New monster movie has tons of action and quite a few scares
After 2014’s Godzilla, Legendary pictures now seeks to establish their ‘Kaiju-verse” with the iconic gorilla Kong. Kong: Skull Island, which takes place immediately following the Vietnam War, takes full advantage of the pacific island setting, and the 70's backdrop serves as a fun way to compliment the divisive nature of its cast. The film revolves around a group of scientists and soldiers who crash land on an uncharted island and must survive the various monsters who live there. The survivors of the crew who land on Skull Island mimic the cultural divide of the times. All of the characters are well-written and portrayed with nuance and care, which makes them engaging to watch. Even the antagonists have clear understandable motives which helps the viewer sympathize with them.
Kong: Skull Island is primarily a character drama and survival story, but what sets it apart is the killer monster battles and creative action sequences. The special effects, done by Industrial Light and Magic, are simply breathtaking and draw the viewer into these elaborate island brawls like never before. This movie is best watched in a theater because of the sheer scale of these monsters and the explosive ferocity of the action sequences, which pop on a large screen. Overall, Kong: Skull Island is a technical marvel which is able to surpass simple eye candy and deliver a compelling character drama.