Movie Review: Just Another Passable Action Flick!- Kong- Skull Island

***Spoiler Alert!***
King Kong has been the world's beloved monster for generations now. Hollywood is not bored with the big bad ape even after seven movies. The latest one comes with an all-star ensemble cast. With fan-favorite Tom Hiddleston playing the lead and respectable actors Sam L Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Toby Kebell and underrated John C. Reilly playing supporting roles, the movie seemed to have good potential. The trailers showed Kong, much bigger in size than any movie adaptation before, packed enough hype to pocket great openings. The music used in the trailers was bang on and it actually tricked me into believing that this movie is going to be another Guardians of the Galaxy. Ask me if I was wrong!

In 1942, during WWII, two plans crash onto an uncharted Island which was hidden from human civilization until then. While the two pilots are trying to kill each other, they're interrupted by a bigger and stronger force. Now, after 24 years, Bill Randa (John Goodman) finds the unexplored island, Skull Island and wants to study it for unlimited resources it can offer. With a little persuasion, he gets a go ahead from the government and so gathers a team of scientists along with a navigator James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) and war hungry officer Preston Packard (Sam L Jackson) and his team. Though the team seems tightly knit, there's a secret Randa is keeping from the team that's going to cost them a lot. As they drop seismic charges on the island, Kong is enraged and destroys their convoy of choppers and heli-carriers resulting in death of Packard's men. The rest of the movie is how the shattered team re-groups to find some shocking truths about the island and how Kong is guarding the inhabitants there from deadly monsters while Packard is plotting an evil plot to take revenge.

Good things first, the cinematography is stunning! Yup, stunning! It's right there at the top with Mad Max Fury Road. The frame looks rich, haunting and beautiful at the same time. Action sequences are brilliant and can't get any better. Music is great. It adds adrenaline to beautifully choreographed action, be it when Kong is fighting choppers or Skull Crawlers. Performances are decent. So is script. The biggest flaw in the whole movie is with character development. Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson are wasted. Randa is given motive and maybe Packard has some motive or it's just his descent to madness, but, no other character appeals. There's nothing added to their characters throughout the course of the movie. Both Tom and Brie are just two shallow characters. What's worse is John C. Reilly gets forgotten. Though his performance is best of all, at certain point of time, it seems he can be replaced by any other actor and it wouldn't have made any difference. It is quite evident that the makers were clear on what they wanted to make, a fun popcorn action flick. Though the movie achieved that, it doesn't add anything to it's viewers and that's disappointing. The cheesy climax with Hank going back to his family didn't help either. Kong- Skull Island will be withered and forgotten in time and it would make no difference to the movies or the audience.

Highlights:

  • Cinematography
  • Music
Drawbacks:
  • Poor Character Arcs and Character Development
  • Thin Plot
  • Climax
An action movie doesn't need to be just a mindless action movie. Like Mad Max Fury Road, it can be a movie with something new for audience to hold on to and cherish for long after the movie has ended. Though there's no wrong in making just a mindless action film, that will not be remembered for long. Who would want to make a movie that can be forgotten while they can make one that's unforgettable!

Verdict: Passable fun popcorn film!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Movie Review: An Improvement from "The Beginning", Yet Far from Greatness.- Baahubali 2- The Conclusion

Image
***Spoiler Alert!*** You'd be very well aware that I was quite disappointed with Baahubali- The Beginning if you've been following me. Though the movie had reached heights in case of VFX, the only department to credit is that of Cinematography and nothing else. Good Visuals doesn't necessarily make a good movie . As The Beginning ended on a note of ambiguity, audience of the movie craved for closure. This meant that the sequel already bagged all of it's audience from the first movie. With enough hype surrounding the movie, the producers didn't compromise on the quality of making it as it seemed as a safe bet. The first look and trailer, even with it's weird soundtrack, added to the hype. The movie is out and is making tons of money. However, a movie that makes a lot of money in India doesn't necessarily be a great movie. The movie starts off with a visual recap of important sequences from the first part, during the titles. The visuals are impressive d
Read more

Appreciation Post- Why Arjun Reddy is a Modern Classic!

Image
In the wake of Kabir Singh (Hindi) and Adithya Varma (Tamil), the most controversial of it's time, the original, Arjun Reddy (Telugu) is once again in the news. It's been over two years since Arjun Reddy hit the theatres and is still one of the most talked about in the film fraternity. While some are of the opinion that it's just another movie with glorification of drugs and alcohol and mistaking obsession with love, others are of the opinion that Arjun Reddy is one of those rare movies that reinvent filmmaking. Kabir Singh and Adithya Varma may or may not meet the expectations but Arjun Reddy will be remembered for generations to come. Before we dig deep, one important thing to be remembered is that Arjun Reddy is not a story of a perfect protagonist. It's the story of a person who is transforming. The essence of the movie lies in the raw feel it carries. Arjun Reddy is as close to reality so far from it. He has the same issues as every other college going kid an
Read more

Movie Review: Better Stay at Home and Stare into Nothingness!- Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Image
***Spoiler Alert!*** Thanks to my sisters, I had to watch this movie which I wouldn't have otherwise! The best thing about this movie? The whole controversy stirred couple of weeks before it's release. Yup, that was much more entertaining! Though I didn't have much hopes from Karan Johar, I've always been an admirer of Ranbir Kapoor's acting, especially when he cries and looking at sensible subjects he usually chooses  (barring a few like Besharam, Roy e.t.c.) , I was tricked into believing there'll be something new in the movie. Oh boy, was I wrong! The movie starts off with Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) being interviewed after he has become a successful singer. One of the questions from the interviewer makes him start his life story with Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) and Saba (Aishwarya Rai). Ayan has these obsessive feelings (ooh! creepy!!) towards Alizeh, a weak character who is obsessed (creepy part 2!!) with Ali (Fawad Khan). As Alizeh carries off to marry Ali af
Read more