Kong: Skull Island - Part 3

[Broseph44]

I guess it all depends, to each their own

 

[marty mcfly]

Yeah the dialogue in this was a mess, the motivations were really thin, some of the acting was atrocious (basically all of the soldiers), Kebbell, Goodman, Larson and Hiddleston were all wasted.

But damn I still had a ton of fun watching Kong fight those skull crawlers. I thought the designs were incredible, the CGI near flawless and at the end of the day I was entertained. It DEFINITELY had flaws, but I enjoyed it and my girlfriend loved it.

 

[moviedoors]

I was massively disappointed with this movie. The Kong stuff is effective, but he's barely a character. He has like 3 emotions. He works well within that range but I can't just forget about all the personality the '33 and '05 Kong's had.

Anything not Kong was a load of hot garbage. I was shocked by how viscerally I disliked huge chunks of this flick. The worst in expository dialogue delivered without a hint of care, limp characters, dunderheaded themes, and all of it assembled inelegantly.

This must be how everyone else felt about Godzilla '14, a movie I personally adore.

 

[Filmfan93]

For those who have seen it - how are the visuals and the cinematography of the film? I think it looked great in the trailers, hope the whole movie is beautiful to look at.

Since I don't care much about the characters and all I want is fun and monster action in the film - is it delivered? Also, is the large scale of things felt throughout the film, like it was in Godzilla? That one had great moments from the perspective of humans observing the monsters' action.

Thank you! Seeing it tomorrow and can't wait!

 

[redhawk23]

http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2017/03/11/kong-skull-island-a-big-awesome-anti-war-movie

Here is a great write-up of the film's antiwar themes.

Along with the visuals and clear action, this was the aspect that really clicked and surprised me. There are a few beats that are missed here and there, but I thought the film did a great job delivering it's themes both visually and through the story and dialogue.

 

[Schlosser85]

For those who have seen it - how are the visuals and the cinematography of the film? I think it looked great in the trailers, hope the whole movie is beautiful to look at.

Since I don't care much about the characters and all I want is fun and monster action in the film - is it delivered? Also, is the large scale of things felt throughout the film, like it was in Godzilla? That one had great moments from the perspective of humans observing the monsters' action.

Thank you! Seeing it tomorrow and can't wait!

Visuals and cinematography is great. Vogt-Roberts does a very good job as Gareth Edwards did with making Kong feel huge and integrating him with the humans underfoot.

 

[DACrowe]

For those who have seen it - how are the visuals and the cinematography of the film? I think it looked great in the trailers, hope the whole movie is beautiful to look at.

Since I don't care much about the characters and all I want is fun and monster action in the film - is it delivered? Also, is the large scale of things felt throughout the film, like it was in Godzilla? That one had great moments from the perspective of humans observing the monsters' action.

Thank you! Seeing it tomorrow and can't wait!

Well I liked it a lot better than the 2014 Godzilla, because while the human characters are still pretty dull, the movie is not when they're onscreen. And a big reason for that is visually it is quite stunning. The cinematography obviously borrows heavily from Apocalypse Now, but it is also quite splashy like comic book pages, yet most of it is done on location and with just a great sense of composition. The scale of the fights with extended wide lens tracking shots is also quite impressive.

The movie is slight, but the visuals are not.

 

[DACrowe]

Silly and disposable yes.

However, there definitely needs to be better characterization for at least one of the films main leads. Otherwise it creates a detached viewing experience - especially since this one doesn't do much to establish the empathy for Kong that Jackson's had. If it doesn't have that then it morphs into a mindless action piece trying to bank on creative cinematography and force-fed pop culture references.

I don't understand why it has to be the extreme i.e. either it's Hamlet or it's Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen. You can have a little of something like characterization and STILL be an action film. I grew up in the 80's and they had plenty of'em.

But that is my point. The extremes are not Hamlet or Transformers 15 or whichever one that was. I do think it is silly to suggest this is as banal and lifeless as a Transformers movie.

While it doesn't give a fig about character depth or motivation, it does strive to create a visually dynamic tale of "we're trapped on an island with giant monsters and need to escape." True, that lack of ambition means it will never be a classic, but it succeeds at what it is doing with a sense of fun and whiz-bang visual dexterity that I found amusing. It is a "dumb movie" but it goes about it in a smart way. At least, I thought so.

 

[rogue trooper]

I really enjoyed it. A very well polished popcorn flick. The cinematography was just splendid. Kong and the other creatures were very well executed.

 

[JtheDreamer]

But that is my point. The extremes are not Hamlet or Transformers 15 or whichever one that was. I do think it is silly to suggest this is as banal and lifeless as a Transformers movie.

While it doesn't give a fig about character depth or motivation, it does strive to create a visually dynamic tale of "we're trapped on an island with giant monsters and need to escape." True, that lack of ambition means it will never be a classic, but it succeeds at what it is doing with a sense of fun and whiz-bang visual dexterity that I found amusing. It is a "dumb movie" but it goes about it in a smart way. At least, I thought so.

It's camp on a bloated budget.

Camp films back in the day were small budget with very few (if any) notable actors. The problem to me is when you put together actors like Reilly, Goodman, Jackson, Larson, and Hiddleston in it. Square peg round hole. Well maybe not Jackson but you get the point. They could easily raise their game with character motivations/dialogue - they just choose not to when it's being fast tracked and more efforts are being devoted to the visuals.

Ironically I was going to say that if the box office remains copacetic - then they will just continue with that same tired formula. Les it looks like Kong will under-perform. Hopefully that sends a major message to the team putting together GvK.

 

[redhawk23]

Period Piece Monster films that are openly critical of American foreign policy are hardly something we get a dime a dozen of.

 

[Galactus123]

This movie was really bad. I didn't care about any of the characters and Kong was just too big. They could have made the story so much better if he was smaller. He just was there. Setting this movie in the Godzilla universe didn't do this movie any favors. Also the island and the monsters were boring. The island was so much more interesting in the 2005 movie and CGI was better. As a huge Kong fan I was very dissapointed.

 

[Filmfan93]

Thank you for your replies!

 

[Arachnerd]

Just came back from Skull Island. Found it enjoyable for the most part, although imo I think Godzilla is the better put together movie in terms of build-up.

As for that end credits scene...

Spoiler

Wasn't too surprised, but glad this is how they confirmed Mothra, Rodan and mah man Ghidorah are gonna feature in King Of Monsters. Love how the paintings demonstrate them as gods.

 

[DACrowe]

It's camp on a bloated budget.

Camp films back in the day were small budget with very few (if any) notable actors. The problem to me is when you put together actors like Reilly, Goodman, Jackson, Larson, and Hiddleston in it. Square peg round hole. Well maybe not Jackson but you get the point. They could easily raise their game with character motivations/dialogue - they just choose not to when it's being fast tracked and more efforts are being devoted to the visuals.

Ironically I was going to say that if the box office remains copacetic - then they will just continue with that same tired formula. Les it looks like Kong will under-perform. Hopefully that sends a major message to the team putting together GvK.

I am not against camp if it is done right. Kong does it right whereas something like a Schumacher movie does it wrong. Yes, I agree other than Reilly and Jackson (who phones it in half the time but is always amusing), the talent was wasted. But I do not think it was lazy, it just knew what it was and accomplished t. I would give it a solid B or a 3/5 or whatever. Nothing substantial, but a good time that got to first base.

With that said, if Legendary starts cranking these out like Marvel and they are all this quality, then I will be much more on your side.

 

[terry78]

It was a fun flick. It's an obvious modern day B movie, and it did not disappoint. It's also obvious all the bigger names did this as a paycheck movie. The other ones wanted in because it's a big ass blockbuster monster movie.

 

[Sleiek]

Just came back from Skull Island. Found it enjoyable for the most part, although imo I think Godzilla is the better put together movie in terms of build-up.

As for that end credits scene...

Spoiler

Wasn't too surprised, but glad this is how they confirmed Mothra, Rodan and mah man Ghidorah are gonna feature in King Of Monsters. Love how the paintings demonstrate them as gods.

Exactly the same here. It's a fun monster movie. Godzilla was better.

I love that both get their jaw dropping stand out moments. Godzilla with its atomic breath reveal and Kong with using [BLACKOUT]a ship propeller as a weapon[/BLACKOUT].

 

[redhawk23]

Kong compared to the different forms of Shin Godzilla. For context, the biggest form of Shin is a fee meters taller than the legendary Godzilla
Kong better take his vitamins.

 

[DACrowe]

But is that Legendary Kong or the Kong from the 1933 movie?

 

[harryoscop]

Legendary

 

[BillPardy]

Kong compared to the different forms of Shin Godzilla. For context, the biggest form of Shin is a fee meters taller than the legendary Godzilla
Kong better take his vitamins.

"Kong isn't even full grown yet."

 

[TheVileOne]

His parents didn't look that much bigger

 

[BillPardy]

Not saying it makes sense. Just saying what they said in the movie lol

 

[JtheDreamer]

Period Piece Monster films that are openly critical of American foreign policy are hardly something we get a dime a dozen of.

Since when is that in demand to begin with? I understand trying to shake up the genre - but nobody is going to see this film for its foreign policy.

 

[Sithborg]

I was all over Shin Gojira for it's hard hitting look at Japanese beuracracy.