Just finished watching
Kong: Skull Island. It was ok. Not fantastic, but not bad either. It is very much an action movie, with tons of giant monster slugfests. It also manages to keep the "little people" interesting, which is always the hardest part of any kaiju film. It is set in 1973, which gives it a nice vintage feel. The soundtrack helps too, as it is a solid mix of period music like Run Through The Jungle, Ziggy Stardust, etc...
It has lots of stars. I think Tom Hiddleston pumped some iron, since he definitely looks more physically substantial. Sam Jackson and John Goodman both play Captain Ahab. Plus lots of other folks, like Brie Larson, the guy who played the chief in the first season of Agent Carter, and even a small appearance by Sheriff Longmire. John C Reilly really steals the show though, as a slightly unhinged pilot who has been marooned on Skull Island since WWII.
At first I yelled at the screen a few times when the humans did some pretty bogus things. Like picking a fight with Kong in the first place. It is not just stupid, but plain evil. I mean, they go to a fantastic island and literally try to kill everything they see, just because it is there. If Persephone had been there, she probably would have killed all the humans in the first half hour.
But at the least the movie seems to understand that. As later the chief from Agent Carter makes an insightful statement about how sometimes you have no enemies until you go looking for them. Plus as the movie goes on, the Captain Ahabish nature of Sam Jackson in particular becomes more and more evident. It is really easy to root for Kong all through the movie. The main characters (Hiddleston, Larson, and Reilly) are pretty much on the sidelines when the initial fight is picked with Kong, and they soon become Team Kongers. So one can still like them. Which I think is what saves the movie.
This is also not a standalone film. It is clearly part of a franchise they are trying to build. There are a few hints throughout the movie proper. Monarch (from the most recent Godzilla movie) is a part of the expedition to the island, and is led by John Goodman. The hollow earth theory is also a big part of the plot (that there are massive areas underground where other creatures might live). Someone also mentions that the Castle Bravo nuclear tests were in fact an attempt to kill a monster (which is straight from Godzilla). Within a half hour I could see that Skull Island was actually Monster Island. Yes,
that Monster Island.
At the end of the credits there is a line saying that Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and King Gidorah are owned by Toho. That had me scratching my head, as none of them appear in the movie. Then came the post credits scene...
It looks like they are calling the franchise
MonsterVerse. I just read that
Godzilla: King of the Monsters will be out in 2019. Then
Godzilla vs. Kong in 2020.
So all in all, if you like giant monster movies it is a decent watch. If you don't, then stay away from it.
And the insane Russian superhero slugfest called Guardians is coming out on dvd here in the US this September. I am sure it will be terrible. But I plan to buy it anyway. Who can resist a werebear with a minigun?