Everyone knows the tale of King Kong. Either you have seen the original from 1933 or the last adaptation from 2005. It's been twelve years since we last saw him, and from the people who made 2014’s Godzilla we now have, Kong: Skull Island, is the classic reimagined, without even a glimpse of the Empire State Building to be seen. With an all star cast who work amazingly together, with the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman and John C. Reilly, we're already off to a good start.
Set against the backdrop of 1973, America is withdrawing from Vietnam. The world has been completely mapped... apart from one island! A team is assembled and the adventure begins, setting sail for the mysterious Skull Island, (what could go wrong?). Onboard is Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), an experienced explorer and tracker wrapped in secrets and curiosity. I must say that this is probably the best performance of Tom's professional career thus far. Emotion is imbued in i every line of dialogue - you have to remind yourself you are watching a fantasy blockbuster.
Two more fantastic actors in this film were the always sensational Samuel L Jackson and new on the block Brie Larson. A surprising chemistry develops and grows stronger as time goes on between these characters. It is also so refreshing to see Mr Jackson as the villain once again, although the point could be argued he is just another victim of the Vietnam war. Portraying the war torn Preston Packard who is ripped from his battlefield and thrown into the ring against the legendary ape himself. Only Kong is the devil to this man; he can’t accept that it was in fact he who started bombing Kong’s home and disrupting a natural cycle that has existed for centuries. Sometimes there really is only an enemy if you start looking for one.
Many shocking parallels can be drawn between Kong and the Vietnam war. Mass graves, blurred lines as who the real enemies are and how the power of a photo can really change the world. Brie Larson’s character really pulled a heart strings for me, with powerful one liners and deep, meaningful dialogue. Watching Kong showed me in great detail what it was like to be around in the 1970’s; in truth I can’t think of many films that have that sort of visual power.
Visionary director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has hit the ball out of the park on his first attempt with this one. At the age of only thirty-two I can’t wait to see what his next project is and I will definitely be there for opening night. A real eye for art and a new, original way of telling the story that I feel has been missing from the theatres in recent years.
A solid original plot, stunning visuals and a wonderful cast makes this movie, one of 2017’s must see blockbusters! Getting 85% from me due to its haunting reminder of the past as well as Oscar worthy visuals and special effects. Great time, money and effort was spent on making this film, a film to remember. Money well spent in my opinion. Definitely hang around in your comfortable little chairs when they credits start rolling or you will miss a treat in the form of a sneaky little after-credit scene
Written and published by Lewis Broadway.
Edited by Beth Parker.
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