Quick Reviews: Kong- Skull Island

After all the seeming backfire to Universal's launch of The Dark Universe, let's look at a slightly-better attempt from Warner Bros....

A mysterious group named Monarch (Shared Universe Trope #4) piggybacks on a mission to Skull Island.

Along for the ride are Scientists, Soldiers, a lady Photographer and...Almost Ryan Gosling.

They show up and drop some bombs- in the name of Science!

This pisses off Kong, as it would.  Chaos ensues.

Sam Jackson gets recapped on the real point of the mission.  Isn't that usually what HE does?

They meet the guy from the beginning bit and he's somewhere between Robin Williams in Jumanji and Tom Hanks in Cast Away.

Why does this Film retrofit Plot Points from Savage Beach?

The titular Island is chock full of all sorts of crazy monsters and big-ass creatures.  Fun!

Can our Heroes survive to tell their tales?  Will Kong live to fight Godzilla in a few years?

To find out, watch the Film.

A good Kong- it has been awhile.  While many are torn on whether or not to like Jackson's Kong- I love it and own it-, there should be less division here.  For starters, this is not a straight, albeit expanded, Remake.  This acts the first Film in a Series without just being the same tale.  That's possible apparently!  I shouldn't have to say this like it is some big deal...but it kind of is.  The Story is a pretty simple one, but they do give it a few wrinkles.  You could argue that there are maybe too many Characters, but they do need someone to die at the hands of giant CG Monsters.  Without SPOILERS, I will say that the way they handle Kong is pretty interesting.  It seems more villainous at first, but you see other sides of it by the end.  That said, it does have the ability to somehow sneak up on people.  It also must have really tiny or non-existent genitals, as there is no way that they shouldn't be visible- not that I really *want* that.  He's still better than Ken Doll Doomsday though.  All in all, Kong: Skull Island is a good, somewhat deep Adventure Film.  You could always do worse kick-starting your Shared Universe.  Speaking of shared, how about this homage to King Kong vs. Godzilla?

Much less disappointing than 2014's Godzilla, this one worked for me.  The question is how the whole Franchise thing will work.