In the absolutely bonkers science-fiction film Pacific Rim (del Toro, 2013), the monstrous Kaiju first attacked humanity on 10th August 2013, which was subsequently branded “K-DAY”. To celebrate this event, and giant monster movies, I dedicated every Sunday in August to one of cinema’s most prolific monsters: King Kong!
Released: 10 March 2017
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $185 million
Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Terry Notary/Toby Kebbell, John Goodman, and John C. Reilly
The Plot:
Hired by the super-secretive Monarch, ex-British Special Air Service (S.A.S.) Captain Joseph Conrad (Hiddleston) and photographer Mason Weaver (Larson) accompany an Army unit to the mysterious Skull Island, where Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Jackson) becomes obsessed with challenging the rule of the island’s guardian, Kong (Notary/Kebbell).
The Background:
Amazingly, former World War I aviator turned filmmaker Merian C. Cooper’s vision of a giant gorilla climbing the Empire State Building first appeared over 100 years ago, resulting in one of the most influential movies ever made, However, King Kong (Cooper and Schoedsack, 1933) was followed by a comedic sequel, a questionable “Suitmation” film that ended Toho’s short stint with the character, and remakes ranging from ambitious to big-budget showcases. Somewhere in there, the mighty Kong even clashed with Godzilla in a profitable (if polarising) affair, and took a giant step towards renewing this rivalry as part of Legendary’s “MonsterVerse” following the critical and commercial success of Godzilla (Edwards, 2014). Initially, Adam Wingard and Guillermo del Toro were tapped to direct a sequel to Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake before the project was reconfigured into a MonsterVerse film. Writers Max Borenstein and John Gatins specifically avoided the traditional King Kong narrative in favour of a wartime setting inspired by Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979). Visual effects supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum and conceptual artist Carlos Huante redesigned Kong to return to his roots and act as a cantankerous, but benevolent, protector, and turned to anime to design Skull Island’s other monstrous inhabitants. After Tom Hiddleston took the lead role, John C. Reilly joined the project after scheduling conflicts saw Michael Keaton drop out and Toby Kebbell pulled double duty by providing motion capture for Kong’s facial expressions. Accompanied by a tie-in comic book designed to flesh out Kong’s backstory, Kong: Skull Island was a smash hit at the box office and with critics, who praised it as a fun, action-packed adventure, though many of the performances were criticised. Although a spin-off and direct sequel never materialised, the MonsterVerse Kong went on to co-star with Godzilla in some big, if mindless, blockbuster team ups.
The Review:
Set in 1973, amidst the backdrop of the end of America’s disastrous campaign into Vietnam, Kong: Skull Island tells a very different King Kong story, one not about the giant ape’s obsession with a pretty girl and one greedy opportunists attempt to profit off his stature. Instead, Kong: Skull Island is more of a war movie, taking very obvious inspiration from Apocalypse Now for many shots, characters, and the depiction of the United States military. At first, the story is framed as a scientific expedition, spearheaded by the eccentric William “Bill” Randa (Goodman), a former World War I sailor whose life was changed when he was left the sole survivor following an attack on his vessel by a titanic creature. Randa took this experience with him throughout his career at Monarch, a government research team created specifically to track and investigate such “Titans”, snapping up geologist Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) after he wrote a paper suggesting the presence of a “Hollow Earth” where such monsters dwell. However, with Monarch’s funding at risk following the end of the Vietnam War, Randa must beg Senator Al Willis (Richard Jenkins) to let them join an expedition to a recently discovered, uncharted island in hopes of finding precious minerals, medicines, and other notable discoveries before those pesky Russkies. Amazingly, Randa gets his wish, and his demand for a military escort, and enthusiastically braves Skull Island’s torrential, perpetual storm to finally feel vindicated after years of being branded a crackpot for his wild theories regarding Titans and the lost, prehistoric island. This means that the mission is less a geological, scientific voyage and more a personal vendetta for Randa, who hopes to both warn and inform the world that monsters exist by bringing back irrefutable proof. Yet, even he realises the dangers of Skull Island and the folly of man trying to battle against its monstrous inhabitants.
Since Randa, Brooks, and largely insignificant biologist San Lin (Jing Tian) are ill equipped to navigate Skull Island’s hazardous jungles, they recruit S.A.S. serviceman turned mercenary/tracker Joseph Conrad to lend his experience to the mission. Though initially sceptical due to the unforeseen dangers awaiting them, Conrad’s convinced by the promise of cold, hard cash and is intrigued by Skull Island, and the mystery surrounding Monarch’s true intentions. Striking up a subtle, but unmistakable attraction with anti-war photographer Mason Weaver, Conrad immediately adapts to the alien terrain and leads the survivors of Packard’s team though the jungle, taking charge of one group and prioritising reaching a preset rendezvous point while Packard directs another group in an increasingly insane attempt to avenge their losses against Kong. Though respectful of Packard’s command and experience, Conrad soon finds himself as the voice of reason when Packard threatens to risk his life (and the lives of his men) in a futile assault against Kong, consistently managing to appease the crazed Colonel into letting the civilians trek to safety rather than join his vendetta. Adaptable and a keen marksman and swordsman, Conrad is a dashing, enigmatic hero with an affable personality, constantly keeping a cool head and being respectful to those he meets. While the soldiers have itchy trigger fingers, Conrad peacefully greets the mysterious and silent Iwi tribe and is both sympathetic towards and intrigued by marooned U.S. Army Air Forces Lieutenant Hank Marlow’s (Reilly) plight and insight into Kong and his island. While Weaver is worthy of attracting even a giant ape’s lust and attention, Kong: Skull Island avoids having the ape become fixated on her and she instead documents the trip, snapping shots of the island, its inhabitants, and echoing Conrad’s call for peace and extraction rather than fighting an unwinnable war. She ends up in the thick of the action when Packard riles up the vicious “Skullcrawlers” that threaten Kong’s rule but plays a role in distracting the creatures to aid Kong and, like her predecessors in previous Kong movies, requires the Titan’s aid when he battles to curb the Skullcrawler threat.
Having been shot down in World War II alongside Japanese pilot Gunpei Ikari (Miyavi), Marlow has been stranded on Skull Island for nearly thirty years and left a little kooky as a result. While the Iwi are far more benevolent than previous Skull Island natives, they’re largely mute and he’s been left to his own thoughts ever since Gunpei was killed by a Skullcrawler. He’s thus ecstatic when Conrad and the others arrive and enthusiastically warns of the island’s dangers while delivering exposition regarding Kong, who’s recast as a bad tempered but ultimately benign God to the locals. While Marlow’s been unable to escape, warrant officer Reg Slivko (Thomas Mann) cobbles together the remains of his plane and a rudimentary raft to carry them to the rendezvous point, leading Marlow to bid an emotional farewell to his saviours, learn how the world has changed during his absence, and anxiously contemplate returning to his wife and son (Beth Kennedy and Will Brittain). Though Conrad defers to Marlow’s expertise, Packard isn’t as convinced and largely dismisses the pilot, refusing to heed his warnings about venturing into Skullcrawler territory and challenging Kong. Packard’s men, though exhausted from the futility of the Vietnam War and eager to return home, attack their new mission with gusto, convinced they can brave any threat. While many are one-dimensional characters, they provide enough charisma to make an impression, from warrant officer Glenn Mills (Jason Mitchell) being obsessed with his beloved mother, Silvo being torn between his duty and his morals, and Captain Earl Cole (Shea Whigham) maintaining a stoic calm no matter how many monsters he encounters. Even Cole reaches his limit, however, after everything he’s witnessed and Packard’s lunacy, leading to him attempting a dramatic sacrifice only to be undone when the Skullcrawler simply swipes him into a cliff. Major Jack Chapman (Kebbell) may as well be wearing a bullseye the entire film with all his pining for his son, Billy, which predictably leads to his gruesome death at the jaws of a Skullcrawler, adding further fuel to Packard’s obsession.
Portrayed as a grizzled war veteran who’s reached his limit, Packard has more than a few similarities to the likes of Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando) and Captain Ahab. Feeling disillusioned and cheated out of victory in Vietnam, Packard jumps at the assignment to breach Skull Island’s storm front and venture into a new land, seemingly determined to assert his dominance rather than be humiliated by underequipped natives. Packard is personally affronted when Kong lashes out at his men when they drop Monarch’s seismic charges, becoming deadset on avenging his losses and continuing his war, no matter what it costs. Since his men are loyal to him, Packard’s fixation of reaching a weapons cache is only questioned by the likes of Conrad and Marlow, who emphasise safety and retreat over conflict. Packard, however, has none of this, threatening his allies at gunpoint when they disagree with him and being determined to kill Kong, despite the greater threat of the Skullcrawlers. As you’d expect, this obsession becomes Packard’s undoing as he refuses to set aside his grievances and only causes more death as even his seasoned troops are no match for Skull Island. Rather than being populated by dinosaurs, this Skull Island is full of unique, gigantic insects and other creatures that expertly camouflage into the jungle and easily get the drop on the unsuspecting grunts. While the Sker Buffalo is mostly harmless, the gigantic and frankly unsettling Mother Longlegs masquerades as mambo trees and skewers or webs up many of Packard’s men and Chapman is briefly spooked when a giant log turns out to be a Spore Mantis! Packard’s causal sniping of ugly “birds” unsettles a slew of voracious, bat-like Psychovultures who rip poor Victor Nieves (John Ortiz) to pieces and give Conrad a chance to show off his sick sword skills. Kong tangles with and partially devours a Mire Squid in a call-back to King Kong vs. Godzilla (Honda, 1962) but even his mighty strength and dominance is tested by the ferocious Skullcrawlers, who pop up from natural vents to devour everything in sight.
Since Skullcrawlers wiped out Kong’s species, Kong has a natural vendetta against them and is duty bound to wipe them out lest their gigantic alpha re-emerge. This drives him to attack Packard’s helicopters as their seismic charges awaken the Skullcrawlers, who chow down on Chapman and Randa, spewing up their bones and clothing in surprisingly gruesome scenes and snagging prey with their frog-like tongues. In keeping with the MonsterVerse portraying Godzilla as a benevolent force, the large (but still growing) Kong is seen as a protector figure. The Iwi’s wall isn’t to keep Kong out, but to deter the Skullcrawlers, who terrorised their people for a thousand years before the Apus Giganticus defended them. Depicted as “king” of Skull Island, Kong again carries many scars and wounds from his constant battling to maintain his position as the land’s alpha. Marlow relates some of Kong’s backstory, depicting him as the last of his kind and we again the skeletal remains of his people, this time littering the Skullwalker’s turf and that the Iwi revere Kong’s protection through paintings (though they seemingly don’t offer him female sacrifices). Kong is largely disinterested in humans, ignoring them until they become a threat and barely interested in even the alluring Weaver. No longer simply an enlarged ape, Kong is depicted as an unknowable, unique entity, standing upright and having anthropomorphic tendencies while also emphasising his intelligence. Kong utilises makeshift weapons, such as an uprooted tree or the propeller of a scuttled ship, when battling Skullcrawlers alongside his usual brute strength, with him again favouring snapping his foe’s jaws. Kong becomes the embodiment of Packard’s obsession, a dangerous an alien “other” he can vent his insanity and frustration on, and is seen as a threat to the world despite him simply defending his territory. While Kong largely dismisses Packard, the irrational Colonel earns the Titan’s wrath through a napalm attack, leading to the enraged Kong simply crushing his would-be adversary like a gnat.
The Nitty-Gritty:
Kong: Skull Island makes the bold decision to focus basically its entire runtime on Skull Island, stranding its characters there and giving them a ticking clock to get to a rendezvous point before they’re potentially trapped like Marlow was. Unlike previous Kong movies, however, Kong: Skull Island emphasises action and a constant battle for survival, with the burned out and overwhelmed soldiers adding a touch of flavour to the proceedings as they’re slightly better equipped than the usual film crews and sailors who venture to the island. The film also cleverly limits their encounters with the island’s inhabitants, emphasising quality over quantity to offer horrific insectile creatures and ensure that the CGI holds up far better than in Peter Jackson’s overstuffed remake. The film’s pacing also benefits from this, with the action moving at a steady pace and a sense of urgency in both teams as they battle to their objectives, while still giving poignant moments with Marlow and allowing Hiddleston and Larson to sizzle with their subtle chemistry. Not only does Kong not become protective of Weaver, he’s also one of the few Kongs to not only survive but also remain on the island, dramatically presenting Kong as a key player in the MonsterVerse. This is further emphasised in the post-credit scene, where Conrad and Weaver (who sadly never appear again) are given a taste of Kong’s true destiny, which is to defend the Earth from other, less benevolent Titans. The film also changes the Iwi to be far more altruistic than previous natives, with them welcoming outcasts while also being a deeply prideful people. They offer shelter and exposition and are said to have moved past concepts of war and personal possessions, providing a stark contrast to the “Oorah!” gusto of Packard’s soldiers, who cannot deny the call to take up arms even if they’re tired of the futility of war. Indeed, Packard’s men were looking forward to going home when the call came in, though their burned-out Colonel is consumed by the need to not be denied a victory of a native, seemingly primitive force like in Vietnam.
Rather than being hidden by an impenetrable fog, Skull Island is now protected by a violent storm that deters ships and planes from venturing further but is easily bypassed by Packard’s helicopters. The island is still a prehistoric lost world, home to many unique, gigantic, and dangerous creatures, but is also seemingly ground zero for the Hollow Earth, immense underground tunnels where Titans and unknowable monsters dwell. Fiercely territorial, Kong fights off any incursions from the Hollow Earth, primarily the voracious Skullcrawlers, but isn’t against asserting his dominance over the likes of the Mire Squid. Each is brought to life through some startlingly detailed CGI, with Kong being the obvious standout. The biggest he’s ever been (at that time), Kong dominates the horizon, rendered as an ape/man hybrid of sorts who leaps and crashes about rather than swinging through the trees. With thick, impressively rendered fur, a war-torn body, and a deeply expressive face, Kong exudes both a cantankerous attitude (like he’s sick of Packard’s shit) and a gruff intelligence, especially in his determination to battle the “Big One” and take up makeshift arms. While the Mire Squid looks a little dodgy, the water and blood effects on Kong are otherwise remarkable, with this easily being the most impressive version to date and him often appearing in daylight. The Skullcrawlers are effective nightmare fuel, being strange, lizard-like mutates with a voracious appetite and unnerving exposed skull. It’s the other insectile inhabitants that really caught my eye, though, as Kong: Skull Island presents new monsters rather than dinosaur variants, giving us horrific creatures like the Mother Longlegs to force us (and the characters) to question everything about their surroundings. Although the soldiers pack some serious firepower and later upgrade to napalm, they’re constantly depicted as out of their depth on Skull Island and it takes every resource they have to battle even one Skullcrawler, forcing them to flee just like they withdrew from Vietnam as their weapons are ultimately useless against the prehistoric land’s occupants.
Upon first seeing Kong, Packard’s already fragile mind snaps like a twig. While he initially frames his vendetta as a search party for Chapman, Packard’s true intention is to find the weapons cache and gain the means to kill Kong. When Marlow balks at this, Packard turns violent, lashing out and threatening him and Conrad at gunpoint before being convinced to pursue his vendetta with his few loyal men. However, as Kong is the only thing keeping the Skullcrawlers from running rampant and potentially threatening the world, Marlow convinces Conrad to intervene when Packard sets a trap not laced with chloroform, but with napalm, luring Kong with seismic charges and thus unleashing the alpha Skullcrawler. After fending off multiple smaller beasts, Kong battles the Titan-sized threat, which Marlow warned could be more than the ape’s match since it previously killed his parents. Indeed, while Kong easily dispatches of the smaller creatures, the Big One is a far greater threat, sending Kong hurtling across the swamp. While Kong is briefly tangled up in a scuttled ship’s chains, he uses this to his advantage, wrapping it around his arm and swinging the rusted propeller to gain the upper hand. When Weaver gets a little too close to the action, she ends up in Kong’s massive fist when he dramatically and gruesomely wrenches the Big One’s insides out tongue first to establish himself as the dominant Titan of Skull Island. Exhausted, overwhelmed, and in awe of Kong’s feat, Conrad leads the survivors to the rendezvous point and leaves Kong to roar his victory across the land. In the aftermath, a nervous, freshly shaved, and decorated Marlow finally returns home, embraced by his wife and stunned son while Conrad and Weaver are warned that other Titans are still to be discovered and their experiences have only justified Monarch’s existence…
The Summary:
I’ve always been a big fan of Kong: Skull Island. On paper, there are some elements that I wasn’t sure would work as it changes the concept of King Kong quite a bit, but it all comes together really nicely and presents a new, if familiar, version of the world’s most famous ape. Setting the film against the background of the Vietnam War and making allusions of Apocalypse Now was a great way to present a new spin on the Kong concept and Samuel L. Jackson gave a terrific, scenery chewing performance as the crazed Packard. While many of his soldiers weren’t as fleshed out, they shined enough through their identifiable traits and Tom Hiddleston and John C. Reilly went a long way to making up for any of their shortcomings. Hiddleston makes for a convincing action hero and I remain disappointed that he never got to reprise this role in the MonsterVerse films. I also loved Marlow’s blend of comic relief, wackiness, and poignant emotion. Kong: Skull Island equally impresses with its action-packed narrative, which breaks the tradition of presenting dull, boring boat and island sequences in Kong films, and by offering unique and well-crafted monsters to provide some tension. Kong was beautifully brought to life as a fantastic throwback to his origins and recast as a curmudgeonly protector, one as intelligent as he is fierce, and it was great to see him portrayed as something more than just a tragic beast. Kong: Skull Island also stands the test of time as a more grounded, intense entry in the increasingly over-the-top MonsterVerse films, laying the foundation of big, world-shaking blockbusters with a gritty, captivating discussion on the trauma of war and man’s obsession with conquering both nature and perceived primitive forces.
My Rating:
Great Stuff
Were you a fan of he MonsterVerse version of King Kong? What did you think to him being presented as a protector figure? Which of Skull Island’s monsters was your favourite? Did you like the allusions to Apocalypse Now and Packard’s obsession with killing Kong? Would you have liked to see a Kong solo sequel and which MonsterVerse movie is your favourite version? How are you celebrating Kaiju this month? let me know what you think about the MonsterVerse in the comments, donate to my Ko-Fi if you want to see more MonsterVerse content, and go check out my other King Kong and Kaiju reviews!
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