Kong: Skull Island

I really love kaiju films, so I'm heavily influenced, but I had a great time watching Kong: Skull Island! Kong is excellent here, the effects are stunning, there are great monsters and incredible action scenes, and there are also interesting characters. Simply a thrilling spectacle for the movie theater. And to top it off, that fantastic poster with the green signal smoke! (12/03/2017)

I was looking forward to a great chillout that was alluring me with its premise, digital effects and a mix of actors that under usual circumstances cannot disappoint. In this case the biggest problem lies in the fact that the scriptwriter didn’t properly work out the individual characters, so the only interesting one is Samuel L. Jackson, who really acts, and John C. Reilly, who has some cool lines here and there. Otherwise it’s a military slasher in a similar vein like the legendary Predator, the only difference is that nobody in this movie is able to hold a candle to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Catchphrases are missing, even the whole spirit of the movie is missing, so it is just another mediocre digital film from Hollywood. (10/07/2018)

At first I was loving this romp unburdened by logic, and I wanted to come back to it repeatedly, but after a second date, the flaws in the form of the overly stylized script (as if the story was pieced together only around pre-conceived cool shots and scenes), the unfunny dialogues and the almost zero atmosphere don't do it anymore. I like the film as an ultra-loud, polished audiovisual spectacle, and for its sincere nature of a simple, fun blockbuster, the impressive 70s feel full of period songs, and the looks of the mesmerizing Brie Larson, but I can't forgive it for its reprehensible waste of a subject promising atmospheric goosebumps like Edwards' Godzilla. There are a few scenes that are genuinely hilarious and John C. Reilly steals the second half, but this could (and should) have turned out differently (and a little better). 70% (09/03/2017)

An abridged version of this movie with all the “wow moments” can be found in the video section. It’s called “Trailer”. A five-dollar script. Whereas Godzilla was dark and stylish, Kong is a mass of colorful gelatin without a single emotion or a hint of tension. The great ape’s entrance is fast and furious, but the moment of surprise is killed by the knowledge already imparted by the trailers. The same goes for the astonishment over the cool monster, which had already been revealed beforehand. And that’s a pity, as there is an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the lost worlds of the 1950s and 1960s, Hiddleston’s tracker is good (he and Brie Larson would’ve had great chemistry with a better script) and John C. Reilly is the highlight of the film. Only Samuel L. Jackson does not know what to do with his militant lunatic character; a butcher like the one played by Stephen Lang in Avatar would have been better here. (07/03/2017)

A rather weak screenplay, balanced by excellent tricks and fine actors. A movie buff’s enthusiasm is evident in Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ work as director, and lots of great ideas and situations are just what I hoped for. Unfortunately, some catalysts leading to these situations don’t make absolute sense (very conveniently located chains and ship’s propeller in the last fight, gas grenades and the simple stupidity of some characters). This is a great shame, because it really spoils the effort. Interesting casting is confronted by a screenplay where for instance the wonderful Sam L. Jackson’s behavior occasionally defies common sense. But all it needs is a little more depth to his motivation. (14/03/2017)