It’s been 12 years since we’ve last seen King Kong on the big screen, however – he’s back once again in a reboot which features an all star ensemble cast of top class talent.
Skull Island is the second entry into the MonsterVerse franchise following on from Godzilla’s return to the silver screen back in 2014. With Jordan Vogt-Roberts at the helm of this monster bashing blockbuster, we’re able to witness how impressive his directing skills truly are, especially when one considers that this is only his second feature film. Having directed the indie hit The Kings of Summer back in 2013, Jordan Vogt-Roberts has created a visually spectacular romp that stands out from the usual big budget affair.
Long time Zack Snyder collaborator, Larry Fong is on cinematography duties and he’s once again able to excel himself in what is visually an eye popping experience. With an array of bold colors bursting from the screen, Skull Island plays like Apocalypse Now and Platoon on acid. Your retina’s will be groomed into what I can only describe as a hallucinatory drug trip as we venture onto the mysterious island of deadly beauty.
The visual imagery is without a doubt one of the strongest forces in this blockbuster as the mise-en-scène is able to perfectly capture the period of the Vietnam War. With the intense green inferno contrasting with the brash orange hellfire from the napalm bombs, we’re witnesses to a new conflict in unchartered territory. With some of the visual imagery taken straight out of popular war movies from that time, we’re left with a unique take on one of cinema’s most iconic movie monsters. Another positive to note is the music which is able to perfectly encapsulate the era with a myriad of hits from the 70’s, setting the tone throughout the course of the movie. Henry Jackman’s score also effectively blends psychedelic guitars into proceedings which only enhances the the look and feel of the film to newfound levels.
Skull Island however is ultimately let down by a weak script. With the Vietnam War heavily referenced throughout the beginning of the movie one would begin to think that there’d be a nice bit of substance layered throughout however it seems as if the scriptwriters were happy to abandon those ideas in favour of CGI monster bashing spectacle. Ironic really, considering the fact that when Kong and other creatures on the island go at it, it’s probably the weakest parts of the film.
The movie does however contain a strong cast which unfortunately goes underutilized due to the amount of talent that’s on show. With the ensemble nature of the movie, hardly anyone gets a time to shine with the majority of characters reduced to simple caricatures. Samuel L. Jackson is probably one of the most interesting characters of the movie as he attempts to avenge his fallen comrades and kill Kong whereas John C. Reilly provides some much needed comic relief throughout. Tom Hiddleston on the other hand doesn’t have all that much to do apart from standing around and looking handsome which I suppose wouldn’t be a complaint in some people’s eyes..
The script does at time feel as if it’s been written by committee with producers likely insisting BIG MONSTER ACTION SEQUENCE every 15 minutes which at times barely gives the film time to breathe.There’s also some farcically bad decisions by characters being made which although is to be expected in movies of this nature, it does tend to go into unacceptable new levels.
Overall, Skull Island is a visually stunning movie with plenty of potential. Unfortunately it seems as if the script writers decided not to go too deep into the political side and decided to take the easy route with big action spectacles which inevitably become a little dull by the final showdown. With an all star cast which goes drastically underused, the main problem undoubtedly lies with the script. With action set pieces coming in thick and fast, it’s rare that we ever get to see the characters personalities ever shine through. Instead we’re left with paper thin caricatures and a CGI orgy of monster fighting violence.
It’s a huge step up from the uber-serious, Godzilla borefest and at the end of the day, the majority of people who come to watch this movie want to see Kong in action. With plenty of screen-time, hardcore fans will not be disappointed. If you fancy switching your brain off for a couple of hours and watching something to pass the time then Skull Island will do no harm. So sit back and let the madness consume you.