG-13 for a reason, as there are some frightening scenes that
  I believe are inappropriate for kids under the age of 10 or
  thereabouts.

  ”Kong: Skull Island” opened wide this past weekend. The Saturday early
  evening screening where I saw this at here in Cincinnati was sold out
  to the very last seat. The audience LOVED this movie, and gave it an
  applause when the end titles started rolling. ”Kong: Skull Island” is
  nothing short of a rounding and fun reboot of the Kong franchise. I
  can’t wait to see the next installment (reportedly due for 2019).
  ”Kong: Skull Island” is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

• 
  sweet_skillsMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Just not good.

  This movie was not good. I had somewhat high hopes coming into this
  movie. It has Tom Hiddleston, John Goodman and Samuel l. Jackson, so a
  pretty good cast. Trailers looked pretty cool. But I was tricked. It
  was awful. The story and filming was full of inconsistency, it was
  confusing and overall terrible. The action sequences are hard to
  follow. You keep thinking people are dying and then they show up again
  just fine. The characters are flat and totally underdeveloped. The ones
  they focus on die in totally anti-climatic manners. They overused slow
  motion. They used every cliché in the book but not enough to make it a
  parody. So it had the stupid moments of a parody but clearly was meant
  to be something serious. I admit that there were a couple parts that I
  thought, oh that was cool. But, in the end it was just confusing and
  sucky. Watch it only if you are with people you can make fun of it
  with. Then it will be funny.

• 
  Nadaa AzofMarch 13, 2017Reply

  What a waste of everything

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Vijayanand PhadMarch 13, 2017Reply

  It’s monstrous and entertaining… IMAX takes it to another level

  I watched Kong in IMAX for the first time & I have become fan of it.
  This movie is best in most categories. Pure entertainment.

  You get action just when you needed. All the actors have surprisingly
  got most of screen share.

  Script is good, CGI is amazing. Animals and nature looks breathtaking.

  It’s far better than Godzilla, where the animals were just roaring
  nothing else. Here they have lot’s of things in the script. There’s
  story going on. Just wonderful.

  A must watch film in theaters only, I won’t see the impact would be
  that much in TV screens.

• 
  shopping-277-112148March 13, 2017Reply

  Generally Poor

  I have to admit that i am generally a fan of popular culture / comic
  book adaptation type films. Big fan of DC / Marvel, Pacific Rim, etc.,
  even found merit in the last Godzilla film and despite it’s critics I
  even loved Peter Jacksons 2005 remake, so had reasonable expectations
  for Skull Island. However, was so disappointed. The concept is just
  silly, it takes itself too seriously, a lot of the performances are
  either wooden or miscast, even Samuel L Jackson is annoying and doesn’t
  do anything to save the film, quite the opposite.

  It’s main redeeming feature is it’s look. On the whole it looks
  incredible, some of the effects are truly breathtaking, and there are
  some iconic frames to behold, the major exception being Kong himself.
  Gone is the realistic stature and look of Kong from Jackons predecessor
  film, instead we a very ‘ungorilla’ like figure that basically looks
  like a CGI rendition of a guy dressed in a bad suit.

  Half way through the film I’d lost interest in the story and cared
  little for the characters, especially Kong, which is what is at the
  core of previous Kong films.

  I understand that this is the first in probably a line of films opening
  up the Kong / Godzilla universe, but this just left me flat enough to
  not really be excited about that prospect at all.

• 
  Hieu Duc VoMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Extraordinary…

  I have seen this movie yesterday. That is an extremely interesting
  movie. Firstly, the content is great, it teaches us to respect the
  nature and finally Kong is always the greatest king. Secondary, the
  effects are so amazing, each small detail is so real. Thirdly, the
  landscape is very beautiful, I know that this movie is captured in
  Vietnam, my beloved country, and I am so proud of that. Finally, this
  is a movie that we can’t miss.

• 
  Arnold PeterSonMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Jurassic Park #3?

  Kong: Skull Island –

  ◘With abysmal amount of visual effects and CGI, Kong delivered an A-One
  cinematic experience. Though the movie was equipped with an outstanding
  line up of actors, the abundant action and vehemence that followed the
  monster formulaic plot created chaos in individual performances. The
  Skull Island expedition crew included a group of militants lead by
  Preston Packard(Samuel L Jackson), some geologists who look nothing
  like geologists, the ‘experienced’ James Conrad(Tom Hiddleston)
  recruited by Bill Randa (John Goodman) and a beautiful anti-war
  photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson). They all shared a common trait
  – idiocy !

  ◘Half of their team bit the dust combating Kong, a quarter of the rest
  were eaten by ”Skull crawlers’ (it’s a really cool name) and still Sam
  Jackson wants to hunt the mighty King. In short the cast reflected a
  bunch of morons mimicking each other at the time of a Jurassic Park
  situation. BTW, this felt like a Jurassic Park 3 rip off!

  ◘3D was spectacular. Monsters had a decent amount of screen time
  (unlike Godzilla). The sound effects were good.. So, where technicality
  prevailed, cliché deep rooted and story sucked. Still a guaranteed
  entertainment and a fast paced movie is assured. I rate [3/5].

• 
  John ZappullaMarch 13, 2017Reply

  This film is AWESOME!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  methodman-14473March 13, 2017Reply

  leaves you wanting more…and maybe a little frustrated

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  petershackersMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Kong is a king for is an island

  Kong: Skull Island (2017) looked at the image. That’s fine. Desperate
  to avenge her tribe lizard destroyed Kong, and he had traveled with the
  soldiers, desperate to avenge the killing of Samuel L. Jackson Kong.
  The story goes like this move. The Movie Editing and Graphic are so
  good. I like This Movie.

• 
  drawlifeMarch 13, 2017Reply

  A serviceable, fun spring blockbuster.

  I’ll start off by saying I enjoyed this more than Godzilla.

  That’s not to say I disliked Godzilla, but every time something
  interesting or a really cool monster moment surfaces, it kept cutting
  away. Godzilla delivers in the finale, but what Kong does differently
  is that it isn’t afraid to embrace those monster moments. Right off the
  bat, Kong is showcased front and center and it is pleasing eye-candy.

  Kong: Skull Island is action-packed, and director Jordan Vogt-Roberts
  has a keen eye for action. Cinematographer Larry Fong and the hard
  working special-effects artists produce some remarkable visuals. Kong
  combats a squad of helicopters who are swooping in formation.
  Vogt-Roberts doesn’t overuse the slow-motion sequences, but he uses
  them at the right moment in the middle of the action. It never really
  cheapened all of the action set- pieces, it actually enhanced the
  experience. Lots of great creatures too, some deadly looking lizards
  things, a giant octopus, a giant spider, and some pre-historic looking
  birds. Kong himself looked fabulous. He’s obviously the misunderstood
  monster as he is only protecting his turf and territory. He is
  ginormous, bigger than ever and it makes a difference. Kudos to the VFX
  team, there is a sense of scale and weight to Kong and all the other
  creatures in the film.

  The actors do their job commendably. Not much is fleshed out with any
  of these characters to be honest, but they do bring some gravitas to
  the film. Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and John
  Goodman do their best to make their characters believable. Jackson in
  particular can be compared to Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Against all
  logic and odds, he’s obsessed with his mission. John C. Reilly provides
  a lot of humor into the film as he is a WWII pilot, stranded on Skull
  Island for almost thirty years. Some characters are really there for
  exposition, particularly the short, not much to do roles played by
  Corey Hawkins and Tian Jing.

  I do want to point out that I appreciated Hiddleston and Larson’s
  relationship in the film. While not fleshed out at all, it wasn’t some
  typical Hollywood, forced down your throat romance, rather just a
  mutual respect for one another. Larson’s character is also involved in
  the action, useful at times, and not just some damsel in distress. Some
  of the supporting roles of the soldiers played by Jason Mitchell, Shea
  Whigham, and Thomas Mann aren’t as expendable as one would typically
  expect them to be so that was a nice surprise as well.

  It’s no secret that Legendary and WB are creating a MonsterVerse with
  Kong, Godzilla, and all the other Toho creatures. They’ve got some
  franchise building to do, and for corporate film making, this movie
  goes through the checkmarks very well. Vogt-Roberts does a good job not
  making it feel like a ”filler” film to fill in the gaps, as a matter of
  fact it does feel like it stands on its own for the most part. He moves
  the story along from A to Z with a lot of eye candy action. The choice
  of music and the color palette he choose feels like a Vietnam/70’s
  film. It does what it needs to do and it’s a fun way to kill off two
  hours.

  Obviously stay through the credits. It’s a nice tease.

  7/10

• 
  batbhaiMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Old wine in a new bottle

  I watched Kong in IMAX and it was fun. This resulted in images
  projected by Dual Projectors on the Giant 42 feet high, 65 feet wide
  screen of IMAX, along with 12000 Watts IMAX proprietary sound system
  that will make your hairs stand each time Kong growls and pounds his
  chest!

  The sole purpose is to set-up a supposed Kong vs. Godzilla film in the
  coming years, otherwise, the script is too weak, on the same sidelines
  of Jurassic World. No care was taken for character development. Also,
  it’s not clear whether the focus is on the the ape or on the island
  itself. There is quite a bit of humor that is attempted here, but most
  of it comes out of nowhere and seems desperate. Samuel Jackson strikes
  the right tone of crazy amid the chaos, otherwise, if we check the rest
  of the casting crew, the acting is almost one-dimensional. The action
  and visuals are dazzling and immersive. Neither a sequel nor prequel,
  but the SFX are better, especially with Kong’s CGI’ close-ups. And
  there is no love-dove like the Naomi Watts- Kong relationship. There is
  some fun to be had and it’s not a bad film in any way, but a film like
  this could have been so much better. In a nutshell, Kong: Skull Island
  is disposable popcorn mumbo-jumbo fare. My significant digit score:
  6.4/10

• 
  MajDutchMarch 13, 2017Reply

  The best monster movies in years!

  This is probably the best monster movie I’ve seen it in years. IMHO it
  also tops the recent Godzilla movie. The final battle between Kong and
  Skull crawler is simply jaw dropping, and the cinematography not only
  in that scene but also in the entire movie is simply brilliant.

  Before going to the movie, please realize that you’re going for a
  monster flick and it’s not an Oscar calibre movie like Moonlight or La
  La Land, so critic it on that basis only. What this movie does better
  than Godzilla in my humble opinion is there is more human touch to it,
  once you see it you’ll come to know what I’m talking about.

  Lastly, I was very pleased that this Kong movie wasn’t like 1933 and
  the remakes. See it on the big screen with a bag of popcorn, trust me
  you won’t be disappointed.

• 
  alindsay-alMarch 13, 2017Reply

  An average monster film

  So after the decent Godzilla film in 2014 this is the second film in
  this monster universe and unfortunately this film just doesn’t hit the
  high levels I wanted even though there is good stuff in this film. The
  premise of this film is set in the 1970’s as a team of military
  personal and scientists go to a mysterious island where they encounter
  creatures and Kong. Tom hiddelston plays the main hero in this film and
  unfortunately I found him very bland and dull in this film. I feel
  maybe he was miscast in the role but mainly it was just the fact that
  his character had no depth and was very wooden. However, the character
  of Kong is awesome in this film, unlike Godzilla Kong is given plenty
  of screen time in this film and I thought he was possibly the most
  interesting character in this film. Samuel l Jackson plays the military
  commander in this film and he is great in this film, he has a
  legitimate reason for going against Kong and you buy him as he develops
  throughout the film with his men. John Goodman plays the head scientist
  in this film and I liked him in his role, I thought his dynamic with
  Jackson in the film was good even though I maybe would have liked to
  have seen a bit more of him. John c Reilly plays a man who has been on
  the island longer then the rest and I actually liked his character. I
  was worried that his added humour would go against the film but I
  thought he had the best lines and I ended up caring about his
  character. Brie Larson plays a photographer in this film that goes
  along for the journey and similar to hiddleston that I found her pretty
  boring and bland in the role. The story in this film has some nice
  personal moments especially involving the soldiers and morality. But it
  is very by the numbers and unfortunately everything to do with Kong is
  very similar to what they did with Godzilla and it just comes across as
  repetitive and not unique for his character. The script in this film is
  just pretty awful, the humour in this film comes across as incredibly
  forced except for some of Reilly’s lines. Also the drama never really
  hits the levels that it should. The style of this film has some
  brilliant action scenes, seeing Kong throw down is awesome to see and
  you get quite a bit of it in this film that I was highly entertained
  by. However, this film has some tone issues, it is highly inconsistent
  moving from dramatic to humorous without any segway really which was
  jarring. Overall this is an average film that doesn’t really do Kong
  justice.

• 
  viewsonfilm.comMarch 13, 2017Reply

  VIEWS ON FILM review of Kong: Skull Island

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  jonathanindMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Exciting but weird end

  Exciting movie with really good action sequences. The way Mason and
  Kong connected was believable and Tom Hiddleston was excellent in the
  lead role. The opening build up was strong and so were the scenes when
  the characters arrive on Skull Island but you don’t get much of an idea
  about the key characters – that is not the fault of the actors, but
  rather because the script does’t bother to explain much about their
  motivations. All you get is surface. The film lost energy as the story
  developed and because of that it felt too long.

• 
  paulijcalderonMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Entertaining, but lacked a sense of awe and mystery

  It was OK. I expected more from it, but what worked was the
  re-introduction of King Kong. The way he was handled was all right. I
  did overall liked this portrayal of Kong, he was more fierce and
  visceral. Even though I would have liked the movie to develop him more,
  since almost all of his scenes are about him doing action stuff. The
  very few moments when he calms down and lives normally were nice. But
  there wasn’t enough for me to really buy into it and understand him.
  Because the other ”King Kong” films do a good job of humanizing Kong so
  he doesn’t become a generic evil monster. What makes him different
  compared to a lot of movie monsters is that he has a heart and some
  kind of emotional connection. This film would have needed to showcase
  more of that aspect of Kong’s personality.

  They went the safe route with the story. I’s pretty standard and
  predictable. It bugged me a bit because I wished they would go in a
  different direction. Well, they did go in a different direction… With
  the visual style and the tone. It’s a fun and colorfully energized type
  of movie that doesn’t take itself seriously often. I liked the few
  times it actually toned down and got more serious. Because a big thing
  this film lacked was a sense of awe and mystery. They show off Kong
  early on, so there’s no time to build up the reveal. I like the Peter
  Jackson version a lot more because there’s eeriness and mystery
  surrounding Skull Island. Just hearing about the legends of the
  creatures and exploring the mythology was something that I could get
  invested in. They leave nothing a mystery in this new film because
  there’s much exposition on what’s going on with Kong, his backstory and
  the different creatures on the island. Instead of gradually exploring
  it or having the audience realize things along the way, they spell it
  all out by talking about everything and not showing. Towards the final
  half they have some mysterious moments, but by then it was already too
  late for that. It spends more time trying to be retro and looking for
  moments to play songs from the 70’s, rather than giving us a good
  story. The best character was John C. Reilly. I liked his story line,
  it was nice. Everyone else was just there basically playing themselves.
  Many actors were wasted. I’m looking at you Toby Kebbel. You are better
  than this.

  There is a Post-credit scene. It was OK, but underwhelming. It does
  promise a lot for the future and I hope they don’t mess up anything
  they are hinting at, because it has huge potential. ”Kong: Skull
  Island” is just an entertaining popcorn movie, don’t expect much more.
  I’m happy that King Kong is back, but he deserves a better movie next
  time.

• 
  Robert Setlock, IIIMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Kong Roars in Skull Island

  King Kong is one of those movies that periodically gets remade. The
  same theme is central to every King Kong film: beauty tames the savage
  beast. However, that aspect is just subtext in this movie; the main
  story and themes differ completely from previous variations. The reason
  for this change is because ”Kong: Skull Island” is not another King
  Kong remake at all. It’s a completely different beast that just happens
  to have King Kong in it (although a Kong that is far larger than your
  average iteration).

  Due to this freedom, ”Kong: Skull Island” pursues far more relevant
  themes than previous Kong movies. The film takes place at the end of
  the Vietnam war and takes full advantage of that traumatizing time.
  Within this vehicle, there’s subtext on nation building that’s
  fascinating, but the core ideas that this movie explores are the role
  of the warrior when there is no war, particularly, when they come home
  defeated. For the most part, the majority are just happy to go home to
  their families, but far more disturbingly is the soldier looking for
  the next war.

  Into this vacuum steps Samuel L Jackson’s Preston Packard. In a movie
  with lots of solid acting, Jackson standouts. He is a man driven by
  rage, however, he never acts unreasonably. It’s easy to see why he
  would command a unit and why men follow him. Focused and determined, he
  pursues his next victory at any cost. At face value, most of his ideas
  appear insane, but when he speaks his ideas and motivations never seem
  entirely outlandish. Through this, the movie explores the ideas of what
  war does to its warriors.

  Unabashedly, the movie never neglects the concept that big monsters
  giving each other a thrashing is awesome. Despite the serious themes
  this movie explores, it never forgets that it’s just a fun monster
  versus monster beat-em-up B movie. Fortunately, unlike the American
  ”Godzilla” from a couple of years ago, the audience experiences as much
  action as it could handle. Further, the effects are simply spectacular.
  None of ”The Great Wall”’s green dogs here, more comparable would be
  the effects from last year’s ”The Jungle Book”. Most the creatures and
  especially Kong himself look very real.

  Sure, there are times where I feel like editing skipped minor story
  points occasionally making the audience wonder how some characters got
  from point A to point D, but this is an infrequent occurrence. Also,
  outside of Preston Packard and Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly is the other
  big standout in the cast) all the characters are rather underdeveloped.
  Still all in all, ”Kong: Skull Island” is a film far better than it has
  any right to be.

• 
  maurice yacowarMarch 13, 2017Reply

  New version changes monster Kong to defender of his people

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Jan BerriosMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Fantastic scenery!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ipeedailyMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Well done & exciting flick, great CGI

  Movie was great with tons of action and great 3D imagery. A few small
  problems with actor parts….the black dude assistant to John Goodman
  character is no way believable as a 1970’s era character….comes off
  as an obvious millennial of recent day attempting to play the character
  and it’s very noticeable and distracting. Also, unsure why they added
  the Asian female (other than to appease ”multi-culturalism”) as she
  adds nothing and really has no role. Otherwise, just about everyone
  else is good….Samuel L Jackson is money as always and John C. Reilly
  chews up the scenery. Hiddleston is underused but good.

  See in 3D if possible – great effects and ”immerse-ivness”

  7.5 out of 10

• 
  ghkiteleyMarch 13, 2017Reply

  great movie!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Movie ParadiseMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Won’t Work For Everyone, But Worked For Me!

  Does this movie have problems? Yes, it does. But for me, those problems
  didn’t really take away from my enjoyment of the film. Maybe this movie
  will fall apart more upon a second viewing, but I had a lot of fun
  seeing this in IMAX 3D. I recommend definitely checking it out in that
  format. I went in wanting to see some awesome monster fights, good
  set-up for 2020’s Godzilla vs. King Kong, some great visual effects,
  and just a fun time at the movies. And I got all of that. For people
  concerned about Kong in this movie… don’t be. I was upset with how
  much screen time Godzilla got in his own movie, but Kong gets the right
  amount of time here. He’s on just enough to satisfy fans, but is off
  screen enough to let other elements of the film shine. When Kong fights
  in this movie, it is absolutely incredible. I don’t think there’s
  anything in here that is as iconic as Kong versus the T-Rexes in King
  Kong, but the fights with the Skull Crawlers and the other creatures
  were amazing to watch. It was so fun and exhilarating. The visuals in
  this movie are also stunning. Sometimes, in a movie like this, they can
  be hit or miss, but they were brilliant here…

• 
  LuxuriousMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Characters weren’t good, but it’s still a great movie

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  blackmamba99971March 13, 2017Reply

  The old breed

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  david-sarkiesMarch 13, 2017Reply

  Let’s remake the monkey movie

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  NeromancingTheStoneMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Hollywood is committing suicide

  They are pushing so many sequels, prequels, reboots and offshoots that
  the cash-in is going to make Hollywood collapse unto itself. Who needs
  any more reboots?? One more X-Men and the world shall vomit unto
  itself. I have the remedy for what ails Hollywood though: Go to
  Unoriginality Anonymous meetings and force yourself to try to write an
  original script People should boycott all these nefarious cash-ins Ban
  JJ Abrams from anywhere near Los Angeles (and his ilk) No more Morgan
  Freeman either Give Samuel Jackson an integrity infusion etc

  As for this film: A group of cash whore actors gather in a film studio
  to parody the original dignified metaphor that was King Kong. The
  actors make jokes that are hilariously funny. Then they run away and
  ambush and attack Jurassic style. Then they go somewhere and there are
  a lot of explosions. The enemies are ugly, and they also fight each
  other, so it’s OK to kill them. After two hours the film ends. The film
  is marketed to kiddies, kiddies-in-brain and China (via the token
  Chinese eye candy or in this case plain vanilla useless whatever..)

  Did you hear? Kong called his agent in New York City, USA at the Empire
  State Building to ask his images be erased from this turkey and demand
  that his agent get him better work going forward. The agent wouldn’t
  take his call however. How could he? He didn’t recognize the caller.
  That isn’t King Kong after all.

• 
  Vishal KumarMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Kong…with a personality!!!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  bestjcMarch 14, 2017Reply

  A B+/A- film for the genre.

  This motion picture has first-class special effects in the actions
  scenes; speaking of which, the story-line contains just that right
  amount of action — in the sweet spot between action-fatigue and
  boredom from not enough action. Furthermore, the film strikes the
  audience with a dynamic perspective of the antagonist/protagonist role,
  both switching back and forth between the characters. The only
  discrepancy — In my opinion, the film was overcast; there were too
  many characters (in the beginning) which disappoint an entertained
  audience with urges to see character development. For the ones you do
  get to know, John C. Reilly is just delightful and brings humor to the
  unfortunate events that occur.

  I saw this film in IMAX, so I can’t confidently speak on the
  cinematography, however, the mise-en-scene is inclusive of all the
  right working parts to make the visuals virtually unparalleled by any
  other sci-fi/action film of late.

  This is an on the ”edge-of-your-seat” type of film. Overall, a B+/A-
  film for the genre.

• 
  Danny DobsonMarch 14, 2017Reply

  disliked the film

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  jmccarthy469March 14, 2017Reply

  Don’t bother with this turkey even if you love King Kong

  Peter Jackson headed up a well-done remake of King Kong back in 2005.
  Better to rewatch Jackson’s version as this new movie, Skull Island”,
  has little to offer even in the way of entertainment. Kong himself
  shows little personality and the rest of the cast, try as they might,
  cannot rescue the awful script, the lack of characterization, and the
  absence of intelligent dialogue that mark this movie. Fortunately the
  theater seat was quite comfortable so I could doze off as this hideous
  reworking of the King Kong legend unfolded. Do yourself a favor and if
  you must see it, wait till it comes to television.

• 
  Angela RoseMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Action packed and visually impressive.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  kevingalioneMarch 14, 2017Reply

  He’s back

  Peter Jackson’s King Kong was a bloated mess of a movie. The last
  Godzilla, outside of the first 20 minutes with Walter White, was a
  monster disappointment. So why did I even consider going to see skull
  island? It was the only movie playing in a 2 hour time frame I have
  before my Wednesday night softball game.

  To my great surprise this is the best monster movie I think I’ve ever
  seen in my 46 years. The action and pacing is breathless. Kong looks
  insane. The acting, especially the great John C Reilly, is awesome. The
  movie also manages to be funny and fun. If you like this kind of movie
  at all this is a must see on the big screen.

• 
  MANISH KUMAR BHADAURIYAMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Kong is the king of this island and movie

  Well some time you don’t make movies for greatness you just stick to
  simple rules to make your movie entertaining with all those
  humour,soundtracks,editing,humorous and heroic punchlines and of course
  mind blowing visuals (which is improving every year) and Kong:skull
  island is a similar kind of movie.specially in this movie visuals or
  CGI was very clear and top notch(which is better then previous part and
  Godzilla) and of course actors like Tom Huddleston,Samuel L.
  Jackson,Brie Larson John C.Reilly and other supporting cast did
  supported this movie ultimately, editing and direction was smooth and
  to the point which was well complimented by soundtrack which was not
  great but stylish so go and watch this movie if you are looking for
  good entertainment this week.

• 
  wildwitchcaMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Kong is a hero!

  This movie is NOT – I repeat NOT a remake! It is a new story that will
  take your breath away and you will never see what is coming. The acting
  was great…the story was fantastic…there wasn’t a dull moment during
  the entire movie! STAY after the never-ending credits…there is a
  surprise at the end of those…That’s all I can say. GO SEE THIS MOVIE!
  I’m going back to see it again next week!!!

• 
  Drew KMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Monkey no good!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Mike LovellMarch 14, 2017Reply

  If this movie was a pizza…

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Hoang NguyenMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Meet my expectation!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  arnieiamMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Such a weird film experience that really ended up being fun

  I wanted to see a movie on discount Tuesday and thought to myself why
  not watch another studio churned cgi mess? This is exactly what it was
  but somehow managed to be subversive enough in its presentation that I
  had a lot of fun watching it.

  This is supposed to take place in the same universe as the Godzilla
  film of 2014. That is why King Kong is the size of a 30 story building,
  in hopes that he can throw down with Godzilla in a crossover film.
  Unlike Godzilla however, this film didn’t shy away with showing as much
  Kong as possible and it was glorious. The scenes where Kong smashes
  helicopters and fights monsters had that perfect blend of over-the- top
  action and just being visceral. And the violence in this film had a
  degree of macabre, so there were moments I was like gasping and
  chuckling saying ”Oh my god!”. So many characters get picked off at
  unexpected moments that it kept the film really suspenseful.

  Now this film follows a trend where this is the sophomore film of a
  director who’s debut was a low budget indie film. I think studios do
  this so that the director is easy to push around and you can cheap out
  on his share of the budget. And I think the director knew this so he
  decided to mess around with the audience. There is so much weird
  dialogue about nothing and I swear the median shot length of the first
  act was around 1 second because it kept quick cutting. And rather than
  being annoyed with it, I embraced it and only make me like it more as I
  placed myself in the directors shoes.

  The plot was also weird to say the least especially the setting. Why
  they wanted the film to be set during the Vietnam War confuses me
  still. Is it because they wanted to represent a demoralized military
  force being defeated again by a primitive enemy? Or to push Samuel L
  Jackson’s character as really jaded as he is a Colonel in the US Army.
  Either way it really worked, because what we ended up getting was a mix
  of Apocalypse Now, an adventure film, a monster film, a b- movie and
  Moby Dick.

  The characters in this film were a mixed bag. Loki and much of the cast
  were uninteresting and one dimensional. I don’t recall Loki ever going
  through a character arc and all the blonde girl was characterized as an
  anti-war shutterbug. The two most interesting characters were played by
  John C Reilly and Samuel L Jackson. Reilly plays a WW2 pilot who crash
  landed on the island and had survived off the natives. He was so
  eccentric and funny and I loved him. Samuel L Jackson though stole the
  show. As mentioned he plays a very Jaded US Army Colonel who basically
  becomes the Captain Ahab of the film. I love it when he plays these
  intense unhinged characters and was so glad he could fit this into his
  filming schedule. Please keep making movies Sam, I beg you!

  So yea, I highly recommend this. Its a very entertaining film that
  doesn’t take itself too seriously unlike Godzilla 2014 did. It has a
  lot of the generic big budget action tropes but it also manages to mess
  with your expectations.

• 
  FedoicsMarch 14, 2017Reply

  A beautiful looking popcorn movie.

  Kong Skull Island is a beautiful and fun film.

  I’ve been looking forward to Kong for quite a while. From what I saw in
  the trailers, the cinematography and CGI looked amazing. I was worried
  that the story would suffer from the focus on cinematography and CGI.
  Thank god it was better than I expected.

  Here’s the good.

  The cinematography and CGI is amazing in this movie, the best I’ve seen
  from any movie this year. Each shot is fantastic and interesting and
  the CGI is realistic and blends perfectly with the actors.

  The acting is fun to say the least. Each actor added something to the
  story, no one was underused and everyone had a purpose. Samuel L.
  Jackson and Thomas Mann stood out to me. Both of their performances
  were memorable and entertaining.

  The story is very fun. It’s what I expected but even that is good. It’s
  a story about a group of people that go and investigate this mysterious
  island right after the end of the Vietnam war. When they arrive, they
  discover this island is not what they expected. One thing that added a
  lot to the overall vibe of the film is that it was in a post Vietnam
  war setting. It added a lot to the entertainment and set a good tone,
  it wouldn’t have been as good as it is without the time period it’s set
  in. The best part of this movie is easily the end credits scene.

  Here’s the bad.

  The story isn’t all that great. I understand that this movie is just
  trying to be fun, which is perfectly okay, but if you’re going to do
  that you can’t take yourself too seriously, and this movie did that.
  There were a few cheesy parts but they weren’t that bad. A few jokes
  didn’t hit with the audience and weren’t that funny. The ending of the
  movie falls flat. The payoff wasn’t all that great and happened fairly
  fast.

  There was one character that I think took away from the overall quality
  of the film. John C. Reilly’s character wasn’t all that great. He
  overacted for most of the movie and acted like a cartoon. Only some of
  his jokes hit with the audience.

  Overall, Kong Skull Island is a good popcorn movie where you can turn
  off your brain for a while and watch a movie with some A+
  cinematography and CGI. The characters have good chemistry with each
  other, even if some aren’t all that great. It’s good to see Kong back
  on the big screen.

• 
  agfieldMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Average but watchable as long as you switch your brain off..

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  PyroSikThMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Good Fun if you Don’t Engage your Brain too much

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  scandrewwMarch 14, 2017Reply

  I created an account on IMDb just to rate this a 1.

  This movie was just horrible, like laughter during due to bad acting
  and script bad. This is my first review and I felt compelled to rate
  because there is no way in justifying the current 7/10 review. I feel
  like there must have been a lot of die hard fans vote prior to watching
  to movie to influence the vote. Save your money, there are plenty of
  other movies worth watching out now.

• 
  pyrocitorMarch 14, 2017Reply

  Ape v. Skullcrawler: Kong of Justice

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  samyoung-82648March 14, 2017Reply

  A hark back to movies from a few decades ago!!

  Most movies today completely rewrite history. Both in terms of events
  and behaviours of characters. A great example of this is Rose in
  Titanic who sprouts off a love of Freud and Picasso. This movie harks
  back a few decades and does an extremely good job at portraying the
  genders from the 70s in an honest and realistic fashion. This will most
  probably infuriate sexist people like feminists as it contradicts
  almost everything they say. In particular, I enjoyed the sass of the
  female photographer (you know, when women were supposedly obedient
  little zombies, which they -never- have been..)

  The movie is a combination of old school war movie and action flick.
  I’m not a big fan of most war movies, however, they played this one
  well. You get some semblance of testosterone but it’s fairly tame
  compared to movies like Apocalypse Now.

  What this movie does that’s unique is that there are male characters
  with a spine (very rare in movies today – see the new Star Wars movies
  as an example of modern propaganda). They don’t behave in a
  particularly sexist or idiotic fashion (again, rare for today’s
  standards, but was very common to see decent male characters up until a
  few years ago. Now ”revisionism” is the norm thanks to feminism).

  The special effects are very well done. The scale of the digital
  effects is impressive. It is reminiscent of films like BFG and Hugo. It
  gives you a great appreciation for just how big some of these creatures
  are.

  The acting on the whole is solid. In fact, i’m hard pressed to think of
  a character who is a let down. The weakest of the characters is
  probably Jing Tian who feels out of place.

  if you’re looking for something very fresh (and retro) from Hollywood
  (especially if you’re sick of EVERY movie having an over- aggressive
  female lead and all-male idiot cast) then this is the movie for you. If
  you’re a feminist, I strongly suggest you avoid this one as you will be
  highly offended that all males aren’t weak, sexist idiots.

  I’d most probably suggest the movie as being suitable for 12 years and
  over. There is some violence and plenty of scenes to get the adrenaline
  flowing.

  Well done Hollywood. This shows that you can make a movie without
  extreme sexism, even if it’s only occasionally.

  +Sexism Free, Realistic Portrayal of genders from the 70s, Very good
  digital effects

  -Nothing exceptional other than its lack of sexism (which is rare)

• 
  bkrauser-81-311064March 14, 2017Reply

  Lean, Mean and Very Much a Machine

  Kong: Skull Island is as much a competently made thrill ride as it is a
  wild, haphazardly assembled Frankenstein’s monster. It scares, it
  excites, it occasionally cajoles a laugh or two; it also frustrates and
  bewilders. Through it all it stays true to the original 1976 version,
  or at least true-ish enough to its surface level spirit. Wait, you’re
  telling me there was a 1933 version that wasn’t as unabashedly splashy?
  Say it ain’t so! Set in 1973, Kong tells the desperate story of a group
  of scientists, soldiers and inter-governmental flunkies trying to
  survive a few days on the film’s titular island. Initially lined-up as
  a geology expedition, Lieutenant, Preston Packard (Jackson), Tracker,
  James Conrad (Hiddleston) and Photographer, Mason Weaver (Larson) lead
  a pack of expendables through thick vegetation loaded with freakish
  monsters, defiant locals and John C. Reilly. They of course have plenty
  of run-ins with the island’s solitary king, painting a picture of the
  giant ape as both a gentle giant and a force to be reckoned with.

  Here’s the thing about seeing something like this on the big
  screen…again: We already know there’s only so much you can do with a
  creature like Kong. Taken to the absolute basics, we know the structure
  of the film is going to be a row of dwindling meat sacks being picked
  off one-by-one while Kong stops the show to kick some butt and then
  retreat into the forest to lick his wounds. Admittedly, Skull Island
  does a better job than most, dressing up what amounts to a final
  destination gambling pool. But considering the piddly character arcs
  doled out in this film, we never get as invested in them as we should.

  The slow-burning, Peter Jackson King Kong (2005) compensated by turning
  Kong into an actual living, breathing character. The stop-motion work
  of Andy Serkis combined with Naomi Watts’ Watt-ness, gave the giant ape
  a child-like innocence that audiences at the time found endearing. This
  version on the other hand turns Kong into a gritty, unforgiving force
  of nature motivated by ferocious anger and primordial fear. Thus what
  we have is a movie that intuitively lacks investment, shoots itself in
  the foot when it comes to the monster, and leans a bit too heavily on
  its Vietnam War allegory to carry the day.

  So Skull Island basically amounts to being a pit stop on yet another
  tent pole extended universe. It’s awash in intricate world-building
  detail and inner-movie lore that will no doubt be erased or re-framed
  as the new installment comes clomping in. Whether you like it or not,
  you basically running a marathon now.

• 
  Captain JadeMarch 15, 2017Reply

  Never ending plot holes , having high profile actors did not help

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Don SpencerMarch 15, 2017Reply

  Everyone knows Hollywood lives off of two mega clichés

  One is all the Jew worship films to prove to us Jews are just like us
  (why send this message over and over again?) and the other thing they
  keep ramming down our sucker throats is rip offs, sequels, reboots,
  prequels, reimaginings, farts and over versions.

  I cannot say a lot more than all the justifiable bad reviews written
  here. I only needed to add my disapproval to even out the 7.2 rating on
  this site. This is 7.2?? Should be 2! The only OK thing about this
  rehash was that I had very low expectations of so-called Kong and I was
  proved right. All these reboots stink! Also it was plain fantastic and
  original compared to the so-called Star Wars Force Awakens…

  Another childhood memory (of the great King Kong) shattered…. oh
  well…

• 
  brunaaferreiraMarch 15, 2017Reply

  Great movie

  Kong is a great movie that, with a lot of especial effects, take us to
  an imaginary world. This film is excellent to a person that likes
  action and adventure. It show us how a ”big monkey” (Kong) take care of
  his Island, ending up with intruders that try to destroy his space.
  While Kong try to protect his home, some soldiers and explorers try to
  get out of this ”crazy island” avoiding being eaten by big and strange
  animals.

• 
  TvfanMarch 15, 2017Reply

  Not as good as Logan but still great

  I went to see the movie A week after seeing Logan and I will say that I
  don’t think I enjoyed it as much as Logan but it was a great time in
  the theater and action packed with suspense it’s a good idea to see the
  movie i enjoyed it the laughs yes I said laughs I will probably be
  seeing it again and I will give you a word of advice due to seeing a
  family have to walk away from the movie the movie is very violent and
  aggressive and even language isn’t the cleanest and I will remind
  people who are interested in taking the family that it is rated pg13
  for a few reasons scares violence and language even disrespecting
  animals territory though you may not see it as this it’s exactly what
  it is but I say go see it you won’t be sorry

• 
  RforFilmMarch 15, 2017Reply

  It may not be as iconic as the 1933 classic, Kong Skull Island is a fun monster movie that has a roar

  It’s safe to say that out of the many iconic moments in cinema (Dorothy
  discovering herself in a world of Technicolor in Wizard of Oz, Charles
  Foster Kane saying ”Rosebud” before his death in Citizen Kane and the
  entire finale of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World), many people can
  recall the image of a giant gorilla attacking planes off of the Empire
  State Building in King Kong. Though it may sound like something out of
  a B movie, people tend to forget that King Kong was once the true king
  of the world with some of the most impressive special effects of the
  time. I highly recommend the documentaries about the making of the 1933
  film.

  Aside from a couple of sequels and remakes in 1976 and 2005, there
  hasn’t been more exploration of the world Kong lives in. Sure, we know
  he’s a large ape, but the island that he called home had dinosaurs,
  giant spiders, and various monsters. That itself is a goldmine for more
  fantasy-like exploration. With the popularity of the American remake of
  Godzilla, it made sense that Warner Brothers would want to revive the
  eighth wonder of the world. The world is given more exploration in
  Kong: Skull Island.

  In 1973, government scientist William Randa (played by John Goodman)
  gets approval to lead an expedition to an uncharted island that had
  been blocked by bad weather. He hires a military group in Saigon called
  the Sky Devils, a former Vietnam helicopter squadron led by Lieutenant
  Colonel Preston Packard (played by Samuel L. Jackson) for escort. He
  also hires a former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad
  (played by Tom Hiddleston) and photojournalist Mason Weaver (played by
  Brie Larson). All together in a helicopter convey, they make it through
  the island, but are quickly brought down by a gorilla standing over a
  hundred feet.

  The survivors are split into two group with both planning on heading
  north to the rendezvous point where there only hope for rescue is in
  three days. While Randa, Packard, and some of the solders start
  searching for fellow crew, Conrad, Weaver and the rest of the survivors
  are found by a tribe of Iwi natives, but are assured by a WWII pilot
  whose been stuck there for thirty years Hank Marlow (played by John C.
  Reilly) that they are friendly. It’s discovered that Kong is worshiped
  as a god to protect them from the larger lizard creatures on the
  island. Along with those, giant spiders, and King Kong himself, its
  race against time to see who can make it.

  For a spin off about King Kong, my expectations were low. The good news
  is that Kong: Skull Island happens to be good monster movie. Good, but
  not great. Half of that has to do with the casting. While John Goodman
  and Samuel L. Jackson have a lot of good scenes (including a subtle
  Jurassic Park reference), neither Tom Hiddleston nor Brie Larson are
  that interesting. Both actors are trying, but the script simply makes
  their characters empty shells of leading men and women. But lets face
  it, the real star of the movie happens to be Kong. Unlike Godzilla,
  which took a lot of time away from the monster, here we get more of the
  giant ape and him fighting the various creatures of Skull Island. I
  love his design and of how more animalistic his personality is, even
  more so then the 2005 remake.

  Though the characters aren’t strong, what makes up for it is the
  atmosphere and tome. It’s clear that a lot of influence was taken from
  Apocalypse Now, Jurassic Park and of course King Kong. It all meshes
  into a beautiful looking picture that fits right alongside the multiple
  Vietnam war movies. I’m not sure who was responsible for the
  cinematography, but they deserve a lot of accolades.

  I’ll give this seven Kongs out of ten. While I can’t see thing
  alongside the original King Kong in a state of icon-like phrase, it’s a
  fun popcorn monster movie. It gives you what you want fast and manages
  to keep the tone going. I have to give this a lot of credit for running
  under two hours. With a lot of blockbusters going well over that, it’s
  nice to see a movie that knows how long it needs to be. As long as you
  can accept this a blockbuster, then I’m sure you’ll have some fun. Get
  to the theaters and see if this roars some excitement into you.

• 
  CarycomicMarch 15, 2017Reply

  I went to see this movie twice in a row. Just for the sneaky epilogue!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ghostintheIMDBMarch 15, 2017Reply

  more entertaining than it’s 2005 counterpart

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Mickey089March 15, 2017Reply

  Entertaining, but predictable and stereotyped

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  AidanMarch 15, 2017Reply

  Great action and special effects, but suffered in acting and storyline.

  The film unfortunately did not reach my expectations – having seen the
  adverts, which looked promising. I felt from the very beginning the
  movie was a bit pacey and progressed too fast into the adventure and
  exploration of the island. There were some parts that were intriguing,
  especially the special effects, leading into the arrival into the
  island.

  However, the film did massively lack in acting, script and general
  sense of story line. I felt the acting wasn’t convincing, and lacked
  emotion, and did not evoke much emotion within me. The only thing I
  felt the film had going for it was the incredible special effects,
  which is why I gave this film a 6 star rating. There were some really
  great scenes of action, shock and surprise.

  I believe this film is worth watching, but I wouldn’t consider it a
  personal favourite. Definitely worth a watch though!

• 
  lindsayyyyyMarch 15, 2017Reply

  Quite entertaining but doubtful it will stand the test of time

  Kong Skull Island is enjoyable to watch. From an easy plot, interesting
  characters to the allure of the mighty Kong himself this film should
  satisfy. If you’ve had a long day and just want to watch a movie this
  would be the right choice. However it appears quite forgettable in
  terms of the other Kong movies and other films in general.

  King Kong has been a cinematic classic for a long time. The different
  story line sadly was not better than the original. The ancient people
  who inhabit the island and live in Kong’s protection pales in
  comparison to the classic Kong being transported to New York and
  climbing to a skyscraper with the female he’s fallen for as he battles
  planes. Peter Jackson’s remake and the 1933 original are better in
  plot. The unusual romance was so grand and remarkable to watch.

  The CGI and special effects for Kong were interesting. The mythical
  creature closely resembled an erect male which questioned its realism.
  Jackson was more realistic in his portrayal of an actual beast like
  Kong and 1933 cannot be cited so much because special effects were
  limited to what they are now. In 2017 it was surprisingly unimpressive,
  I have a feeling that in years to come this Kong might be used as an
  example of how limited the effects were in the past and how far they
  have later come. In all these respects it definitely will be
  forgettable and its rating on this site might drop over time.

• 
  ryanskywalker-87402March 15, 2017Reply

  Kong is back!!!!

  There are very few things that I respect more than a movie that is
  unafraid to embrace its own stupidity. Kong: Skull Island has thinly
  written characters, extreme tonal dissonance, bad dialogue, and a
  complete and utter disregard for the talents of Oscar-winning actress
  Brie Larson, but it’s absolutely glorious in its brazen spectacle. Its
  thin characters and tonal dissonance don’t matter as much because it
  thoroughly commits to its premise, and it seems like the movie is one
  ridiculous–but hilarious–visual gag after another. The bad dialogue is
  all part of the fun. It’s not trying to be something it’s not, and
  that’s something I appreciate in any movie, especially a
  nostalgia-laced B-movie blockbuster about a giant ape.

  Some might draw connections to the time era explored or the interplay
  between man and nature, but the movie succeeds at its main goal:
  entertain the hell out of the audience. Actors like Tom Hiddleston and
  Brie Larson are (pretty) pieces of cardboard in this, but seasoned vets
  like Samuel L. Jackson and John C. Reilly thoroughly understand what it
  is they’re being asked to do. They both ham it up big time, with
  Vogt-Roberts’s visual flourishes adding to their performances in
  beautiful ways throughout. They both give pitch perfect performances
  that are 100% appropriate for their roles, and Reilly in particular
  becomes the heart and soul of the story. As an actor, the best response
  to a movie like this is to embrace the ridiculous, and Jackson and
  Reilly certainly do.

  However, the ridiculous can sometimes move aside to reveal a visually
  stunning movie with a large heart. The production design is gorgeous,
  and the classic shot–a character whose back is turned to us, staring up
  in awe and fear at Kong–is breathtaking. The movie itself has that type
  of reaction to its own character, to its own force of nature, looking
  up in wonder and childish glee as Kong destroys another piece of its
  surroundings. This is big, bold, and confident filmmaking, precisely
  because the movie understands what it’s not.

• 
  popeyesucksMarch 15, 2017Reply

  passable, if one overlooks obvious anachronistic goofs

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  amesmondeMarch 15, 2017Reply

  Teenagers will love this but it’s tonally disjointed. Goodman and Kebbell are underused.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Peter Francis Travis LeongMarch 15, 2017Reply

  Doesn’t come close to Peter Jackson’s King Kong

  Before I watched Kong Skull island I watched Peter Jackson’s King Kong
  to compare and to see how movies evolved. BOTH films are different,
  Peter Jackson version is more serious tone with tiny at the moment
  humour, whereas Kong Skull island is more of action comedy. I have to
  say it was disappointing and hard to sit through. The story was
  unbalance on to where these ”Skull Crawlers” came from. Lack of
  adventure, didn’t explore this new fascinating world. Lack of character
  development so you couldn’t care less when characters died. Towards the
  end it went to typical Hollywood film, big explosion Michael Bay style
  and typical female character as a damsel in distress. The only thing
  that kept me watching was Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman. I’ve said
  a lot of harsh words to his film, it is entertaining with some giggles
  to it, but I felt it didn’t need to go that direction. If the next
  squeal is what I think it is, I don’t want to see any jokey moments
  when it should be a serious fight between the two kings/ gods.

• 
  rodrig58March 16, 2017Reply

  Entertaining and well done!

  ”Kong: Skull Island” and ”The Great Wall”. These two films have
  something in common. And I do not mean only the actress Jing Tian,
  present in both and Legendary Entertainment, as one of the producing
  companies for both films. I refer in particular the monsters and the
  ”very special”(I mean, very good) special effects. They look very well
  in both movies. Even Samuel L. Jackson, present in the last period of
  time in all the films made on Planet Earth(which kinda annoys me…)
  plays a little better than usual (same histrionic). A piece of very
  precious advice: don’t go to watch it in 3D, Kong might jump out of the
  screen and you may be very very frightened. But, that would be nothing.
  It is very possible that the huge and ugly lizard will jump too out of
  the big screen and will definitely bite your ass…

• 
  Robert W. ([email protected])March 16, 2017Reply

  The monster films of the new Millennium continue on the same path

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Oliver RendchenMarch 16, 2017Reply

  Incredible visuals and creature design but poorly written.

  Kong: Skull Island is the second film in the ”MonsterVerse” after
  Gareth Edward’s 2014 film, Godzilla. It stars a lot of people,
  including, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman
  and John C. Reilly as a group of scientists and soldiers exploring a
  mysterious island. I’ve seen the main Kong films throughout the years
  and I have to say I do enjoy the concept of people finding an enormous
  gorilla on a primeval island; I always remember when I was younger
  being creeped out by Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong and at one point
  was quite obsessed with it; since then I’ve enjoyed the 1933 original
  and even watched the not-so-good 1976 attempt. Now though we see a
  different take on the character, one set in the 70s, and of a larger
  world.

  I’ll start with what I enjoyed, and first and foremost would be both
  the soundtrack and original score. Being set in the 70s, director
  Jordan Vogt-Roberts gives us some great pieces of music to accompany
  various scenes giving the film an upbeat, feel-good vibe, similar to
  that of Guardians of the Galaxy, or The Martian. And Henry Jackman
  delivers a well-composed dramatic score which includes some 70s vibes.

  Another thing to enjoy is that this film is full of really cool
  moments; scenes or shots that intend for you to be awed. Whether it be
  a silhouette of choppers flying towards Kong or just the animals and
  people of the island being framed through the Brie Larson character’s
  1970 era camera lens which makes for a really nice touch. Vogt- Roberts
  certainly has an eye for interesting and unique camera set ups and
  there were some great ones in here I really loved as well as some epic
  wide shots that you could just frame.

  Now unfortunately it’s these amazing moments and ”awe shots” that sort
  bring the movie down for me. While it’s great to have those kind of
  scenes, you can’t rely on them. Kong: Skull Island was visually
  stunning, almost to a surreal sense at times, adding to the island
  mystery, but as far as story and script goes, it was a bit
  underdeveloped. For the first two-thirds of the movie it felt like the
  story was just quickly written dialogue to get us from one cool shot to
  the next. The characters hardly had any development and surprisingly
  the most fleshed-out and interesting character was John C. Reilly’s
  Hank Marlow. Although Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson are certainly
  great actors and look great, their characters were very
  one-dimensional. Hiddleston’s was a generic former military
  hunter/tracker man with convenient skills and Larson’s was a
  photographer, and that was pretty much it. Sam Jackson and John Goodman
  are also great actors and have delivered some incredibly iconic
  characters but here even they almost seemed expendable at points.

  So although the film is let down script-wise and is quite unevenly
  paced throughout most of it the final third is really good as it flows
  much better and the creature is design is amazing. Kong looks great, as
  well as some of the other fearsome creatures that inhabit the island
  but the stand-out for me were the disturbingly hideous Skull Crawlers
  whose mere existence you were thankful were only fictional.

  In the end Kong: Skull Island isn’t quite what I expected it to be but
  it is a great-looking monster-movie and even has an after-credit scene
  for those who like to get excited for what’s to come.

• 
  Theo RobertsonMarch 16, 2017Reply

  America Vs The Viet-Kong

  Hollywood decides to reboot KING KONG ? Didn’t they do that about ten
  years ago with very overlong mediocre results ? In other words it’s not
  really a film I had any interest in seeing . That said my mind was
  quickly changed by the very good word of mouth , especially with all
  the references made to APOCALYPSE NOW and other ‘Nam war films so gave
  it a chance

  I certainly wasn’t disappointed with these references . In fact my one
  criticism of the early part of the movie is just how overdone the
  references are and you can’t fail to notice them and the Doors
  soundtrack is conspicuous by its absence . Subtlety isn’t a strength of
  this Hollywood blockbuster

  Where the strength lies is just how enjoyable it is as an action
  blockbuster full of explosions , gunfire and stunts . You remember in
  the Peter Jackson remake where the only good bit is the characters get
  attacked by assorted creepy crawlers in the gorge ? Well here director
  Jordan Vogt Roberts takes a leaf out of the highlight of the Jackson
  version and gives the audience what they’re anticipating – a high body
  count featuring gory deaths . I was personally surprised by just how
  gory some of the deaths were in a 12 cert film and the screenplay isn’t
  afraid to kill off characters

  If there’s a downside to all this then it’s down to the fact that no
  film can really compare to the 1933 original which perhaps still
  remains the greatest monster movie of all time , even after all these
  long decades . Regardless of that KONG SKULL ISLAND stands tall on its
  own hind-legs

  And Tom Hiddleston gets top billing ? He’s a certainty for Bond isn’t
  he ?

• 
  Screen_BlitzMarch 16, 2017Reply

  Newly update rendition of King Kong is no game-changer. Nonetheless, it is a satisfying experience

  As an average monster B-movie, Kong: Skull Island does about everything
  it sets out to do. It is fast-paced, it is thrilling, and it is pure
  eye candy in terms of special effects. But when it comes to leveling up
  with previous iterations like the Peter Jackson installment back in
  2005, it is perhaps less than successful as was Gareth Edward’s
  ‘Godzilla’ in reaching the heights of the original Godzilla. Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts takes the director’s chair to deliver an extravagant
  re-imagination of the giant gorilla. Blending in eye-popping special
  effects, visual spectacle, and sleek anti-war commentary, Roberts
  places the story of the giant gorilla in 70s Vietnam War period with
  visual heft that pays clear nods to Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Apocalypse
  Now’ while attempting to retain the spirit of the popular Hollywood
  ape. Set in 1973, this film follows Bill Randa (played by John
  Goodman), a senior government official who leads a group of soldiers
  including British Air Service Captain James Conrad (played by Tom
  Hiddleston), U.S Army Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (played by
  Samuel L. Jackson), and U.S Army Major Jack Chapman (played by Toby
  Kebbell) along with a team of young soldiers and photojournalist Mason
  Weaver (played by Brie Larson) to an uncharted Pacific island where
  they encounter vicious creatures. Of course, the biggest threat of the
  island happens to be giant gorilla the size of a skyscraper who
  unleashes hell upon their arrival. With the help of World War II
  veteran Hank Marlow (played by John C. Reilly) who’s been stranded on
  the island for nearly three decades, it is up to the big group to
  escape the island while surviving against the violent Gorilla and
  monstrous creature onslaught.

  There is definitely nothing special or subversive about Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts, and the quality of his direction is predictably
  undermined by the previous iterations of titular gorilla. Roberts’s
  execution for the popular source material is bit more blockbuster-ized
  than what Hollywood has spawned in the past. When it comes to
  delivering the thrills however, gets the job done. The plot quickly
  kicks into gear during the first half-hour when the ensemble cast of
  characters arrive on the island in helicopters, and the thirty-story
  gorilla appears out of nowhere swatting the helicopters from the air,
  blowing them in smithereens. The tension only heats up when the cast is
  forced to face down a wide variety of freaky creatures including
  carnivorous pterodactyls and boney dinosaur-like creatures that eat
  humans for breakfast. And this is all complete with slick CGI and a
  wide plethora of explosions to feast the eyes. There is definitely a
  Jurassic Park vibe to handed here. Characters are attacked, some of
  them are eaten, and the there is a grueling creature-on-creature battle
  that erupts during the final stretch. Underneath it all is a hodgepodge
  of anti-war commentary and morality issues toward the end that play
  roles in the story, and Roberts does not hesitate to spew a few homages
  of old Vietnam War flicks from the 80s era. It is easy to interpret to
  story as a B-monster movie decorated as a war flick. In terms of
  characterizations, the majority of the characters who sadly depth, with
  only Samuel L. Jackson’s Preston Packard and John C. Reilly’s Hank
  Marlow only being well developed. And it is the latter that serves as
  the show-stealer of the pack. Sprouting with charisma and kind-hearted
  humor, Reilly gives arguably the biggest appeal. The rest of the cast
  give some alright performances, but it does little to redeem for the
  shallow development.

  Kong: Skull Island is an exhilarating monster flick blooming with
  thrills, shiny special effects, and a direction that fairly pays off.
  This rendition of the popular primate is far from a game-changer nor
  does it try to be one. To say the least, it is a fun pre-Summer flick.
  If you are craving to see a giant gorilla the size of a skyscraper
  wrecking havoc and smashing creatures to oblivion, this one will make
  that investment.

• 
  Duke WeaseltonMarch 16, 2017Reply

  Surprisingly Good

  I was skeptical about seeing Kong: Skull Island. I thought it was going
  to suffer the same fate as the 2014 Godzilla movie with the stupid
  melodrama. This movie succeeded where Godzilla failed. It was a brutal
  movie about humans trying to escape a savage world of giant creatures
  in which they don’t belong. The film had enough humour. It didn’t
  overdo it and it wasn’t trying to be too serious as some other monster
  movies. (Godzilla.) Overall Kong: Skull Island is a solid step forward
  for the MonsterVerse. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

• 
  conheomapMarch 16, 2017Reply

  Who wrote this plot?

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  CruiseMarch 16, 2017Reply

  Donkey Kong

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  eddie1985March 16, 2017Reply

  Mysterious, dangerous and full of action

  The movie Kong begins with two people fighting it out in an deserted
  island after landing from a parachute and the first look of the massive
  structure. The story begins with an exploration team trying to discover
  the skull island, somewhere in the south east near Vietnam. The place
  is dangerous and mysterious and the team is headed by Samuel Jackson.
  The 3D effects are fully enjoyable and worth watching. All the
  creatures shown are extremely dangerous and reminds you of Avatar.
  Story is good and takes u back to the old saying which says man is more
  dangerous to nature and if you invade others territory, they will try
  to protect in whatever way they can. The crash scenes and full fledged
  introduction of Kong is simply outstanding and proves man as a mere toy
  in the hands of all the animals. Not to forget the funny moments and
  dialogues between Cole and his friend. Music is progressive and gives a
  feel of the movie in a grand way. Lastly the island is definitely not a
  place you would try to enter.

• 
  Mina NabilMarch 16, 2017Reply

  Again it disappointed me but still enjoyable

  I was so anticipated for this movie i enjoyed it but i didn’t love it
  firstly i liked the action sequence it was great the visual effects was
  good i liked Kong himself more than the first one and the fights
  between monsters was fantastic bit my problems with it is the acting
  some people acted in a bad way and made me not interested in them and
  bored and the details and plot twist wasn’t stable i cant believe that
  brie Larson from Oscar best actress for a masterpiece like room to this
  way of acting she wasn’t good at all so as 50% of the people and the
  rhythm and tone of the movie weren’t Good but the action sequence
  passed this problem

• 
  Daniel HoodMarch 16, 2017Reply

  Weak-but-entertaining monster movie.

  Since this movie was released last Friday, it has garnered a fairly
  positive reception. Seeing it being talked about so positively aroused
  an eager interest, mostly due to my love of the King Kong character,
  which led me to see it a few days ago. Do I think that it lived up to
  the hype? No. I do not.

  Now, that does not mean to say that I did not derive any enjoyment from
  the picture, because I did, but boy, this movie has issues.

  The movie begins by introducing us to the various characters who are
  brought together by John Goodman and Corey Hawkins’ characters, two men
  who are leading an expedition to an uncharted island. Once there they
  inevitably run into the famous ape, as well as some other scary
  creatures.

  This is an extremely formulaic plot present in every King Kong movie.
  However, the problem I had with this film wasn’t necessarily over the
  simple structure, but more so the poor execution of said structure.

  The human characters feel paper thin and lazily written. The dialogue
  they are given is even worse. Tom Hiddlestone and Brie Larsson are two
  particular characters who are given no development whatsoever, yet the
  movie puts them in situations where it feels like we are supposed to
  care for them. The only two characters that were given any kind of
  development were John C. Reilly and Samual L. Jackson. Everyone else
  felt like they were part of a B-movie.

  Now, negative out of the way, I must say that Kong and the other
  creatures on the island are the high-points of the film for me.
  Everyone one of them feels realistic, with personality. Their movements
  flow and add weight, particularly with Kong himself. I found myself
  wanting the monsters on screen whenever they weren’t, and I wasn’t let
  down on that end.

  It’s a pity the weak characters take away from the greatness of the
  titular beast, but it’s safe to say that anyone who wants to see King
  Kong beating the crap out of mysterious monsters will not be
  disappointed. Just don’t expect to remember the movie two weeks down
  the line.

• 
  Declan WallMarch 17, 2017Reply

  Worst Thing I’ve Ever Seen In A Theatre

  Fails in every aspect. The only thing I didn’t laugh at were the jokes.
  Horribly cliché, horrible writing, horrible direction, some poor acting
  and fake accents here and there, mostly poor CGI (although Kong’s CGI
  was fine).

  I’m baffled as to how this movie is being received so well. The only
  saving grace is that about 10 seconds of the movie had some interesting
  lighting. That’s it.

  I don’t recommend anyone even think about this movie, let alone pay
  money to see it.

• 
  bradenrrrrrrMarch 17, 2017Reply

  Peter Jackson’s was better by a longshot.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ironhorse_ivMarch 17, 2017Reply

  This Viet-Kong Monster Movie is not quite king, but it was entertaining. It could be, a little bit better.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Reel Life ReviewsMarch 17, 2017Reply

  Another missed remake

  Kong: Skull Island – Repackaged for 2017, this attempt doesn’t take a
  whole lot of risks. The production design, sound, and sense of scale
  were really the only positives I could find. The soundtrack was
  enjoyable, but came off a bit cliché. The exact songs you’d expect to
  be in a Vietnam war film are front and center.

  The movie is all but devoid of humor. And I don’t mean it takes itself
  too seriously or doesn’t make time for jokes, I mean that the jokes are
  just hopelessly off the mark. Lines are delivered and it’s almost like
  the editor left in a beat or two after each one to allow the crowd time
  to laugh without missing anything. This only made them more
  cringe-worthy because the movie was shamelessly telling you ”this is a
  funny part!” while all we heard were crickets. For the first couple of
  them I found myself thinking ”there has to be more to the joke, I’ll
  just wait for — oh OK that was it.” There were a few sections of
  dialogue that were clearly rerecorded after filming. A person would be
  delivering a line and then, when the camera was at their back, or on
  someone else in the scene, the tone and cadence would be noticeably
  different than their lines before and after. And sometimes they didn’t
  even bother to cover it up. There were two distinct moments where what
  the actor was mouthing wasn’t remotely close to what you were hearing.

  Lastly, even with this star studded cast (Samuel L. Jackson, Tom
  Hiddleston, Brie Larsen, John Goodman, and John C. Reilly) the writers
  still couldn’t provide memorable characters. The development was so
  poor that out of all them I actually could only remember the name of
  Samuel L. Jackson’s character by the end of the movie. But does that
  even count? I was only able to do so because you could see it
  prominently on his jacket throughout the film.

  I went in with high hopes, and while I did enjoy it more than the 3
  hour offering from Peter Jackson in 2005, I’m still just not a fan. It
  would seem this story in general is not for me. Having said all this
  I’m still hopeful for Kong’s planned crossover movie with another
  certain monster in a few years. It should afford the opportunity to
  break away from the familiar. For now, however, I’m stuck with another
  safe remake. 4/10.

• 
  vengeance20March 17, 2017Reply

  Great Film!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Rahim KhanMarch 17, 2017Reply

  Kong skull island

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  bobdesMarch 17, 2017Reply

  Kong is Back and Delivers!

  Kong is Back! Growing up, nothing wrapped up the Thanksgiving holidays
  like the showings of the Japanese Monster movies (that, and March of
  the Wooden Soldiers). They were a Thanksgiving staple right along the
  cranberry sauce and turkey.

  By today’s standards, some younger folks would see them as laughable or
  amateurish because of their simplistic methods in bringing GIANT
  monsters to life without the use of Computer Generated Images (CGI).

  2014 gave us a newer, modern Godzilla. I loved this movie as to me, it
  paid homage to the classic Godzilla in little ways that some true fans
  might pick up.

  This brings me to the subject of this review; KONG: Skull Island. First
  off, the movie gives us a unique telling of the story by changing the
  time-line of the story and therefore giving it a different feel to the
  2014 Godzilla. The CGI was fantastic and they even went as far as to
  have Kong stand more erect, like the TOHO Studios Kong from the 60’s
  (due to a man being in the Kong suit). The cast all did a fine job and
  each made their characters interesting. I particularly liked John
  Goodman and John C. Riley’s performances. Tom Hiddleston did a fine job
  as the male lead and was noticeably slightly buffed up than his
  portrayal as Thor’s brother, Loki. Samuel Jackson played… Samuel
  Jackson. LOL… The movie stayed on point and covered the science
  aspect just enough to give it a follow-able story and yet not too much
  to bore kids in the audience.

  The 3D effects in the film really stood out and were not overbearing or
  obnoxious. There were plenty of creatures to keep Kong occupied and us
  entertained throughout the story.

  If you do plan on seeing this… please stay to the very, very end of
  the end credits. Have fun and see you at the movies!!!

• 
  theromanempire-1March 17, 2017Reply

  Missed the real king kong feeling BUT entertaining enough

  As a huge king kong fan and having grown up in the 70s with the 1976
  kong version and having owned all kong related films I have to say I
  was disappointed from the beginning of this film as it missed the real
  kong feeling showing how the swat team went to the island with the rest
  of the team but in a humorous way like we were watching
  a….comesy-adventure parody film. there was no mystery and in a few
  minutes king kong suddenly appeared on screen fighting with the
  choppers like it was….the end of the film.

  the surprise factor was gone. the kong atmosphere was ruined.

  Afterwards things improved we got a good story new monsters and there
  was a tribute to the 1976 film showing the big wall which kept apart
  the human natives from the monsters….etc.

  the monsters were great the effects also good and the film was
  entertaining enough but as I said for me the first 30 minutes or so
  ruined the real kong feeling the movie should have.

• 
  latinfineartMarch 17, 2017Reply

  Unbelievably juvenile. Ridiculous story.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  augustvanderwerfMarch 17, 2017Reply

  A fun, undeniably entertaining film, but with prominent problems

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Syed MahiaanMarch 17, 2017Reply

  Kong : Skull Island is a treat for your eyes.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  DanielpotatoMarch 17, 2017Reply

  Sorry, there is no king here.

  King Kong (1933) was a perfect movie in its proposal. A simple, direct
  and clear message. No remakes or sequels required. This is why all
  sequels and remakes are always inferior in impact to the original.
  Filmmakers always want to add anything new and unnecessary.

  In this new film, Kong leaves the territory of quality and embarks on a
  trip to the territory of blockbusters, in other words, special effects
  and jokes (just watch the retarded and unnecessary joke scene about the
  Skullcrawlers name with Hiddleston, Larson and John C. Reilly) overlap
  the story, and so the film is passable and totally forgettable in a
  week.

  Once again, Hollywood treats scientists as idiots when the character of
  Corey Hawkins can not even open a can of canned food and feels
  intimidated by a woman. Not to mention the macho colonel, who wants an
  unnecessary revenge with Kong, because Kong killed his men (in a casual
  meeting).

  And not to mention the idiotic plans that Jordan Vogt-Roberts uses to
  focus the eyes of the Samuel L. Jackson character with the eyes of King
  Kong. It seems like the director Jordan Vogt-Roberts wants to make a
  kind of (unnecessary) fight in the old west style. Pure waste of time,
  as we know that the macho colonel, is no challenge for Kong, so why
  waste precious screen time with these situations? Because Kong’s story
  can be told as in the original in just 90 or 100 minutes. And the
  filmmarkers have to put 2 hours of film and for this they have to put
  unnecessary situations and scenes.

  As the disposable soldier of the colonel, who gets lost from the group,
  just to see Kong crush a giant squid (and then Kong eats it), then
  after some scenes, be killed by another giant monster. What could be an
  interesting conflict between the characters of Tom Hiddleston and
  Samuel L. Jackson, but that ends up in nothing. Because people are
  written from a stupid one-dimensional way (like the stupid macho
  colonel). That is, more movie time, for less story. This is because
  Kong never leaves the island in this movie, Kong will only leave the
  island in 2020 in the movie Godzilla vs. King Kong. Yes this movie aims
  to create another shared universe (MCU type of crap), and in the end
  this compromises the quality of this film. The filmmakers have their
  hands tied, because they can not put their best on this film, however
  they have to think how this movie will work with another movie from
  another guy, three long years into the future.

  I went into the movie hoping to see a good and fun Kong movie, and I
  ended up seeing a crap and bad one, because of the ambition of the
  studio that compromised the quality of the movie, for the money. Not to
  mention, even as a fun movie, this movie fails so much.

  You see, the scenes with special effects, you can see that the scenes
  were all filmed on a green screen. And the final fight between Kong and
  the giant lizard is even inferior to the T-rex fights in Peter
  Jackson’s 2005 remake. Yes, the fights and clashes between Kong and the
  other giants monsters were better, bigger, more epic, more brutal and
  vicarious than in this pathetic 2017 movie. I’m not defending the Peter
  Jackson movie, that film obviously had its flaws, but in the department
  of special effects and action scenes (this department that does not
  save a movie, nonetheless) is vastly superior to this Jordan Vogt-
  Roberts movie. Even as an action movie and blockbuster, this movie
  fails in a big way.

  But if you were disappointed, and if you were sad that you had lost
  money unfairly, you can wait until 2020 to see the rest of the film in
  Godzilla VS King Kong.

  My God, that’s why commercial filmmaking is in the mud. The commercial
  cinema has as main target children, teenagers and young people. And
  this is why the quality bar is so low.

• 
  animateurMarch 17, 2017Reply

  An Insult to Cinema and Filmmaking

  oh my god where do i begin… i have literally seen thousands of films
  in the course of my life and have been a member for years yet i never
  wrote a review for a film before even if had rated it a 1. but in this
  case i was so enraged that i had to write my first review. this film is
  beyond terrible its definitely one of the worst films i have ever seen.
  its an insult to the original 1933 king Kong and peter Jacksons 2005
  king Kong. i don’t know how these films are funded and how these empty
  scripts are produced by big studios. its full of clichés and there is
  no plot in sight, the characters are empty and not interesting at all.
  the whole story seemed rushed and un-entertaining. its amazing how
  studios are afraid to create something original and just stick to
  recycling films that they THINK would sell. i would rather have spent
  those two hours staring at an empty white wall than to have watched
  this film. avoid it and save your money.

• 
  (fandangonoir)March 17, 2017Reply

  Killa Thrilla Kong!

  Caught a righteous screening of Kong: Skull Island at the local IMAX
  theater and it’s what you’d expect, a rock ’em, sock ’em monster movie!

  It stars a great cast, the indomitable John Goodman, Mister Senor Love
  Daddy Samuel L. Jackson, the great John C. Reilly, the super cool Tom
  Hiddleston, the dynamic Brie Larson and her amazing gravity defying
  breasts and Toby Kebbell as the CGI actor of King Kong himself, yet
  some may be wicked bummed Andy Serkis didn’t return to reprise the role
  of Kong from the 2005 Peter Jackson film.

  This cast of motley characters is sent to investigate the mysterious
  Skull Island, home to the legendary simian giant King Kong, and they
  end up bruised, battered and bloody and getting mucho more than they
  bargained for on the monster filled isle.

  Some may say this sequel pales in comparison to the 1930s original King
  Kong or the 2005 Jackson remake, yet this film’s just for kicks and it
  delivers the goods with a healthy side badassery and a killer stinger
  scene that promises many more kooky and cool Kong sequels to come.

• 
  wd-8March 17, 2017Reply

  Truly one of the worst movies I have ever seen

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ihatekongMarch 18, 2017Reply

  If you like this movie, I worry for your future

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Allan ZychMarch 18, 2017Reply

  Hollywood Get it into your Skull: Reboots Are Retarded

  Reboot # 50 of 250 for 2017 I have not seen any king kong films, so I
  went into watching this with an open mind. I now know that those films
  must be better than this one because otherwise this one would never
  have been made. This film is incredibly disappointing. The CGI was
  forced and reminded me of the last Star Trek in how bad, amateurish and
  pointless it was. The girls are ugly and seemed to have absolutely zero
  reason between them to be there and oddly enough Jackson looks even
  more useless than his usual.

  That is not just my personal opinion however. My wife who I went to see
  the film with whispered to me ‘this is silly’ halfway through and she
  revealed to me that she had felt embarrassed watching the movie. I went
  because the reviews said it was good, but could the reviewers be
  getting paid to lie?

  In the future no matter how many reviewers make outlandish claims I
  will remember that what I know is true: all sequels, prequels and
  remakes are stupid.

• 
  DarkVulcan29 ([email protected])March 18, 2017Reply

  Don’t mess with Kong

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  soulreavaMarch 18, 2017Reply

  2017’s First Critical MONSTER HIT !!!!!!!!!!

  Kong Skull Island, without a doubt is not only the best King Kong movie
  but a great monster movie to WATCH this year. It delivers exactly what
  its supposed to: SCARY MONSTERS, EPIC MONSTER BATTLES, SCARES AND
  LAUGHS and SCENES WORTH CLAPPING FOR IN THE CINEMA HALL:-).

  The story. the direction, the camera, the acting … EVERYTHING about
  this movie is great which makes it a fun and must watch MONSTER FLICK
  with friends and family. Unlike most monster movies it leaves you
  satisfied and oh yes … don’t forget to watch the post credits scene
  🙂

• 
  sasquacharryMarch 18, 2017Reply

  Thank you for a excellent movie

  as a person who goes to the movies often you don’t usaly see a movie
  that was so well put together as this one, it has just the right amount
  of action, drama, Easter eggs, and nods to the craft of film making I
  could handle. I believe that if you are just a person that watches a
  movie every so often that this movie would NOT waste your time and you
  would enjoy it very much. If you like Kong this is a good movie to see.

  To whom it may consern this movie was well put together and I thank you
  for making my night enjoyable. Thank you.

• 
  Rawal AfzalMarch 18, 2017Reply

  Two hours of intense terror!!!!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Jackson PrestoMarch 18, 2017Reply

  Gorilla Thriller!

  Kong: Skull Island is a thoroughly entertaining picture that will have
  you completely engaged throughout. Most Hollywood blockbusters at the
  moment can feel quite mindless; however this film is visually stunning
  and has quite a thought provoking message at its core.

  The film stars big names such as Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson,
  Brie Larson, John C. Reilly and John Goodman. The film actually follows
  quite a few main characters but the film never gets over crowded.
  Everyone in the film does a spectacular job. I personally really
  enjoyed John C. Reilly’s portrayal of his character and how his
  personal storyline progressed.

  The cinematography is truly beautiful in this film. The effects of the
  film are also very realistic and make the film very visually engaging.
  The helicopter sequence at the beginning of the film is a good example
  of this.

  Overall, I think this is a really good film that brings back the feel
  of the old adventure films of the past. Jordan Vogt-Roberts has done a
  brilliant job directing a light-hearted, yet still realistic action-
  packed film. The film’s music is also very well chosen and helps to
  create an atmosphere. I would give the film 8 out of 10.

• 
  Danny PlataMarch 18, 2017Reply

  Predictable and Cliché

  The cast is the best part about this movie. The acting is solid, but
  every scene in this movie when focused on the Vietnam era soldiers
  comes off as B-Roll from the movie Apocalypse Now. With early 70’s hits
  playing the background as the action unfolds. The CGI Kong is the best
  thing about this movie, but the story is somewhat tedious and some
  scenes look as if they were shot and edited by Michael Bay.

• 
  Biraj YogiMarch 18, 2017Reply

  You get your money’s worth!

  I will admit I was a little skeptical when I first heard about this
  movie. The whole franchise building thing hasn’t worked out well for
  most studios and frankly the last Godzilla movie was a bit of a dud
  except for the final act.

  So, I went to this movie with a little hope of it being any good. And
  when the movie started I was surprised!

  I don’t think most people will appreciate the human characters because
  we are not in the theatre to see them, and Tom Hiddleston’s English
  accent is a little distracting. I also didn’t know why a Oscar winning
  actress would want to play a character so thinly written. She is there
  just so there can be a girl among all the guys. She held her own
  though, with what she had been given.

  But let just get to the good part, the hero of this movie is the
  cinematographer. The scale presented in this movie was outstanding.
  There is scene where Sam L Jackson is looking at Kong and the camera
  goes behind his head just to show the difference in scale and size.
  Each frame was brilliant, the helicopter shots were awesome, and the
  King fight scenes were better that that of Godzilla!

  In the end, I had a lot of fun with this one…the movie was funny and
  commanding. The run time could have been shorter but King Kong beating
  the hell out of ”stuff” made up for it!

• 
  icpemsbyMarch 18, 2017Reply

  I thought this would be obscenely average…I was very wrong

  Strong cast, good acting, likable characters and good special effects
  made this movie far more enjoyable then I expected. This is a summer
  popcorn movie released early and what a treat!!! My expectations were
  low going in but by the end I was hoping this movie does well in
  regards to word of mouth and $$$. It’s not going to win any Oscars but
  it’s a wonderful escape for a few hours. Oscars are rigged anyways😄

• 
  rtresoorMarch 18, 2017Reply

  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE…Do Not Go To This Movie!

  I love movies and I can let my imagination do its thing. Really! I
  won’t bore you with all the good and bad parts of this movie because
  most of it is bad…really bad! As my friend said after the movie
  ended…” I feel much dumber after watching Kong”. Find a well directed
  movie and stay away from Kong. I’m out.

• 
  khan-yo-007March 18, 2017Reply

  An Entertainer with a Message For the HUMANKIND

  THe second best Kong movie ever. THe first being the first installment.
  Supreme performance by old man Jackson as the unbelievable poltergeist.
  Beautiful visuals. Felt really sad thinking about us all being such a
  burden on our fellow earthlings. Destroying everything we laid eyes
  upon.

• 
  ichmagfrauenMarch 18, 2017Reply

  Quality Action Film!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  modzMarch 18, 2017Reply

  oh boy

  I was hoping to like it. Special effects pretty good but that doesn’t
  make a movie. Bad script, bad one liners, odd scenes and somewhere in
  between a comedy and action film. Could go on and on but I already
  wasted 2 hours on it. Too bad they didn’t all die, oh wait did
  they.Hell I don’t remember. Should have went to Logan.

• 
  jdesandoMarch 19, 2017Reply

  Enjoy being scared with your friends, and see quality cinema at the same time

  ”. . . The land where God did not finish creation . . . the place where
  myth and science meet.” Bill Randa (John Goodman)

  In Kong: Skull Island, the real science is the creation by director
  Jordan Vogt-Roberts and writers of a believable myth, gigantism run
  amok with a hundred-foot gorilla and other nasty, very large
  pre-historic monsters. By paying homage to 1933 filmmakers Merian C.
  Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedack’s Kong, this film shows myths can be
  reworked to maintain their original power while complementing the
  proceedings with new angles of vision.

  Although Skull Island is a place of death as monsters battle for
  control, it still houses benign natives and visiting guests like
  tracker James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) and photographer Mason Weaver
  (Brie Larson). The dark side is Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L.
  Jackson), who not only represents the tunnel vision of present-day
  militarism but also the myth of the sexually powerful black man, a
  cultural companion to the imposing Kong.

  However, this Kong has grown in sensitivity over 84 years: He protects
  the island’s good denizens from the devils below and he respects the
  new blonde Fay Wray, Mason Weaver: ”People here used to live in fear,
  from everything. Then something strange happened: some of the monsters
  here started protecting them from the other monsters trying to kill
  them.” Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly).

  This is a Kong to love more than fear. Gone is the threatening
  sexuality of the early Kong with his probing fingers; here is a monster
  more like a schoolboy seeing a beautiful teacher and protecting her.

  Notable are this film’s allusions to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
  (Conrad as last name of this hero and Marlow, Heart’s narrator, and the
  last name of this WW II leftover Hank, played by Reilly with a wry
  detachment, a welcome antidote to almost everyone else’s grave
  demeanor). The multiple shots of an over-sized sun and makeshift patrol
  boat leave no doubt of this film’s debt to Apocalypse Now.

  Kong: Skull Island is a modern fable about our collaboration with
  nature and the menace of the military-industrial complex (consider the
  current budget proposal’s lavish military spending). Beyond that, it’s
  darn good story telling accompanied by state-of-the-art graphics to
  make the experience a marvel rather than a menace.

  ”Kong’s a pretty good king. Keeps to himself, mostly. But you don’t go
  into someone’s house and start dropping bombs, unless you’re picking a
  fight.” Marlow

• 
  streeton1-43-160066March 19, 2017Reply

  Plot Holes You Could Drive Through

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  TakethispunchMarch 19, 2017Reply

  Superb

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Matt GreeneMarch 19, 2017Reply

  Never Thought I’d Miss Naomi Watts Ice-Skating…

  I was looking forward to this latest over-sized ape. Coming from the
  studio who brought us the 2014 Godzilla, starring a stacked cast, and
  boasting a stylishly fun trailer, I was all-in. Unfortunately, Kong is
  a special kinda bad, like a throwaway 90s adventure with as much brains
  as subtlety. It’s corny but cynical; it’s tongue-in-cheek but
  mean-spirited; it even made me miss Kong ice skating with Naomi Watts.
  It’s an awful scattershot of varied tones & overwhelming styles. In a
  re-imagining of the discovery of Kong, a group of scientists, explorers
  and military-men in 1971 make a trek to the mysterious & monster-filled
  Skull Island. It’s full of some of the biggest actors around, both
  up-and-coming & veterans. Sadly, it’s one of the biggest wastes of a
  great cast in years, as they are given an unbearably clichéd and
  incomprehensible script. The soldiers (Jackson) are angry, the
  scientists (Goodman) are reckless, and the pretty white people
  (Hiddleston, Larson) are romantically shoved together. The character
  purposes are unclear, the dialogue is mind-numbing, and the message is
  essentially, ”Violence: bad. Empathy: good.” Even the basic choice of
  creating intrigue is pushed-aside, opting to obnoxiously shove us into
  the monsters’ faces from the get-go. It’s all as graceful as Kong
  himself. Not that it isn’t stylish; just the opposite. Director
  Vogt-Roberts decided that if you CAN use a cinematic trick then you
  SHOULD. Random zoom-in / push-outs, incessant slo-mo, quick edits,
  old-style reel-to-reel effects, and laughable 3D-only shots; it’s a
  boring theme-park ride, including narrative heft. There’s lots of great
  stuff in theaters: Logan, Get Out, Split, Lego Batman (which has Kong
  in it!); don’t waste your time on this loud-garbage.

• 
  Muriela DannyMarch 19, 2017Reply

  The Filmmakers Brain Must Be Thick As A Quiche

  What else can I write? Other review said it well and there should be
  nothing else to add. This film was a major letdown as an entity and for
  anyone out there who likes King Kong. I am disappointed that I spent my
  man’s money just to be disappointed. The story was unbelievable
  (Japanese back story, Vietnam war in which we attacked the poor
  Vietnamese, a Chinese chick to sell tickets in China and then gigantic
  creatures at war) with little to no thought devoted to making it
  believable. The whole film seemed to be rushed to the big screen for
  the sole purpose of making money after a script was written analysed to
  include everything needed to make cash (again the aforementioned
  elements, a reboot, a couple of chicks, different men from different
  races, using a famous character’s story and name…) . I am so sorry,
  but King Kong had a story and motivations, it deserves to be one of the
  best story lines brought to the big screen full of emotional backstory
  and humanizing feeling. I feel Hollywood has overdone the whole reboot
  thing.

• 
  RenCatReviewsMarch 19, 2017Reply

  Stylish, fun, trashy, and immensely entertaining,

  It’s official, we finally have a franchise centered entirely around
  giant monsters. The films in this monster verse include ‘Godzilla’,
  ‘Pacific Rim’, and now ‘Kong’. I gotta say, going into this film I
  expected the worst. I expected it to be the typical Marvel-esque film
  where it tries a little bit too hard to make you like its characters
  and ends in an unnecessarily over the top action sequence between an
  underdeveloped villain. But I’m happy to report that this film is not
  like that, at all. What is interesting about these three monster movies
  is that they all feel incredibly unique to the filmmakers. They all
  have a distinct voice and style that no other ”franchise” has. They are
  very much the director’s film. Not the studios.

  This is one of the weirdest, most horrifically violent PG-13 studio
  films I have seen in quite some time. It actually remained me a great
  deal of ‘The Great Wall’. Except this film seems to have a slight sense
  of self-awareness. This actually shocked me. It almost makes fun of
  itself and the films that are like it. It has the typical character
  sacrifice scene near the end except he just gets whipped a mile away
  from the action and just dies. It’s not heroic, he just dies for
  basically no reason. It’s scenes like this that really make this film
  work. Characters say goofy lines right before getting smashed to
  pieces, there’s tons of color, and the camera is constantly on the
  move.

  In many ways, it feels like a Micheal Bay movie that is actually aware
  of itself. It knows how dumb it is and it plays it up to ludicrous
  degrees. I mean, a guy literally gets impaled by a giant ant for crying
  out loud. If you’re taking this film seriously, you’re doing it wrong.
  If you think this is just a typical action movie and aren’t open to
  what is about to happen you’ll probably hate this film.

  Because it is that typical action movie we all expected. The characters
  are flat as boards and they don’t really do much aside from being
  smashed to death. Not to mention it features a giant monster that
  punches other giant monsters in their stupid faces. So, if you aren’t
  ready to accept the fact that this film is almost making fun of itself
  then you probably shouldn’t see this.

  However, if you want to see gigantic action set pieces and corny
  dialogue ripped straight out of the 1980’s then boy do I have a movie
  for you. This is the first massive scale action movie in a long time
  that is just an action movie. It knows exactly what it is and it
  doesn’t screw around with hardly anything else. It doesn’t really
  bother setting up characters or anything like that. It shows us where
  all these people are in their lives and then it just goes.

  Within twenty minutes King Kong is tearing apart helicopters and
  crushing people to death. And from then on, the film does not stop
  moving. It’s actually so frantically paced that you really don’t have
  time to think about the paper thin characters or lack of story. It just
  goes from one action sequence to the next in such haste that nothing
  else really matters. That being said I do have one major flaw that
  almost ruins the entire film.

  The editing here is an absolute travesty. This film is so poorly edited
  that it’s borderline incoherent. There are scenes that abruptly end and
  transition into a completely different area featuring the same
  characters. They will be in one place and without warning the film will
  cut to an entirely different location at an entirely different time of
  day but it stays with the same characters the whole time. The editing
  is so aggressive and rushed that even some of the action scenes move
  too quickly to get a sense for what is happening.

  But, aside from that, this film is thoroughly enjoyable. There a few
  parts that drag just a bit and that editing is in complete disarray,
  but I loved this film. It’s such a breath of fresh air in a genre over
  saturated by people wearing capes that we vaguely care about. What
  ‘Kong’ does better than so many of these other action movies is that it
  just is a movie. It doesn’t blatantly attempt to set up a sequel or
  take itself more seriously than it needed too. It knows that it’s dumb
  and it plays on that. It’s goofy, overblown, and often times downright
  weird, yet that’s why I love it.

• 
  view_and_reviewMarch 19, 2017Reply

  Better than ’05

  This movie had no shortage of familiar faces: Corey Hawkins and Jason
  Mitchell from Straight Outta Compton, Shea Wigham from Boardwalk
  Empire, Toby Kebbell from Black Mirror (excellent Netflix program),
  John C. Reilly from Talladega Nights and a host of other things, and
  John Goodman and Samuel L. Jackson who both need no introduction.

  The Kong story has been done time and again, most recently in 2005 with
  Jack Black. This version was a lot less drama and more action. They
  didn’t dink around in this movie with delaying the unveiling of Kong,
  rather they gave us a glimpse early so as to not keep us in rapt
  anticipation like the ’05 version. In that respect, they did well. But,
  the one consistent trope that is a constant bummer for me is the damsel
  in distress that Kong is enamored with. They downplayed that dynamic
  this time around so that the quasi-love affair/love triangle wasn’t the
  story but it still had a part. I’m just not moved by the beast being
  tamed by the delicate white woman.

  Kong: Skull Island offered a lot of ooh and aah moments, some
  obligatory humor and a strong anti-war message. I had no problems with
  any of it although they made Preston Packard (Sam Jackson) so over the
  top with his dogged pursuit of military action as the answer that it
  detracted from the movie.

  I liked this version better than the ’05 one and I can’t remember the
  ’76 version that well. With reference to Kong as a Massive Unidentified
  Terrestrial Object (M.U.T.O.) we can probably expect him to have an
  eventual showdown (or tag team effort) with Godzilla. That is a battle
  I’d pay to see.

• 
  BabalugatsMarch 19, 2017Reply

  It’s not terrible – Spoilers

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Jackson Booth-MillardMarch 19, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  almalood_91March 19, 2017Reply

  I like it but…

  I entered this movie with negative expectation. however, I find it a
  fine movie with a good graphics and story line.

  the thing I didn’t like was the ending. it was very fast. and the
  characters has less talking to declare there ideas and emotion.

  but at the end of the movie I really enjoy it and how King kong new
  movie look like. And the acting was so amazing.

• 
  Don AndersonMarch 19, 2017Reply

  A dry, faceless, blockbuster with some good things.

  After enjoying the Gareth Edwards oddly significant Godzilla, I
  actually looked forward to Jordan Vogt-Roberts Kong Skull Island.
  Godzilla left me with an impression that the producers of the ”monster-
  verse” movies had restraint from these films becoming ”Transformers”
  levels of stupid. But after Kong, I still have that mindset, just
  lowered a bit. Kong is not overly dumb, it’s just too dry to become
  anything other than the stereotype blockbuster.

• 
  eagandersongilMarch 19, 2017Reply

  A bigger monster to get away from the old cliché

  A new remake for a classic, now getting away from the old but adorable
  cliché of always, Kong takes a different approach from its
  predecessors, but that does not mean that it is better. We have a
  script that innovates within the franchise, because even without the
  ”King” in the name, Kong is king of an island and fight against Cajus –
  no dinosaurs this time – the script innovates and at the same time we
  all know their endings, The film tells the story of researcher Bill
  Randa (John Goodman), who in 1973 departed to explore an island that
  until then is isolated and unknown to the rest of the world. We have a
  very digital photograph, the chroma key jumps, and Kong’s scanning is
  not very perfectionistic, sometimes even to notice its pixelization,
  and we also have the old focus on the sun of the apocalypse now – After
  all, we have references to war Of Vietnam – references that are wide
  open in their soundtrack, with a good rock of the 70s, its assembly is
  good, its rhythm does not get to mesmerize but it pleases, and its
  direction of art desires, its camera angles are great , Focus on the
  eyes creating a Mexican stalemate between Kong and his ”Enemies”, to
  the best style – Guarding the due proportions – Sergio Leone. We have
  one of the best blockbuster films I’ve seen that goes from John Goofman
  to Brie Larson, to Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Hiddleston, but incredible
  as it may seem, this cast is completely expendable, John Reilly even
  does A good performance, and Samuel Jackson is the least worst as ever,
  Oscar winner Brie Larson seems to have no desire at all, but let’s give
  a discount, fianl this movie is from Kong, the gorilla now bigger than
  normal goes well, Despite the regular quality of its effects, it
  punches, kicks, picks up trunk, judo punches and detonates Cajus, that
  is, plays its role. ”Kong” is a film for the nostalgic of monsters or
  for those who want to enjoy a Sunday afternoon with the family, because
  it is fun and good to watch and not even that bad.

• 
  HumphreywashereMarch 19, 2017Reply

  Appalling, offensive, American-centric trash

  Just trash. Two words that describe this absolutely awful movie. I
  concur with all the other reviewers who gave this movie a score of 1. I
  didn’t read the reviews before I went to see this movie (my mistake)
  and I endured it for the sake of the other people with me who also
  hated it, otherwise I would have left after 30 minutes. The
  scriptwriters racist and disrespectful portrayal of the tribespeople
  was just mind boggling. So much for Ms Larsons so-called ‘activism’.
  All the actors appearing in this trash should apologise to the public.

• 
  ike-21 ([email protected])March 20, 2017Reply

  Jurassic Kong World

  A fun but forgettable film.

  This is the kind of movie that is made to be seen on the big screen.
  Basically because it makes Kong feel like a towering monster!

  But it has its issues. The movie lacks a good dialog. It could have
  used some catch-phrases to give it some appeal. And although the
  character development wasn’t bad, it needed an identifiable main
  character.

  The film, at times, also insults our intelligence. Basically, if a
  pilot sees a helicopter get swatted down by a huge monster, perhaps the
  other pilots would change course or retreat! Or at least be smart
  enough not to fly their choppers within arms’ length of an unknown
  monster!

  That being said… The concept was good and intriguing. The visual
  setting was a feast for the eyes. I felt the real physical landscapes
  blended with the CGI sets very well. This was done better than a lot of
  recently released action movies.

  ‘Kong: Skull Island’ isn’t going to win any major awards. But it is fun
  to watch!

• 
  Kapten VideoMarch 20, 2017Reply

  Everything looks amazing for a big dumb adventure like it is

  Yet another ”useful” reboot, also promoted as origin story… because
  movie buffs haven’t surely seen enough of those, yeah?

  It doesn’t even make much sense to create an origin story for Kong
  because his movies have always explained the origins… but they did it
  anyway. For the bigger purpose to add the king ape into the newest
  Godzilla reboot.

  You do remember 2014’s mediocre ”Godzilla”, starring Bryan Cranston,
  Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe et al? You don’t? Hopefully you will
  still like to see the sequel „Godzilla: King of Monsters” coming in
  2019 March, where G and Kong will meet finally (again).

  Anyway, about the experience at hand. „Skull Island” reaches wide
  cinema release this weekend. It’s probably partially an experiment, to
  see how early in the year the masses are ready to shell out their
  hard-earned for run-of-the-mill epics usually more suitable for summer
  season.

  The movie cost 190 million dollars and I am glad to report that the
  producers have put this for good use.

  Everything looks amazing and for a big dumb adventure like this,
  there’s unusually big and varied line of actresses/ actors. Casting
  team has done a fine job indeed.

  We have:

  * some always super-solid supporting star players (John Goodman, Samuel
  L. Jackson),

  * an acclaimed indie actress offering some feminine beauty (Brie
  Larson),

  * also always-reliable surprise player who can do both drama and comedy
  (John C. Reilly),

  * and a bunch of good likable actors that you are sure you know from
  somewhere, even if you can’t recall the names (such as Tom Hiddleston –
  Loki from „Thor”, Corey Hawkins, John Ortiz, Toby Kebbell – doubling as
  a motion capture actor for Kong, Shea Whigham et al).

  The only odd choice is to criminally underuse China’s rising star
  actress Tian Jing. She’s here but can’t do much. She’s not used to add
  beauty, she’s not gonna offer some kick-ass action scenes as in „The
  Great Wall” alongside Matt Damon. Why cast her at all if you have no
  need for her?

  What’s surprising is that actors are not here just to hold our
  attention between grand action setpieces. Their performances have heart
  and persuasiveness which is something of an achievement, considering
  that much of their acting time was probably spent in front of the empty
  green canvas.

  John C. Reilly is the main man here actually, he has the meatiest
  character and also the side-mission to act as a comic relief without
  turning into a joke.

  As usual, I love him and what he does with the material. Just the
  perfect balance between obscure, funny and crazy.

  The monsters look awesome as well and meeting them is worth your time
  and ticket money. I watched „Kong: Skull Island” in IMAX and 3D, and
  both have actually been put to good use here. But I am sure everything
  looks good in „standard” 2D as well.

  ”Skull Island” sure is a looker, not only monsters and fighting but the
  locations as well which make everything look truly epic. Filmed in
  Hawaii, Vietnam and Australia by the way.

  The only reason I am not willing to give the result a higher score is
  the screenplay. It’s just a bunch of old tired clichés and, to add
  insult to the injury, the story has been left to sit uncomfortably
  between two different chairs in at least two important aspects.

  Firstly, the story’s is too clichéd and unoriginal to really grab any
  adult viewer BUT there’s too much violence to gladly recommend it as a
  family thing. Secondly, the plot moves constantly between being very
  serious and just light-hearted which makes it uneven and sometimes hard
  to take.

  In my mind, they should have modernized soldier characters, right now
  it feels like anachronism – something from old Kong movies.

  The army marches in and just tries to destroy everything which feels
  pretty disgusting in the „enlightened” times of 21st century. If it
  wasn’t all so serious, at least it could be taken as social commentary
  or black comedy or something.

  Even Jurassic’s and Godzilla’s latest outings have fresh-er approach to
  monster movies which involves more than senseless killing.

  So you will get an odd combo where mindless destruction alternates with
  light-hearted adventure. Is it really proper approach for PG-13 family
  movie? Am I too sensitive here?

• 
  dwmccleneyMarch 20, 2017Reply

  I walked out after an hour

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  JustGotToSayItMarch 20, 2017Reply

  Go For the Spectacle

  You don’t go to a King Kong movie to expect great plot, or great
  acting. I mean this is a giant gorilla movie, so that should go without
  saying. You go for the spectacle, and this one delivers. Unlike the
  really long and sappy Peter Jackson version, which was a total bore,
  this one delivers action and fun monsters. Whereby Peter Jackson’s Kong
  was a total sap, this Kong was a total bad-ass. And you can feel why he
  was KING of the Skull Island. So I recommend you go for the fun and
  watch it in 3D.

• 
  SkeenobearMarch 20, 2017Reply

  Mixed bag of Kong

  I went into this movie with low expectations, expecting a lot of action
  with some token story and character development that could be thrown
  aside. I was completely correct.

  Kong: Skull Island is a beautiful film to look at, there is some
  excellent CGI here that warrants a cinema viewing. Sadly, that is about
  all I can say for the movie, since it really does have nothing else.
  The cast is severely underused, therefore I had no connection with any
  of the characters whatsoever. The writing is BAD, seriously bad. Almost
  all of the dialogue was either painfully obvious exposition or simply
  unnecessary quips that would even feel out of place in a terrible
  late-night B movie. The main creatures (aside from Kong) feel very
  uninspired and the species that Kong frequently fights becomes very
  boring to look at almost immediately.

  If you’re looking for some mindless entertainment with pretty visuals
  then Kong might be it, but don’t expect anything more than that.

• 
  padaMarch 20, 2017Reply

  6.5/10 definitely worth seeing much better than you’d expect

  This is one of those films you think won’t live up to the hype and the
  first quarter was so poor it was looking like a 3/10 but my friend I
  went with said 8.5/10 at that point and at the end the best film she’d
  seen this year , better than LION . So it just goes to show there’s a
  film for everyone out there .

  Once the silliness was over with and you’re able to accept the sheer
  unreality of the script, after all it’s about a giant ape ,it’s better
  once you give it a bit of leeway .

  Once they get to the island things improve after the on screen arrival
  of John C Reily who adds humour to the film . There’s eye candy for the
  girls in the form of Tom Hiddleson and the chaps are bound to notice
  Brie Larsons skimpy vest getting tighter and wetter as the film
  proceeds .

  There is also plenty of action , plenty of jumps , the CGI is amazing ,
  if i’d seen this in 3D it would have probably scored 7.5/10

  It’s definitely worth seeing. We both enjoyed it . Here’s to the sequel

• 
  davieo61March 20, 2017Reply

  Badass and tons of fun!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  James SmithMarch 20, 2017Reply

  It almost works

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  chinchinMarch 20, 2017Reply

  Sorry did not enjoy it

  It wasn’t as bad as the Star Wars The Force Awakens but it was pretty
  boring. I was sitting there thinking why am I here? Why was this movie
  made? Basically the film was playing in front of me but I was tuned out
  thinking how the Hollywood business model works and how decisions are
  made to spend $100 million to shoot and release a film. Note: I am not
  sure how much this film cost I was just imagining a round number. At
  the end the night was not lost. I hooked up with a couple of friends
  from work and we ended up having satisfying and long lasting sex so
  seriously best advice I have for you is to do something useful that you
  know you will enjoy instead of dragging yourselves out to a movie just
  to be up on the latest releases because this one will disappoint you.
  By the way, I just did a search and I cannot find the answer. this film
  is based on a character of a giant ape called ‘King Kong’ but the title
  only mentions ‘Kong.’ Is that because of a copyright issue?

• 
  blacklemore36March 20, 2017Reply

  Fine monster movie

  While this certainly doesn’t go the Godzilla (2014) route it certainly
  could’ve been better. The performances are all fine, there are some
  pretty good characters but it’s a shame they get killed around halfway
  through. It definitely didn’t bank enough on being a fun ride and
  starts turning into a bit of a slog at times. The director leaves his
  mark in this blockbuster vehicle but can’t shine through. It certainly
  had it’s moments and there is a decent amount of Kong action to make it
  worthwhile.

• 
  sagaloneMarch 21, 2017Reply

  Waste of time and money

  What a waste of time this movie is. The only good thing about this
  movie is J.C. Reily. My money and my time totally wasted. This is one
  of the worst performance of Mr. Jackson. I highly recommend you NOT to
  i repeat NOT to waste your hard earned money in this rubbish. Oh so
  gutted i went to watch this movie.

• 
  tabunoMarch 21, 2017Reply

  A Flashy Reimagined Kong With Flaw

  With shades of the classic war movies Good Morning Vietnam (1987) and
  Apocalypse Now (1979) and perhaps even the monster epic Journey to the
  Center of the Earth (1959) and perhaps Jurassic Park 1993), this
  reimagined Kong movie begins with both a measured surprise and a quite
  different Kong movie that shows a lot of promise. Nevertheless, the
  script eventually falls flat in places as the plot points become more
  important than the realistic strategic or authentic flow from scene to
  scene. A huge example of the manipulation of a screen stretched to the
  breaking point in order to maintain the director’s or producer’s
  intended rational for a scene later in the movie is the first gigantic
  encounter between man and beast and it’s pretty much an overkill and
  unbelievable disaster for man. And at almost regular intervals
  thereafter there are humans that seem to fall prey in order to show off
  some special effect cuteness that really doesn’t do much for the movie
  and with little rationale except attempt to justify the cost of the
  movie. This sort of demise is repeated over and over again just in
  order to perhaps reduce the number of characters to manageable
  proportions and extend the time of the movie. A lot of editing and
  cutting would probably have made the pacing of this adventure action
  movie much more palpable. Nevertheless, the plot outline of this Kong
  version is very distinctive and admirable in concept and there are some
  great individual scenes and photographic images that boggle the mind.
  The ending credits film images also is a plus along with the
  outstanding presence of John C. Reilly almost carries the show.

• 
  laralea-36543March 21, 2017Reply

  Over the top.

  This movie is good if you are a 11 year old boy. Everything was so over
  the top and Samuel L Jackson over acted terribly. There was no King
  Kong on the Empire State Building, and he didn’t capture the woman and
  try to keep her for himself. Very disappointed. Giant spiders and
  insects…almost reminded me more of Jurassic Park than a King Kong
  movie.

• 
  stilloopless1March 21, 2017Reply

  Kong is indeed King

  I was ecstatic 12 years ago when Peter Jackson revived the King Kong
  franchise with his remake. A feeling, sadly, that quickly faded and
  left me with a bad taste in my mouth upon actually viewing the film. A
  three hour movie about a giant ape and more than an hour and a half in
  you still haven’t seen said ape?! Grrr. So, it was with muted
  expectations, fingers crossed, hoping for the best and fearing the
  worse I ventured to check out Jordan Vogt-Roberts latest installment of
  Kong.

  Boy am I glad I did. Everything I hated about the last Kong movie
  starting with being halfway through the film and still not having a
  Kong sighting has been addressed and how. Vogt-Roberts and company
  waste no time setting up and getting to the crux of the story. Namely,
  Kong. After all, that’s what made me want to see the movie.

  And Kong: Skull Island is quite the movie. Part Apocalypse Now, part
  Heart of Darkness with a dash of Moby Dick beautifully blended with an
  A rate movie version of the classic B rated monster movie, Kong
  thrills, entertains, wows, and triumphs.

  The star studded cast lead by the incomparable Samuel L. Jackson, John
  Goodman, and John C. Reilly, Brie Larson, and Tom Hiddleston ground
  this well written fantasy in reality and keep it riveting. While set in
  the past, this Kong is fresh and current. The characters are more than
  mere backdrops for the beast and are nuanced and three dimensional.

  The directing and cinematography is beautiful. The music on point and
  serves the story well. The action and CGI work is stellar. CGI Kong is
  such a far cry from the slow, lumbering Kong of the past. The subtle
  expressions and emotions are and additional layer of delight.

  Have a couple of hours? Take a trip to Skull Island, you won’t be
  disappointed. I’m giving Kong a solid 9 so don’t miss it on the big
  screen. Also, make sure you stay through the credits. Yes, after the
  complete credit roll things go to black for a few seconds, then more is
  revealed.

• 
  andrewbalboniMarch 21, 2017Reply

  Entertaining

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  McgoljMarch 21, 2017Reply

  An old fashioned entertainer

  I am going to start this off by saying, i wasn’t expecting much from
  this movie. I went to see this fully expecting to regret it, but do you
  know what, i actually enjoyed it way more than i thought i would. Sure
  it’s a no brain needed kinda movie, but do you know something, we all
  need one of those now and again, and this delivered in spades. Was a
  pleasure to watch and i enjoyed every minute. Would recommend it for a
  couple of hours out your day if your in the mood for some fun.

• 
  ACMarch 21, 2017Reply

  Possibly Worst Films of the year.. and it’s March

  I will make this short and sweet. I was sitting in my chair in the
  movie theater so angry I was contemplating demanding a refund and
  someone else paid for the ticket. Even if you see this film for free on
  cable in three months DO NOT WATCH IT.

  Below is a short list of why the movie was terrible.

  1. Horrid acting 2. Zero Plot 3. Not exciting 4. Terrible Dialogue
  5.One shred of redemption

  1. With the first line that John Goodman says I knew the acting was sub
  par. It sounded like Goodman just showed up and was reading off a cue
  card. Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, and Brie Larson all gave
  disgusting performances like they didn’t even care and were just there
  for the paycheck. 2. People go to island and have to get off.
  Everything in between could have been written by a 5 year old 3. At no
  point of this movie did I care if the main characters themselves were
  killed off. I had 0 emotional attachment to this film or any of the
  characters. 4. Dialoague. Good god. The jokes were so bad not a soul in
  the theater laughed because most didn’t even know their was a joke
  happening. 5. John C. Reily did not have a great character written for
  him. But he delivered it pretty well.

• 
  asus-kybdMarch 21, 2017Reply

  Don’t they have monkeys at the local zoo?

  You may wanna consider that since this is the EIGHTH TIME King Kong has
  been made since 1933! The only thing more repetitive are Star Wars
  canon videos by teen geeks on Youtube. I don’t know how bankrupt
  people’s lives and romantic relationships are now, but can guess
  they’re pretty empty, considering the complete ownership of the
  American public by cell phone corporations and their willingness to
  keep paying for the SAME stale Big Mac over and over and over! But I
  digress…

  Anyway, I watched this online at 123movies.net for free and although
  the picture was unfocused, so was the film’s story. This one just
  happens to be PLOT FREE, so if you’ve got some weed to smoke during….
  have at it! The only things they changed were 1) Kong did not fall in
  love with the girl, 2) The objective was to kill him rather than parade
  him around Broadway. 3) With hand-held weapons, no less! HOLY SH|T,
  pass the bong!!! S.L. Jackson is his usual obnoxious self like he has
  been all the way back to Pulp Fiction, no surprise there! ”Snakes on a
  Plane” comes to mind. Actually, if they had Stan Lee do a cameo walk-on
  in this, it would have added to the P.O.S. Not worth starting your car
  for, sorry. For $185M, it’s just more proof to me Hollywood launders
  cash for the mob.

  WHAT DID ANY OF YOU EXPECT AFTER THEY’VE MADE EIGHT OF THEM SINCE 1933?
  That’s not including the other DOZEN versions made in foreign
  countries.

• 
  divinedianchikMarch 21, 2017Reply

  What a hell was that??

  The worst movie I’ve seen in last couple of years. I wish I stuck in an
  elevator instead of watching this sh*t, even we couldn’t stand it until
  the end, left the teatre at the moment when they’ve decided to ”come
  back and save Kong”, at that point it became clear that nothing can
  save that insane 😥 such a waste of time and money.

• 
  ethanspeedMarch 21, 2017Reply

  It’s okay.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Michael ElmoreMarch 21, 2017Reply

  Why so serious?

  Wow…. there are some ridiculous scores and reviews for Kong. I mean
  everyone is entitled to there own opinion but if you can’t just enjoy
  this film for what it is without nitpicking on all the finer details
  then cinema is dead.

  Why does every film have to be an Oscar worthy masterpiece (most Oscar
  winning films of recent time have been contrived and boring) why can’t
  we watch a good old action film and enjoy it.

  My childhood was enhanced by action packed films whereby the story ,
  plot and acting played little part. Kong was a belter of a film. It was
  a sit back and enjoy movie. Little interaction from the grey matter was
  required (unless you want to catalogue all the historical errors and
  bloopers)

  My advice…. go watch this film, take it for what it is and enjoy the
  awesomeness of Kong smashing his way through magnificent CGI battles

• 
  Alyssa Black (Aly200)March 22, 2017Reply

  Finally an Original Kong Movie

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  lisagrigg-93200March 22, 2017Reply

  Very good!

  This is one of the best films I have seen. It was action-packed with a
  good story-line the only downside was I am not sure what accent Tom
  Hiddleson was doing and Samuel L Jackson was excellent (as usual). The
  whole movie was imaginative and all scenes were believable and
  picturesque. Go see this film what ever your age.

• 
  bora_mustafaMarch 22, 2017Reply

  Not bad, just slightly underwhelming

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  bensonmum2March 22, 2017Reply

  ”Is that a monkey?”

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  cmrssMarch 22, 2017Reply

  Good, but typical Hollywood formula holds it back

  I enjoyed this movie, but was turned-off by the typical Hollywood
  formula of build up story, evil person(s) emerge, evil person(s) cause
  all kinds of trouble, evil person(s) get their comeuppance at the end,
  things turn out OK for the main likable characters at the end.

  This movie could’ve been stellar if they built the story without that
  typical formula. Every journey and action scene could have still been
  scripted by having the characters face issues such as problems
  navigating the island, injury to members of the party, other challenges
  that made it difficult for the two separate groups to reconnect.

  Some thoughtful ingenuity when writing the scripts in these movies can
  make a huge difference. But they always revert to humanizing the cast
  by good, evil, indifferent, and build their whole story-lines around
  that concept.

  What a shame. It would have received an extra 2 or maybe 3 stars from
  me if not for the typical Hollywood formula.

• 
  Carl SchultzMarch 22, 2017Reply

  A Good, Old-Fashioned Monster Movie

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  stephanengelhardtMarch 22, 2017Reply

  Popcorn movie

  I have now read 2 pages worth of reviews, a few of them utterly
  trashing this movie and I think I have to step in.

  This is NOT a movie you watch to experience a logical plot, well
  thought out and characterized characters or cinematic art. Forget the
  acting and just enjoy the action. Its a monster film – and a rather
  enjoyable at that.

  The thing I really liked about it was the imagery and the camera. I
  will go so far as to call it partially very beautifully done, while
  from the story point of view its probably more or less a loss.

  For beautiful images I will give an 8 out of 10 I will not deduct any
  points for the lack of story (or logic) as I simply had no expectations
  in this regard in the first place 🙂

• 
  classicsoncallMarch 22, 2017Reply

  ”What imaginary monster are you hunting this time?”

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Ollie EvansMarch 22, 2017Reply

  So bad I had to write my first review

  This movie is so dreadful I felt empowered to write a review.
  Unrealistic, contrived, full of clichés, poor acting, poor
  storytelling, poor script writing- it’s got it all. If you want to see
  lots of very good CGI and hear lots of pointless bass driven noises,
  then this is the movie for you. It was so poor, I fell asleep. I would
  have then walked out, but the tiredness from my sleep compelled me to
  stay. The only redeeming features are: Hiddlestone is as regal as ever,
  the CGI (in parts) is great and the story has fantasy potential.
  Nonetheless, this movie is a waste of time and money.

• 
  Evan TaylorMarch 22, 2017Reply

  An Entertaining, If Familiar, Ride

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Vasco CidMarch 23, 2017Reply

  Kong is not King anymore.

  Whether the world was in a desperate need for another King Kong or not
  seems immaterial after watching this. The underlying and rather obvious
  justification is to make way for a future crossover with another tired
  franchise (hello Godzilla) as money-making scheme – the same way Marvel
  has been doing for the past decade, revisiting, rebooting and
  ultimately exhausting Spider Man’s and Hulk’s properties.

  On paper I blamed this reboot, seeing as Peter Jackson’s 2005 passion
  project was both overlong and over-the-top but fun and engaging in
  equal measure. He provided an ambitious scope, not only on a technical
  level, to an iconic property rendering a product that is proud and
  respectful of its legacy but also autonomous on its own.

  This 2017’s outing however lacks both the same comprehensive talent and
  commitment and, just 12 years after that last successful adaptation,
  feels rather soon and unnecessary. For entertainment purposes though,
  all this reasoning and opposition could be waived if done right – and
  for a moment, as the first promotional materials started emerging
  (specially an astounding first trailer), it seem like it was.
  Nevertheless, Kong: Skull Island is guilty of not only proving those
  initial fears right, as it is of being utterly pedestrian and cheesy to
  an annoying degree.

  The story (save for the time setting), the functional autopilot
  characters and the motivations are the same and nothing shows a glimmer
  of originality or audacity. Don’t get me wrong, that is not necessarily
  a bad thing – some summer blockbusters and recent entertainment tent
  poles have had the same approach with very enjoying results (Prometheus
  did that for me, for instance).

  I found myself continuously trying to find a saving grace for Kong:
  Skull Island, because the seamlessly magnificent cinematography and
  direction (of the action scenes particularly) kept me interested, kept
  me awed, kept me rooting – all to the point where the film had spiraled
  out of control into pure formulaic tawdry formula beyond redemption.
  The film knows it is cheesy and Vogt knows that’s its selling point and
  that’s what we came for but the forceful toleration of suspension of
  disbelief and exaggeration beyond reason implies we have ever cared for
  any of the human characters or for the central Kong, a misunderstood
  hero and protector. But no, we have never cared.

• 
  henryluckMarch 23, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island 2D Review

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Figgy66-915-598470March 23, 2017Reply

  Not bad, not bad at all

  23 March 2017 Film of Choice at The Plaza Dorchester Tonight – Kong:
  Skull Island. Yet another remake of the old classic King Kong. Each
  time we revisit this story it gets bigger and more fanciful, but each
  time the visual effects can be more awe inspiring. This particular
  outing ticked a lot of boxes for me. We have a group of scientists, a
  platoon of soldiers due to return home from the Vietnam war, and a man
  running an expedition with a hidden agenda, put all these factions
  together on an island inhabited by monsters and there is bound to be
  bloodshed. Tom Hiddleston smouldered in slow motion as a man hired for
  his tracking skills, Brie Larson tossed her hair provocatively as the
  pushy woman photographer and Samuel L Jackson delivered an epic
  performance as Lt Col Packard, a man who is not yet ready to leave the
  war and who is letting his fighting spirit cloud his decision making
  process. This group of people made odd bedfellows but add a tribe of
  non speaking painted natives, a huge primate and some outstandingly
  ugly reptilian monsters and you have a movie that keeps you interested
  from start to finish. Filmed in Hawaii and Australia, we are introduced
  to some stunning landscape which proves to be barbaric in its’ beauty
  as our group battles to survive all that nature and the unnatural can
  throw at them. A much better telling of the Kong tale, will there be
  another?

• 
  davidlamb4March 23, 2017Reply

  Not boring but not great

  Felt like a jigsaw made up from parts of other, superior films. All the
  characters were stereotypes, barely developed, so you couldn’t care
  much when they got eaten/shot/torn apart. And it was set in some
  mythical, post-racial and totally non-sexist 70s where hardly anybody
  smoked anything, not even tobacco.

  That said – the island settings convinced, there were some good laughs,
  and the monsters and the US military were so scary you were soon
  rooting for Kong to sort them both out. Good soundtrack too if you like
  70s rock. But if you want subtle, avoid this film.

• 
  andreas_megMarch 23, 2017Reply

  Let’s not drag this out…

  The script of the movie is roughly 3 pages long, so I guess it doesn’t
  really deserve a long review either.

  First of all: this is for all intents and purposes just a flashy, very
  long trailer… Neat camera tricks, cheesy lines, explosions, you name
  it!

  Secondly: during the pitch meeting of this ”concept” (at best) they
  probably said: we need ”a handsome mysterious type” (cue: Hiddlestone),
  ”a busty blonde who doesn’t really need to be there” (cue: Larson), a
  crazy bearded goofy guy with morals (cue: Reilly) and an angry Samuel
  L. Jackson to say the word ”mutha****” every now and again. Then we
  pile on some other generic, pointless characters, a whole bunch of
  monsters and put King Kong in the middle. 2 hour run-time? Yeah! Case
  closed! Lunch!

  So, yeah, what YOU need to know, as an audience member, is this: there
  is no plot, no purpose, no reason, no subtleties, no nuance, no
  meaning… It’s just a big stinking pile of clichés!

  They literally could’ve chosen any random aspiring screenwriter of the
  street, and just by being awake for the meeting, those guys could’ve
  come up with ideas on how to turn this story into a half-decent script,
  or at least something that resembles a script.

  Garbage… Complete and utter garbage.

• 
  HellmantMarch 23, 2017Reply

  Action-packed, and a lot of fun!

  ‘KONG: SKULL ISLAND’: Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

  A reboot to the popular monster movie franchise, which began in 1933.
  It’s also the second film in Legendary’s new monster universe
  franchise, called MonsterVerse, following 2014’s ‘GODZILLA’ and leading
  up to a planned crossover film (in 2020) titled ‘GODZILLA VS. KONG’.
  The story deals with a couple of government agents, and their military
  escorts, investigating an uncharted island, in the Pacific Ocean, where
  they’re attacked by a giant monster known as Kong. The movie was
  directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (who also helmed the 2013 indie
  coming-of-age flick ‘THE KINGS OF SUMMER’) and it was written by Dan
  Gilroy and Max Borenstein. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson,
  John C. Reilly, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Thomas Mann, Shea
  Whigham, Tobby Kebbell, John Ortiz, Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell.
  It’s been a huge hit at the Box Office, and it’s also gotten mostly
  positive reviews from critics. I really enjoyed it as well.

  A government agent, named Bill Randa (Goodman), and a seismologist,
  named Houston Brooks (Hawkins), lead an expedition to map out an
  uncharted island, in the Pacific Ocean, known as ‘Skull Island’. They
  hire the Sky Devils Helicopter squadron, lead by Lieutenant Colonel
  Preston Packard (Jackson), and a former British Special Air Service
  Captain, named James Conrad (Hiddleston), to escort them. A
  photojournalist, named Mason Weaver (Larson), who thinks the expedition
  has sinister motives, also joins the team. Once they reach the island,
  the group realizes there’s a very large creature there, known as Kong,
  that is unhappy with their presence.

  The movie is action-packed, and a lot of fun. I love monster flicks,
  and this is definitely a really well made one. It’s not as epic as
  Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake, or the 1933 original, but it’s still a
  more than decent installment in the long running series. It’s also
  definitely a lot better than the 2014 ‘GODZILLA’ reboot. I look forward
  to the upcoming crossover flick (with both classic movie monsters in
  it), and more entries in the new MonsterVerse franchise!

  Watch our movie review show ‘MOVIE TALK’ at:
  https://youtu.be/b6j-_hcq7Wo

• 
  GeffMarch 23, 2017Reply

  King Kong 2.0 ”It was beauty killed the beast.”

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Mark LongMarch 23, 2017Reply

  Great Popcorn flick

  ”Kong; Skull Island” was a very entertaining popcorn movie; it kept my
  interest throughout, and never really slowed down much. I thought it
  was a good idea to place it in the time frame of the 1970’s. Kong the
  ape was front and center and King Kong really was a king this time. The
  story was a good one–in another movie John C. Reilly’s Robinson
  Curuso-type character would have stolen the show. But in this one each
  of the actors share screen time almost equally. The sound track
  features snippets of some of the best rock music ever recorded, and I
  liked the references to ”Heart of Darkness” and the influences of
  Francis Ford Coppolla’s ”Apocalypse Now”.

• 
  c-kelsallMarch 23, 2017Reply

  Whatever happened to Kong?

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  AaronCapenBannerMarch 23, 2017Reply

  Kong As Island Defender

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  RResendeMarch 23, 2017Reply

  the river and the dinosaur

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  2karl-March 24, 2017Reply

  finding a new uncharted island is a playground for giants finding out his rules because he is king and gives a good stamp of approval if not heeded

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Andrew CreerMarch 24, 2017Reply

  This Is EXACTLY What Kong Should Be

  I in all honesty went into Kong with little to no expectations. Usually
  movies of this genre have the same basic set up: an overly long
  introduction, a dull process of discovering the ”monster”, different
  sequences of the monster wrecking havoc, and then dragging out the film
  until all problems are solved.

  The great thing about Skull Island: it does none of those things. The
  movie starts, throws you through brutal and unexpected death and
  destruction – and then keeps going. There were multiple moments where I
  was legitimately shocked how unforgiving this movie was. The best part?
  It quickly wraps up while you are still completely enthralled in Skull
  Island.

  What Kong lacks in story and character development, it makes up with
  some of the best action sequences I’ve ever seen in theaters. In all
  reality – do we really need more from a King Kong movie?

• 
  joelhbkMarch 24, 2017Reply

  Good for your health

  The thing about Kong movies so far is that you either feel for Kong or
  the humans but this time I felt for both equally. The human characters
  are likable as heck, you just want most of them to survive. At the same
  time Kong is also likable because even though he doesn’t speak you can
  really get his situation and either feel sorry for him or totally
  comprehend his nature. It touches a bit on Kong’s backstory and it
  really builds up to a whole new world of extraordinary things while
  keeping you entertained with action, humor and intrigue. Nothing feels
  forced. I feared John C. Reilly would be too ”him” but he’s actually
  one of the characters I like the most. And even though they take time
  to build up chemistry and relationships it doesn’t feel like it drags.
  Oh and when it’s time to throw down they THROW DOWN!!!

• 
  CinemaClownMarch 24, 2017Reply

  A Wasted Opportunity That Offers Nothing New In Its Retelling Of The Legend of Kong

  After bringing the ”King of Monsters” back to cinematic life in 2014,
  Legendary Pictures turns its attention to another behemoth to further
  solidify its own cinematic universe of super-species but all of it
  doesn’t amount to much in the end, for Kong: Skull Island offers
  nothing new in its retelling of the legend of the giant ape.

  Kong: Skull Island follows a team of scientists & soldiers who, just
  before the end of Vietnam War, secure the U.S. government funding for
  the expedition of an uncharted island in the South Pacific but when
  they reach there, they encounter a 100-foot tall bipedal ape who
  destroys their choppers and leaves them dispersed & stranded in the
  unmapped territory, thus turning the survey job into a survival race.

  Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the first act of Kong: Skull Island is
  its strongest, for the premise is expertly set up and the efficient
  handling of its ominous vibe & sense of foreboding evokes keen
  interest. But once all our characters are on the island and the main
  plot is set into motion, it loses momentum as Vogt-Roberts fails to
  juggle multiple subplots properly and is unsure whether to go for a
  lighthearted, fun-filled extravaganza or a serious & dark monster
  flick.

  Production design team imbues a sense of mystery & danger to the exotic
  place with its set pieces. Cinematography attempts to duplicate the
  haunting aura of Apocalypse Now with its radiant colour palette,
  skillful use of lighting & shadows but succeeds only in bits n pieces.
  Slow-mo camera-work is finely utilised during the first encounter with
  Kong but is ultimately overdone in the end. Editing is a mixed bag, VFX
  has its share of strengths & flaws while Henry Jackman’s score is
  serviceable.

  Coming to the performances, Kong: Skull Island features a talented
  ensemble in Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John
  Goodman & John C. Reilly, with Terry Notary providing the motion
  capture work for the eponymous ape. Hiddleston is alright as the
  mercenary, Larson does nothing but take photographs & act surprised,
  Goodman is completely wasted in his role, Jackson plays himself while
  Reilly is mostly annoying, plus the excessive focus on his character
  was totally unwarranted.

  On an overall scale, Kong: Skull Island is just as mediocre an entry in
  Legendary’s MonsterVerse as Godzilla but it does feature more monster
  mayhem, even if those brief battles never manage to be engrossing or
  emotionally fulfilling. Characterisation takes a backseat, its lame
  attempts at humour fall flat, most creative choices don’t work out in
  the film’s favour and, in addition to all that, there is pretty much
  nothing in it that we haven’t seen before. Falling short on all scales,
  Kong: Skull Island is a wasted opportunity that neither understood its
  true potential nor looked up to see what was up for grabs.

• 
  jaronskieisdebaasMarch 25, 2017Reply

  Bad story, good graphics

  The story behind the movie was bad, King Kong was way more better, and
  way more exciting than Kong:Skull Island, besides that, the graphics
  are amazingly made for 3D.

  The ‘jumpscares’ we’re predicitable. The whole movie was predictable
  which i don’t like about an movie.

• 
  Asif Khan (asifahsankhan)March 25, 2017Reply

  It’s hard to hate a movie that wants nothing more than to take you on a ride . . . Giant ride that is.

  Jordan Vogt-Roberts (of the Sundance breakout The Kings of Summer
  previously) delivered a fresh, new experience that honours the
  essential elements of the iconic character and provides big, monster
  movie matinée for an epic fun-time. Written by Dan Gilroy
  (Nightcrawler), Max Borenstein (2014’s Godzilla), and Derek Connolly
  (Jurassic World), the movie follows a team of scientists, soldiers, and
  adventurers on a journey to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the
  Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful.

  If it was only spectacle and size that defined a great genre movie then
  ‘Kong: Skull Island’ would have had it all- unfortunately that’s not
  the case. Size does matter, but not over and above aspects of
  story-telling and technicalities other than CGI, that help make a movie
  experience more real and involving. The representation of Kong as
  protector to the native tribesmen , other dwarfed inhabitants and
  aggressor to the bunched -up rest who puts his survival in peril, is
  also not clearly drawn. How does Kong differentiate between one human
  and the next, especially when they all come from the same group who
  invaded his island and made an attempt on his life? That’s a question
  left unanswered.

  Although none of that should bother you.

  It’s hard to hate on a movie that wants nothing more than to take you
  on a ride, and that’s precisely what Kong: Skull Island does. With some
  truly jaw-dropping visuals from director of photography Larry Fong (of
  Watchmen, Lost, Super 8, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), a
  colourful cast of thin but endearing characters, and some of the most
  bad-ass Kong action committed to the screen, Kong: Skull Island is a
  solidly entertaining entry in the ape’s ever-expanding lore. And be
  sure to stay after the credits for a little tease at what’s to come
  next from the ”MonsterVerse.” My inner-child was grinning ear-to- ear.

• 
  joa92March 25, 2017Reply

  Great. Beautiful & awesome (and no jack forking black)

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  jayvonfarmerMarch 25, 2017Reply

  A surprisingly entertaining, strange yet enjoyable film

  Knowing I’m probably the last person on Earth to review this movie, I
  arrived at the theater intentionally avoided reading any reviews online
  or tweets. I did my best to come into this film blind and expected the
  unexpected. What I got was a strange ”Jurassic World- esque” film with
  uninteresting characters, with a great cast by the way, failed attempts
  at comedic moments, and overall the movie just felt strange. However
  there is enjoyment to be had in the film. The best part of the movie is
  King Kong. He’s big and loud. A smart ape that will fight for his
  territory. Also the photography is fantastic. You really feel the scope
  of the island.

• 
  David Ferguson ([email protected])March 25, 2017Reply

  creature feature

  Greetings again from the darkness. I enjoy creature movies. Even as a
  kid I enjoyed creature movies (as distinguished from monster movies,
  which I’m also fond of). From the classics to the (very) low budget
  ones on late night TV to the fear-mongering from Japan … I enjoy them
  all. Of course the most fascinating of the bunch is King Kong, and this
  version arrives 84 years after the still magnificent 1933 version from
  Merian C Cooper and featuring Fay Wray.

  This time there is no shootout on The Empire State Building, and the
  connection between Kong and the girl is limited to a few knowing
  glances. Most of the film takes place on Kong’s island … one he shares
  with some other creatures (not rodents) of unusual size. Unlike
  Spielberg in Jaws, who teased us for half the movie before finally
  revealing the shark, we get a glimpse of the imposing Kong very early
  on.

  The cast is the best yet for a creature feature. John Goodman and Corey
  Hawkins play scientists/conspiracy theorists; Tom Hiddleston plays the
  world’s only mercenary with perfect hair and skin; Brie Larson is a
  self-described anti-war photographer; while Samuel L Jackson, Shea
  Whigham, Thomas Mann and Toby Kebbell play military men on their last
  mission at the end of the Vietnam War. The most colorful character is
  played by John C Riley – an eccentric WWII survivor who has been living
  on the island since 1944.

  Jordan Vogt-Roberts directs this version, and his resume of The Kings
  of Summer and mostly TV work begs the question of how the heck did he
  get this gig? Fortunately he has cinematographer Larry Fong alongside,
  and his significant big action picture experience is obvious in the
  breath-taking helicopter scene (as well as many others). It’s
  impossible not to notice the extreme love shown to Apocalypse Now and
  even Jurassic Park. Some of the shots and tone seem as if pulled
  directly from those films … even moreso than the original King Kong. We
  even get Samuel L Jackson recycling his ”hold onto your butts” line.

  There is plenty here to satisfy us lovers of creature features, though
  this version certainly lacks the emotional impact of Fay Wray and Naomi
  Watts connecting with Kong … not much Beauty, but plenty of Beast.
  It’s certainly recommended that you stay for the post-credits scene
  that sets the stage for 2020.

• 
  aqib4March 26, 2017Reply

  Nice special effects but that’s all

  The special effects were great. Excellent camera work. The plot was
  awful. It was basically the recent Godzilla movie all over again. King
  Kong was actually a good guy and he was killing off these other
  creatures that were really bad. Also the character development was
  abysmal. I found myself rooting for the lead characters to die. It was
  2 hours of my life and $16 I’m never getting back, so hopefully I can
  save your time and money. Unless you just want to see some cool special
  effects then by all means go ahead.

• 
  gamingleechMarch 26, 2017Reply

  All hail the king

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  generationofswineMarch 26, 2017Reply

  An Honest Review

  Let’s be honest, It wasn’t as great as people are saying…but it’s not
  bad either.

  With the Peter Jackson remake you expected to see Kong smashing things
  and tearing the city apart and…and you sort of got a movie that was
  trying to be epic and wonderful and maybe even Oscar bait and it really
  just put you to sleep.

  In this Kong you expect to see Kong smashing things and…that is
  exactly what you get.

  Who said: ”Find out what the audience wants and give it to them?” Who
  cares, Kong followed that rule fairly well.

  But it’s not a great movie. It is lacking in a lot that would make it
  really entertaining. It’s certainly a popcorn muncher…but it’s one
  without actual heart. No actual characters to get attached to and
  follow. Only so-so humor.

  Really you get to see Kong smash and that is what you paid for…but it
  needs a little more than that to be entertaining. Even watching Kong on
  the big screen gets dull after a few minutes when you realize there
  isn’t much of a story.

• 
  CthulhuBob LovelyMarch 26, 2017Reply

  This Movie is Okay

  I encourage you to see this film and it’s worth seeing on the big
  screen. However, if it’s a coin toss between this and something you’re
  certain to like, see the other movie.

  The acting is good, the cinematography is good, the script is good,
  there’s smashing and ‘splosions and a little too much silliness for me.
  Or maybe it’s acceptable humor, judge for yourself. I found it an
  entertaining-enough, see it once movie.

  Sit through the credits.

• 
  magnuselmMarch 26, 2017Reply

  Just awful

  Childish and predictable script. Completely unoriginal. Dialog was a
  joke. Okay CGI I guess. But the movie is complete garbage, I cannot
  recommend you even download it for free and watch it unless your under
  12 years old.

  My only hope is that they made this movie for a very young audience,
  but then I can’t understand why it’s so bloody.

  Well… just another movie you should never spend 2 hours of your life
  on.

• 
  stazzaMarch 27, 2017Reply

  slogs along through generically fine effects

  with no more place to discuss a film like this, I guess I’ll just post
  a review with 1 star to let people know this film does almost nothing.
  It just goes from point A to point B with lots of wiz-bang cartoon
  (CGI) creatures fighting, some people doing stuff, and none of it we
  really care about. If I was 10, the cartoon (CGI) parts might impress
  me, but as an adult, I just didn’t care about any of it, have no
  interest in ever wasting time watching it again, and CERTAINLY DON’T
  RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE. Seemed like just a money grab that was missing
  MOST of the King Kong stuff from previous versions. Disaappointed.
  Money Wasted.

• 
  Dan HardenMarch 27, 2017Reply

  Twasn’t Beauty that killed the Beast

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ericrnolanMarch 27, 2017Reply

  A few quick words on ”Kong: Skull Island” (2017).

  ”Kong: Skull Island” doesn’t have the charm and sense of fun of Peter
  Jackson’s version, but it’s still a first-rate monster movie that I
  highly recommend. It’s got a good script, likable characters and
  terrific special effects.

  Parts of it were actually scary. The first action set-piece is
  unexpectedly brutal, and there’s a sequence with a giant spider that
  was a little unnerving, too. I was surprised at how the filmmakers here
  so heavily emphasized the story’s action-horror elements.

  I had a blast with this, and I’d give it a 9 out of 10.

  I have a question — did anyone else notice a reference to ”Jurassic
  Park” (1993)? At one point, Samuel Jackson’s character tells his
  companions to ”Hang on to your butts.” Isn’t that his character’s line
  in ”Jurassic Park” when he restores power to the facility, shortly
  before he gets killed?

• 
  jimbo-53-186511March 27, 2017Reply

  A mostly enjoyable spectacle, but with some flaws

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  zardoz-13March 27, 2017Reply

  The Best ”King Kong” Remake Since The Original

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  yetiwestinMarch 28, 2017Reply

  Kong is back, but that’s about it..

  King Kong is one of the most recognizable monsters of all time, and
  Kong: Skull Island definitely brings him back to his throne. If you
  want to see the most cinematically impressive Kong to date then this is
  your movie, but if you want anything more story wise you might be a bit
  let down. The 1933 Kong is a cinematic masterpiece, and the 1976 remake
  is good in its own right. The 2005 Peter Jackson version was a solid
  representation of Kong using the newest technology and effects, but
  still staying relativity true to the story. Understanding that Kong:
  Skull island is not a remake, but a reboot for future Legendary
  Pictures monster brawls will help some story confusion. This is not the
  same Kong as those previous, and it does not follow the old story
  lines.

  Kong: Skull Island’s story had a good amount of promise, the problem is
  the script and characters did not fit. Samuel L. Jackson and John
  Goodman have their usual screen presence, but the characters they are
  portraying are not ones we as the audience generally care about. None
  of the other characters are worth much either, besides being food for
  the many monstrous residents of Skull Island.

  This version of Kong however is impressive. Easily the most
  destructive, aggressive, and largest Kong to date. When Kong is on the
  screen the movie is awesome. Great visual effects and camera angles
  really give the action some impact. Kong is what holds this movie
  together and makes it at least a decent entry into the franchise.

• 
  mjsparkerMarch 28, 2017Reply

  Mixed bag

  Kong feels like 3 or 4 movies stitched together badly. Actors seem to
  be photo shopped into a b grade 50s potboiler. Whilst the skull
  crawlers are terrific there is clunky humour set against very gruesome
  splat. The inhabitants of the island need more development and the film
  concludes in a rush.

• 
  chris akinMarch 28, 2017Reply

  I would have rated it higher but….

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  colby-95131March 28, 2017Reply

  All Hail The King

  Human nature dictates two things to fear the unknown and learn how to
  survive. Kong, presented as heroic as any mythological creature could
  be is so much more than just an over-sized ape. Below are a few of the
  ancient reasons why we Kong will always be King:

  Jungle Fever: Skull Island is one the surface unlike anything else on
  planet earth as we see an array of inhabitants each living their lives
  to the sound of one drum beat. I felt enamoured at times with depth of
  Kong’s home turf although some of it did feel like a music video due to
  off- beat yet comical acting. CGI is pretty much the only way I’ll ever
  be able to experience what seeing Kong in the flesh might actually be
  like unless Big Foot comes out of retirement and releases an
  autobiography. The Island as a place I’ll be honest is a little cliché’
  but that being said it works, sometimes the writing is on the wall in
  this scenario it’s the pre-historic caveman-esque Frederick Flintstone
  drawings which really denote Kong as friend and not foe. The island
  itself is pretty a much homage to Apocalypse Now, but we do get
  elements of Bear Grylls/Ray Mears seep through. Based loosely on
  Vietnam this jungle definitely makes you consider what you may need in
  a survival kit.

  Guns and Roses: This is not a film which could produce an Oscar nominee
  on paper it has a strong cast with Hiddlestone, Goodman, J.C Reilly and
  Jackson. Although the wise man once said ”there’s never smoke without
  fire” that fire I’m referring to is more or less a campfire. On screen
  the actual dialogue between the characters in a serious sense is
  irrelevant as everyone has their own agenda and lives by their
  principles anyway. However, the comedic value at times produces genuine
  moments of laughter – honestly I almost spilt my popcorn over the
  person next to me. Okay that’s a lie as nobody buys popcorn but I did
  laugh which is something I wasn’t prepared for so kudos to the writers.
  At times I felt like I was watching actors being themselves instead of
  playing a fleshed out character, in other words Jackson just seemed
  assertive, loud and nonsensical. Whereas Hiddlestone was clearly using
  this as a stepping stone for an Indiana Jones comes James Bond audition
  as he was cool, calm and collective in situations where you might need
  to reach for the duvet. Goodman/Reilly began as serious characters but
  ended up as a Captain Jack Sparrow tribute act, although at times it
  was touching and felt slightly genuine. There are other male characters
  but they mostly became cannon fodder and didn’t really leave a lasting
  impression only in a comical sense. Overall the guns a.k.a. the men
  gave an enjoyable performance which did at times create moments which
  will stick in the memory.

  The only rose within this film was the empowering anti-war photographer
  which was played out by Brie Larson. I’ll be honest I’ve seen stronger
  performances – the character had a brilliant start and came out the
  traps as smart, quick-witted and humorous. As per all (original)
  Hollywood flicks this wouldn’t last long and there must be something in
  the air within the Jungle as she’d gone head-over-heels for
  Hiddleston’s action man demeanour. Once the love-bug had been instilled
  her character just lost momentum serving as a backup dancer to
  Hiddlestone. Although Larson’s character did come good once again
  giving a convincing and heartfelt moment with Kong.

  Forrest Gump: Kong was at times like a kid in a toy store and other
  times a menacing, commanding and authoritative figure. The terrifying
  figure of Kong looms large but as does Kong’s heart and soul which is
  frequently misunderstood (in order to reinforce fear) but deep down
  Kong has a lot of inner-demons. Skull Island’s Kong is the best Kong
  I’ve seen in a long while this because we see a lot more of Kong that
  you might expect and he’s been humanised to the point where you think
  he could be just a really hairy punter down at your local. Kong’s heart
  of gold is exemplified as he wanders about aimlessly at times producing
  good-will acts for those around him almost similar to Earl in My Name
  is Earl. Humanising Kong destroys the reputation of the big-guy it’s
  like seeing Uncle Phil cry over food in the Fresh Prince. Although
  humanising Kong and conquering man’s fear of the unknown has always
  been the super-glue to the franchise without this element it would just
  be a cruel hunting show. Kong needs to do little to get people in awe
  and I feel this will always hold the behemoth in good stead, I really
  did enjoy the moments of intense drama Kong produced in this edition of
  his life story.

  The Kings Speech: I definitely felt Kong’s presence and I feel I’ll
  Skull Island of the bucket list for now but in short, I feel Skull
  Island is a must see. There are moments of awe, humour and genuine
  high-quality drama which make you wince a little causing you to be
  throw popcorn wildly in the air. This franchise will never cease to
  amaze as the backbone of what makes Kong great is believable. Kong
  scores a loud and almost defining 7/10.

• 
  Mark J Lovegrove (m0ds)March 29, 2017Reply

  It’s a movie, that’s for sure

  Kong: Skull Island is fun, no denying that. I was hoping for a little
  bit more depth than it offered. That’s not to say anyone was bad in it
  at all, they were simply not brought together in a very strong manner.

  Being a fan of Peter Jackson’s Kong it’s hard not to go into this
  wondering how it might compare. Whilst Jackson’s Kong is a nice
  retelling of the original, this is definitely your Die Hard 5 version
  of King Kong. That is to say, the characterization, the sense of doom,
  even the tugging of the heart strings in Jackson’s Kong do not cross
  over into Skull Island at all.

  The characters here are 2 dimensional, with only one having a name I
  remember (because it’s the same as a computer manufacturer) and I’m
  fresh out of the cinema earlier this evening. Oh and Kong of course,
  he’s one I can name…! ”That’s what I call them… You call them what
  you want” line in the movie can definitely be applied to the characters
  in this film, they honestly could be called tom dick and harry and it’d
  have no different effect.

  But, given that this is a more in-line with the Godzilla franchise (and
  apparently a setup for a Godzilla sequel?) it does provide much more
  thrills and spills than the more recent Godzilla movie, giving a hint
  that at least the Kong vs Godzilla movie could be entertaining enough.

  There are a few nice action sequences. I’m not really sure what made up
  the rest of the film, in my mind, some silly stuff, like covering
  several miles in seemingly seconds, second-rate banter & monsters
  coming out of nowhere clichés left right and centre.

  So it’s fun. Come the ending I was ready to leave and didn’t bother
  with whatever showed over the credits. It was fine as a no-brainer
  action movie, but it was a very mediocre ride for the Kong fan in me.
  Worth a watch, if you can flush any interest in any earlier Kong film’s
  first – but that’s just my opinion. 6/10!

• 
  tyingling7766March 29, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island Review

  I hope I wasn’t the only one who was excited to see Kong: Skull Island.
  I wasn’t disappointed, nor was I impressed. The movie was what I
  thought it was going to be. Allow me to go further.

  Synopsis: A diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers unite
  to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as
  it is beautiful. Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures
  into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle
  between man and nature. As their mission of discovery becomes one of
  survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity
  does not belong. Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie
  Larson, John Goodman Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

  First thing: How many Marvel actors can this put in this one movie?
  Apparently there are rumors out there that Mr. Goodman is going to be
  part of the MCU here soon as well. You will not hear me complain about
  that.

  So, let’s get the vegetables out of the way. There are two things that
  hurt the movie more than anything else. One was that almost all the
  action scenes were made to be slo-mo. All it did was add time to the
  movie. If the action would have been normal speed there could have been
  ten minutes taken out. Sure, the slo-mo was able to add more to the
  scenes, but it just became senseless after a while.

  The other thing was the initial humor. The un-initial humor was okay,
  but when people tried to be funny in the movie, it only hurt. I know
  John C. Reilly was added for the humor, but it didn’t work in the long
  run.

  The best thing about this movie? Sam L. Jackson. Sure, you can tell
  what he was going to do from the time you saw him first pop up on the
  screen, but it was fun waiting for it. He played the part perfectly.

  The other actors, aside from Mr. Reilly, were good in their roles. Tom
  and Brie played off each other quite well. Sadly we won’t get to see
  them together in another movie. I’ll explain that in a minute.

  Maybe if the director wouldn’t have used the slo-mo so much I would say
  he did a good job. But he didn’t, so I won’t.

  The story was perfect for what they were trying to do. They set up the
  MonsterVerse, as they call it at the production company, in the right
  way. Using the full name for M.U.T.O. confused quite a few people. Not
  to toot my own horn, but: toot-toot. I understood what was happening
  from the second I heard the full name. The after- credits scene only
  solidified what was happening.

  Final Thoughts: Watch the movie. It is a fun movie. Of course, watch
  Godzilla first, then watch this movie. You’ll thank yourself for that.

  Rating: 7 out of 10

• 
  Miguel CamposMarch 29, 2017Reply

  A dumb mindless movie that acomplishs his task, being entretaining

  Just don’t go into cinemas expecting Alejandros Gonzales Inarritu type
  of movie, think it’s like a violent movie every kid thinks is rad, like
  Robo Cop back in the day, go watch this while you expect the arrival of
  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. If you’re the kind of guy that only go
  to cinemas to watch blockbusters.

• 
  SquigglyCrunchMarch 29, 2017Reply

  Bad Pacing, Tone Changes Galore, and Horrid Writing

  Kong: Skull Island follows a scientist who, upon discovering an
  uncharted island, decides to take a team there to explore it in the
  hopes of discovering new species or something of that sort.
  Coincidentally, that’s the same island that King Kong lives on, along
  with multiple other monsters.

  The movie basically blows through the whole beginning, introducing the
  characters and basic motivations. For the most part, I was fine with
  that, but once they reach the island the characters themselves cease to
  have character, though they had little before. They’re just robots with
  an objective. When the movie tries to develop two characters’
  relationship at one point, the conversation is just playful banter that
  lasts all of 30 seconds. It’s a formula for developing characters that
  has worked to show how well actors can play off each other, but it
  doesn’t work here because of how generic and rushed it is. Furthermore,
  one particular character gets thrown into the mix way too early. I
  don’t want to spoil his role for those who don’t know, but it’s John C.
  Reilly’s character. He shows up in the first 30 minutes, and in context
  it doesn’t make sense.

  I mostly went to this movie because every review I read or watched said
  that Kong himself was great, so I figured it’d at least be a fun time
  at the movies that would be better in a cinema. Sure, Kong was good,
  for all three of his scenes. Seriously, I started to forget that this
  was a King Kong movie. And it seemed like the writers forgot too,
  because he kinda just showed up on occasion to remind the audience what
  the movie was called. He wasn’t even the biggest threat on Skull
  Island, he was just kind of there.

  As far as the exciting parts of this movie go, the action set pieces
  are great. They set up for something epic and exciting. But the action
  itself often falls kind of flat. Sure, it’s mostly fun, but it’s kind
  of dumb too. And some shots based around these sets don’t make sense.
  There’s a point where the characters are looking down at a dip in the
  land with giant bones in it. Then they go down and it’s full of green
  fog that varies in thickness. So where did the fog come from? How is it
  that they could see clearly from above, but barely could from within?
  It just doesn’t make sense, and in Kong’s opening scene the time of day
  constantly switches between midday to late evening, and it’s so
  distracting. Sure, it’s a pretty shot, but it took me out of the
  action, and that isn’t a good thing. And in addition to that, a lot of
  the cool monsters you may have seen in the trailers are better in the
  trailer than in the movie. Lot’s of monster fights happen before we can
  even care about any of the characters, so when people are dying I was
  simply detached. But the fights proved to be so short-lived that there
  was no time to really even get excited. Again, the set pieces are great
  but the action itself is mediocre.

  I’m sure most people saw ‘The Jungle Book’ from 2016 and noticed how
  great the CGI is. So my question now is, how is it that a whole year
  later we can get bad CGI? Seriously, there were scenes in this movie
  where the monsters and the characters were together and it looked
  horribly fake. It was actually pretty cringe-worthy at times, and I
  did. A lot. It got to the point where my friend next to me asked if I
  wanted to leave. I still saw it through, though. But man, it all looked
  so fake. It looked like a video game, and not one where graphics were
  the main concern. The monsters themselves were cool, sure, but they
  just didn’t look real.

  And on top of that, the tone was all over the place. First the
  characters are excited, then it’s serious, then their laughing and
  playing records and having fun, then their dying, then they start
  laughing again. It’s like it tried to use comedy sometimes but instead
  they just destroyed the tone. It was so inconsistent in this way, and
  again it distances the audience from the movie. It abruptly removes you
  from where you just were to relocate you to a new box of feelings, and
  that journey is just awkward and weird. It’s like the movie really
  doesn’t know what it is, but it’s trying to find itself.

  Despite all this, the movie gets better towards the end. By the last
  half hour, it is where it should have been at the beginning in terms of
  characters. So there was a level of excitement, and the expected fight
  with Kong versus big bad monster proves to be a great time, and
  moreover tends to be rather well shot.

  Overall Kong: Skull Island was a movie where the lack of characters
  made it difficult to get invested, and as such the result was a garbage
  fire. It’s not an enjoyable movie. It’s not pretty, it’s not
  interesting, and it’s barely even fun. The actors tried their best with
  what they were given, and I admired how willing the movie was about
  killing off major characters at points other than the very end, but
  still there was nothing to save this movie where it was. There is a
  good movie hidden in here somewhere, I am certain of that, but it isn’t
  this one. In the end I would advise you to avoid this movie and wait
  for it to come to Netflix if you haven’t seen it, like the last
  Godzilla movie did. Contrary to expectations of excitement, this is a
  rather boring movie, and the price of admission is simply not worth
  your hard-earned money.

• 
  david-klompas ([email protected])March 29, 2017Reply

  Solid attempt at transcending genre

  It isn’t often that an action film which tries to defy its genre
  actually succeeds in doing so. Kong: Skull Island happens to come
  pretty close to succeeding.

  A fascinating prologue rewrites some history and sets up an alternate
  universe in which the existence of a massive gorilla seems somewhat
  plausible.

  Brie Larson (the Room star who blew audiences away with her performance
  of a mother forced to raise a child under terrible constraint) gives a
  wonderful performance which plays a large part in lifting this film out
  of the trash heap. At first, I was skeptical about her choice to take
  on the role of Mason Weaver. But after a breathtaking helicopter scene,
  her presence begins to make sense: Larson clearly sought a fun role
  after the depressing elements of Room. And she is able to have fun
  while still bringing a sense of immense presence through a performance
  that will have audiences laughing out loud. Her co-star, Tom
  Hiddleston, is equally funny as a witty tracker looking for riches. The
  final piece of the puzzle is a wonderful performance by Samuel L.
  Jackson as a vigilante of sorts.

  Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts does a good job of pulling this all
  together. But the real star of the show behind the scenes was the sound
  technician for giving the film one of the greatest soundtracks since
  films like Watchmen and games like Mass Effect reignited my belief in
  the film soundtrack as an art.

  The result is an exciting return to Kong’s universe that reignites an
  otherwise wilting franchise. Audiences of most persuasions will
  appreciate this as a strong entry into the annals of genre-defying
  action cinema.

• 
  peefynMarch 29, 2017Reply

  A good looking monster movie

  There’s not much more to this than ”a good looking monster movie”. More
  specifically it’s a movie about people stuck in an unexplored habitat
  where they face pre-historic monsters. It’s not really a remake of King
  Kong, because it leaves out most (if not all) iconic moments from the
  previous versions, and it also tells a story completely of its own.

  The highlight of the movie is, beyond a doubt, the visuals. There are
  some glorious shots in this movie, and perhaps the best ones being
  those that are obviously influenced by previous media set in the
  Vietnam war era. The creature design is also really neat. King Kong is
  massive, and he’s also definitely not an ape as we know them. They’ve
  taken more inspiration from the old doll (from the first movie), than
  the more natural looking Kong from Jackson’s remake. And it works
  really well! There’s other creatures as well, some of them quite neat
  and interesting. Some of them I would have loved to see more of, but
  the ”skullcrawlers” (which are highlights as an important enemy) are
  disappointing design wise. They look like a generic baddie in a monster
  film.

  The plot itself is OK, but there’s nothing really special or
  interesting about it. There are some great performances, but also some
  talent that is completely wasted in roles with hardly any airtime.

• 
  aaron phiriMarch 29, 2017Reply

  Kick Ass B Grade Monster Movie

  HolySmoke Kong:Skull Island is a Kick Ass B Grade Monster Action
  Adventure. If you want dumb pure entertaining popcorn movie go watch
  this. If you expecting Academy Award winning writing and performances
  go watch Fences,Kong: Skull Island is the exact opposite.It’s campy,its
  dumb but it’s a whole lotta fun. Kong was really kicking ass. A great
  movie to watch in 3D. So you looking for mindless but thrilling
  entertainment go watch Kong:Skull Island. You won’t be disappointed!!!

• 
  dantharpeMarch 30, 2017Reply

  A Journey Into Pure Excitement

  Whew! I almost could not get out of my seat after the movie. I was
  emotionally drained, physically weakened, and just plain numb… it was
  awesome!!!! The graphics, the sound track, acting, and story-line was
  perfect! I am not really a fan of Samuel Jackson and his character was
  status-quo for what he normally plays, but, he was believable and a
  strong part of what drove the movie with an exciting story-line. It was
  really great to see John C. Reily playing a major role in this movie…
  it was long over-due and shows what an outstanding actor he is. In
  fact, he put the icing on the cake in this movie.

  Kong is a movie I can watch again and again…

• 
  gespino-42178March 30, 2017Reply

  Truly the epitome of cinematic GARBAGE

  COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT RE: KONG If you have seen any of the
  King Kong movies made in the past, ANY, including the Joe Young one, DO
  NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY going to see this newest rendition. It is
  truly the epitome of cinematic GARBAGE. We, who have seen prior Kong
  films know that the central theme is the romantic battle between ape
  and man for woman. This is crucial for a Kong flick. Without this,
  there is no essence, no point to the film, unless it is now wanton
  carnage and stupid acting. Even during the one 30 moment of mechanical
  romantic interlude where the girl, in absolute FEMBOT manner, touches
  the face of Kong, the stupid ape could not get that ”Straight Outta
  Compton” look off his face! Next rant, the acting. Samuel L. Jackson,
  if this is what you’ve been reduced to, go home. Retire. Join a Tibetan
  monastery and never show your face again out of shame. Final rant,
  though I could go on and on, the villagers. All I can say is they are
  smoking some very powerful hash and the chief’s wife looks like Kermit
  THE Frog’s mother. Now, if you’re a youngster and/or have never seen
  any of the prior Kong films, you MIGHT find this wasted space of time
  tolerable. But a word of advice to all. Bring a small pillow for you
  will be sleeping during the EXCRUCIATINGLY BORING FIRST HOUR of this
  film.

• 
  Fran GalvãoMarch 30, 2017Reply

  Interessante, mas muito tenso

  The film is very, very tense for those who are not accustomed to
  Thriller. It’s no action, no, I do not agree with this classification.
  I don’t suggest to anyone under 14 years of age. But the photograph is
  beautiful, it was very Good and has many references (even comedic)of
  70’s and 80’s. Tom Hiddleston looks great and handsome as an actor.

• 
  FilmFanaticMarch 30, 2017Reply

  Good action movie

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  arrgh-46956March 30, 2017Reply

  An easy-going outdoor action adventure

  I wasn’t exactly overflowing with excitement for this film. The
  critical reception for it was okay, but it was obviously nothing more
  than a wishful reboot. Yeah, you know the sort of film I mean; one that
  claims it will improve on a masterwork after a very short time frame
  just because it’s ballsy enough to take on the challenge, but then
  tastes the bitter reality of budget and lazy inspiration as soon as the
  solid drafts start. That said, it’s not quite as ridiculous a venture
  as the Amazing Spider-man duo, as at least it took the liberty to wait
  more than a decade.

  What do I like about this movie? Well, the action is well polished.
  There are moderate-scale battle sequences involving both human and
  animal characters, all of which are vouched for by semi-impressive
  special effects, so the film feels bold in tone. I like how strong the
  violence is too. If the film had been going for the lower end of the
  12A rating, I don’t think it would have had the same amount of gripping
  brutality that it does. Action junkies will like it.

  The special effects are also good. Granted, they’re (rather
  embarrassingly) not as good as those in the Jackson iteration, but
  they’re still pleasing, allowing for creatures large and small to be
  done justice. As well as that, I must also give props to the picture
  quality. Fairly high-tech. cameras are put to good use, giving us a
  sharp, clear show. It’s not quite good enough for a best picture
  nomination, but it’s still unmistakably pleasing to the eye.

  The threatening scenes are pleasing too. They’re thumpingly
  suspenseful, and if you don’t tense enough to crush your popcorn bag
  while watching them, then my friend, you are made of iron! I also like
  some of the characters. L. Jackson is perfect as that colonel guy, and
  Goodman also shines as the leader of the expedition to the island. In
  fact, L. Jackson imbeds a totally mouth-watering Easter egg in one
  scene; he says, ”Fox Five, you copy?” (Fox Force Five; Pulp Fiction.
  Get it? Pretty cool, eh?!)

  I have a few moderate gripes. Firstly, I think the film plays it WAY
  too safe. Scarcely anything new is tackled, so the movie feels heavily
  clichéd. The storyline is a throwback to pretty much every
  quintessential island adventure story you can think of. A plane crashes
  on the island, marooning someone there, (Lord of the Flies much?) A
  large party of people go to the island, looking for natural-world
  treasures, (Treasure Island much?) The expedition party on the island
  find a haggard hermit there, (Kensuke’s Kingdom much?) The parallels
  are fathomless.

  And to hide how unbelievably pretentious this premise is, Kong is
  thrown in there to attract more viewers. In point of fact, it’s a sad
  case of cinematic capitalism. If the movie had been about a party of
  people going to a lost island and finding a natural wonder different
  again from Kong, this movie could have even garnered a 9/10 from me,
  because at least in that instance it would be original enough to feel
  fresh. But nope; instead, we get an obviously-CG Kong on steroids.
  Hardly inspirational stuff, is it?

  And not only is Kong there to sap the masses of their cash, but there’s
  another iconic beast in there as well; and with its physique tampered
  with too, only this time to hide the true inspiration source, I take
  it, because if its identity was made explicit, even cinema- goers with
  less perception than me would see it as the cash-grab monster
  (literally) that it is. I won’t spoil what it is in case you’re
  intrigued, but I’m assuming it was only added in so that people would
  be hyped for the sequels that I presume will surely follow. Ah,
  Hollywood, you’re so obsessed with gold that you must be made of the
  stuff by now.

  Also, apart from the characters I mentioned liking, most of the rest
  are as clichéd as this movie’s premise. They have zero charisma, so
  they’re painful to watch, and some even go as far as to do gratuitously
  irrational things just to move the film’s plot along a little more
  smoothly. Yes, people, at its bare bones, the film is so weak that it
  needs a helping hand just to stand up. Oh, how my heart bleeds.

  Ah, but before you get the wrong impression, the film adds a few nice
  (shallow as a puddle) moral messages in there, in an effort to get (our
  money off us) us all living in harmony with each other. Joking, of
  course. This motion picture has more makeup on than the Joker.

  Verdict: 72%. I won’t tear this film apart, because for all its
  ulterior financial aims, it’s definitely entertaining. The suspense,
  action, and special and visual effects are good; and L. Jackson and
  Goodman are always a treat. The movie doesn’t bore you, but should you
  go out of your way to pay the price of a cinema ticket for it? If
  you’re like me, (i.e. someone who chooses Nolan’s Batman trilogy over
  Batman and Robin), no.

  It’s just too lazy and generic for you to devote that much to it.
  Should you get it on DVD then? No; newly released DVDs cost about as
  much as two very good kebab takeaways combined, and that’s just the
  single-disk editions, so a run-of-the-mill movie like this should be
  left off the shelf. Mind, if you’re having an evening where you’re
  struggling to find things to watch, the film definitely deserves a
  rent. It’s not a bore, so it’d be worth your contribution in that
  instance. And if you’re an easy-going viewer, spend all you want.

  Jackson still reigns supreme.

• 
  MoviemanMarch 31, 2017Reply

  Burns Out After The First Quarter

  A great cast plastered on a green screen with no script. Blended with a
  terrific soundtrack that paints the 1960s, including the famous Bell
  212 Twin Huey Helicopter, as a supporting actor. After the first
  hour,the candles to this cool cake melt all over the icing, leaving you
  with a poorly edited climax that tastes like wax. What could have been,
  became a flash in the pan forgettable remake that cannot contest with
  King Kong 2005.

• 
  comps-784-38265March 31, 2017Reply

  Lot of monkeying around, looks good but needs more bananas

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  OllieSuave-007March 31, 2017Reply

  Not a bad King Kong movie.

  Kong: Skull Island takes you to the exotic and mysterious feel of the
  jungle, where a group of soldiers and scientists explore an island off
  the Pacific and runs into the gigantic gorilla, Kong. The scientists
  want the behemoth for studying, the soldiers want to eliminate it and
  the others just want to leave it alone and escape the island.

  This movie is action-packed with some scary sci-fi elements to it. The
  plot is fast-paced from start to finish; you won’t see much fillers or
  subplots in this movie – lots of roaming and running around in the
  jungle with non-stop action. The parts where each of the group members
  attempt to survive the man-eating Skull Crawlers’ grasp provided
  heart-pounding excitement, and the personal agenda of each character
  give the film suspenseful surprises.

  The characters were somewhat entertaining, giving off a nice mixture of
  drama, action and humor. The monster battles were also amusing.

  There is really nothing in the movie that we haven’t seen before in
  past King Kong films, but have to see this one is miles better than
  Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake of the original 1933 classic.

  Grade B-

• 
  joanna-89542March 31, 2017Reply

  Most entertaining movie in a long time!

  This movie was awesome!!! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
  So many of these reviews are so detailed but this movie doesn’t need
  detail. It is just so entertaining. I was scared, excited, sad and full
  of wonder. The moment the movie started the whole production was
  excellent. So well shot and directed. LOVE IT. MUST SEE.

• 
  theRetireeApril 1, 2017Reply

  When will those Pilots Ever Learn?

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  adam_manneringApril 1, 2017Reply

  absolutely fantastic FUN.

  NO SPOILERS HERE

  I went into the theatre without having seen any trailers or read any
  press. so, I left my brain at the door, as I just wanted to smile and
  have fun for two hours in the dark. This film did not disappoint, thin
  plot – lashings of cheese and I had a whole big bag of fun and broke
  out in ear to ear grins.

  An absolute belter of a monster movie. Terrible dialogue, thin on plot
  – just a terrific and perfect monster movie.

  Its a Kong movie. It Does exactly what it says on the tin.

  LOVED IT.

• 
  IamPrivaApril 2, 2017Reply

  Spoiler free Review

  After the disappointing Godzilla of 2014, I was really hoping that this
  movie would set this little Monster verse back on track.

  This movie Took everything that defines a great monster movie and did
  the complete opposite, it was more of a CGI vomited action flick, at no
  point was the movie thrilling or even scary like you should expect from
  a monster movie. It brought together a very impressive cast and did
  NOTHING with them, the only ounce of character development came from
  John C. Reilly’s character, even know he did didn’t really fit into the
  film. It had one of the most disgraceful screenplays I’ve ever seen,
  and that’s not an over exaggeration I have seen fast and the furious
  movies with better writing then that, it had a great soundtrack but
  unfortunately fell under the same trap that most movies do and used the
  songs only to advance the movie forward.

  And finally the King. Peter Jackson’s 2005 reboot was one of my
  favorite movies growing up, and I did not think it was possible for me
  to ever hate king kong, unfortunately this movie did such a bad job
  with not only displaying Kong but with keeping him a lovable yet
  terrifying monster.

  So anyone planning to see this movie, you’ve been warned, also for
  everyone who is giving this movie a good review you need to watch some
  proper movies.

• 
  John NeerdaelApril 2, 2017Reply

  Pleasant surprise

  Went in knowing just about nothing except the IMDb score (7+) and that
  it’s about King Kong, hoping for at least some entertaining action
  around Kong.

  And all I can say is that it was a very pleasant surprise watching, the
  setting and all things surrounding the story-line are much different
  then previous movies. Yes the story-line is predictable (think Jurassic
  Park predictable) but it is very entertaining and the 3D is very well
  done adding some more depth to the movie.

  If your looking for a big bad-ass (albeit predictable) action movie to
  watch in the theatre’s this for sure is the right pick. And unlike the
  Beauty and the Beast CGI that is being bashed the CGI in here is done
  convincingly done so that wont throw you off.

  TIP: Don’t read about the story before going 😉

• 
  Tom GuanApril 2, 2017Reply

  Entertaining and good CGI

  If you like monster movies like Jurassic Park or Godzilla, then this is
  the right movie for you. I was very entertained throughout the whole
  movie. A lot of action though, so don’t expect any deep plots. CGI was
  impressively well done down to the skin and fur haha. Good basis for
  sequels!

  Recommend on the big screen for full experience.

• 
  Dave ArcherApril 2, 2017Reply

  Pretty good in spite of the lizard fights

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  targe1314April 3, 2017Reply

  Apocalypse Now with a King Kong

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Jack Penman-ReidApril 3, 2017Reply

  Great at what it does

  Went to see Kong: Skull Island with a friend yesterday and thought it
  was great. The cinematography as a whole was great and there’s some
  fantastic shots in the film. The best thing about this film is that it
  knows what it is, it’s a big dumb monster film and it excels at being
  that. The dialogue is shockingly bad for most of the film and the
  acting is sub-standard so if you’re going into this film expecting
  anything more than giant monsters fighting each other then you should
  probably go elsewhere. The action is great and there’s some inventive
  camera shots. Even though I have said the acting is poor the film still
  has a great cast. The two problems I have with this movie is it lacked
  any kind of suspense leading up to Kong’s reveal and I also thought it
  ended abruptly. I thought the soundtrack was great too. There’s also an
  after credits scene which is worth staying for too. Overall I would
  recommend this as it’s exactly what it says on the tin, big dumb fun
  with giant monsters that you can just switch off for 2 hours and enjoy.

• 
  Jimmy MullinsApril 5, 2017Reply

  As hollow as the Planet in this Earth- But Still Pretty Exciting

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  martin-807-452270April 5, 2017Reply

  ‘Tis a silly film. But worth watching if you like that sort of thing.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ButtStuffWerewolfApril 5, 2017Reply

  Barely tolerable pablum

  Watching this movie is like being harassed my a semi hard clown colored
  dildo after you’ve had a nice dinner and all you want to do is sit back
  and relax. From start to finish, forgettable. Most people could have
  written a better movie by inserting a sharpie up their butt and dancing
  around on construction paper. Avoid.

• 
  tavmApril 5, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island is very much worth watching!

  Having previously seen all three versions of King Kong-1933, 1976, and
  2005-and knowing of some of the good notices of this particular
  version, I was very stoked to watch this! My movie theatre-working
  friend had not yet watched it either so this turned out to be the first
  time for both of us. In summary: This was quite a different take on
  Kong and his living quarters on Skull Island with many human characters
  that we get very much involved in caring about and thrilling in how
  they resolve to take care of things. And, yes, the fights Kong gets
  involved in are very exciting to watch. I should note that we watched
  this in regular screen, not IMAX or 3-D though if we had, it might have
  been even more thrilling! I really don’t want to reveal anymore so I’ll
  just say that me and my friend definitely recommend Kong: Skull Island.

• 
  cjmarvickApril 6, 2017Reply

  I loved this movie!

  I am a lifelong Kong fan and was a little apprehensive about this
  movie, but I must say that I truly loved it. I really did. I went to
  the movie with my 10 year old grandson and seeing how much he was
  enjoying the film might have swayed my judgment a little, but I
  couldn’t help but think about how I felt the first time that I saw King
  Kong. Any film that is able to evoke that feeling, is a winner in my
  book. But all nostalgia aside, I thought the movie did a great job of
  showcasing the Skull Island and the monsters that dwell there. Kong was
  presented as a real King, and the FX were great. Over all it was just
  was a fun monster movie, and who doesn’t like those?

• 
  The_Film_AnorakApril 6, 2017Reply

  A mediocre cover version of other films

  Kong: Skull Island is an updated version of the King Kong story, set in
  the 70s as the Vietnam War is coming to a close. It makes no reference
  to any other Kong incidents or story lines, with no continuity from the
  original King Kong or either of the remakes. The premise is that
  advances in satellite photography have revealed something interesting
  on a previously uncharted island in the Pacific, and a scientific
  expedition with military support sets off to discover its secrets. The
  era and location in which the film is set draw inspiration from Vietnam
  films, especially Apocalypse now, alongside Western and Asian monster
  movies. These inspirations and the look and sound of the film suggest
  it wants to evoke the atmosphere and mood of the 70s, and of the power
  of the modern world facing up to the awesome power of the natural
  world. None of these promises are delivered in the finished film, which
  only manages to be an average-quality blockbuster with impressive
  effects and nothing else to commend it.

  Part of the problem is that every theme and visual image has been done
  before, fairly extensively, as has every character and plot trope. This
  is at minimum the tenth Kong-related film unleashed on the public,
  along with countless pop-culture references to giant apes swiping at
  aircraft. Effects movies featuring giant creatures are standard fare
  for modern audiences, from Jurassic Park onward – and various plot
  lines from the Jurassic Park sequels show up here. That’s not
  necessarily a problem, as most films these days do their fair share of
  recycling, but to stand out from the rest a film with such familiar
  content needs some sort of new element or fresh perspective. Kong:
  Skull Island simply doesn’t have that.

  The mediocre end result is all the more noticeable because it makes
  reference to a number of ideas that could have been interesting if
  they’d been explored more fully or given any kind of new twist. There
  are two different groups of scientists with different reasons for being
  there, and a sceptical government not sure of the value of being there.
  The military contingent on the expedition has different motivations and
  responds differently to events on the Island. There are references to
  the Cold War and Vietnam, and a couple of points about human impact on
  the environment and the need to look harder at what is the real danger
  they are facing. But none of it goes any further than a couple of quick
  references to establish the plot, in the same way that it gives you
  short bursts of various songs of the era before cutting them off.

  The film also fails to do anything with its characters and the
  potential for conflict or drama between tired veterans of the Vietnam
  War, an anti- war photographer who might be seen as unpopular with the
  soldiers, and scientists with various agendas. Tom Hiddleston’s
  character is a great example of how the cast is pretty much left
  hanging once they’ve been introduced. He is used pretty much as the
  theme park guide to shepherd the characters from Act 1 through to Act
  3, and otherwise has nothing to do except look buff and stern while all
  hell breaks loose. It couldn’t be more obvious that it’s all an excuse
  for various large computer-generated images to bash seven shades out of
  other computer-generated images. The rest is just window dressing, an
  attempt to resonate with other, better films which makes it suffer by
  comparison. That makes the film a perfectly acceptable way to spend two
  hours, but no more than that. It will be forgotten long before the
  films it imitates because it doesn’t give you anything or anyone to
  care about.

  There are good things in the film, to be fair. The various action
  scenes are well-staged, with some lively creature battles and shocks
  and thrills. The third act is genuinely gripping, and Kong himself is
  very well- realised. The director makes good use of the locations and
  produces some striking visuals, albeit mostly referencing other films.
  Although they are mostly poorly-served by the finished script (Samuel L
  Jackson and John Goodman have particularly thankless tasks), the actors
  are all very watchable and make the most of any opportunity they get to
  shine. Brie Larson does a good job, and it can at least be said that
  the female characters are no more lacking in depth than their male
  counterparts. (The film does however conspicuously fail the Bechdel
  test). Perhaps the best thing in the film is John C. Reilly, who has
  the job of Basil Exposition filling in the gaps in the story while also
  providing a quirky charm and emotional core to the film. For all the
  film’s weaknesses, it’s reasonably entertaining overall and chugs along
  at a decent pace; it’s certainly not a *bad* film, in the way that
  Batman vs Superman or the sequels to Transformers were bad. None of
  which gets past the fact this has all been done before, and better.

  With the people involved, behind and in front of the camera, it had the
  potential to be a lot better than this. In the end the studio seems to
  have made sure no real individuality or originality was allowed to get
  in the way of their desire to sell popcorn and put some hollow
  spectacle on screen for a few weeks. They apparently hope to use this
  as a launch pad for more creature movies; they are presumably counting
  on box office returns rather than any real audience enthusiasm to
  support their plan.

• 
  kimmiepeaseApril 6, 2017Reply

  Quit Monkeying Around Kong: On Skull Island

  Quit Monkeying Around ”Kong: On Skull Island” seems to be comfortable
  with being pure unneeded-childish fun. The 2017 Action/Adventure film
  was a letdown to Kong enthusiasts who have followed his legacy since
  his first appearance in media in 1933. As I got ready to come see this
  movie, I looked into the Director, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who won the
  Narrative Feature Audience Award. That got my hopes up along with
  waiting so anxiously to see the next side of Kong. With opening weekend
  sold 61,015,000 tickets I couldn’t wait any longer. I could have waited
  longer; with good intentions of a back story to Kong’s legacy the plot
  was quick to get to the guns firing and vicious action. I found it very
  hard to relate to any of the characters throughout its entirety. If you
  looked closer to the details the movie holds handfuls of factual
  errors. From the uniforms the soldiers were wearing in the movie. In
  the 1970’s the breast pockets were not sloped. Or when Preston Packard
  (Samuel L. Jackson) refers to James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) as
  ”Captain” however his collar was bronze and had the oak leaf symbol
  which was instead rank of Major in the Army. The helicopters in flight
  during the movie were CH53E Super Stallions didn’t begins flight till
  1974 and didn’t fly in fleet until 1981. These are some, but not all of
  the little differences that occurred that distract from the movie
  itself if the audience catches on to the guns in different positions
  during every cut back to each person. In the words of Hank Marlow (John
  C. Reilly) ”But you don’t go into someone’s house and start dropping
  bombs, unless you’re picking a fight.” Which pretty much grasps this
  movie as a whole. It was too quick to violence and gun fair there was
  no inclination of characters moral development as the movie progresses
  to exploring the uncharted island. There was no change in character
  development in any advance to keep the audience engaged in more than
  the dropping of overly exaggerated destructive bombs. This movie was
  the movie to see if one was looking for what to do in a sandbox near
  you.

• 
  Gregory RothgebApril 6, 2017Reply

  Give me more monkey!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  donpoyoyoApril 7, 2017Reply

  really bad

  It seems that the budget of post-production for many big studios now
  includes buying hacks to write good reviews. Otherwise I can’t explain
  the amount of people giving this truly bad movie more than four stars.

  I won’t elaborate on why this bored me so much or made me cringe the
  way it did, I just don’t care enough.

  I’m writing here just to say that, if you like this movie, then my
  friend, you have a big problem.

• 
  zach0308April 7, 2017Reply

  What did I just watch???

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Gresh854April 7, 2017Reply

  A Film That Contains Some Extremely Entertaining King Kong Throwdown Scenes, But Has Everything Else At A Dull

  I kept an open mind going into this film considering the trailers
  caught my attention since they made the film look extremely energetic,
  but there still was a possibility of this film flunking. I know it
  kills me to say this since I actually wanted this film to be solid, but
  I honestly think Skull Island was mediocre at best. This is an action
  film that is full of some super entertaining monster and of course King
  Kong action, destruction scenes, but in its entirety, it was a very
  flawed film. Now what I did however like about this film were a couple
  of things. One was the whole idea of the Skull Island aspect. All the
  monsters in this movie look super cool and have a very intensifying
  aspect to them that caught my attention. A majority of these monsters
  also have some pretty cool chaos scenes. Also Kong in this film had
  some pretty cool moments of destruction particularly the first time you
  see Kong. The scene lasts around 5 minutes and it is glorious, I
  absolutely loved that scene. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I’m
  going to tell you why this film really didn’t work for me. This film
  feels like it was rushed. For one the characters in this film are
  extremely poorly developed, I honestly couldn’t care about any of them.
  The acting in the film from most of the actors and actresses, were for
  the most part really good. It’s just that there was nothing for me to
  latch onto, or relate to with these characters since they have such
  vague character development. There is no sense of suspense when these
  characters are in danger, because I really couldn’t care if they died,
  and that was hugely disappointing in my opinion. The only character
  that was slightly developed was surprisingly, John C Reily’s character.
  Even so, John C Reily’s character still didn’t have that much of a pull
  on me, he was just the only character the film actually tries to make
  you care about. Now one thing that really upset me was Samuel’s
  Jackson’s character. Now I am a huge Samuel Jackson fan I’ve loved
  almost all of his performances in every film he’s been in even the bad
  ones. For the first time ever I actually think I have found a Samuel
  Jackson role I have hated. Samuel Jackson’s character in this film at
  first is just alright, but then he progressively becomes this over the
  top, un-charismatic, and unintelligent character who does some really
  stupid decisions with his military men, that bothered me so much.
  Something else that really bothered me in this film was the comedy. For
  me at least, 10% of the jokes land, and they are actually pretty funny.
  The other 90%, feels extremely forced. Almost every single scene in
  this film is always trying to be funny and it just got super annoying
  and repetitive after a while. This film also contains a really good
  soundtrack, with some extremely good 70s war songs. Well, unfortunately
  this movie decides to play these songs whenever they want at the most
  random times. Kind of like Suicide Squad, the soundtrack is good, but
  the way they interconnect that soundtrack with the film is done poorly.
  Also, some of the editing and plot points in this film are done a bit
  poorly. The editing isn’t choppy too many times in this film, but when
  it is it’s very noticeable. There are also some really bad green screen
  usage in this film. Some of the green screen looked really fake. This
  film at times looks very artificial an unrealistic, and I really wish
  they actually used natural backgrounds more often for this film. Even
  some of the CGI looks bad at times, which is bad considering this film
  mostly relies on CGI. But by far my hugest complaint about this film is
  without a doubt, the final decision that happens at the very end of the
  film. I have scene many movies in my life, but the certain decision
  that a couple of characters make towards the end, is one of the most
  random, unanswered, and pointless decisions, I have ever seen on film.
  I don’t want to spoil it in case you haven’t watched the film but when
  you see the film you’ll know it. Hint, its the extremely random
  decision that is made ”after” another group makes a stupid decision. My
  final flaw with this film is that at times it tries to be Jurassic
  Park. I know I shouldn’t compare a film like Jurassic Park, with a
  simple monster movie like this one but I need to mention this. A couple
  of scenes in this movie are almost exact rip offs of scenes from
  Jurassic Park, and if you’ve scene Jurassic Park you will most likely
  know what scenes I’m talking about. Guys, Girls, I don’t think I have
  to say anymore, Kong Skull Island was a huge disappointment. Right now
  at the time I’m writing this review, it’s got a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes
  and a 7.1 on IMDb. To be honest I don’t understand why this film is
  getting solid praise, especially from critics, but honestly if you like
  this movie, good for you, I am legitimately happy for you. To me
  though, I honestly found Kong Skull Island to be a huge mess that
  contained some really awesome monster destruction scenes thrown into
  it. If you like films like Transformers or Teenage Mutant Ninja
  Turtles, you might like this film cause it falls under the same line as
  a mindless CGI extreme action festive. I’m going to give Kong Skull
  Island a grade of a C- and a IMDb score of a 5/10.

• 
  profsmichaelApril 7, 2017Reply

  Monster Movies from yore

  Captures a great deal of the Japanese Monster movies magic of yore for
  me. I loved those films growing up… and I enjoyed this film in the
  same vein. Music score the ”next movies” along those lines please/
  *hint- wink*

  Not to be taken too seriously,so enjoy the ride (some plot issues and
  acting was wanting for me personally). I absolutely hope to see the
  teasers come to fruition at the end of the movie! No spoiler… watch
  to the very end!

• 
  MattApril 7, 2017Reply

  Just the worst ever.

  No disrespect to anyone that enjoyed this movie, however in the day and
  time we live in now this was the worst cinematography I’ve ever seen, I
  have never seen such poor quality in a film. the quality was JUST
  AWFUL. I don’t know who decided to go with this dull format with the
  lighting on screen fading in and out and all the blurry people that
  would be standing right behind the main actors but who ever made this
  decision should never do films again, I don’t care who the hell you are
  this was awful. Just because the setting is in the early 70’s you
  didn’t have to attempt to make the film a dull analog and horrid 8mm
  type ”Film” recorded movie. Some may say….well maybe it was just the
  movie Theatre I went to NOPE I actually refused to believe that a movie
  could be done in this poor of a quality. SO first time I viewed it was
  at AMC and I went a second time to United Artist and bot were the same.
  I love movies thus the effort to prove myself wrong but I didn’t prove
  myself wrong I was right this movie SUCKED because of the lazy idea in
  the format. I will NEVER view another movie with these people involved,
  I won’t waste my money……….

  Kong: Skull Island is a 2017 American monster film directed by Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts and written by Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein and Derek
  Connolly, from a story by John Gatins.

• 
  Saqib AhmadApril 7, 2017Reply

  Most Anticipated worst Movie

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  jrv1964April 7, 2017Reply

  King Offal..it’s a stinker, more bad meat out of the abattoir’s of Hollywood (contains spoilers )

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  carry-on-manApril 8, 2017Reply

  What did people expect?

  Just got back from seeing this at the cinema, to be fair its only a 6
  or 7 out of 10 movie, I only gave it 10 to balance out some of the
  idiotic reviews on here, 1 out of 10? No way, somebody said they even
  walked out after an hour, why? It was a King Kong monster movie, made
  specifically to tie him in to the Godzilla franchise, I don’t know what
  some people were expecting to see. I wasn’t expecting a script on a par
  with The Godfather or acting that wouldn’t be out of place in a serious
  Oscar contender, I was expecting Kong and some other big monsters to
  fight it out in a totally unrealistic way while an annoying human
  subplot got in the way for the best part of 2 hours, as is standard
  practice in good old monsters movies going back to the original Kong
  via many a Godzilla flick and all the many rip offs in between.

  Bottom line is is it as good as the original 1933 film? No, it isn’t.
  Is it as good as the 1970s remake? Yes, it’s probably a bit better. Is
  it as good as Peter Jacksons version? Seeing as how it isn’t 3 hours
  long and as boring as watching paint dry I’d say its a good deal
  better. Bring on the next Godzilla film so we can get more of the
  original Too monsters in on the action before the big two square off!

• 
  nathandonellaApril 8, 2017Reply

  Despite all the hate, Kong: Skull Island was brilliant.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  romboutvApril 8, 2017Reply

  Long exposure but my flashlight broke

  I’m trying to make long exposure but my flashlight broke… Sorry but
  that’s really a big major mistake. how can they get that wrong, Ii mean
  taking a long exposure doesn’t take a flashlight that’s what it;s all
  about! Her role as a photographer became 1 big joke at that point when
  she said it.

  IM not sure why they called this movie kong but without it, it would
  have been just another movie which it sort of is. Story nice but there
  some small mistakes left and right.

• 
  jaywesterbekeApril 8, 2017Reply

  I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  christian-11April 8, 2017Reply

  Nostalgica

  OK – so I’m 50, so I remember several installments of Kong + the other
  movies that inspired this one (like Apocalypse Now).

  This movie has all of the cheesy qualities of the 80’s, but with
  incredible production value.

  The monsters and the CGI is incredibly well done.

  The pace of the movie is good. As we all know, with pace comes plot
  holes, and there are several of those. However, I would trade pace for
  plot at any time.

  Btw – you have to see this in the cinema. The audio/visual experience
  is awesome.

• 
  Jean-Pol CardinApril 8, 2017Reply

  Kong : Skull Island – A shot in the water!

  My opinion—

  I found this last version of King Kong, the worst of all, with a very
  bad script and really ridiculous scenes, but there were some very nice
  special effects and I must say that Kong was superb, ‘Annoy not once
  the first half hour past, it’s always entertaining these movies. I note
  it anyway 6/10, because I like this kind of movie.

• 
  tendoughtApril 8, 2017Reply

  Fast-Food from the Clone Factory

  I will make it short – this movie is imo no total fail but no cinematic
  triumph either and also not a good one. But if you enjoy the movies of
  Mr. Emmerich you will like this one also – lots of explosions, here and
  there some humorous scenes, some (cgi-)monsters and ofc King Kong and
  last but not least, tons of inconsistencies and forgettable
  2-dimensional characters.

  So if you like Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 etc.
  watch this version of King Kong, if you don’t like such movies, skip
  this one. Summa summarum: another waste of a fantastic character like
  the last Tarzan endeavor.

  p.s. sometimes I suspect Hollywood got some script-generating-
  algorithm developed and saves the money for writers, of such generic
  ”quality” are many of the Hollywood products of past years, Skull
  Island is another proof of this theory 😉

• 
  djangozelf-12351April 8, 2017Reply

  Kong:Skull island,clear title delivers what it promises.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  vellachsamieApril 8, 2017Reply

  Kong looks like 50 cents

  The movie is just as good as all the Hollywood top movies. Goodman and
  Jackson act out their parts in the typical Hollywood movie where the
  impossible seems natural. But more interestingly for me, Kong looks
  like 50 cents. I wonder if 50 cents helped in the animation as actors
  often do for animated movies. Kong look so much alike that I thought at
  any time, Kong could start singing.

• 
  nmn34April 8, 2017Reply

  It Doesn’t Put King Kong on a Pedestal

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  scorpioway-73289April 9, 2017Reply

  I’ll NEVER get back the time used watching this movie..:(

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  dcarsonhagyApril 9, 2017Reply

  King Kong: Skull Island

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Michal TichýApril 9, 2017Reply

  Don’t know where is the fun

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Christina MeiaBrancaApril 9, 2017Reply

  0% logic, 100% popcorn factor

  First let me say that my review of Kong: Skull Island is totally
  biased, since I went to the eponymous Universal Studios ride in
  Orlando, Fl, the other day, which totally hyped me up for this flick
  (”KONG, KONG, KONG, KONG…”).

  This is not necessarily my type of movie, I usually avoid boom boom
  blockbuster films, especially the umpteenth remake no one asked for.
  But after the ride I just HAD to see this.

  That being said, Kong still managed to surprise me in a positive way.
  Here’s my breakdown of the things I liked:

  -KONG IS KING: Honestly, the Kong scenes were spectacular and he looked
  awesome. To me, the action scenes didn’t look overly CGI’d. I thought
  they did a great job. I was rooting for Kong the whole time basically.
  And that’s what made the suspense of the movie so great, too. There was
  also some heartfelt ape-human interaction going on (not too cheesy
  luckily).

  -NEW MONSTERS: This time, Kong has to fight two sides – while Samuel L.
  Jackson’s character has gone bananas and wants to kill Kong at all
  costs, there are new, strong creatures lurking from below.

  -GREAT CAST: If you expect great character development, Kong is not the
  movie. BUT I thought Tom Hiddleston, John Goodman, Brie Larson and esp.
  one of my favorite actors, John C. Reilly did a great job in keeping it
  interesting and fun.

  If you’re up for a fun movie, I’d say go watch this in your cinema with
  3D glasses on. This is a movie that works on the big screen, so you can
  enjoy all the effects.

• 
  Raeef SabbanApril 9, 2017Reply

  the movie is great

  I don’t know about many of the down vote review but the movie is worth
  watching the actors did very well the cgi is great the plot is awesome
  just give the movie a try and don’t mind the some of the reviews maybe
  you will like it or maybe not for me it was one of the greatest movie
  of this year

• 
  Enrico PalazzoApril 9, 2017Reply

  I f they want to build a franchise on this….they have to improve a lot!!!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  vinnykwApril 9, 2017Reply

  BAD, with a tinge of terrible

  There’s literally hundreds of things wrong with this that I could pick
  out, but I would be wasting my time. I give it a point for the monster
  fights and some CGI, everything else was painfully bad. I gave it a
  second point because I watched it with my brother and we had a laugh at
  how terrible and cringe worthy it was! This will live long in the
  memory but for all the wrong reasons.

  If bad writing and nonsensical plot are things that annoy you, don’t
  see this at the cinema. If you can get together with a friend, crack a
  few beers and have a laugh at a terrible film, there is enjoyment to be
  had here.

• 
  midas-jacobsApril 9, 2017Reply

  ”Kong: Skull Island” contains enjoyable action scenes, but is lacking in characters

  A team has discovered an unknown island and was sent to that place to
  research it. But at arrival they entered the domain of Kong…

  Jordan Vogt-Roberts was the director of this film and he also wasn’t
  really the problem of the film. Visually this film looks good, but
  that’s also the best the film has to offer. The color grading was good
  enough and gave it a more vintage look and the cinematography overall
  was pretty good. The director had somewhat sense of scale, because he
  liked to put a human, as tiny as possible into the frame with Kong, who
  is ginormous in comparison to said human portrayed on screen. But that
  immediately brings me to one of the problems of the film: Kong. Well,
  how he looked at least, because even though he didn’t visually look
  good, the scenes with him in them were the best that you can find in
  the film. Kong just looked very CGI to me, and he was the best looking
  CGI creature in the movie. This film is filled with moments in which
  the CGI is overwhelming. If they’d used more props, or went to location
  a bit more, this would’ve changed the movie quite a bit. Especially in
  the night scenes you could see that they were filmed in a set and that
  the backdrop consisted out of a green screen. And sometimes the film
  also goes into the ridiculous department with the CGI by showing the
  northern lights. Yes, the northern lights, you read that right. I know
  that they went on location numerous times, but some scenes then were
  shot in complete green rooms. Another aspect the movie failed at was
  the tone. It tried to be a drama, and action film, an over the top
  action film, a comedy, a serious film and all these things did not fit
  together at all. Often enough it tried to be taken seriously, when just
  unintentional funny stuff was going on, or it tried to be funny, when
  there was just nothing to laugh at.

  The actors were just doing what the script was offering them, which is
  not a lot. The cast of this film is phenomenal, but underused. They
  have Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Toby Kebbell, Samuel Jackson, John C.
  Reilly, John Goodman… The list goes on and on. All actors gave good
  performances, and were only likable due to their natural charisma.
  Samuel Jackson and John C. Reilly only managed to make their jokes work
  because of their on screen charisma. But some actors also had no
  chemistry together on screen and those were the little group of
  soldiers who were under Samuel Jackson’s command. None of them felt
  like they liked each other and their relationship felt forced from the
  beginning.

  The screenplay was the main problem with this film, because dear god,
  what did they do with the characters? Well, the characters that don’t
  exist, because I’ve just watched two hours of hollow, empty,
  characterless human beings interact with each other, interchanged with
  some awesome scenes of Kong. But they had set up some things to create
  some interesting character, yet they completely forget about those
  things. In the beginning of the film for example we see Samuel
  Jackson’s character with a bottle of alcohol, and he seems to be
  distant in the conversation he’s having, which in my opinion insinuates
  the fact that he might be an alcoholic after the Vietnam War, but they
  never do anything with that set up character trait throughout the whole
  movie. The character of Toby Kebbell was given some character by having
  him write to his son, which practically made him together with John C.
  Reilly the most developed characters of them all, and the film has
  quite a lot of characters. John C. Reilly was stranded on the island
  for a very long time and we get to hear a bit about his past, but most
  of the time we get to re-hear what he has said before, so that really
  didn’t add a lot to his character. Tom Hiddelston’s character is just
  there to be cool, he’s a tracker and that’s pretty much all to his
  character. There’s one scene where he talks about his past with Brie
  Larson, but that scene added very little to me caring for that
  character. There’s also this ridiculous scene involving him in which he
  just asks for a sword and starts chopping things up, while magically
  having put on a gasmask with one hand, just to create one badass,
  senseless looking shot, which wasn’t worth it at all. And if you want
  to know something more about Brie Larson’s character: she’s a
  photographer. The dialogue overall was just fine, there were some
  cheesy one liners, and bad jokes, but as a whole, it didn’t achieve
  much.

  In the end ”Kong: Skull Island” wasn’t a good movie at all, it was
  quite disappointing even. The acting was good and the action scenes
  were enjoyable, but the characters were lacking and the CGI wasn’t the
  greatest. That’s why this film gets just a 5.6/10.

• 
  SjeesusApril 9, 2017Reply

  Next H(B)ollywood shooter shi.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  pckqApril 9, 2017Reply

  dumbed down cinema for adhd patients

  I am a fan of the 1933 King Kong Movie. So every time Hollywood decides
  to dust the gorilla suit off i find myself on board… full of hope
  that this won’t just be the next ludicrous disaster.

  Guess what? This latest incarnation might even be worse than the
  previous one. Kong: Skull Island is a ridiculously bad film despite all
  the acting talent. Speaking of the actors, the casting in this film
  felt way off. Like said, these are some of today’s better acting
  talents, but they don’t really shine in their dumbed down cartoon
  character roles.

  While Kong: Skull Island’s CGI isn’t all bad i really feel sorry for
  the hairy big guy who was better off in black and white.

• 
  Claudio CarvalhoApril 9, 2017Reply

  Shut Down Your Brain and Enjoy the Adventure

  When the Vietnam War ends, Bill Randa (John Goodman) and his partner
  Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) from the Monarch organization succeed to
  get the financing for an expedition to the recently discovered Skull
  Island from Senator Willis (Richard Jenkins). He hires the former
  Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston) to guide the expedition; a group
  of soldiers under the command of Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L.
  Jackson); and the awarded journalist and photographer Mason Weaver
  (Brie Larson). On the arrival, the helicopters need to cross a storm
  and soon they drop bombs on the forest to map the seismology of the
  island. Soon they are attacked by a huge gorilla called Kong that
  destroys the helicopters and kills part of the crew and scatter the
  rest through the island. The group commanded by Conrad meets Hank
  Marlow (John C. Reilly), a survivor from the World War II that lives
  with a tribe of natives. He explains that Kong protects the island and
  the natives from underground monsters and shall not be killed. But
  Colonel Packard is insane seeking revenge for his men that died.

  ”Kong: Skull Island” is a brainless adventure with several stupidities.
  For example, the number of helicopters in the beginning of the journey
  of Randa, Conrad and Packard is totally incompatible with the size of
  their ship. Bo pilot would dare to cross a storm like that in a
  helicopter. The attack of all the helicopters to Kong is absolutely
  imbecile. Most of the survivor’s attitude are at least unreasonable. On
  the other side, the adventure is highly entertaining and the special
  effects are top notch. Therefore the best option to the viewer is to
  shut down the brain and enjoy the adventure since this is the purpose
  of this type of blockbuster. My vote is seven.

  Title (Brazil): ”Kong: A Ilha da Caveira” (”Kong: The Skull Island”)

• 
  Her-ExcellencyApril 10, 2017Reply

  Completely Entertaining Throughout

  THIS is the way a movie should be done.

  Have you ever watched the scene from The Princess Bride where the
  grandfather tells the kid: It’s got everything. ”Fencing, fighting,
  torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love …”.
  Well, in a way, that’s this version of KONG, and I am really happy and
  surprised at just how GOOD it was.

  Take a bit of the original Kong, mix it with one part Private Ryan, a
  dash of The Deer Hunter, some Monty Python, lots of Jurassic Park, a
  pinch of A Space Oddity and mix well with some (insert your favorite
  lower-key funny movies HERE). The result is a pleasing fare one can
  really sink their teeth into and enjoy.

  It has some familiar faces too, and what’s best about it, is that not
  only do they live up to their so-called stardom, but even the
  unfamiliar or not-yet- ”famous” actors with smaller roles, really do a
  great job and sell it. At no time while you are watching this movie do
  you feel it far-fetched or unbelievable that Kong actually exists, and
  isn’t that, in a nutshell, what all movies should aspire to – the
  suspension of disbelief? Mission accomplished on this one, and good job
  to the creators.

  A definite must-watch.

• 
  herbie051960April 10, 2017Reply

  Not quite right

  I watched, I enjoyed, but it didn’t quite flow, the connection of
  characters didn’t seem right, people i saw early appeared later and I
  thought ”where had they been”? It seemed there was a fleeting attempt
  to connect Kong with the female lead (twice maybe), but was I expecting
  too much after the previous Kong movie and remakes *2. I think new
  audience’s will enjoy, but if you haven’t seen the previous 3 which are
  all based on the same story, take the time to see them, the 2005
  version is my favourite.

• 
  sanienjaoApril 10, 2017Reply

  What an insult.

  The movie might have been expensive but it felt like a B movie! It was
  actually more like a cheap horror movie where everyone seems to make
  stupid decisions. The soldiers were utter idiots, especially the
  pilots… Those weapons have way more range than Kong yet they still
  smashed! I guess we are all trigger happy idiots I the military.

• 
  xamtaroApril 10, 2017Reply

  The King reigns again

  He’s big, he’s loud, hairy and proud. He is King Kong! This giant ape
  is to Hollywood what Godzilla is to Japan, having undergone multiple
  remakes ever since the classic movie from 1933. From the cheesy but fun
  1976 version to the fairy tale-like period piece by Peter Jackson of
  LORD OF THE RINGS fame, to being borrowed by Japan for a couple of
  movies and facing off against Godzilla himself. Not to mention the
  deluge of imitators cashing in on the giant ape Monster concept.

  Unlike previous attempts by Hollywood, KONG: SKULL ISLAND is not a
  remake of the classic tragedy. The original movie and its remakes were
  centred around a tragic ”damsel and Monster” pseudo romance: people go
  to a mysterious island, Kong saves damsel in distress, falls for her,
  gets brought back to America, runs amok, captures damsel, gets killed
  by aeroplanes. This 2017 movie eschews that tired storyline for an
  original one set during the closing chapters of the Vietnam war.

  Out to prove the existence of ancient mega-sized monsters, Bill Randa
  and Houston Brooks of the MONARCH organisation tag along with an
  expedition to a recently discovered island shrouded in storm clouds.
  With them are photojournalist Mason Weaver, biologist San Li,
  survivalist Conrad as their guide, Scientists from LANDSAT on a
  geological survey and a team of soldiers as escort. I loved the pacing
  of the set up and the plot evokes a sense of nostalgia. It is an
  exploration into the unknown, a little like Jurassic park with a team
  of unlikely heroes sent to a mysterious island, tragedy happens and
  they pull together to survive. The strange colossal creatures are
  revealed and portrayed in a way similar to the appearance of the first
  dinosaur in the classic Steven Spielberg movie, with that sense of awe
  and majesty.

  Unlike Jurassic Park however, Kong is not a peaceful herbivore but a
  fierce protector guarding a dark secret beneath the island. The awe
  turns to horror as The humans’ actions have awoken an ancient menace,
  angering Kong who decimates the helicopters and scatters the group.
  Conrad leads half of the group toward an evacuation site while Colonel
  Packard gathers what remains of men to strike back at Kong for killing
  his comrades. But the island holds many fearsome secrets and their only
  hope for defeating a blood thirsty race of predators is Kong.

  Right from the get go, the all star cast nails it! Spot on delivery and
  portrayal of every character, their motivations and quirks completely
  fleshed out. They are not particularly complex, many of the soldiers
  fall into the ”typical squad” mold that we have seen in many other
  movies featuring squads of soldiers, but the main characters are great.
  Tom Hiddleston’s Conrad oozes badass charm and undergoes an arc that
  brings him from aloof loner out for himself to someone who puts the
  date of his teammates before himself. Samuel L Jackson’s Packard is my
  favourite character. His quest for revenge against Kong and his slow
  descent into madness feels like something out of Apocalypse Now. It is
  a natural progression of his arc and the best part is that it does not
  feel contrived. His reasons are noble, having failed his men before and
  not wanting to fail them again. His relationship wit Kong becomes a
  sort of Ahab/Moby Dick dynamic which leads to a powerful
  pro-environmental message about humanity’s tendency to destroy what
  they do not understand or cannot control.

  The main attraction however are the giant monsters rendered in CGI
  using motion capture. The effects are magnificent, rendered primarily
  by Industrial Lights and Magic (ILM) the studio behind the effects of
  Transformers and Star Wars. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts brings clear
  camera-work with wide angles and sweeping shots allowing the action to
  be beheld in full. The cinematography by Larry Fong is astounding in
  itself, imbuing Skull Island with a rich atmosphere of unrestrained
  beauty. The shot near the opening of Kong rising against a setting sun
  is just one example of the many breathtaking sequences. My only gripe
  was how Kong’s fur was rendered. There seems to be an unexplainable
  stiffness to the fur which at times looks less natural than 2005’s
  rendition by Weta Digital.

  By all counts, KONG: SKULL ISLAND is a rip roaring adventure with a
  sense of nostalgia accompanied by magnificent visuals, and clear action
  scenes pushing the boundaries of the giant Monster movie genre. It
  gives equal focus to both human characters and its titular titan, never
  getting bogged down in either element. The icing on the cake? KONG:
  SKULL ISLAND sets up a shared Monster universe, a ”Monsterverse”, and a
  sequel where the King will face off against a God.

• 
  kabojsarnApril 10, 2017Reply

  I made an IMDb account just to down vote this

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  tim-935April 10, 2017Reply

  I enjoyed this rip roaring tale

  American and Japanese fighter pilots bale out, only to land on an
  unmapped Pacific Island. It’s 1944. They continue the fight into the
  jungle, only to have their squabble interrupted by a huge gorilla hand.

  The world moves on, and we are now in 1973, the Vietnam war has just
  ended, turning the tide for adventurer Bill Randa, played by Fred
  Flintstone John Goodman, who wants to explore Skull Island, reputedly
  the home of mysterious beings.

  Jurassic Park meets the Island of Doctor Moreau: this film follows the
  well worn clichés of the monster genre. The action in this improbable
  outing takes place on the island, the monster Kong is not whisked away,
  but fights battles on his own territory.

  An almost demobilised unit of airborne soldiers, lead by Preston
  Packard (Samuel L Jackson) is seconded as escort for the expedition.

  A slightly mysterious tracker, James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), and a
  gritty yet alluring female photojournalist, Mason Weaver (Brie Larson),
  Join the band.

  Now, abandon hope all you who expect a 1973 period piece. The uniforms,
  some of the armament, as well as some technology are anachronistic.
  There are some 60s techno touches and soundtrack items to set the
  scene, but you didn’t come here for a history lesson. Sit back, go with
  the CGI and green screen flow, to enjoy the action.

  The Apocalypse Now heli-troopers survive the perpetual storm
  surrounding the island, only to be plucked from the air by our resident
  12 storey gorilla, Kong. The survivors, now split into two groups, try
  for a rendezvous, only to encounter more scary monsters on the way.

  It’s not long before Tracker and Photojournalist meet up with the
  original American airman from 1944. He has lived with the unsmiling,
  silent, indigenous humans for 28 years. Salvaging parts from the WWII
  planes and an abandoned freighter, they fashion a motorboat to escape
  the island.

  On their journey, Kong witnesses Photojournalist rescuing a stricken
  animal, then later they have a Faye Wray moment of tenderness.
  Meanwhile, in the other party, Colonel Cataclysm plans more explosive,
  jungle torching mayhem to set the world straight. His flames usher in
  the final denouement.

  It is not humans versus monsters, the humans are bystanders to the
  Titanic struggle between Kong, scarred and singed from earlier
  conflict, and a giant legless lizard.

  The real nobility belongs to the beast, although beauty lives on to
  tell the tale.

• 
  zidangusApril 10, 2017Reply

  A great rollacoaster of action and adventure

  Did not expect much when I went to see it, but wow ! this movie really
  blew me away, I was on the edge of my seat all the way through. The
  monsters were great, Kong was great, CGI was great, pace and action was
  great, acting was great, plot great. What more can I say except, go
  watch it if you like action/adventure movies.

• 
  MikeEhmsApril 10, 2017Reply

  Kong Skull Island is actually not as bad as I thought it would be, but it was still pretty bad.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  sirdagsApril 11, 2017Reply

  King Kong vs Godzilla

  I went to see the movie hoping to see and be schooled in a scientific
  manner on how and why the Skull Island became Skull Island and why it
  is infested by gargantuan creatures, unfortunately, that did not quite
  happen. In this day and age of computer animation movie trends, the
  effects are but standard and sometimes cartoon-like. John Goodman’s
  character is basically not a necessity, besides being the guy who
  spearheaded the adventure to the Skull Island. Other than the movie is
  a computer animation upgrade of ”King Kong vs Godzilla”, the overall of
  the movie is a ”so-so”, basically a popcorn movie. ”Hey, just for the
  heck of it…let’s go kill time and watch this movie.”

• 
  Dr GigglesApril 11, 2017Reply

  Wonder why so many new accounts?

  Wonder why there are so many new accounts saying they just made one to
  down vote this film? Pretty ridiculous when you think of the number of
  films out there that are really bad and yet these supposedly new
  account people never made an account to rate those. If you have an iota
  of brain capacity you can see through the subterfuge. It is a bunch of
  people with an agenda and nothing better to do. Do yourself a favor and
  take all these reviews with a grain of salt.

  Kong was interesting, entertaining and visually grand. Great acting all
  around. I will most assuredly see it one more time before it is out of
  the theaters and this time will lug my family with me. Well worth it.

• 
  davideo-2April 11, 2017Reply

  Flat, soulless addition to the Kong staple

  STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning
  ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

  It is 1973, the Vietnam war is coming to an end and a couple of
  scientists, headed by Dr. Bill Randa (John Goodman) persuade congress
  to fund a trip to a far off island to examine some environmental
  effects (or something.) They assemble a crack team of experts,
  including Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), James Conrad
  (Tom Hiddleston) and photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), and head
  off, but what they don’t expect to encounter is an undiscovered tribe
  of natives, and an island inhabited by monsters, most notably, the
  massive, mighty Kong. Things get heated when men are killed and Colonel
  Packard turns hostile.

  It’s pretty safe to say that Kong is one of the most enduring
  franchises in film history. Since his first outing in the early
  thirties, he has been re-adapted for the screen several times, with
  varying degrees of success, but it’s probably retained a lot of its
  appeal by sticking to a period time frame, at least in the 2005 version
  I saw, while I’m not really sure about the lambasted 1976 version that
  I didn’t. By never branching out into present day and keeping a
  nostalgic sense of times gone by to give it a distinctive touch. And so
  this new addition has rolled by, but in spite of some awesome special
  effects, it’s a totally underwhelming spectacle compared to the ones
  that have gone before.

  Another device the previous instalments of Kong employed was to build
  up a great sense of mystery and awe before the great beast unveiled
  himself on the screen, creating a sense of foreboding and tension
  before he is seen, yet in Jordan Vogt-Roberts’s flat imagining, he
  appears almost immediately upon arrival at Skull Island and it just
  gets more derivative from there. Not that you’ll care about the fate of
  anyone, as an all star cast manage to portray a selection of the most
  bland, stalemate characters you could ever imagine, compered with an
  implausible non-entity of a plot.

  The effects are as awesome as ever, but this just doesn’t have anything
  else going for it to justify such a lengthy running time. **

• 
  GrandJuryApril 11, 2017Reply

  Kong is King

  My review is short and sweet.

  Half the people on here saw it on the day it leaked – just check review
  dates – and on their phone screens and then can’t understand why they
  didn’t really like it.

  Not much you can do for those people if they choose to cheat themselves
  out of a great movie experience, but just don’t let them cheat you out
  of one.

  This is a very well put together movie with excellent everything
  including cast, sound, graphics, plot, lines, cinematography, you name
  it.

  Can’t do more than point you in the direction of a good movie and up to
  you to watch it or not, but in my book, this Kong was King.

• 
  Selena-KyleApril 11, 2017Reply

  Ratings are DEAD. Bring on the next thing.

  Honestly, in today’s world of people with hardly any integrity, who
  think ratings can be bought or sold, or who are either/or people and
  think that the way they feel that morning can and should be taken out
  on a film, without intelligently being able to process it, the rating
  system should no longer exist.

  You have the little kids with media at their fingertips, and the old
  have-no-lifes truly still living in mom’s basement (figuratively and
  literally) with computers stuck to their noses, pirating films because
  they have nothing better to do, and thinking they are critics, when
  they probably can’t even wipe correctly. And don’t get me started on
  the so called serious critics.

  All in all, it has made for an now outdated and no longer valid system
  which should be folded up and incinerated since no one really would be
  able to fix or correct it. The Rating System, where people rate a film
  on its merit and its merit alone, is dead.

  This film for example was AMAZINGLY ENJOYABLE. No, it wasn’t as
  noteworthy as Citizen Kane or The Birth of a Nation, but COME the HOLY
  FRICK ON. Are you really SUCH a dufus that you are sitting down to
  watch something like this expecting it to be? The same people who
  expect that, are the ones that go to a drive-thru expecting to buy
  steak on the 99-cent menu. Fools. The problem with today’s society is,
  that there are too many of these fools, and that these fools choose to
  first fool themselves into thinking they aren’t fools.

  For those of you who are not crying in their pants and are still
  reading (you are maybe a non-fool), go watch this movie. You can tell,
  from the very first scene, that the people involved in making it took
  the time to try and bring you (us) a quality product. For the most
  part, IMO, they succeeded. It is HIGHLY entertaining, the characters
  are interesting and mostly well-acted, there is humor, anger, the CG is
  fantastic … Yes, I agree that Samuel Jackson is pretty played out and
  when they put him in the game, you always get the same character more
  or less, but even he can’t detract much from KONG, who is after all,
  the star.

  Do yourself a favor. Spring for the cost of a ticket or two, take your
  best friend or lover and go SEE it for yourself. Unless you are hurting
  for $18, and you are normal, you probably won’t come back cry- babying
  due to lost time or lost money like some of these ‘raters’ are doing.
  (Like I really believe the ones complaining actually paid to see it and
  saw it on the big screen as opposed to their laptop screens). You’ll
  have a great time.

• 
  katie_nethercoatApril 11, 2017Reply

  Don’t do it

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Quietb-1April 11, 2017Reply

  Big ape with a big heart.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  jthompsonbarnoldswickApril 11, 2017Reply

  Monstrous. In a good way.

  Brilliant monster mash up! The focus here is on pure spectacle, so If
  you watch this film hoping to see epic special effects, gigantic
  monster carnage, and a cast of human cannon fodder, you should have a
  happy viewing. Don’t expect a complex plot or heaps of drama. It’s just
  a bit of fun. Great on the big screen.

• 
  jazzingjellyApril 11, 2017Reply

  What in the world

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  TopRankingApril 12, 2017Reply

  I ended up with mixed feelings.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ellieainesApril 12, 2017Reply

  One of the worst Films.

  I’ve never written a review but I will for this one. The editing is too
  quick, each shot lasting 2 seconds and switching to a completely
  different scene. There was too many narratives happening at once, too
  many characters to focus on at once, the writing was very predictable
  and there were far too many unnecessary cliché lines. However, the
  biggest downfall of this film was Samuel Jackson overacting, don’t get
  me wrong, he’s a good actor but he never should of been in this film.
  The combination of the directors choices and his character just didn’t
  work. The only good bits of this film was the beautiful scenes between
  Kong, Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson. I expected more of this film,
  instead all I got was a typical Hollywood ‘guns out’ rewrite.

• 
  geohaber-2April 12, 2017Reply

  Kong’s Roar No Match for Roar of the Audience!

  Totally agree with the (many) reviewers who called Kong: Skull Island a
  Humungous Turkey! One of my favorite moments was when the heroine–the
  woman photographer–falls in the water and starts sinking…Anyone
  who’s ever seen a movie knows to expect big hairy hand from the
  love-struck Kong to come lowering in the water to cup the lovely damsel
  in distress! Fay Wray would spin over in her grave watching this lame
  scene and film. Kong’s constant terrifying roaring is almost as loud as
  the cry of hundreds of thousands of movie-goers who have been suckered
  out of ten bucks or more to watch this flic.

• 
  wscheffApril 12, 2017Reply

  Bad…Bad…Bad…

  Don’t even bother, worst movie I have ever ever ever seen !!! The plot
  is bad. The content is bad. The actors are bad. Could have been a
  better movie without Samuel L. Jackson. The music was really bad too.
  Surly some one would have a better story line. If anyone had ever seen
  the 1949 Mighty Joe Young… good movie. The best Kong was the original
  King Kong.

• 
  MELlSANDREApril 12, 2017Reply

  ”Is that a monkey?” Why no, good sir. It is a KING.

  To begin, my actual rating would have been more along the lines of a
  7.5/10, but seeing as so many imbeciles are obviously and outrageously
  trying to tank the ratings, I have decided to give it a 10, and suggest
  that everyone who liked it do the same. Yes, yes, I know. Not very
  kosher, but seriously, if these cretins who are rating it a 1 don’t
  give a crap about the veracity of ratings, why should you or I? It
  seems only fair. Don’t agree with me? Watch the trailer again, or check
  out the higher reviews of this movie. Do you really think a movie like
  that deserves a 1??????? Heck no. A 1 is something reserved for the
  likes of Glitter, Battlefield Earth, and (I shudder even typing it) The
  Room. THIS movie a 1??? Just no way. Not unless, like some posters
  below pointed out, you have an agenda, or unless you’ve never seen
  another movie in your life and have never rated anything and don’t know
  how, or you are just not capable of rational thinking. Simple as that.

  Now the rundown. The music was great. It was a throwback to the Vietnam
  era and of course, it was used to take you back to that time. HOW the
  heck can people complain that actual Vietnam era music was used for,
  DUHHHH, Vietnam era scenes? Yes, it boggles my mind too that so many
  lame-brained people actually have access to the web and choose to use
  it to leave reviews instead of expanding their brains. Sheesh. It
  wasn’t, technically, a funny movie, but there was a lot of humor that
  was well placed and brought on laughter. If I have ONE negative to
  bring up, it would be that there weren’t really actors or characters
  that you fell in love with, or really cared that much for. They didn’t
  take the time to develop the characters to that degree. You kind of did
  root for a few of them to make it, but other than that, you kind of
  just wanted to see action, and there was PLENTY of that, and thank
  goodness for that. After all, you did, like I did, go to see a giant
  gorilla movie, amarite, and not some movie like The King’s Speech. The
  CGI is terrific. It wasn’t overdone. It did what CGI is supposed to do
  for once, it looked REAL. Kong looked fantastic. The acting from
  everyone, especially some newcomers involved, was believable.
  Hiddleston looked good. I’ve never been that much of a fan. I could
  take him or leave him, but I guess after the Swift thing he took to the
  gym? He looked good. J. C. Reilly was really good. He was just a tiny
  bit over the top, but I think that’s how he was supposed to come
  across. He was very amusing though. Great casting choice. Samuel
  Jackson? Hmmm. He wasn’t all that great and I think that after this he
  should really evaluate whether he wants to act just for the money or
  because he really wants to ACT. He was kind of just there, staring into
  the camera, delivering lines the way he normally delivers lines. Hey,
  it was Samuel Jackson playing a guy like he’s played 12 times already.
  No big thing though, either way. The rest of the movie made up for any
  lack there may have been on S. Jackson’s part. Oh, and one last thing.
  The time you spend watching it FLIES. That’s another thing I don’t get.
  People talking about the running time. WTH? If anything, I wish it had
  been longer so that they could develop the characters a bit more. The
  scenes are mostly pretty fast and there are a lot of them (both good
  things in my book). There are almost no stagnant moments and when I go
  into a theater looking for an action movie, well, that’s what I want,
  and ladies and gentlemen, you get that in spades with this movie.

  Really good movie we will be adding to our collection when available
  legally.

• 
  remmyfilmsApril 13, 2017Reply

  No Awe, No Characters We Care About

  I love a big, dumb monster movie. This is not one.

  The 1995 movie ”Congo” was 100% better than this. The action was nuts,
  and the characters were over-the-top clichés, but they were fun.

  ”Kong: Skull” lacks both characters we care about and a sense of awe.

  There’s Tom Hiddleston… playing Tom Hiddleston as a lightweight
  Indiana Jones (we’re never given any reason to care for him, apart from
  the fact that he beats some guys up). There’s the girl from ”Room,”
  looking lost as a photographer. There’s Nucky Thompson’s brother, as a
  faux Vietnam soldier. There’s a Chinese actress, who may be the worst
  case ever of being a token character there to only appease Chinese
  audiences.

  As for the action, maybe I’ve become jaded with the prevalence of CGI,
  but… a gigantic gorilla fighting helicopters and skull-monsters
  should be exciting… but it barely elicits a reaction.

  John C. Reilly is the highlight here, and could have fit into ”Congo”
  nicely, but- overall- it’s too little too late.

  **/*****

• 
  SDJKApril 13, 2017Reply

  Terrible – Never a 12A

  This film is terrible on all levels, I have no idea how it was rated a
  12A as if we had known the gore shown we would not have taken our
  9/10yr old kids. The only saving grace was the comedy from the WW2
  Airforce pilot. The lack of background story made it even worse. I
  would save your money.

• 
  Jake DonApril 13, 2017Reply

  Another remake/reboot/sequel/prequel/re-adaptation/rewhocares

  Since Legendary Entertainment (batman etc) was bought by the Chinese
  every single movie they put magically has a Chinese co-lead actor in
  it. How lame. it has nothing to do with a script’s needs, director’s
  choice or the story. it is just inserted and it is useless and sad. On
  the other hand, why not the Chinese have to tolerate Samuel Jackson..

• 
  Daniel MoraisApril 14, 2017Reply

  Avaliation

  Rating: 76% (7,6)

  SINOPSE: ”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.”

  Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

• 
  theo_katsikisApril 14, 2017Reply

  What a pile of $%^#

  Watched it last night!

  Samuel Jackson was probably the most irritating aspect of this film,
  other than the flat characters (who by the way you didn’t care if they
  lived or died).

  I was really looking forward to this film but I was greatly
  disappointed!

• 
  djhuwsApril 14, 2017Reply

  Awful!

  This promised lots, but in reality is just torture from start to
  finish… cliché after cliché and some terrible acting. It does have
  it’s moments, mainly in the scenes with John C. Reilly, who adds some
  humour. All in all.. it’s not very good.. spend your money watching
  something else…Avoid!

• 
  Oliver Thatcher WatsonApril 14, 2017Reply

  Absolutely awesome!

  This film is absolutely amazing in almost every way. The CGI is beyond
  superb, the acting is great, the performances are great, the story is
  great, pretty much everything is great. This is an outstanding take on
  the King Kong film franchise and it doesn’t disappoint for the most
  part. However, there is a slight problem with this film. While the
  story was great, the first part of the film just wasn’t that
  interesting and kind of went over my head. It also felt kind of tedious
  since it dragged on somewhat. It was also pretty hard to follow.
  However, I can mostly overlook that as the rest of this film is
  fantastic, not only story wise, but with mesmerizing CGI and great
  acting. I recommend this film to anyone who’s a fan of King Kong, as
  well as anyone who wants to see a great, action packed film with all
  the suspense, thrills, impressive CGI and performances to keep viewers,
  like myself, happy. Though this film isn’t one of the absolute best,
  it’s still a film that will go down in history as something truly
  incredible.

• 
  nguyentran92April 15, 2017Reply

  Truly disappointed

  I have seen movie campaigns going on and on in my country, flattering
  how the movie successes in bringing Vietnam’s Halong Bay and all other
  spectacular scenes in Vietnamese countryside to life. Well I am really
  disappointed.

  First of all, boring plot, couldn’t hold myself to yawn within only
  15min beginning. The opening scene in certain sandscape looked quite
  fake, thought I could recognise my country from the view behind.

  Second of all, I made comment base on a view of an Asian. The Chinese
  actress Tian Jing totally plays a role of poster girl, no quality lines
  for her whatsoever. Please next time if you feel the need to have an
  Asian-looking actress/actor better to recruit someone else with acting
  know-how. The fact to put a random-but-with-strong-network Asian
  actress on show is really an insult for me personally. These continuous
  actions to build such characters only create more perceptions about
  uninteresting, unimpressive rather stupid & boring Asians. Asian
  actresses/actors could do ways better than that & they deserve more
  space to act.

  The truth is I walked out after 25min so just those two for now. I have
  read one comment saying that real excitements only begins after first
  20min (and really, for such a blockbuster you are ready to spare up to
  20min of first impression that lame ?) So maybe I’ll give it a try
  again this week for the later part, hopefully feeling better.

  For now, all I can see is disappointment.

• 
  angivareApril 15, 2017Reply

  Enjoyable

  You Can’t expect a serious plot that makes sense from a movie like
  Kong. If you can live with that then you will enjoy this movie. It’s
  action packed with really awesome monster fighting scenes! I liked it
  the best in comparison to the older Kong movies.

  Is it a very good movie? not really. Is it a very good Kong movie? yes!

• 
  Paul Magne HaakonsenApril 15, 2017Reply

  Visually great, but the movie lacked a proper story…

  I didn’t really have much of any expectations for ”Kong: Skull Island”,
  except that I had hoped for a CGI galore. And that was essentially all
  that this movie turned out to be, sad to say.

  So this movie is supposed to be a prequel to the older ”King Kong”
  movies, and the audience is supposed to believe that the secrets of
  Skull Island and the secrets of the existence of the mighty Kong
  managed to be a secret and kept quiet by all those who managed to
  escape from the Island alive? Sure, why not… Plausible? No, hardly
  so. But let’s roll with it, for the sake of the entertainment purposes.

  So the story, in all its simplicity, is about a group of scientists,
  funded by the American government, and assisted by the US armed forces,
  venture to a mysterious Island shrouded in a perpetual mist, where they
  are to look into what mysteries the Island hold. And they find a place
  where nature is merciless and evolved beyond the rest of the world.

  I found the story to be way too simplistic and far fetched to be a
  worthy addition to the ”King Kong” legacy. Sure, this was a visually
  stimulating movie, but it just didn’t make sense. None of it did! So a
  small group of secluded islands harbor growth of natural predators to
  monstrous sizes of gargantuan proportions. Makes any sense? No, hardly
  so. Especially since you get to see like only a single gargantuan
  spider, one ape (not counting the skeletal remains in the graveyard)
  and some oddly-shaped reptilian beings. The ecosystem just doesn’t make
  sense. How would there be enough food for such creatures? Would they
  feast upon one another, yes? But why isn’t there more of them then?

  The characters in the movie were two-dimensional and lacking anything
  that even remotely would be anything like character depth and growth.
  It was like watching clones and drones milling about. Especially
  characters like Hank Marlow (played by John C. Reilly). He had been
  there since World War II, yet managed to elude learning to speak the
  native language of those tribesmen on the Island, yet he lived among
  them? Sure, that was just believable. And also the painfully generic
  and stereotypical Preston Packard character (played by Samuel L.
  Jackson). Wow, just wow! That character was the epitome of how you make
  a character as generic and pointless as you possibly can.

  The visual effects were off the charts, though. ”Kong: Skull Island”,
  as I mentioned earlier, is an effects movie. And I do applaud the
  special effects team, because they really mustered up here and came
  together with something very pleasing to the eye. It all looked very
  real and had so many nice touches in the details.

  ”Kong: Skull Island” was not an overly impressive movie, not in the
  slightest. It is the type of movie that you watch, then check it off
  your watch-list, and you quickly forget about it, just as you did with
  Peter Jacksons take on the original ”King Kong” movie.

• 
  LebowskidooApril 16, 2017Reply

  Kong is back and better than ever!

  Did they really have Richard Nixon bobbleheads back in the day? Man, I
  bet those are worth some cash now!

  This is just great escapist fun, don’t see why it would need nitpicking
  at all, it was created to entertain, and it does. I love the original
  and the remakes and this maintains and improves on the grandeur of Kong
  in some ways.

  Much more action than most Kong movies and the more modern setting is
  responsible for a few jokes and one heck of a soundtrack. Kong is
  physically much larger and impressive and there is a sweet story of a
  missing soldier that runs throughout.

  Sit back, watch Kong flex his muscles and kick some ass and just have
  fun!

• 
  charlesbeuttApril 16, 2017Reply

  Left Wing Garbage, couldn’t get through more than a hour.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  stieffguyApril 16, 2017Reply

  Oh deary, deary me

  Oh this is just awful, I mean truly dreadful. Everyone I know told me
  not to waste my time but alas I did. The sad reality is that A) the
  script is full of explanatory dialogue, just in case you’re too dumb to
  know Kong is an ape. So your told what an ape is …. Again and again
  and again. B) the movie is a scene stealing mash up from many movies
  that the 50+ remember from groundbreaking movies. Especially Apocalypse
  Now. I realize that the 40- generation may not remember such cinematic
  masterpieces but boy this movie is lazy, lazy, lazy. Oh well 🙁

  Let’s aim it like this. This is a perfect movie to watch on TV during
  the holiday season at home. You can happily go off and have a manicure,
  whip up a soufflé or more excitingly, take a mini cruise without fear
  of missing anything. If there are more than two people watching this
  with you, you can do a little experiment. See how many people go to the
  loo or wander off for half an hour without saying ”can you pause it?
  I’ll be back in a min” Believe me you won’t miss a thing that makes the
  story hard to dip back into and follow. I can’t criticise the cast, we
  all need to pay the rent.

• 
  yamasaerApril 16, 2017Reply

  Don’t watch it until you have nothing else to watch

  Only CG and Music are good in this movie… Everything else are BAD.
  Especially movie plot/story. First i watch this movie not expecting any
  story from it. Just to watch pure action. But the bad plot disturbed me
  every single minutes of this movie.

  Don’t watch this movie even free-download. It’s not worth your internet
  bandwidth. Trust me 😀

• 
  Harhaluulo54April 16, 2017Reply

  The amount of helicopters is over 9000!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  bsideenterApril 16, 2017Reply

  American Horseshit made for people with IQs lower than a chimp.

  By far the most pathetic movie seen so far, and 2hours long. Plot just
  gets worse by the minute. Watch it if you don’t mind losing brain
  cells.

  Can’t believe they spent 185 million USD on this sad movie. And what’s
  up with Samuel Jackson becoming so retarded lately?

• 
  isadickApril 16, 2017Reply

  Here we go

  I have never bothered to review anything in my life and I normally
  don’t take people’s reviews into consideration when trying out
  something new.

  This movie was something different though in that I feel that people
  are just going to the edge of absurdity when reviewing it. That is if
  they’re even real reviews.

  As an example, you have someone below that writes: I’m not one to stop
  a film half way through, I like to see things to the end but this is
  one of the rare times I actually had to put myself out of misery and
  press the stop button. -Wait a minute there darlin. By pressing the
  stop button and stopping it half way through, you mean you watched it
  on a television or computer (or you’re just lying).

  They go on to say: Now I didn’t get a chance to see this film at the
  cinema, which I’m now very grateful for. -How does one get home viewing
  before it is on the market besides downloading it illegally? And if you
  did, you then come and complain about it even though by your own
  admission you didn’t see all of it?

  They continue: After seeing the trailer for this film, I clicked on
  this title optimistically. I then saw Samuel. L Jackson was part of the
  cast and then my doubt began. -Basically you’re saying you saw him in
  the trailer, but didn’t connect the dots, an then you go on to base
  your review on one actor?

  It goes on: For me, any film which includes animals has to do their
  research and this was another reason as to why I switched off. Why on
  earth would a 900ft tall Ape walk like a human?! -This comment is just
  too darn ridiculous to have ever been uttered or written, and yet there
  you have it folks.

  Seriously mis amigos, if you’re going to type some s#}t for the sake of
  typing s#}t at least make sure it’s s#}t that makes some f*cking sense.

  Kong Skull Island is a rip roaring fun ride but don’t expect it to be
  more than that.

• 
  rsockeyApril 16, 2017Reply

  Worst of the worst

  This movie was so bad it was actually painful to watch. I would have
  left the theater after the first 10 minutes if I hadn’t been with a
  group of friends. John Goodman didn’t act. He simply recited his
  terrible lines. I think someone taped his eyes open. He was bug eyed
  throughout the movie. What was that about? Samuel L Jackson should
  stick to credit card commercials. I kept waiting for him to ask what
  was in my wallet. As a matter of fact his movie acting is the same as
  his commercial persona. I cannot understand the good ratings this movie
  received. Someone must have gotten paid off. The only movie that I
  think was worse than Skull Island is Noah with Russel Crowe. I think
  theaters should be required to refund your money if you walk out within
  the first fifteen minutes. It’s only fair.

• 
  FilmBuff1994April 17, 2017Reply

  Stellar Character Development, Average Kong,

  Kong: Skull Island is a great movie with a very well developed plot and
  a top notch cast. The best part about this film for me is without a
  doubt the characters. They are all very well developed and the
  relationships between them are established brilliantly, all meeting
  each other for the first time at the beginning, and we get to see it
  grow as the plot progresses, with everyone having to rely on each
  other. These characters intrigued me far more than any movie monster
  would.

  As a matter of fact, the poorest part of this film for me was actually
  King Kong himself. While he is beautifully rendered through CGI, he
  held the plot back. The characters could have been putting in to a much
  dire, exciting situations if a giant gorilla did not have to be there
  main threat, when there are easily scarier monsters out there in this
  universe. I honestly think it would have been a lot better if it was
  not a King Kong movie.

  The performances are stellar, each cast member having great chemistry
  with one another and bringing this world to life. Tom Hiddleston brings
  great charisma to his part, Brie Larson is charming, John Goodman is
  mysterious and Samuel L. Jackson is as intimidating as ever. However,
  the highlight for me was John C. Reilly, he is both the funniest and
  the most layered character, bring great depth to Hank Marlow, and his
  scene at the end is very heartwarming.

  It has very engaging characters, which for me, is why its worth
  watching. Well acted and development, Kong: Skull Island is certainly
  worth the watch for anyone looking for a good adventure film.

  A group of scientists and soldiers are sent on a journey to Skull
  Island, an uncharted island that may hide some never before seen
  creatures.

  Best Performance: John C. Reilly

• 
  Eddie_weinbauerApril 17, 2017Reply

  Never, have so many people survived a helicopter crash

  A long row of endlessly bad decisions Starting with casting Samuel
  Jackson in anything. It’s basically the same old King Kong story,only
  the location has changed. Humans find king Kong,and first thought &
  reaction is, kill king Kong.And from than on,it’s all downhill

  But this time, with a politically correct cast.1 Asian 2-3 black guys 1
  white Women.1 Hispanic nerd,1 white guy.And that is only the lead
  characters.

  Samuel Jackson plays the same character he plays in every movie these
  days.The over the top lager than life,I’m-so-tough-even-god -is -afraid
  of-me. Not one of the the entire crew are likable,nor relatable. Not to
  mention the number of helicopters,seem to grow while they are
  fighting.They start with 4 than they seem to be up to 8 or 9+a Chinook

  One of the MANY things that makes this movie so bad,is that they have
  made Kong the main Enemy,the big bad.So to speak.You get to see very
  little of other creatures that could be dangerous for tiny humans. The
  survivors from the crash,pretty much act like it’s a walk in the
  park.Every place they should have the sense walk around, they walk
  through.They also never run out of ammunition..Which get really
  comical. cause they basically empty a clip, in everything they see.

  OH Yeah.Did I forgot to mention they suddenly midway through a battle
  ,have 50cal finished mounted with tripod an everything,the precise
  moment Jackson tell them they need it.Even though two sec. ago they
  were on the run. Only problem is,up until that moment,nobody was
  carrying anything that heavy.

  The plot holes are just endless.Along with the incredibly bad
  decisions, made by Jackson,who is suppose to be a superb commanding
  officer. The problem with having Jackson in anything,is that he is to
  expensive to be killed off. So you know you’ll have to suffer him the
  entire movie

• 
  blazedounalApril 17, 2017Reply

  This is call kong movie

  Some people go to the movies to be wowed by the superb acting, heart
  wrenching and well written story, and overall solid production. This is
  an all out creature feature…It is called Skull Island because that’s
  where the action takes place with all the neat creatures. There is a
  LOT of screen time devoted to Kong and the monsters. Kong: Skull Island
  is the perfect monster movie. It’s an epic display of what a popcorn
  movie should be.

  In 1944, in the midst of World War II, two fighter pilots – an American
  soldier named Hank Marlow and a Japanese soldier named Gunpei Ikari –
  parachute onto an island in the South Pacific after a dogfight. They
  both engage in close combat, with Ikari gaining the upper hand, but the
  fight is interrupted by a behemoth ape known as Kong.

  In 1973, U.S. government agent Bill Randa hires former British Special
  Air Service Captain James Conrad, a skilled tracker, to guide an
  expedition to map out an island known as ”Skull Island” and with a
  Vietnam War helicopter squadron led by Lieutenant Colonel Preston
  Packard and his subordinates, Major Jack Chapman and Captain Earl Cole.
  Upon arrival at Skull Island, Packard’s men begin dropping explosives
  developed by seismologist Houston Brooks to map out the island.
  However, the air unit is attacked by Kong, who kills a number of
  military personnel and scatters the others across the island.

  After being confronted by Packard, Randa reveals his affiliation to the
  secret government organization Monarch, which was trying to prove the
  existence of monsters and determine their threat to humanity. The other
  survivors (Conrad, Weaver, Brooks, biologist San Lin, soldier Reg
  Slivko, and Landsat employee Victor Nieves) try to get to a rendezvous
  point to meet a resupply team arriving in three days’ time. They
  encounter the local Iwi natives and an older Marlow. He reveals that
  Kong is the island’s guardian, worshiped as a god by the natives for
  protecting the island’s inhabitants from many predators, including
  reptilian underground monsters dubbed ”Skullcrawlers”. They have killed
  Kong’s ancestors, leaving him as the last of his kind, and that one of
  the Skullcrawlers killed Ikari.

  Packard’s group begins making their way to Chapman, whose helicopter
  crash-landed elsewhere. Meanwhile, Chapman is ambushed and eaten by a
  Skullcrawler. Jame Conrad’s group helps Marlow complete a boat built
  from parts scavenged from Marlow and Ikari’s downed planes. They ride
  the boat down the river, and manage to secure communication with
  Packard’s group, but the boat is attacked by pterosaur-like creatures
  which kill Nieves. They regroup with Packard, who insists on searching
  for Chapman, though his true objective is to find and kill Kong.

  There, the same Skullcrawler that devoured Chapman attacks the group,
  killing Randa and many soldiers before dying in a flammable gas
  explosion triggered by Weaver. Learning about Chapman’s death, a
  vengeful Packard blames Kong for the deaths of his men and becomes
  determined to kill Kong. The two groups part ways, with Packard’s group
  laying a trap for Kong, while the non-military personnel head back to
  the boat.

  As Conrad and Weaver encounter Kong, Packard’s group triggers napalm
  explosions to lure him in. Kong charges to the lake, where they manage
  to incapacitate him with ignited gasoline, though Woodward is killed.
  Conrad’s group arrives and persuades the other soldiers to spare Kong,
  but Packard refuses to stand down. Then, a massive Skullcrawler.
  Emerges from the lake. Packard is crushed to death by a recovering
  Kong. The Skullcrawler overpowers Kong in a brief battle and then
  chases the survivors. Kong returns to rescue the others and with help
  from the humans, kills the beast by ripping out its innards. He saves
  Weaver from drowning, and allows the surviving humans to leave the
  island.

  During the credits, Marlow returns home, reuniting with his wife,
  meeting his son for the first time, and watching a Chicago Cubs game on
  television. In a post-credits scene, Conrad and Weaver are detained by
  Monarch and informed by Brooks and Lin that Kong is not the only
  monster to roam the world. As proof, they are shown archive footage of
  cave paintings depicting Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah.

• 
  stefanklenkeApril 17, 2017Reply

  Worst King Kong movie ever

  This is a movie where you almost want your money back afterwards. The
  only ones who saved the film from being a total waste of cash was the
  charming John C. Reilly with his glorious beard and the hundreds of
  computer effect guys who managed to make King Kong the only other
  alright character in the film. All the other characters were thin
  layered replaceable people who you never cared a single second for. I
  bet when the actors watched the film back for the first time they must
  have felt the same awkward embarrassment we felt watching the film. I
  don’t know if it was on purpose but it felt a lot like a cheap B-movie
  from the 80’s only with first class special effects.

  Please try not to support this lazy film making with your well earned
  money.

• 
  rioplaydrumApril 17, 2017Reply

  More Than I Expected

  I had it firm in my mind this was going to be a cartoonish fiasco
  similar to Peter Berg’s sci-fi bomb ‘Battleship’ released in 2012 which
  was designed for teenage gamers and pretty much nobody else.

  ‘Kong’ has far more sophistication than that. Instead of a comic book
  we get a well designed production more on the level of the graphic
  novel.

  Attention to period detail (1973) is nearly 100 percent, from wrist
  watches, military uniforms and weapons, tactical gear, radios, tape
  recorders, record players, cameras, aircraft, automobiles, scientific
  equipment, most of it checks out as authentic.

  The only thing I spotted as incorrect was a brief view of an animated
  color computer graphic that wouldn’t have been possible for at least
  another twenty years, but that’s all.

  The CGI goes without saying. The use of it to make the most disgusting
  creatures come to life is as good as it can get. Kong battles away with
  these many monsters with great dramatic flair.

  One is an eighty foot tall spider that really gave me the creeps.
  Anachriods are not my thing, and the movie didn’t help me with that at
  all.

  As the story progresses, the military/science team meet up with a mute
  indigenous people who have lived on the island for thousands of years.
  Again, attention to detail is immaculate.

  You would have no problem believing this was an actual race completely
  cut off from the rest of the civilized world had you ever met them.

  However, there were a couple of unbelievable and ridiculous scenarios
  that threatened my suspension of dis-belief.

  First, there is no such thing as an island with it’s own savage storm
  system that keeps it hidden and nearly impenetrable. If you have a
  scientific mind at all, you’ll find this idea laughable.

  Second, the military blundering that occurs when the helicopter pilots
  first encounter the giant ape, which gets everybody stranded in the
  first place, is overwhelmingly dumb and hard to swallow.

  Instead of retreating, all the pilots simply fly mindlessly straight at
  Kong who bats them all out of the sky one by one. Duh.

  But it is an action movie, and that’s what you get, regardless of the
  lack of logic or reason here and there.

  Great fun for all ages.

  Your teenage boys will love it. Your teenage girls will probably not.

  Oh, and Samuel Jackson doesn’t drop a single F-bomb through the whole
  movie.

  I found that refreshing.

• 
  J. (CountJonnie)April 18, 2017Reply

  A remake that stands on its own

  I prefer sequels over remakes, because sequels are a continuation of a
  storyline you like or love. A remake just erases everything which
  sometimes is an insult to fans of the original. Unless, the remake
  stands on its own that it’s entertaining for ”old” fans, and ”new”
  fans.

  The movie stands on its own and succeeds on various levels. First, the
  characters aren’t as annoying as in the 2005 version. 2nd, it mixes
  character work and action, and doesn’t offer to much of either. 3rd,
  the humor is not too much, and it’s well timed. 4rd, it doesn’t waste
  time with a (useless) build up, or side stories. It’s a straight
  forward movie. And finally, more women will fall in love with Tom
  Hiddleston who is surprisingly well in action movies.

  Enjoy it!!!

• 
  alen_tabApril 18, 2017Reply

  Search no more for an excellent piece of adventure

  I was very skeptical after the last Kong movie…wasn’t’t even sure on
  whether I want to watch this one…Being a movies lover, regardless of
  genre, somehow I made myself do it….And not that I’m just happy
  because of my decision, but in the sea of boring movies this one simply
  offered action and adventure that kept me knocked on my seat for the
  entire movie. An excellent movie for all those who are into this
  genre…If you are not into this than don’t bother looking it, because
  writing a Kong-critique if you are ”la la la la la la land man” makes
  no sense…for those who love action/adventure/fantasy movies I bet you
  will enjoy it! It’s not just worth seeing it – it’s a must!

  Enjoy!

• 
  Jimi WayneApril 18, 2017Reply

  Gives me hope that I will be pulled off the street to become a Hollywood director

  Where do you find someone creative enough to revitalize the much loved
  King Kong series? I’m only assuming it can’t be done because if this is
  the best money can buy, may the FSM take pity on us. It may sound
  overly dramatic, but this ”film” lowered my expectation for humanity’s
  future. Not a shred of logic in any of these characters or the plot for
  that matter. At any point of the film you could have asked a child what
  should happen next and they would be 100% correct.

  Great effects and John C. Reilly were the only things that got me to
  the end of this movie, though even some of his jokes fell flat. I did
  regret getting to the end of the ”movie” however, as projectile vomit
  leaped from my mouth upon seeing the open ending allowing for 3 or 4
  more train wrecks to be produced.

  P.S. Some how they lined this shitty director up for a Metal Gear Solid
  movie. You know that film won’t be the start of a franchise. The guy
  has less depth than a bathtub and he’s supposed to make a spy movie.
  Unfortunate that even a bathtub is deep enough to drown beloved
  characters.

• 
  Geno YoungApril 18, 2017Reply

  The King is back, and in a REALLY BIG WAY!

  I want to be very clear about this, anyone who doesn’t wish to have an
  extremely thrilling and terrifying time, DO NOT see ”Kong: Skull
  Island.” He is back, well rested and ready to ensue some fresh havoc.
  This is not a remake, or a sequel, though it feels like it can go hand
  in hand with the original as far as the thrills are concerned. The cast
  really brings their A Game and the overall film packs a wallop with
  some of the best CGI that I’ve seen. The characters (although not the
  brightest bunch) play likable and generally somewhat believable roles;
  and Kong has never looked better! The film is loaded with thrills and
  chills, creeps and crawls, jump scares, and a shocking amount of gore
  for a PG-13 feature. I bet it was a kill away from a R-Rating, this
  wouldn’t have flew under the PG-13 radar 30 years ago. All in all, a
  MUST SEE for any King Kong fan, or anyone desiring to have a truly
  thrilling and terrifying time! ”Kong: Skull Island” spins a yarn that I
  would put against any past adaptation including the original. A+ an
  instant classic!

  *Stay to the end for one last shock*

• 
  thebluemexApril 18, 2017Reply

  Kong Sized Fun

  I was hesitant to see the film, fearing it was another rehash of big
  gorilla discovered, fights, falls for girl, gets trapped, put on
  display, escapes, climbs building, fights off militia, falls and it
  ends. It was pleasurably different than I thought. Without any
  spoilers, it has a different spin and the big ape is absolutely
  awe-inspiring. I usually don’t go for CGI infested films, but since
  it’s Kong, I expected it and it was necessary for the story and done
  extremely well. I only have one criticism and that’s I wish there was
  more background to the indigenous people of the island who were
  mysterious and deserving of further exploration. They looked pretty
  cool. Highly recommend! Kong is king!

• 
  bdmimdb3dApril 18, 2017Reply

  The King is back, long live the Kong..uh King. 8/10.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ycho-29371April 19, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island is a big pile of mess…..

  Finally, a new rehash of the classical 1933’s ‘King Kong’ has been
  remade with Hollywood without even matching up to it’s original,
  however, the 2005’s ‘King Kong’ has been the most impressive and
  adequate of what it succeed. Kong Skull Island, directed by Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts returns for a new project with one of the writers being a
  writer and director of my favorite films of 2014, Dan Gilroy. The first
  impression to deliver is this movie is a pile of mess that keeps on
  building and lowers the film. As the film begins, we are introduced to
  two scientists proving ancient species exist on an island, while
  excusing to map the geography of the island. We meet James Conrad (Tom
  Hiddleston), a formal weapons dealer, and that is only what it has to
  offer. Additionally, we see Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) as for
  the most majority an uninteresting and unrelatable antagonist. There is
  no short description of their biography illustrated and flashed out
  that might be fascinating at least. Due to, a poorly written script and
  unprofessionally executed characters with no excess of heart, which
  just felt like attractive humans who could run in slow motion. The vast
  majority of the cast are just expendables bodies for large, CGI created
  monsters to toy with. Positive note, Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly), is
  the best aspect that can elevate this film to a higher position with a
  rather interesting backstory and an excess of little heart we stood up
  for. We go into for a purpose, the purpose being able to see gigantic
  CGI monster crashing up with each other. Like as the anticipation, it
  does offer exhilarating eye candy visuals, consistently solid acting, a
  fast paced and intriguing deployment of the story, and the most
  important exhilarating, fascinating, and huge frenetic monsters that
  can satisfy some. All cast-ed monsters look promisingly amazing and
  flawless, adding more ‘fun’ and thrills for an adventure roller coaster
  ride. It keeps the audiences intrigued for certain monster battles and
  clashes processed with CGI. While it may satisfy some for just
  mindlessly watchable CGI monster film, but the whole affair can’t
  escape a hugely hollow feeling after the ending credits roll. Also, it
  detracts from other successful films, elevating the film’s originality
  to the bottom as it builds more disappointments. Overall, this film
  offers cool visuals with big CGI monsters for few moments, but the
  majority focuses on the human aspect which is a mess and a hollow that
  will keep most film buffs let down as the end credits begin.

• 
  carlburgerApril 20, 2017Reply

  A complete mess.

  Kong: Skull Island A failed matinée. A botched blockbuster. Basically?
  It’s gorilla poop.

  But why? Well. Imagine that you are a teacher. You’re giving your class
  of 12 year olds a home assignment, to write an ”adventurous story”. And
  once the sugar high kids turn in their papers, you take one of the most
  hilariously bad ones, and send it, just for sh*ts and giggles, to
  Hollywood.

  …and to your shock and amazement- they make a freaking movie out of
  it. That is Kong:Skull Island. That’s what it feels like.

  The story is so all over the place. Most of the action scenes look
  cool. But over all, the film is weighed down by actors standing in
  front of an unusually bad and apparent green screen. Most of those bad
  green screen scenes feels very much like hastily added re shoots.

  Remember Suicide Squad? This movie suffers from the same problems. They
  talk about the hollow earth in the movie. Where the great ancient
  beasts resides. Well. That’s kinda symptomatic for the script. So much
  surface, covering a vast abyss of nothingness.

  Actually though. I get what they were aiming for. An entertaining
  matinée for the family. But at times it’s way to gory and graphic for
  that. I honestly zoned out, watching it, at times. Because it was like
  listening to the incoherent story from an Adhd kid yelling some lengthy
  story about how he totally owned like 500 bullies, that came at him
  with laser rifles in the schools cafeteria.

  Verdict: In true McDonald’s fashion – in order to please *everyone* it
  instead ends up tasting like sh*t to *everyone*. 👍 One thumb up- for
  some cool looking scenes with Kong going ape.

• 
  and-charalambousApril 20, 2017Reply

  I had a good surprise when I went to watch this!

  I only saw one trailer before going so I had no spoiled scenes and I
  hadn’t read any reviews like the low-starred ones that are probably
  going to be below my post and I am SO thankful I didn’t do those
  things. Why? Kong Skull Island was an AMAZING monster movie, if not the
  best monster movie I have ever seen. Awesome visuals and music, good
  cast and OK story but the monster action in this movie was the BEST!
  Unlike Godzilla which takes like 1hr to be shown in the 2014 film, we
  get a look at Kong early on but also throughout the entire movie. In
  short, I loved it, my friends did as well. It might lack a bit of logic
  but to be honest, look at ANY action/adventure movie from Hollywood and
  you won’t see any logic in it. So the people saying that in reviews in
  here are total hypocrites. People who enjoy movies like Fast and
  Furious would most likely like the movie. (I don’t personally like the
  F&F franchise because it’s TOO illogical and the performances kinda
  annoying).

• 
  Rob HallamApril 21, 2017Reply

  Garbage

  Got to be one of the most clichéd, blatant and bad rip off Hollywood
  attempts of all time.

  Felt like a combination of Jurassic park, Tropic Thunder, Apocalypse
  now and a smatter of Platoon thrown in at the end for good measure.

  Jackson was at least predictably poor, anything he’s in nowadays should
  likely be avoided unless strongly supported.

  Totally unrealistic action scenes and weak attempts to create an excuse
  for an action scene with no build up towards it … check out the
  exploding cigarette scene :-

  ( Felt like a situation whereby the Writer and Director said ‘We don’t
  really have two hours of movie here, lets turn it into a Vietnam Shoot
  ém up then ?’

  Poor, poor, poor !!!!!!

• 
  Info-241-562323April 21, 2017Reply

  Pathetic!!

  I thought I was the only person who was disappointed with this movie –
  how it got a 7/10, I have no idea. Everyone I have asked about it told
  me not to bother – I wish I had of listened.

  Please don’t confuse this with previous ‘Kong’ movies – they are worlds
  apart; and only go to show what happens when you throw a s”tload of
  money at something to make it supposedly ‘spectacular’, and end up with
  nothing but garbage.

  CGI isn’t too bad – once they discover how to get perspective right.
  Script is woeful – filled with gung-ho attitude and cheap ‘kick-ass’
  dialog which just doesn’t work at all within the context of the movie.

  Storyline – well, it could have been done in half the time. I’m not
  even sure there is a story in all of this, apart from a group of ‘look
  how mean and brave’ we are men going to kill monsters. Mix that with a
  script that thinks it’s from Rambo, and the entire budget, CGI and just
  about everything else associated with this film becomes a complete
  waste of time.

  A real pity – it could have been so so good.

  1/10

• 
  Julian ([email protected])April 21, 2017Reply

  Lack of something

  With the purpose of find the unknown a group of people are headed to
  the skull island. Where they hope they will find the answer to many
  myths.

  Great special effects and sometimes good shots. But the movie, in spite
  of having a great cast, did not manage to make the most of them. I did
  not feel a connection with any of the and I barely knew who was the
  important one. ALso, I realized that there were several characters
  without purpose and without them the story would have been the same.

  Great movie to have fun, but it has a lack in writing. The story and
  characters were not good enough.

• 
  bowmanblueApril 22, 2017Reply

  My latest guilty pleasure film

  Okay, so I’ll start by saying that ‘Kong: Skull Island’ is hardly
  high-brow entertainment. It’s mass marketed nonsense aimed at the
  lowest comment denominator. I guess I would have to include myself in
  that bracket, because I thoroughly enjoyed it! We’ll ignore Peter
  Jackson’s recently take on the ‘King Kong’ story, as it bears no
  relevance here. Instead, back in 1973 the U.S. government discover an
  island that’s remained hidden throughout the years and decide to send
  in a team to investigate. We’re treated to a brief introduction to all
  the major players and a quick briefing on board the battleship which
  reminded me of something out of ‘Aliens.’ And, while we’re on the
  subject of ‘Aliens’ Ripley would be most proud about the way the
  military starts dropping bombs all over the island (with a view to
  ‘study’ it – no, seriously). So, while helicopters do their best to
  ‘nuke the site from orbit’ one of the island’s indigenous occupants –
  an oversize monkey – doesn’t take kindly to this course of action and
  takes down every last one of them, leaving those few survivors not
  blown up in the massacre to do their best to make their way across the
  island to the pick-up point before something even worse happens to
  them.

  Now, it’s not just enraged monkeys who they have to worry about. They
  have natives, giant spiders and horrible lizard-things who live
  underground to contend with. And they soon realise that Kong is the
  least of their problems! I’m lead to believe that this will be the
  first in a line of these movies, some even crossing Kong over with
  other existing franchises (‘Godzilla’ anyone?) so naturally Kong is –
  justifiably – the star. However, this does mean that some of the humans
  are kind of left in the background a bit. It does try to handle quite a
  large cast and not all of them get the screen time they deserve.

  Arguably the film’s (human) star is Tom Hiddleston. He’s basically
  everything you’d expect a fantasy/action film’s leading man to look
  like. And, as anyone who’s seen him in action as Loki in any of the
  Marvel films, you’ll know he’s got the screen presence to pull off the
  leading man role. And, I’m sure he can. He just never really gets the
  chance here. It just feels like he never gets a true chance to shine as
  there are so many other people to also feature that he’s only there to
  look manly and give us a possible hint at a romance with the obligatory
  female co-star. Of course when you also have Samuel L Jackson among the
  cast, you really need to give him something to do as you don’t want to
  run the risk of wasting acting talent like his. And, to be fair, he
  does his best with all the screen time he’s afforded and the
  ‘stare-down’ between him and Kong is truly chilling. John C Reilly is
  also worthy of a mention, simply because he balances some much-needed
  humour with a role that allows him to be more than just the standard
  ‘comic relief.’ Now, with any film where there’s a strong element of
  danger in it, you expect there to be a bunch of cast members who are
  there only to make up the numbers and will be routinely killed off at
  various points in the film. ‘Kong: Skull Island’ certainly has plenty
  of these and – yes – most end up in the belly of a giant arachnid or
  something. However – without wishing to spoil anything – a few of them
  make it further into the film than you’d imagine. They’re given next to
  no screen time, yet they last longer than characters you’ve grown
  closer to. Of course all human stars play second fiddle to the ‘real’
  star of the show – the titular character ‘Kong’ himself, who is looking
  pretty good for his age! In other words the computer effects used to
  bring him to life are realistic enough to give him more than just your
  standard CGI monster. And, isn’t he the real reason we’re going to
  watch this film? If there is a down-point it’s that it’s a little long
  and some scenes seem a bit drawn out. Plus, when Kong smacks down on
  other CGI creatures, the effects do blur together a bit into one
  fast-moving mess (but at least it’s still not as bad as any of the
  Transformers movies!). However, if you’re expecting a popcorn flick
  which, despite hardly re-inventing the wheel as far as plot and
  character development go, you should get some enjoyment in seeing Kong
  battle it out against all manner of human and monster foe. It’s not
  meant to be a great work of art, so please forgive it its failing and
  enjoy it for what it is. Let’s just hope that whatever sequels and
  crossovers its success spawns don’t dip in quality too much
  (Transformers, I’m thinking of you again!).

• 
  spencergrande6April 22, 2017Reply

  Kind of all over the place but distinct enough

  A strange movie. It is kind of all over the place with its themes and
  influences but it has a distinct enough personality and some solid
  setpieces.

  This is a straight adventure story with giant monsters, and the way
  it’s shot and the hammy dialogue are mostly B-movie and comic book
  derived (check out those Dutch angles and blistering colors and 10
  times too big sun, moon, aurora…).

  But there’s also a clunky Vietnam metaphor that’s a straight-up over
  the top ”homage” to Apocalypse Now, et al. The song choices even more
  so. It makes sense in theory (VietKong anyone?) but I don’t think it
  ever really works and it’s just an excuse to make Sam Jackson a bad guy
  to counterpoint Kong’s ”human” side.

  Characters are fine for the most part. They serve their cardboard
  purposes and that’s what’s expected. Hiddleston and Larson in
  particular feel vastly underdeveloped. Everything they say and do fall
  instantly from memory and their disappearance from the movie all
  together wouldn’t have changed it that much.

  But what we want are monsters and we get them. Most of them are wonders
  to behold (the water buffalo, spider legs, and octo tentacles yum)
  except the generic Skullcrawers (the scene where Reilly names them is
  embarrassing – I don’t think Larson or Hiddleston had any idea what to
  do the dialogue is so ferociously dumb. Reilly almost saves it
  however).

  This Kong feels like a very different movie than the new Godzilla. This
  is very much an entertaining B-movie with strong comic book influences
  worn loud and proud. It will be interesting to see how these two worlds
  collide. If any franchises deserve an extended universe, it’s these!
  That’s what they’re all about.

• 
  Muzix38April 22, 2017Reply

  Great Movie not at all what I expected (Another Re-make)

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  ibarrfApril 22, 2017Reply

  Entertaining but lacking

  I must say that I feel this movie lacks a bit of consistency, it starts
  with a decent story but then it just goes down leaving a bunch of
  questions unanswered and some plot holes.

  While you can see the effort in developing Kong and the crawlers,every
  other creature in the island is just there to fill the huge void in the
  plot.The guys at legendary pictures apparently heard how everyone
  complained about ”to much plot and not enough Godzilla” in their last
  monster movie production and turned this into something similar to a
  ”transformers movie”, it’s full of visuals but the story is lacking and
  some characters have no motivation or logic in their actions.

  I can’t say it’s a bad movie, but it’s a wasted opportunity to expand
  the lore of the franchise, you will exit the cinema feeling that
  something was not there.

  It is obvious they are trying to turn this into a profitable franchise,
  but when you give priority to visuals instead of plot, you end up with
  movies like ”Alice in Wonderland” and it’s sequel, or any of the recent
  ”Transformers” movies, pretty to look at, but completely forgettable,
  and doing that to a character like King Kong feels just wrong.

  However,I would like to see more monsters movies in the future, and
  Kong skull island was enjoyable and a fresh take to a character that’s
  been around for over 80 years, you probably won’t become a fan of
  ”kaiju” movies watching it, but let’s hope next installments in the
  franchise are better.

• 
  campbella722April 23, 2017Reply

  Best advice: have no expectations

  This movie was excellently shot, well acted, brilliantly directed, and
  surprisingly well executed. I walked into it thinking, ”Seriously?!” I
  mean, come on, it’s King Kong, the sequel. How good can it be? Well
  apparently, actually pretty f’ing enjoyable. I am not giving it high
  marks because it was an Oscar Winner by any stretch, except maybe on
  the graphics, but I mean, that can be said for most movies these days.
  No, I am giving it props because I actually enjoyed this movie and
  would highly recommend it. It grabs you from the beginning and keeps
  hold through out. No joke, incredibly shot. Incredible respect for the
  director, who has apparently not done anything to this scale before far
  as I can tell. And Tom Hiddleston, if you haven’t seen Night Manager,
  it will change your mind about him as an actor. Yeah, I mean he’s got
  Loki going on, but this and that short Hulu/BBC/AMC collabo truly shows
  his range beyond the megalomaniac Asgardian. Really, this movie reminds
  me of Pacific Rim: another movie I went in with NO expectations except
  monster film, so no dialogue, less plot, worse acting, and somehow less
  direction, and like that one, I was thoroughly delighted. Maybe low
  expectations are best in films like this, but that’s OK. I am tired of
  the super hyped CGI fest that promises everything and delivers nothing.
  Sometimes, a pleasant surprise is just what the doctor ordered, and
  while some of plot may be predictable, that still does not take away
  from you caring about the characters and hoping that they manage to
  survive what should be a no-win scenario, and getting your kicks from a
  few well placed jump scares, tremendous photography, and, I feel,
  poignant commentary on the human condition. If you’re not into monster
  films though, this may not be for you. But if you have an inkling for
  giant impossible beings kicking the crap out of each other and puny
  humans caught in the middle, you just may want to give this a
  chance….

• 
  ThommyMacApril 23, 2017Reply

  Another Example of IMDb Woefully Padding Ratings

  I have been a member of IMDb for many years and love it as a tool. This
  is the nail in the coffin of its rating system having any sort of
  credibility. For me, the last time a movie was such an endurance
  contest was ”No Strings Attached”, another reviled movie that enjoys
  twice as many ”stars” as any other site. IMDb is in a class by itself
  but after seeing the 7 stars afforded by, allegedly, users I just can’t
  take the ratings system for any sort of seriousness. Can’t lick ’em,
  join ’em? From now on any time I rate a movie for IMDb it’s going to be
  a 1 or a 10. I can’t believe the thought I used to put into my
  ratings. Finally over, it was like watching Sextette while having to
  pee.

• 
  pontificatorApril 24, 2017Reply

  nostalgia for past wars.

  very predictable trope laden crapazoo… Reminded me of mysterious
  Island only less pleasant, plus didn’t get to see the giant ants. Quite
  frankly an old black n white Mothra and Godzilla would have been more
  enjoyable. Funny here and there especially bringing the old marooned
  vet up to spec on modern times and unintentionally risible everywhere
  else. Seems main purpose of this movie was to recycle, (insert old
  songs back into public consciousness) for their copyright holder
  corporations, together with some jingoism for future possible wars. One
  wonders at what point nostalgia for desert storm might start to rear
  its ugly head. And we find out that guns aren’t just useful for killing
  other humans and napalm is still handy from its genesis from
  Guadalcanal flame throwers to whatever it is now but in the end you
  still need a hulking big gorilla to bail you out whoever that was but
  they hung. Ha Ha.

• 
  westley34April 24, 2017Reply

  Terrible

  This was a terrible movie with great special effects and good actors.
  The non feasibility of the action completely ruins it for any thinking
  person. There are like a dozen or more helicopters and every one of the
  pilots does not understand the simple concept of flying up out of the
  reach of a giant gorilla and going the other way. On the contrary, many
  of them fly right towards it. Not 5 minutes pass and something else
  implausible happens (like a spider sticking its leg through a man’s
  mouth and impaling him. Then they try to tell us that a tribe of humans
  have been living in such a hostile environment for more than 28 years?
  That is just too implausible. Also when Kong was fighting the squid a
  piece of the squid flies off towards the camera and travels about 1000
  feet in one second. That is nearly the speed of sound. Kong has a cut
  on his arm, but this is a creature that swats helicopters out of the
  air without getting cuts on his hands. Samuel Jackson says ”these men
  did not die in vain”, but they all clearly did. What an incredibly bad
  movie that could have been good considering the budget and the great
  cast. This is one of the biggest wastes ever. I am not willing to
  suspend disbelief as much as this garbage is asking us to.

• 
  JakobSApril 24, 2017Reply

  The Film is good for what it is.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Kunta31April 25, 2017Reply

  Kong: Suicidal Island

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  escctrlshiftApril 25, 2017Reply

  A Movie So Bad, It’s Almost Better than Mediocre

  This movie pulls no punches in its quest to employ more tired
  blockbuster formulas in its production than any other blockbuster ever
  did. Think Jurassic Park meets King Kong meets Godzilla meets
  Apocalypse Now meets Indiana Jones meets Samuel Jackson in his latest
  (awful) action movie. That guy has to be the hardest working black
  actor in Hollywood, analogous to Robert DeNiro in New York, making tons
  of crappy movies in his old age and laughing all the way to the bank.
  In any case this movie stuns with its cast of great actors doing crappy
  acting, with crappy lines and over-the-top production consisting mainly
  of special effects. It should try less hard to be overblown, and more
  understated, a la Ed Wood, in order to achieve sublimity through
  awfulness. Actually it almost did, flashing the iconic sunset image
  from Apocalypse Now and showing the images and using the sound of army
  helicopters repeatedly to inculcate ”Vietnam” atmospherics. Priceless
  absurd, patent, and LMAO. Also, John C. Reilly listening to ‘We’ll Meet
  Again Hughie Charles’ at the film’s denouement, or thereabouts, evoking
  fond memories of Kubick’s use of the same recording in Dr. Strangelove.
  These made me LMAO, so six stars instead of four.

• 
  septpaul24April 25, 2017Reply

  Great twist on King Kong Story, sentimental Ape

  I was captivated by the story line dating to the end of the Vietnam
  war. The cast was real and believable in their roles. The big heavy
  weights of film making John Goodman, Samuel Jackson, and John C. Reilly
  were fantastic together and apart. The conflicts were so real and the
  emotions boiled over in this new epic film that took the audience to a
  lost island in the middle of no where. I enjoyed the story, scenery and
  the acting.

• 
  s3276169April 25, 2017Reply

  Decent action flick….

  I came to this film not expecting a great deal. I was then surprised to
  find a decent action flick with a subtle anti war, pro environment
  message…..

  First off this is above all else, an action flick. The fun starts from
  the get go and continues at a good pace throughout this film. Unlike
  previous Kong films, this time its humanity intruding on Kong’s patch
  not Kong being transported back to civilization. Personally, I think
  this approach works far better. It allows for a world of CGI generated,
  larger than life creatures, like Kong to be brought to life, creating
  an outlandish but fun jungle style adventure.

  Whats also appealing is the pro environment, anti war message. Without
  giving too much away, the warmongers in this film really don’t fare too
  well. Mess with nature and pay the price. Something we should all keep
  in mind.

  The acting is for the most excellent helped by well rounded, colourful
  characterizations, that, whilst not too realistic, fit snugly into the
  rather fantastical world of Skull Island.

  In sort, I really enjoyed Kong Skull Island and I think you will too.
  Eight out of ten from me.

• 
  Paul ZinkApril 25, 2017Reply

  Hackneyed, Clichéd, Boring.

  Rarely have I found such a gaping chasm between the enthusiastic
  reviews and the disappointing on-screen reality as with this film.
  Since everyone knows the basic story of KIng Kong, there is, of course,
  no suspense and none is to be expected except in the details of the
  characters’ various predicaments (and of course, which of the cast of
  characters will be killed in a nasty and/or surprising manner). So,
  that leaves the story and the cast to carry the movie, as well as the
  special effects we expect.

  The director said that he was strongly influenced by video games, and
  it clearly shows. This is a film for an audience satisfied by ”big
  monsters” and lots of automatic weapons. The acting is workmanlike and
  professional, as you’d expect from the talented lead actors, but you
  can see they’re sleep-walking through their roles: Oh look, Samuel L.
  Jackson playing a military hard-ass… Tom Hiddleston playing a reserved
  British ex-soldier with hidden mental and character strengths… John C.
  O’Reilly playing a lovable oddball eccentric… Wake me when the director
  has an actor playing against type, please.

  Big insects and lizards: check. Angry huge gorilla: check. Spectacular
  and wild scenery and location: check. Mysterious natives: check.
  Soldiers trying to kill huge creatures with small arms and being
  crushed when the creatures and insects just won’t die: check. Obvious
  references to other films (armed boat going down a river in Vietnam-war
  era, manned by soldiers, with rock music blasting—hmm,let me think…)
  and the Joseph Conrad novella: check.

  Compared to the outstanding and nuanced 2005 Peter Jackson film, this
  one looks like it was scripted and directed by a nine-year old sitting
  in front of his PlayStation, and aimed at a similar audience.

• 
  barbagvidoApril 27, 2017Reply

  Turn your brain off and enjoy the ride

  Kong:Skull Island is the second movie in a new rebooted Universal
  monsters universe, the first being Godzilla (2014). I loved Godzilla
  and I think I loved this one even more.

  Everyone says that the movie is bad because most characters are
  one-dimensional and you don’t care about them. That’s true. But look,
  why would you want to know all of the human characters backstories and
  feelings when you’re watching a freaking monster movie? People today
  are forgetting how to enjoy movies. Not everything should be watched by
  the same standards. It’s kinda like criticizing Moonlight for not being
  funny and you decided to watch it as a comedy. Think about it, there’s
  really not much difference. Unfortunately, it’s starting to look like
  every movie today is being criticized for not being funny, but
  whatever. The characters might have been bland, but that doesn’t make
  the movie any less intense. And trust me, it’s INTENSE. There are quite
  a few scenes that will make you anxious especially if you’re afraid of
  bugs or lizards. It’s also surprisingly very gory for a PG-13 movie. I
  was very pleasantly surprised. It’s not the PG- 13 ”violence” that you
  see in movies all the time lately. This movie is shockingly brutal and
  one of those that push the PG-13 rating to the limits. And Kong. Wow.
  Kong has never been this bada$$. Seriously, he’s so freaking cool and
  the design of other monsters is quite good.

  All in all, when I put it all together, I suggest that you turn your
  brain off and let yourself be entertained. If you like movies about
  giant monsters, you will love this.

• 
  Zeca Homem da LutaApril 27, 2017Reply

  all the same again…

  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over?? v
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over?? v
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  doesn’t Hollywood get sick of redoing the same things over and over??
  vv

• 
  dting2010April 28, 2017Reply

  Yawn

  Whomever said they saw this movie and thought it was ”fun” evidently
  did not see the same movie I did. To me, it was a very forgettable
  movie. There was absolutely no plot, character development or chemistry
  between the actors. The only saving graces for the movie were King
  Kong, Tom Huddleston and Brie Larson.

• 
  trashgangApril 28, 2017Reply

  Jurassic Park mixed with Apocalypse Now

  Especially in the beginning before the enter the island were Kong lives
  this is a pure ode to Apocalyose Now (1979). The score used, the shots
  from the helicopters and the way the cinematography was done will
  remind a lot of people towards the old flicks about the Vietnam war.

  It’s once on the island that the action really begins and it starts
  immediately with an apocalypse (no pun intended). The effects are
  stunning and it’s from that point that this flick turns into a fight
  against the creatures on one point and another bunch of guys are trying
  to survive. From there on the mix between the titles said in my summary
  starts.

  But don’t get me wrong. It’s not a remake of King Kong (all issues). It
  stands on it’s own and of we go in a flick full of great effects. Not a
  flick to watch with youngsters because when fighting against the
  creatures it’s full of creepy suspense.

  Better than expected

  Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 5/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

• 
  NDbportmanfanApril 28, 2017Reply

  Felt More Like a Toho Movie Which is a Good Thing!

  Kong Skull Island primarily takes place in the 1970’s or more specific
  right after the US leaves Vietnam. A crew is sent on an expedition to
  survey the area for resources, but the real reason is to find proof of
  King Kong.

  Typically with the US movies we see a love story ensue with the blond
  and the beast as well as some money making side show. That is for the
  most part disregarded and instead we get a good monster fighting movie.
  The action was great and well shot especially during the last 20
  minutes or so. That period of time really sold the movie for me. Prior
  to that point I was on the fence if I was really liking what I was
  seeing.

  Kong was once again the sympathetic beast audiences can root for and
  will continue to root for if this whole planned monster Universe goes
  as planned (fingers crossed). The other characters are not fully
  fleshed out but that is excusable since the great monster movies do not
  need character development. The character that was talked about the
  most was the comic relief and he had a great story and well timed
  jokes. There was certainly never a dull moment watching this as
  monsters just kept coming and the crew just had to survive. Speaking of
  the characters, Hiddleston and Larson had their moments as well. There
  wasn’t much but there was enough to get attached to them. They had kind
  of a… well I don’t what you call it but they reminded me a lot of
  Nathan Drake and Elena from Uncharted. If you don’t play video games
  then look them up as that relationship is the best example I could
  give.

  The Bad:

  The big thing that annoyed me was the overly clichéd character of
  Samuel L Jackson I am not going to say anything about the direction his
  character takes but it was dumb and has been done better.

  Some of the action…no wait just the scene when they arrived on the
  helicopters yes that one. That went on too long to remain enjoyable if
  they cut that sequence by half I would have enjoyed it a whole lot
  more.

  Conclusion

  This was a very good monster movie.I am semi excited what the next one
  will be given the movies success. I would recommend this if you liked
  the Toho movies as I believe they helped a little in making this movie.
  If you just like giant monsters fighting then you can’t go wrong with
  this movie.

• 
  pbartbarApril 29, 2017Reply

  Uhmmmm……OK

  If our military personnel were as stupid as they are depicting them in
  this movie then we better be very, very afraid. The characters are
  nothing more than actors citing lines. Not convincing in the least. The
  plot…..not sure if there is one. Just a cheap remake of the last 20
  King Kong movies but with the worst acting I have seen in any of them.
  They tried to make this movie too incredible. It seemed like some of
  the scenes were out of place and were thrown in as an afterthought.

• 
  claudiu-hromeiApril 29, 2017Reply

  Such a disappointing. ..

  Very good: Special effects

  Bad: Everything else.story. acting. Defining all laws of evolution. Far
  from the value of the previous Kong.

  Not to be watched dor artistic value. Or will be very disappointed.

  Rent value only.

• 
  OneEightNine MediaApril 29, 2017Reply

  We gotta get out of this place..

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  littleging12April 29, 2017Reply

  B-movie plot meets A-movie budget with A-list actors = One helluva Good Time

  ”Kong: Skull Island” delivers on what a B-movie monster flick with an
  A-movie budget should be: a well paced, action-packed, visually
  competent, comedic, and an all around fun time. What helps set it apart
  from forgettable/mediocre monster flicks like 2014’s ”Godzilla” is its
  large and highly entertaining cast of talented A-listers that include
  Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John C.
  Reilly, the reuniting of ”Straight Outta Compton’s” Corey Hawkins and
  Jason Mitchell, and the box office King himself, Kong.

  The standout is John C. Reilly whose introduction breathes new energy
  into the movie just as things were about to turn dull. His character
  provides plenty of comic relief, interesting exposition, and a surprise
  emotional moment. Samuel L. Jackson almost steals the show as a
  vengeful, trigger-happy and profane army officer who has the only
  logically-sound motives. Also John Goodman and Corey Hawkins play
  scientists out to prove the existence of Kong and monsters. Brie Larson
  and Tom Hiddleston have an interesting scene together in the beginning
  of the film but after that are kinda wasted with no real development. I
  had trouble remembering their names by the time the end credits rolled,
  but their charisma and sublime hair were enough to compensate. Jason
  Mitchell and Shea Whigham provided some nice banter that helped put a
  face on the faceless soldiers. Then there is the real star: Kong! The
  monster battles were visually delightful as well as inventively awesome
  — like when Kong uses a propeller as a morning star. Shout out to the
  writers for not wasting everyone’s time with a rehashed romance between
  Kong and the blonde damsel in distress. We had enough of that in Peter
  Jackson’s interpretation.

  In conclusion, ”Kong: Skull Island” is an entertaining ride from start
  to finish that will thrill/entertain/amuse those willing to turn their
  brains off.

• 
  maravukelicApril 29, 2017Reply

  So bad

  I literally signed in to IMDb just so I could rate this movie 1 star.
  Unbelievable how bad this is. I really watched it just so I could write
  this.

  Movie is over exaggerated in almost every scene and could be liked only
  by a child, maybe.

  From hundred meters high Kong to Aurora Borealis somewhere in Pacific
  with obvious tropical climate and red, fiery lightnings, everything
  about this movie is just wrong.

  *little spoiler* Slow motion guy running through green gas in the
  middle of rain forest cutting in half a bird from which blue blood
  starts to fizzle? Really?

  It is unnecessary to mention that this movie is an insult to every
  biologist, geologist, scientist in general. I understand that it is not
  important to everyone and that it doesn’t have to be a bad movie
  because of some mistakes like that but when you got all the science
  stuff wrong, bad plot, so unrealistic scenes that you don’t know would
  you cry or laugh there is not much left to like.

• 
  gtyoshidaApril 30, 2017Reply

  An Excellent Movie

  ”Kong: Skull Island” roars out with a cast that is strong all down the
  line. Tom Hiddleston (James Conrad) and Samuel L. Jackson (Preston
  Packard) were both strong choices, Hiddleston for his star power
  inability to outshine Jackson or Brie Larson (Mason Weaver)and Samuel
  L. Jackson who made me hate him.

  The story expands in unexpected ways as Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly), a
  soldier living on Skull Island since world war two and a group of
  scientists, Viet-Nam soldiers, a journalist, and a paid guide try to
  survive in Kong’s uncharted world.

  The harmony throughout this movie is as breathtaking as the beautiful
  jungle vistas. Kong feels the blood tie with Mason when she touches her
  hand to his face, Packard and Conrad use their respective ranks to
  quietly separate the civilians and the military men, and Kong’s battles
  with the ”Skullcrawlers” are savage killings.

  This movie hits all the high notes with singularity and credit goes to
  Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts for making a masterful film. I give this
  movie an unprecedented ten.

• 
  Venkatraman SrinivasanMay 1, 2017Reply

  No depth and absolutely boring

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  crazylegscainMay 1, 2017Reply

  To call this a B Movie is insulting to decent B Movies!

  What a load of of sad Hollywood lame drivel. Those muppets in
  Hollow-wood couldn’t come up with some genuine content if their useless
  lives depended on it.

  Pathetic story. Pathetic acting. Pathetic clichés. Good job Kong was a
  CGI animal and not real so he didn’t have to endure the horror of
  realising what a dire film he was forced to be in!

• 
  stevenrotherforthMay 6, 2017Reply

  Not even Kong himself could create a pile of poo as big as this!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  asheroskyMay 6, 2017Reply

  Well,,, I won’t say it was terrible.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Ferris VuellerMay 6, 2017Reply

  Disconnected

  Only good thing in this movie was the crashed pilot. If they had spent
  more time developing his character, and his story, the movie could have
  been a LOT better.

  Instead, they just took a bunch of disconnected characters and threw
  them in a movie together and it comes out of the oven just like cooking
  with random ingredients.

  Every character was 100% fake, cliché and shallow. Almost no character
  development.

  This movie could have been great for a child – they got a giant monkey,
  a samurai sword, helicopters… maybe cooler if they could have got in
  a laser gun… except it seems they made it slightly political.

  It turns out that Kong is keeping the natural balance of mother earth
  and fighting climate change, which we see in the form of giant legless
  snake ninja monsters.

  Kong is also clearly anti-war in this movie. He’s protecting the earth
  and the people of earth… by going to war with the giant legless snake
  ninja monsters. And of course, all the evil ”war- loving” people in
  this movie die.

  Yada yada yada, don’t waste your time.

• 
  Bridie McTavishMay 6, 2017Reply

  What is this, like the fifteenth remake?

  How many times will Hollywood rehash a story, try to put a twist on it
  and pretend it can be interesting? This was a painful watch. Nearly all
  the action fell flat and looked desultory as the characters ran from
  one side to the other for no reason. Samuel Jackson is years overdue
  for retirement. Dare I say it the female Chinese characters made me
  chuckle a couple of times – everyone knows that since studios were
  bought by the Chinese directors must have at least one Chinese
  character (See Star Wars Rogue One, Independence Day Resurrection, etc.
  etc.) but she has absolutely no acting ability or reason to be there,
  maybe that makes me sexist or racist? A truly cringe-worthy
  performance. On a positive note – sounds like there won’t be sequel!
  Who am I kidding?

• 
  JadamwoodMay 7, 2017Reply

  A entertaining dumb monster movie, like it should be

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  prantherMay 7, 2017Reply

  Pretty Great

  This movie is very different from the typical creature flick, it
  introduces many new ideas to the Kong-verse, it adds a lot more new
  content that contributes towards the Kong back-story. Ultimately, its a
  fantastic setup for the Kong VS Godzilla that will come out soon. Skull
  Island was also reintroduced in all its splendor with brilliant
  visuals, the cinematography is fantastic, great CGI, brilliant
  character development and the plot is smooth and builds up to an
  extremely awesome climax. I would definitely suggest watching it.

• 
  WuchakMay 7, 2017Reply

  Delivers the goods for fantasy-adventure lovers

  Released in 2017 and directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, ”Kong: Skull
  Island” takes place in 1973 where a military crew about to depart
  Vietnam is commissioned to guide an expedition to map out the eponymous
  island. Of course, the giant ape, Kong, is soon discovered, as well as
  several other deadly colossal creatures, including reptilian
  underground monsters dubbed ”Skullcrawlers.” Will anyone make it out
  alive?

  Like my title blurb says, this delivers the goods for fantasy-adventure
  lovers. The opening act is great with its kinetic air and excellent
  late 60s/early 70’s soundtrack. The rest of the movie more or less
  keeps up the entertainment value, highlighted by the racially diverse
  cast, led by Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Tom Hiddleston, Brie
  Larson and John C. Reilly; there are many others.

  ”Skull Island” has the high adventure demanded in a King Kong flick and
  is arguably on par with the original ”King Kong” (1933), as well as the
  1976 and 2005 versions, although it’s superior to the latter because it
  lacks that one’s pretentious over-length, cartoonish CGI-jungles and
  overkill action sequences (like the absurd brontosaurus stampede). Of
  course, it’s criminal to compare a modern CGI-oriented flick with a
  classic like the 1933 film (or even the ’76 version); I’m just saying
  that, if you favor those movies, you’ll probably relish this one
  because it’s cut from the same cloth and is effective for what it is, a
  colossal creature adventure flick. For further comparison, ”Skull
  Island” is pretty much as good or, IMO, better than any of the Jurassic
  Park pictures.

  Along with the thrilling jungle escapades, there are some interesting
  subtexts and gems to mine, like the quasi-Ahab subplot and the fact
  that dropping myriad bombs might not be the best answer. Early in the
  film the photographer (Brie) tells the the gung-ho Colonel (Jackson)
  that America lost the Vietnam War. Yet, this isn’t really accurate
  since the USA won every battle of that infamous conflict. So the
  colonel rightly corrects her: ”We didn’t lose the war; we abandoned
  it.”

  The movie runs 118 minutes and was shot in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh,
  Vietnam; Oahu, Hawaii; and Queensland, Australia; with studio work done
  in Los Angeles.

  GRADE: B+

• 
  Mhmd_ElgammalMay 7, 2017Reply

  Yes, King Kong is awesome

  I could not get enough of King Kong! He had me on the edge of my seat
  the entire time. This movie introduced a new benchmark for all monster-
  type movies.

  The story was simple. A group of scientists alongside a military escort
  went to Skull Island to investigate the hypothesis that monsters do
  exist. But they did not know what the monsters were. As a result, they
  were poorly prepared for what was awaiting their arrival. The military
  escort did not know what ”that” was when first spotted, and it resulted
  in complete and total destruction. Their air crafts had no chance
  against King Kong’s massive size and strength. I enjoyed that there was
  a good balance between King Kong’s screen time versus the survivors
  trying to make it off the deadly island before it was too late.

  Preston Packard, played by Samuel L. Jackson, was absolutely annoying.
  He was arrogant, and he kept on putting his own personal gain over his
  team’s survival. His objective was to kill King Kong. He did not care
  how many of his men and women he would lose; he wanted King Kong dead.
  He did not care about the skull crushers (giant lizard things) either,
  and they were the real threat on Skull Island. But despite Packard
  knowing this, he still did not care. It was selfish and illogical for
  him to do that.

  Kank Marlow, played by John C. Reilly, was too funny. He had me
  laughing because his sense of humor when facing death was on point.

  The end credits left us with a scene for an upcoming sequel. But this
  sequel will be with none other, Godzilla! It will be awesome to see
  what happens with the King Kong versus Godzilla in the future.

• 
  austin0731May 9, 2017Reply

  rather disappointing

  Kong: Skull Island has nothing beneath the surface that a genre film
  should have, other than the action and large scale scenes there was
  basically 0 character development and as a huge fan of the Peter
  Jackson rendition of King Kong I have to say I am disappointed in the
  outcomes of this film.

  Skull Island promised to up the ante and go ‘big’ with this new and
  scaled up Kong but the results really isn’t that good at all. There was
  perhaps only 2 scenes in which we get big fights of Kong, which were
  really good yet as I said 2 only, most of the time the film just
  attempts to build suspense by not revealing where Kong is ‘hiding’
  which really doesn’t make much sense because he is a gigantic gorilla
  on this one tiny island.

  Although most the acting is uninspiring and the characters were generic
  and predictable, Samuel L Jackson was probably the saving grace of this
  film playing a relatively interesting and unique character unlike the
  rest, likes of Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston, a rather shame by the
  sound of these names.

  This film felt lacking both in character development and in fun, large
  scale monster battles and seems rather like a build up solely for the
  purpose of pitting Kong against Godzilla in the upcoming feature film.
  Not much attention was given to this film but for what it’s worth this
  film was simply mediocre and just fine.

• 
  TonyMontana96May 9, 2017Reply

  Another trashy, plot less blockbuster where the character’s are nothing more than cannon fodder.

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Sooner_88May 10, 2017Reply

  What 1976 Kong should of been.

  I’m saying that as a fan of the 1976 film, which gets a lot of flack
  and disdain. But this Kong film is a breath of fresh air, compared to
  the 2005 remake of the classic Kong from 1933. How was the film?

  I really enjoyed the film. Great CGI, along with great action, and set
  pieces. Only thing setting this apart from being much greater is the
  cinematography and characters(besides three of them).

  The cinematography doesn’t do much to distinguish the size of the
  characters and the size of Kong. To many times you’ll question the
  scope is uneven and is noticeable.

  And for the characters. Most of them are have no room to layer
  themselves in the plot. They’re mostly your run of the mill, disaster
  team built squad of characters. Find the island, put together team, got
  to island, no connection but to survive, etc.

  But the best characters within the film is the WWII pilot portrayed by
  John C. Reilly(Hank Marlow), John Goodman(Bill Randa), and believe or
  not, Samuel L. Jackson(Preston Packard).

  John C. Reilly stills the show as the most lovable character. He is
  what glues the other characters together once he enters the scene. John
  Goodman, underutilized as he was, still makes good use of his screen
  time. And Sam Jackson portrays a really good broken captain in a battle
  between man and beast

  I recommend this film if your wanting to see an excitingly good monster
  flick. 8/10

• 
  Ethan JonesMay 12, 2017Reply

  Really boring, dull movie; Can’t Recommend

  Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts

  Starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson and John C Reilly

  ​ Plot Overview: 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.

  This movie is dull, its lazy, it’s poorly acted and written and lacks
  any real charm or true enjoyment value that excuses these flaws. While
  it does contain some interesting and inventive action, that small
  amount of satisfaction doesn’t clean the slate of everything that came
  before it. You don’t care about any of the characters and the movie
  just lacks a certain charm that makes it truly enjoyable. Vogt-Roberts
  does a decent job with the giant, climactic battle esc shots but fails
  at anything to do with talking or whatnot. Personally, I don’t think
  you’ll get your moneys worth with this movie and I can’t see many
  people enjoying it that much.

  There is no real story here and anything even related to it is quickly
  pushed aside. The ‘plot’ was just an excuse to get ‘big things’
  fighting but even that is kept at a bare minimum and could have been
  done better.

  Tom Hiddleston was FINE as James Conrad but you can tell he was phoning
  it in. Brie Larson was very weak as Mason Weaver and the man who is
  everything(Samuel L Jackon) was also really poor. Both of their
  characters didn’t flow in one straight arc and neither of them really
  needed to exist. Both John C Reily and John Goodman were fine as John
  Marlow and Bill Randa respectively. The main issue with this movie is
  that none of the characters are likable and every attempt to make them
  appear human or relatable was so blatantly forced in. You may argue
  that this is KONG’s movie but then why not make him the complete
  priority and not focus on any of the humans.

  Vogt-Roberts does a great job at shooting the huge scenes to do with
  Kong in this movie but fails drastically at any scenes that try to
  involve human emotion or contact or happiness. To this movie’s credit,
  however, all the effects were pretty good(even if I feel they could
  have been a little more creative at points).

  This movie’s main strength is the cool and inventive action. While this
  is well done, it’s so short lived and the setup to it doesn’t live up
  to the climax. I understand that it would probably get repetitive if
  the whole movie was just Kong fighting but they could have either added
  more or made the actual climax feel more powerful. Any and all attempts
  at humour in this movie backfired. This movie’s primary directive would
  have been to properly introduce Kong to this Monster-verse and to
  younger audiences. I personally feel that it failed at this goal and
  could have been handled so much better and so much more creatively.

  On a side note, the final scene of this movie were John Goodman goes
  home is shot like it’s genuine footage and if the text ‘Based on a True
  Story’ popped on screen at that moment in time, I would have gave this
  movie a perfect score because that would have been amazing.

  In conclusion, this movie is dull, the characters are boring and the
  climax doesn’t live up to the hype set up by the movie. I don’t feel
  like this movie is worth any money and is just not worth watching.

  4/10

  Wouldn’t Recommend

• 
  evpierMay 12, 2017Reply

  Please stop making Kong movies

  I guess if you’re a 12yr old gamer and you don’t mind a movie full of
  CGI, you can tolerate these movies. Otherwise, it’s 2hrs of your life
  you’ll never get back. The plot is tired and the acting is
  cringe-worthy – probably because the script is so bad. Every time I
  flip through the channel guide and see ”King Kong”, I check to see if
  its the one with Jeff Bridges because that’s the only one worth
  watching. The two newer versions are downright shameful, but they know
  they’ll make money so they keep making them anyway.

• 
  T-ZER0May 13, 2017Reply

  Awaken the King..King Kong!

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Joshua Jerome EsmanMay 16, 2017Reply

  An action movie, and not much else- not necessarily a bad thing

  I give the film a generous rating, because I firmly believe that this
  movie accomplished everything it wanted to. From the outset, it’s a
  goddamn KING KONG movie. It’s action!

  And guess what, this movie does action excellently. I won’t spoil
  anything, but you get to see a massive gorilla beat the pants off of a
  wide range of well-animated monsters and machines, in a very skillfully
  choreographed way.

  The fight scenes were excellent. Very visceral, very well-shot and
  animated, and felt overall very satisfying and impressive. There were
  segments without any monsters that felt like a bit of a step down, but
  they didn’t last especially long.

  I understand the characters were flat enough to fit under a door (maybe
  with the exception of John C. Reilly), and the environmental message
  was present (and really, it wasn’t as in-your-face as most people make
  out), but in the end, I feel that good acting or a subtle message
  weren’t this movie’s intentions. It’s action. And it does that very
  well.

  So, if you want to see a great action movie, go see Kong: Skull Island.

• 
  Viktor BaychevMay 16, 2017Reply

  An insult to the viewer

  If you are not a child, don’t waste your time. One of the worst movies
  I have ever seen. Trivial clichés are all its made of. No reason or
  logic whatsoever. Such reboots should stop, they are just ruining the
  name of once good movies. I was just sitting there and thinking, how
  are you not ashamed to be an actor in this disgrace.

• 
  Brandon MorgandoMay 18, 2017Reply

  Kong Skull Island Review

  Kong: Skull Island We as a class went to watch the movie Kong. and my
  expectations were blown out of the water with the movie. Everything up
  to the acting, graphic design, and the whole story line was just on
  point. In the movie the way they shot some scenes gave the movie a old
  school monster movie feel to the film.

  The movie had amazing acting but the character that stood out the most
  to me was Preston Packard, which was played by Samuel Jackson. The
  reason he stood out to me was how dedicated he was to his mission; he
  didn’t want to reason with anybody because of the fact that Kong had
  killed many of his men.

  The story line was amazing and very well put together, in the movie
  they showed many ”easter eggs” relating to other monsters in other
  movies. This made it so that they can tie future movies together. The
  graphic design was very complex, showing many fights that were visually
  stunning.

  Monster movie connoisseurs, younger generations, sci-fi connoisseurs.
  and anyone that’s really into thrillers. personally i would recommend
  this movie to anyone. The MPAA Rating Is PG-13, my final word on the
  movie is good, i give this movie A+, 5 out of 5 rating!

• 
  Anidre_1009May 21, 2017Reply

  A worthy reboot! Gigantic action!

  The skull island is the birthplace of dozens of dangerous creatures of
  gigantic proportions; Huge spiders, giant killer ants, ridiculously
  large cows, monstrous 80 meter long lizards and of course King Kong.

  I come to review this movie as a fan of the action and giant monsters,
  since I have admired every detail in the fiction of giant Japanese and
  American monsters, of course, the king of kings in this case is
  Godzilla, but the title of king who Kong carries on his behalf is not
  just by coincidence.

  Without a doubt, this giant monkey is ready for all kinds of fantastic
  combat with unique scenes in the giant monster cinema.

  Unlike Godzilla of 2014, Skull Island has lots of monsters fighting
  scenes and many little details of how huge the Monsterverse is looming
  at us. Enter the cinema very excited about this movie and I must admit
  that I love King Kong.

  But not every movie is free from sin. What I do not like is the fact of
  the not-so-special script and the not-so-good performances from two
  great actors who wait a lot more, Jackson and Goodman. Their names are
  supposed to mean ”incredible scenes of script and pure acting” but I
  think this was not their case with Skull Island, because of these
  errors, sometimes the film became too predictable and even childish at
  certain times , But even so, if you want entertainment, this is just
  right.

  A deserved 7 for Kong.

• 
  ali_mmd44May 22, 2017Reply

  so bad

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  the_doofyMay 22, 2017Reply

  Excellent monster movie

  I watched this wanting a monster movie, and monster movie i got

  Despite whatever the naysayers are posting, this movie will be around
  for a very long time. Its much better than the peter jackson thing that
  ends up smothering U out with his action scenes (the three T rexes
  thing that goes on and on was just too much). The action in this movie
  was done with some thought

  This movie reminds me of some other movies that initially take a hit
  and then slowly rise up to be an icon.

  One of the better monster features U can eat popcorn to. Some of the
  actors were not very good, but that would be my only complaint about
  this

• 
  jms-915May 22, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island is not the traditional King Kong. But if you accept that, this is a really fun time.

  I say that this is not the traditional King Kong for many reasons. This
  is not the same story that you all know and love. This is barely even
  the same monster; this one is much taller. The whole movie really only
  exists to set up 2020’s Godzilla vs Kong. That being said, this is a
  fun, action packed movie, that rarely feels like a cheap setup to
  another movie.

  The story revolves around a group of scientists and soldiers in the
  nineteen-seventies who conduct experiments on Skull Island, unaware of
  the monsters that inhabit it.

  The concept is not taken as seriously as many previous renditions of
  Kong. It focuses mostly on intense action, and features comic relief,
  mostly via John C Reilly’s character. But it is still suspenseful, with
  many characters dying unexpectedly. It also has some pretty good
  cinematography, and many scenes reminiscent of Apocalypse Now.

  This new version probably won’t appeal to all King Kong fans. A lot of
  people will probably hate the lighter tone and the liberties taken with
  the monster. But it does what it set out to do: deliver a fun action
  movie. It is nowhere near as good as the original, or even the Peter
  Jackson remake, but I was thoroughly entertained by it. I’d also say
  I’d prefer it to the recent Godzilla movie it’s set to crossover with.
  This is a good movie if you know what you’re getting into.

  jaythemovieguy.blogspot.com

• 
  ZDMay 24, 2017Reply

  6/10

  Review (1~5)

  #Content: Script 3 | Acting 3 | Cinematography 4 | Film Editing 4

  #Visual: Costume Design 4 | Makeup & Hairstyling 4 | Scenic Design 4 |
  Lighting 4 | Visual Effects 4

  #Sound: Score & Soundtracks 4 | Sound Editing & Mixing 4

  #Overall (1~10): 6

• 
  MaximumMadnessMay 25, 2017Reply

  ”Kong: Skull Island”- A trashy B-movie with a $180 million budget and an A-list cast. Whether that’s for better or for worse is up to you to decide.

  Since the critical and commercial success of 2014’s American ”Godzilla”
  reboot, there have been consistent murmurings of a ”MonsterVerse”
  courtesy production company Legendary Entertainment. The goal? Bring
  together various properties based on massive city-stomping creatures
  and remake them for modern audiences. And here, just a few short years
  later, we have the long-awaited second chapter in this expanding
  franchise- 2017’s hammy and quirky, but fairly entertaining ”Kong:
  Skull Island”, based of course on the classic character King Kong of
  cinematic royalty.

  Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the film is very much a sort-of
  throwback feature, taking notes and inspiration from various trashy B
  monster-movies of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and giving them a modern day
  spit-and-polish with top-notch CGI and A-list on-screen talent. The
  result is a troubled but fun little excursion into the unknown, with
  all the old tropes and clichés that we know and (maybe) love and plenty
  of contemporary action and effects. Really, the film is your basic
  creature feature and your enjoyment will be heavily reliant on your
  love for the old stereotypes contained within. If you can have fun with
  the material and look past its faults and occasional over- reliance on
  what’s come before, you’ll have a fun time. If not? Well, you best
  steer clear.

  We follow a motley crew of characters in the 1970’s from all walks of
  life… researchers, soldiers, a magazine photographer and a no-
  holds-barred anti-hero animal tracker- as they travel to the mythical
  ”Skull Island”, seemingly on a mission map out the only recently
  discovered landmass before the Russians. However, upon arrival, things
  take an interesting turn when it is discovered that the island is home
  to not only a local tribe of natives, but massive creatures of all
  types- including a great ape known as ”Kong.” Teaming up with a
  marooned World War II veteran, the group is forced into a fight to
  escape… but at the same time, a nefarious and over-the-edge Colonel
  amongst their numbers has his sights set on Kong for his own dark
  reasons…

  To get it out of the way, the cast is great for the most part. There’s
  a lot of really solid performers here. From the likes of cinematic
  icons such as Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman to modern day
  superstars like Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston… to comedy powerhouses
  like John C. Reilly, everyone is on point and giving it their all.
  While I do think some of the minor supporting characters and
  performances come up short (Jason Mitchell and Shea Whigham in
  particular both being shockingly flat in comparison to their other work
  as soldiers along for the mission), all the lead players do very good
  work here and are a joy to watch. Terry Notary and Toby Kebbell (who
  also plays one of the soldiers) provide the various motion capture
  techniques that bring Kong to life, and to be fair, Kong and their
  combined performances are quite stunning. While his screen time is
  limited, Kong feels like a real living, breathing being and you do get
  some real emotion from his character. While I could nit-pick and argue
  that I preferred the character as he was portrayed in the previous 2005
  reboot… Kong is definitely in good hands in the MonsterVerse.

  And when the film reaches its stride, it’s just consistently fun and
  completely engaging. Director Vogt-Roberts delivers some wonderful
  visual powerhouse sequences of Kong and the other monsters of Skull
  Island going at it, and a few genuinely eerie moments as the characters
  struggle to survive. A stand-out scene involving a 10-story spider was
  among my favorite moments, as was a chilling bone-year chase sequence
  as our heroes must evade enormous underground creeps known as ”Skull
  Crawlers.” It’s when the action picks up that the film started to win
  me over big-time, and I’m thankful that this point is reached
  relatively early on.

  However, the film is not perfect by a long stretch, and looking over
  the other reviews, I can definitely see the problems. In striving to
  make such a fun throw-back feature, the creative minds behind ”Kong” do
  shoot themselves in the foot more than once. We’ve seen this story
  before. We know these types of characters. And we’ve all witnessed
  these very same dialog exchanges and bar-room brawls and epic battles
  many times before. It can make the film a chore in its earlier scenes,
  and rob some of the suspense because we know what’s coming much of the
  time. It can be fun in how archetypal it all is… but it can also be
  quite frustrating. In addition, the writing for the bulk of the
  supporting roles is pretty abysmal, with the many side-characters
  feeling vapid and interchangeable, which lessens the impact of the
  film. The intent is noble, but the execution leaves quite a bit to be
  desired at times.

  Still, I had a decent time. The effects are outstanding, the performers
  likable and the monster battles completely and utterly glorious in
  their scale. ”Kong: Skull Island” isn’t the best film starring the
  massive monkey (I know he’s not really a monkey)… but it’s
  serviceable enough and sets the stage for other monsters to join in on
  the fun. It’s a fun time at the movies. Nothing more. Nothing less. And
  so, I give it an about-average 6 out of 10.

• 
  pesic-1May 26, 2017Reply

  My jaw dropped

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Film Watchin FoolMay 27, 2017Reply

  What to Expect: Kong: Skull Island

  What you can expect is a movie not so much about King Kong, but about a
  group of soldiers and civilians trying to survive supernatural
  surroundings and creatures. It is a fresh take on the King Kong genre,
  but I can’t say it is my favorite of the group.

  Acting/Casting: 6.5* – The cast has some big names and I feel like
  Samuel L. Jackson steals the show here. He plays his role of decorated
  and seasoned war hero to a tee and is supported well by others such as
  Goodman, Larson, Hiddleston. I enjoyed John C. Reilly’s character and
  performance as well. The other non-household names also do a solid job.

  Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 6.5* – The movie has a real nice
  pace to it and the special effects are on par. I enjoyed the soundtrack
  and felt it gave good context to the film. I can say I was impressed
  with just how overwhelming King Kong is portrayed in the film.

  Plot/Characters: 6* – I was a tad disappointed here as I thought the
  movie was lacking in revolving around King Kong. No doubt it is
  centered around him to some extent, but not as much as previous Kong
  films. The main theme of this film is really the survival of the people
  that end up stranded on Skull Island and not so much King Kong.

  Entertainment Value: 6* – It manages to entertain from start to finish
  and keeps the viewer engaged. There is a well put together cast and a
  real nice pace to the film that provides a good dose of entertainment.

  My Score: 6.5+6.5+6+6 = 25/4 = 6.25 Email your thoughts to
  [email protected]

• 
  skuggyngelMay 28, 2017Reply

  Don’t mess with nature, unless with slow motion explosions

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  Eddie CantilloMay 28, 2017Reply

  Kong: Skull Island (2017)

  Kong: Skull Island (2017) Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson,
  Samuel. L. Jackson, John Goodman, John. C. Reilly, Jing Tian, Toby
  Kebbell, Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell Directed By: Jordan
  Vogt-Roberts Review ALL HAIL THE KING Almost 12 years ago when I was 8
  years old I saw my first Kaiju movie. The Peter Jackson interpretation
  of the original King Kong, it’s probably my favorite three hour movie.
  But I do love it case in point. Later I saw the original and the second
  Kaiju film I saw in theaters was Pacific Rim and well you know what was
  third. After the success of Godzilla 2014 it seems that legendary
  pictures decided to go ahead and bring the second cinematic universe in
  film history the monsterverse. In this new iteration of Kong, Bill
  Randa of Monarch is given the go-ahead to go to Skull Island with a
  military escort. When they get there however they drop bombs unleashing
  monsters that killed Kong’s family. Kong trashes the planes and
  destroys most of Colonel Packards men. James Conard teams up with Mason
  Weaver and a few others who crashed near them and learn about the
  island and Kong with the help of Hank Marlow who’s been stuck on Skull
  Island since 1944. When they meet up with Colonel Packard and a few of
  his men they go searching for Jack but with the Skullcrawlers on the
  surface now it’s up to Kong to protect them. This classical b-movie
  monster goodness. A major complaint fans had with the 2014 Godzilla was
  that they kept cutting the fights off and he was barley in the movie.
  You have nothing to worry about here folks when Kong’s on screen, he’s
  on screen and it’s awesome! People complained that the human characters
  weren’t that interesting but then again they’re not boring so… yeah.
  The actors were great too. There were some silly moments like when
  Kong’s about to eat someone and then it cuts to a guy eating a
  sandwich. The world of Skull Island is just incredible it was very cool
  that they shot on location and then in studio for the monster effects.
  This is by far my favorite iteration of Kong, it was great fun
  fantastical romp that was classic b-movie monster goodness with epic
  fights, decent acting and nice shots of the beautiful locations. I’m
  giving Kong: Skull Island a five out of five.

• 
  UnsleepingHorrorMay 29, 2017Reply

  Movie Review: Kong: Skull Island (2017), directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts

  ”Hold on to your butts.” – The inimitable Samuel L. Jackson

  It is the age of cinematic universes – collecting individual properties
  under franchise umbrellas is practically commonplace. We can now
  anticipate the likes of Godzilla and King Kong clashing in cinemas for
  our enjoyment. That already happened? In 1962, you say?

  Ahem. Dubbed the ”MonsterVerse” by Legendary Pictures, giant monsters
  resurface from some unspecified primordial age to stomp and munch on
  humans, and otherwise make a mess of civilization. Three years
  following 2014’s Hollywood rendition of Godzilla comes Kong: Skull
  Island. A journey through jungles, testing camaraderie, pitting man
  (and woman) against nature. Think of it as Jurassic Park meets
  Apocalypse Now. Minus the profundity of Copolla’s film. And with less
  notable characters than the one with dinosaurs. Well, I tried.

  The Vietnam War is the backdrop here, complete with not one but two
  Credence Clearwater Revival songs. A soldier platoon is commissioned to
  safeguard a small team of scientists on a mission to chart a newly
  discovered island. Skull Island, they call it. You already knew that.
  Additionally, a no-nonsense tracker and an anti-war photojournalist are
  recruited for their expertise. They beset upon the island aboard an
  aircraft carrier, then proceed through a perpetually raging storm –
  wait, I’m sure this flock of helicopters couldn’t possibly have fit on
  deck…

  All the more humans to die horribly for our enjoyment, I suppose.

  Before long, Kong is spectacularly revealed, which will surely persist
  as one of the most memorable events from the movie. A colossus of
  manlike shape blotting out the setting sun, Kong swats down the
  helicopters with effortless brutality. Watching the metal crumble in
  his hands just might bring a devilish grin to your face.

  The visual effects are vaguely cartoonish. Bold saturated colors and
  some blatant use of green screen. Once I became accustomed to it I
  appreciated the stylization. It’s a preferable aesthetic when compared
  to the drab, washed out look typically seen in modern blockbusters. In
  fact, I’d say it’s in harmonious marriage with the breakneck tonal
  shifts of the film.

  Now stranded on the island, as consequence of Kong’s wrath, the
  fractured group must make it to a far off evacuation site if they want
  any hope of survival. The island proves far more treacherous than they
  could have foreseen. Over-sized insects and reptiles pluck their lives
  away like delicate petals.

  The monsters are varied and many. Things that fly and swarm. That
  lumber, docile. Or pursue hungrily. You will witness Kong grapple a
  giant octopus and pummel scaly, skull faced creatures. If you came
  looking for monster action then rest assured this aspect of the film is
  faultless. It’s a consistently thrilling showcase of kaiju combat. The
  climactic battle, in particular, made me feel like a giddy child
  smashing action figures against each other. I mean that in the most
  positive sense.

  The human side of the film is not as arresting. Characterization is
  mostly obvious and familiar. It’s certainly a better than average
  effort but I never found myself particularly invested. The characters
  are, at the very least, defined. And juggling this many, that’s more of
  a compliment than it sounds. Note that none of them escape the shadow
  of Kong, who is an ever imposing figure.

  The actors play their parts accordingly, but some are sadly
  underutilized (John Goodman for example). The standouts being Samuel L.
  Jackson and John C. Reilly. The character of Packard and his downward
  spiral are excellently captured by Jackson’s biting temperament.

  What could easily slip into melodrama is often countered by humor. Many
  jokes miss their target, however. Nothing truly unforgivable, except
  maybe when a certain character labels the craft he’s riding in a
  ”ploat.” It’s a boat made out of plane scrap. Yup.

  On the topic of humor, I had my concerns for John C. Reilly’s role
  based off trailers. I predicted nothing more than one-note comic
  relief, but was pleasantly proved wrong. He quickly became the most
  endearing of the bunch. A man stranded on the island after an ill-
  fated dogfight during the heat of World War II. The years of unhealthy
  encounters with the island’s monstrous inhabitants, the distance from
  the civilization he most understood, and prolonged contact with the
  unsociable natives, turned him more than a little odd. At times a man
  of congeniality, at others a man of dubious quality. Some times even
  adorable.

  Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts presents his diverse influences,
  sprinkling in tasteful homages to Neon Genesis Evangelion and Metal
  Gear (among others). Expect nods to the original King Kong as well,
  including the big ape liberating himself from chains and the requisite
  ”beauty and the beast” moment.

  For a movie absolutely stuffed to capacity, that it withstands its own
  weight is a wonder. Driven by a director with clear passion, Kong:
  Skull Island is seductive; a ceaseless cataclysm of monster action.
  Unless you have a predisposed affection for giant monsters there’s a
  good chance you’ll be unfulfilled by this offering. Otherwise, what you
  get is a fearless tribute to Kong and his ilk.

  Verdict: Moderately High Recommendation

  For more reviews check out http://unsleepinghorror.com/

• 
  klusebaMay 29, 2017Reply

  Shallow entertainment for the masses

  *** This review may contain spoilers ***

• 
  James SummersMay 29, 2017Reply

  Basically a better Jurassic Park 3

  I’m not going to go into why this movie is not as good as it should be.
  Apart from the fact they have totally miscast some characters
  (Hiddleston especially) and the movies saving grace was John C Reilly,
  Kong: Skull Island was actually pretty entertaining.

  I went into this knowing it’d be very Hollywood, so I expected nothing
  less. Why people were expecting more is beyond me. We knew the
  characters would be clichéd. We knew that Kong would reign supreme. We
  knew we’d see a load of weird creatures (one thing I hate about the
  Kong story is the creatures, but I know it has to be there). The story
  is what it is, it was never going to be some superb script up for
  Oscars and stuff. Yes, Hiddleston and Larson are beautiful people so we
  knew they would just be there for eye candy. All I wanted to see was a
  good Monster Movie, and luckily for me I got it.

  The story reminded me of Jurassic Park 3. Lots of things were similar,
  with the Kong spin. Someone lures them all to the Island for one
  reason, then knowingly tells them it was all for a different reason.
  They go on the hunt for someone on the Island. There was even a boat
  they used to try to escape and a few other nods too. It was all very
  similar to me, but obviously a lot better.

  Reilly stole the show when he eventually showed up. Hiddleston was a
  horrendous choice, but I usually like him. Jackson just turns up
  anywhere nowadays, so his presence in films now really doesn’t excite
  me.

  Overall, this movie does what it sets out to do. No it isn’t perfect
  but if you go into it expecting a classic, you will be disappointed.
  One thing I will say is I much preferred this to the 2005 Kong. Apart
  from the small snippet where Kong came to NYC in the 2005 version, the
  rest of that movie for me was terrible.