With Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire coming next year, The Toku Source takes a look back at the road we have travelled through the Monsterverse so far, starting with Kong: Skull Island.
What do you need to make a good, satisfying monster movie? Traditionally, you’ll need a big, scary monster, some decent human characters, lots of fun action, and possibly a splash of humour. While being a bit less grandiose and romantic than Peter Jackson’s King Kong, and more action packed and than Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla, set in the same universe, Kong: Skull Island feels a lot like a throwback to a more innocent era of cinema. Tom Hiddleston stars as a former SAS Marine, but he’s not the main attraction to the movie, that honour goes to a particular colossal ape, whose origin dates all the way back to 1933.
Kong: Skull Island is unusual in the fact that it’s not a sequel to Peter Jackson’s King Kong, but at the same time, it’s not quite a true reboot of the kaiju either. The film is set in 1973, not long after the Vietnam War, when America has withdrawn from the conflict. The secretive organisation known as Monarch secures government funding to lead an expedition to a recently discovered island in search of new species.
As mentioned earlier, this version of Kong is set in the same timeline as the 2014 Godzilla movie, including an opening montage about 1950s nuclear weapons tests that turn out to have been attempts at killing kaiju somewhere in the South Pacific ocean.
By the time the 1970s roll around, satellite technology has advanced enough for Skull Island to be detected, despite having been previously hidden within a perpetual storm. Bill Randa (John Goodman), head of the taciturn Monarch organisation, pulls together a team of scientists, adventurers and soldiers the explore this undiscovered island. Former SAS Marine turned mercenary James Conrad is the first to be recruited, followed by fearless anti war photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) and a platoon of airborne infantry lead by Lieutenant Packard (Samuel L Jackson) and backed up by Toby Kebbell, who plays both Chapman, a Major with a southern accent, and Kong, the titular kaiju.
Having fought their way through the perpetual and highly dangerous storm surrounding the island, our band of intrepid humans emerge to the unblemished beauty of Skull Island, and thus beginning an action packed, kaiju studded, survival film. The humans do unfortunately fall into stereotypical roles, nerdy scientists, gruff soldiers, etc, but, thankfully, the writers do subvert from that during the film. Mason winds up in almost as much action as Conrad and the nerdy scientists turn out to be rather good in fire fights.
The opening third of the film, or the opening act as some call it, does move along with some engrossingly urgent pace, similar to Raiders of the Lost Ark. When the the first action scenes take place, it occurs with a bit of a pulse quickening lurch, a flurry of movement and some thoroughly inventive camera angles. If there is one thing to say about this iteration of Kong, he knows how to make an entrance.
Unlike the 2014 Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards, Kong: Skull Island as no qualms with showing us the chest beating lead character of the film, Kong, nor does it hold back on violence. Kong aside, Skull Island is shown to be full of dangerous fauna and wildlife, which do not hesitate to kill of the band of explorers one at a time. It is also worth noting that Kong: Skull Island does set out to do exactly as it intended, exciting and somewhat inventive action, designed and shot with artistry, simple yet engaging characters, as slivers of well timed humour that doesn’t miss it’s target.
So, is Kong: Skull Island worth a watch? Absolutely. Wether you’re a long time fan of kaiju movies, or new to the concept, Kong: Skull Island delivers what it set out to do, and introduce us to Legendary’s Monsterverse, despite having come out after 2014’s Godzilla.
Have you seen Kong: Skull Island? Will you be doing a rewatch of Legendary’s Monsterverse ahead of the release of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire? Let us know in the comments below!
