For those with a fondness of monster movies, especially films from of the 1930s through the 1950s, Kong: Skull Island is a loving tribute to a bygone era. For a younger generation that has never watched a Godzilla or King Kong movie, we turn to DVD to be exposed to the classics that we all agree they don't make movies like those anymore... or at least, I used to think so. Kong: Skull Island should not be classified as a horror movie, but rather a monster movie... which will be a delight to a fan base best described by Ron Adams of Monster Bash as a generation of "monster kids."
The King Kong franchise was launched in 1933 by RKO, followed by a sequel, Son of Kong, later that year. Over the decades the giant ape inspired multiple remakes, sequels and spin-offs (such as King Kong vs. Godzilla, pictured on the right). A period piece to be sure, the depression-era world of New York City suffers from the effects of a giant monkey running across the rooftops and climbing the Empire State Building, in an effort to catch his bearings in a man-made jungle. The original is still fun after all these years and this is why my wife and I rushed out to the theaters to watch was was obviously a reboot. Produced by the same folks who brought us the cool Godzilla film a few years back, I suspected we were in for a treat. What I was curious was whether a younger generation with a distaste for black and white could find a story about a giant monkey as much fun as we recall in our youth?
This rendition, Kong: Skull Island blends the best of both worlds, providing the retro feel of 1973 Vietnam with a classic story of beauty and the beast. Giant spider? Check. Giant lizards? Check. Isolation on an island dominated by creatures that are practically prehistoric? Check. And of course, there is Kong, the eighth wonder of the world. When a group of scientists employ the U.S. Government to guide them onto an island discovered for the first time through satellite surveillance, they discover the hard way that man is not the dominant species on the planet. A battle for survival is evident but there is a backstory that provides (no spoilers here) a reason why Kong is king... and Kong has heart.
Thanks to Industrial Light & Magic, the special effects are top-notch. The cast, including Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Hiddleston, are perfectly cast. Sure, there are moments where they pay homage to Apocalypse Now and prior Kong movies, but there was something more important during a recent screening of the film: everyone involved with the production shared a love of classic monster movies.
During the film's final action sequences I found myself doing something I have rarely done when viewing a modern-day movie. I was practically leaning in the chair and routing for one of the monsters... just as I did in my youth when I first watched those retro monster battles on local PBS. Being released in March, Kong: Skull Island will not win much along the way of awards but this is a popcorn movie that takes every monster kid back to an era when going to the movies and routing for your favorite monster during hand-to-hand combat was fun. After all, isn't that why we go to the movies?
If you are sitting on the fence about going to see this movie, go see it. And you absolutely need to wait through the entire closing credits for a teaser that will not disappoint. It's worth waiting for.
