Kong: Skull Island
Kong: Skull Island
Released: March 2017Starring: Tom Hiddlestone, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, Corey Hawkins
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
The latest attempt to revamp everyone’s favourite giant gorilla doesn’t disappoint
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With the recent attempts to re-revive classic movies such as Godzilla (1998 & 2014), you could be forgiven for thinking that Kong: Skull Island is just another inferior re-hash of something we already love. Another touch of unnecessary modernisation. And with Peter Jackson’s fantastic (and very much one-off) King Kong (2005) still living in recent memory, a traditional reboot of the story would pale in comparison.
So, Kong: Skull Island has wisely taken a different approach; essentially to pretend that any previous versions have never been made, fast forward past the 1930’s, and remove the surprise aspect of encountering a gorilla the size of a skyscraper. From the start, the secret is out.
It is a ploy that works very well indeed, and [vague references in a review’s opening paragraphs aside] doesn’t leave you comparing it to any previous Kong film.
After a brief introduction in 1944, we are montaged through the years, into 1973, where maligned scientist Bill Randa (Goodman) and his assistant, Houston Brooks (Hawkins), are petitioning the US Government for funding to research a newly discovered Pacific island [might this be the island we just saw in the prologue and is this, in fact, Skull Island].
They successfully pitch to piggyback on an existing trip to the area (sealing the deal with a ‘beat the Russians to this discovery’ argument [because, how could you set a film in the 70’s and not talk about either the Russians or Vietnam]). Transport booked, they have one last request, a military escort.
Cue another, slightly longer montage, assembling our cast. A squad of US soldiers in [you guessed it] Vietnam, packing up, ready for home, when the call comes through to their commanding officer, Preston Packard (Jackson), offering them one last mission. Next up, a dingy bar, where Randa and Brooks are offering a lot of money to Captain James Conrad (Hiddlestone) to be their guide. Finally, we cut to photojournalist Mason Weaver (Larson) revealing her glee at being accepted as the trip’s photographer, and her suspicions about its true nature.
Menagerie complete, all we need now is a proper briefing.
Which they duly receive, aboard a boat laden with scientists and four helicopters. After scouring the stormy skies, all ten helicopters take off from the ship. Yes, ten helicopters. I’m not entirely sure where they came from, or how the director thought nobody would notice the sudden emergence of six spanking new helicopters, but there we go. What it does mean is that we get some lovely Apocalypse Now style shots of a massed flock of helicopters [yes a group of helicopters is called a flock, it has to be, they’re just like giant, twirly, metal birds] flying through the skies.
Their mission once at Skull Island is simple; to drop seismic charges which will tell our scientists all about the geological landscape of the island. Our group of soldiers are more than happy to oblige with the arbitrary bombing of a random island, setting the charges with glee. The charges, to their credit, do their bit wonderfully, showing off the geology of the island perfectly. Unfortunately, they also have one side effect; they really irk a certain giant gorilla; Kong. Said gorilla promptly starts smashing up our helicopters [probably why they threw in the spare ones], and separating our team into two smaller groups.
In one group are the majority of the soldiers and Randa. In the other are our remaining scientists, Conrad and Weaver. The soldiers are incensed by the death of their squad and, with their nearest waypoint being their supplies helicopter, set out to arm themselves and kill Kong. Our scientists are looking to escape the island, only to be captured by the indigenous tribe of the island, the Iwi, and their own American, Hank Marlow (Reilly), who teaches them about the history of the island, its people, and its beasts. Although only a whirlwind tour, it is nice to have some meat added to the bones of Kong’s backstory.
It’s pretty handy that the two groups split in this manner, I mean if the soldiers had been captured then this could have just turned into a film about soldiers killing people while scientists escaped; much less fun.
What follows is essentially a re-hash of almost every "boys film" ever made. There are monsters and fighting, there are guns, chasing, and a few little moments to make you do a little jump from your seat. Classic shots from almost every one of them, including classic Kong films, have been recreated in a prehistoric world, there’s everyone’s favourite slow-mo punch (circa The Matrix, 1999), and even a lovely recreation of the Peter Pan crocodile.
The two different stories running in parallel for the most part, presents the chance for us to see the two very different sides of Kong; one as a furious antagonist, the other as an isolated leader, fighting for survival. These alternative perspectives work well to turn Kong into a believable and emotive character, someone who thinks and acts, rather than just a giant, angry ape.
Behind all the action, Kong: Skull Island carries some interesting themes, with deeper messages, which seem all the more relevant every day. Our group of soldiers are acutely aware of their part in Vietnam, and the similarities of their current situation. Except on Skull Island, they aren’t fighting against the native people, they’re fighting against nature itself [I told you they were deep themes]. Understandably, their journey is in direct opposition to the scientists, and they ultimately have to decide to change or face nature’s wrath.
Packard quickly becomes a man with a single ambition- to kill Kong. When you first encounter the helicopter throwing ape you completely appreciate and support this quest, but through the magic of cinema, you find your stance repositioned throughout the film. Packard stops being a brave and driven leader, and starts to look more like a crazed megalomaniac, hell bent on dooming us all [I said the themes were relevant, didn’t I?]. Ultimately we all know that he is going to have his face-off with Kong, but at what cost?
Kong: Skull Island is a great bit of escapism. What’s not to love about a giant gorilla, primeval monsters, and a lot of guns? It offers a new and refreshing slant on the world of Kong [frankly if anyone had suggested taking him to New York I may have walked out; they’ve done that story to death], showing him in his natural habitat. Although not done as thoroughly as in Peter Jackson’s version [but this isn’t anywhere near as long], Kong has been given genuine emotion, reason and drive; he is a fully rounded character in his own right. This might not be a film that actually makes you think, or that stirs anything profound within you, but it takes you on an adventure, and it does it jolly well.
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🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 Stars
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I loved
As far as reboots go, this one has been done nicely. It’s very nice to have a whole new slant on a story that has been taken as known for so long.
John C. Reilly utterly steals the show as our dishevelled soldier, removed from the modern world.
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| John C. Reilly as Hank Marlow |
Pet Peeve
Kong is called a “monkey” with alarming frequency. Honestly, if it wasn’t for all the action and mayhem, I could have walked out [confusing apes and monkeys should be punishable by death]. If I was feeling forgiving I could let the soldiers get away with it, but the scientists?! Really?! They should just plain know better.
Kong is obviously anthropomorphised, allowing us to better connect with him as a character. But he walks much more like a human than a gorilla which, although minor, is a tad annoying.
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