A GODZILLA movie isn’t really a godzilla movie until some hysterical person is running around aimlessly, yelling: “Gojira! Gojira!”
So where this particular one fits in is unknown. Anyone who makes it all the way to the end of the credits will be rewarded with a huge info drop that contains more hard data than the entire film – but whether that film gets made will depend on this one’s box office.
Going purely by the huge special effects budget, this film has been created as a vehicle for Industrial Light and Magic to show off their skills. Fiery explosions, an enormous simian creature which is more straight-backed-human than hunched-over-ape, plenty of amazing creature design, photo-realistic monster on monster combat and a host of silent, painted tribesmen who apparently know what is going on but aren’t saying.
Don’t go into this expecting deep character exploration, a soulful message about man versus nature or any environmental doom and gloom. This film is all about dropping you into a believably created island that is way scarier than Jurassic Park’s Site B and then keeping you scared so no-one notices the plot-holes.
It starts with two scientists browbeating a senator into green-lighting an expedition to a remote Pacific island amidst the chaos created by America withdrawing from Vietnam.
Once the helicopters have penetrated the storm that keeps the island hidden they start dropping bombs, disturbing all manner of monsters.
I am always up for any excuse to watch me some Tom Hiddleston, but, choc-a-block full of characters, this movie doesn’t make much use of him.
He plays an ex-SAS soldier named James Conrad, hired as a tracker for the expedition but we never really learn much about him other than that he is levelheaded.
He’s not the only one. John C Reilly and Samuel L Jackson get the most chance of actually developing their characters – with Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Jackson) getting an arc that sees him changing, if not for the better, at least for the sake of the story.
Marooned on the island for decades Hank Marlow (Reilly) is nevertheless still very warm and personable, standing in for the regular Joe’s experience on this eerie island.
But, it becomes difficult to keep track of the dozen or so soldiers who each get into trouble in inventive ways.
And, what was the point of introducing a Japanese friend for Marlow, also marooned on the island, but then dead before we even get there?
Or chucking in Brie Larson as the anti-war photographer? This character’s function in the film though could explain what is going on. She is the human who catches Kong’s eye, so the nod to the Fay Wray character in the 1933 classic, King Kong. Only with less screaming.
The extreme action sequences seem to be the homage to every Godzilla movie’s B grade sensibilities.
The one scientist’s hollow earth theory – a tip of the hat to every Saturday morning sci-fi schlockbuster that ever was – is lightly touched on as an origin point for the beasts, but this is never explored.
Hollow though, is a good word to describe the film. It is gorgeous to look at, but that seems to be its only reason for existing – an excuse to lure people to 4d screens.
KONG: SKULL ISLAND
DIRECTOR: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
CAST: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L Jackson, Brie Larson, John C Reilly, John Goodman
CLASSIFICATION: 13V
RUNNING TIME: 118 minutes
IMAGE: (c) 2016 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved
Theresa the WordSmith 