Kong: Skull Island

Kong: Skull Island is the latest edition (and third remake) of the King Kong franchise. Combining elements and plot lines of the 1976 and 2005 versions, Kong: Skull Island unfortunately does not have a point of difference or much of anything new to offer.

Set in the 1970s following the end of the Vietnam War, Bill Randa (John Goodman) a government official, convinces a Senator to greenlight an expedition to Skull Island. Amassing a team of scientists and military personnel including James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) and Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), it is soon apparent that this is no ordinary island and that humans are not at the top of the food chain here.

The special effects, especially the battle scenes between Kong and the various other monster inhabitants are impressive but it is at the expense of character development, which means we don’t actually care who survives.

★★

Reviewed by Alicia Sim.