~This review is a continuation of my decision to take more notes on screenplay as I once again spend way more time than I should watching movies.~

I didn’t expect much from this movie. I am tired of the endless sequels, prequels and reboots of stories I have seen time and time again. When I went to see Kong: Skull Island, I went for two reasons;  I wanted to check out Chadstone shopping centre’s new Hoyts complex and see a movie in one of the Xtremescreen theatres and because I am a closet fan of monster movies- nothing satisfies me more than watching ridiculous creatures battle it out.

I was pleasantly surprised.
Overview: Kong: Skull Island is a movie about everyone’s favourite giant Gorilla that we haven’t seen before. Kong has been grunting and growling on screen since 1933, and has had his (her?) fair share of cinematic adaptations. This reboot recycles elements from previous iterations of the Kong story with a flare and style that captivates even the most unwilling audience member, while adding its own fare share of new Kong lore. This film is set just after the Vietnam war, and echoes all the familiar traits of a war-time flick; The montages are driven by era-defining music and the jungles of Skull Island resemble those of Vietnam, while the entire film is colour graded to enhance the rich yellow tones of films such as Good Morning, Vietnam.
The story begins with two fighter pilots crash landing on a previously unexplored island before it cuts to 29 years later to follow a tracker (played by the gorgeous Tom Hiddleston) hired by the U.S. government to guide an expedition to map out said island, accompanied by a helicopter squadron and pacifist photojournalist (played by the equally gorgeous Brie Larson). The plot then splits in several directions as the team are inevitably separated, and begins to contrast the idea of “monsters” with the war-hungry humans (presented mainly through Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard) those who follow, “just doing their jobs” (the young soldiers reminiscent of real Vietnam war troops), the conservationists and peace keepers and the previously deemed “crackpot” Monarch researchers desperate to prove their suspicions about the island. The film contains many underlying messages about war as we see the humans basically invade the island and provoke its creatures by dropping bombs and are consequently punished, a striking metaphor for how many felt about the Vietnam war itself. There is a profound moment in which the newly rediscovered fighter pilot who has been living on the island for 29 years asks “Who’s winning the war?”, to which the tracker replies “Which one?” and the pilot shrugs and concludes “That makes sense, I guess”.
Cinematography and world building: Incorporating real footage and then mimicking the camera style with their own recreations, the cinematography crew on Kong have done a fantastic job. Whilst the movie has its fare share of “that so wouldn’t happen” and “where did that conveniently relevant plot device come from?” moments, it is hard to be distracted by them when the rest of the movie is so compellingly shot. This Kong reboot has a lot of gory moments amidst its many action scenes, and basically presents itself as what I like to think of as “Super Jurassic Park” in which it is essentially a Jurassic Park film upscaled by both the size of the monsters and the scale of their ferociousness. Put simply, Skull Island is the Isla Nubar of this universe; but rather than deceiving a T-Rex by staying still, there are no known rules to the creatures here. Interlaced throughout the film are quick moments of humour, which help to keep the plot grounded and even make fun of the fact that yes, the premise of the movie is ridiculous, but if you suspend disbelief for just a few hours it is AWESOME to watch.

Thoughts to end on: Seeing this film while sitting in a recliner in front of a 24metre screen with surround sound was well worth the extra few dollars, and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good “loud and large” movie to see.