Movie Review: Kong: Skull Island

If Kong: Skull Island is Warner Brothers way of apologizing for Godzilla, then I wholeheartedly  accept. Unlike Gareth Edwards' 2014 snoozefest that primarily focused on the cardboard cutouts that were in pursuit of the title character, Kong wisely lets its monsters take center stage. The film features an abundance of glorious monster combat, and director Jordan Vodgt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer) and cinematographer Larry Fong (Batman v. Superman) make sure the audience gets a clear shot of every ounce of destruction that Kong and the other predatory inhabitants of Skull Island commit. Given how painfully dull Godzilla and Peter Jackson's 2005 King Kong reboot were, watching a film made by people that understood the roots and goals of the genre was a beautiful change-of-pace. Kong: Skull Island delivers the type of huge, thrilling spectacle audiences expect when they buy a ticket to a giant monster movie and if Warner Brothers has any sense, it's a formula they'll replicate for the future entries into their "MonsterVerse".

4/5 Stars