"the magical landscape evokes the otherworldliness permeating the film"Warner Bros

Set in the midst of the Cold War, new satellite technology allowed a crazed scientist to discover a previously unexplored island, dubbed Skull Island. Perpetually surrounded by storms and potentially housing prehistoric species, Skull Island sounded like a candy store of scientific discoveries. Unfortunately, the dangers of such a place exceeded the field researcher and their hired guns’ expectations – a battle of man vs. wild was waged.

Kong: Skull Island presents a grand cinematic experience. Filmed in northern Vietnam, the magical landscape evokes the otherworldliness permeating the film. Steep mountains erupt from the ground, sprinkled with a healthy helping of foliage, with lakes and rivers tightly embracing its sheer drops. The animals were no less breathtaking – buffaloes the size of houses, spiders as tall as treetops, and of course, a mountainous ape: King Kong himself. The gorgeous landscapes and lively animals bring the untamed wild into the comfortable theatre.

“Maybe carpet bombing a forest doesn’t really make sense, but it’s stimulating nonetheless”

Through pretty to look at, the film is lacking in substance. The plot relies on well-established film tropes to fill the gaps in its storytelling. More often than not, cliched motivations are quickly unveiled in two-sentence conversations. The reasons behind each action are never prepared or developed after, merely said – and with little emotion. The poorly written characters, and their relationships, render the humans a backdrop, almost disposable. And many of them are disposed of. The humans’ presence in this film serves as a timely reminder that humans are not the protagonists of Earth’s story, but rather a supporting character – perhaps even an expendable one.

“Part of the allure of Kong is the majesty of regular animals magnified”

Imperfect as the plot is, the holes are nicely patched up with captivating action and explosions. Maybe carpet bombing a forest doesn’t really make sense, but it’s stimulating nonetheless. A mountain-sized ape crushing helicopters like flies is not something I see on a casual Sunday. Giant ape versus kraken? Sign me up! Gargantuan and brutal, Kong serves up big action on a big screen.

The terrifying and terrific world begins as a place for gigantic animals, but ends up as an amalgamation of all fantastic beasts. Part of the allure of Kong is the majesty of regular animals magnified. The inclusion of the monsters undermines the larger animals’ beauty and corrupts awe-inspiring nature.

As a reboot of a hugely successful franchise, this movie had very large shoes to fill. Not only did the original 1933 film present a cinematographic wonder, Kong’s emotional journey resonated with all that followed it. Unfortunately, Kong: Skull Island is only a shadow of the classic legend – all the beautiful landscapes and dramatic action cannot make up for the missing love that Kong had for Ann, or rather, the human element regrettably missing from Skull Island.

Kong: Skull Island is an odd mix of hits and misses, but if you’re looking for action and cinematography at the expense of depth, this exciting feature will no doubt satisfy