Kong: Skull Island (2017)

After the Vietnam war, a team of scientists explores an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong, and must fight to escape a primal Eden.

Director:

Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Writers:

Dan Gilroy (screenplay by), Max Borenstein (screenplay by)

Stars:

Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hiddleston	...	James Conrad
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Preston Packard
Brie Larson	...	Mason Weaver
John C. Reilly	...	Hank Marlow
John Goodman	...	Bill Randa
Corey Hawkins	...	Houston Brooks
John Ortiz	...	Victor Nieves
Tian Jing	...	San
Toby Kebbell	...	Jack Chapman / Kong
Jason Mitchell	...	Mills
Shea Whigham	...	Cole
Thomas Mann	...	Slivko
Eugene Cordero	...	Reles
Marc Evan Jackson	...	Landsat Steve
Will Brittain	...	Young Marlow / Marlow's Son

Storyline

A washed up monster chaser convinces the U.S. Government to fund a trip to an unexplored island in the South Pacific. Under the guise of geological research, the team travels to "Skull Island". Upon arrival, the group discover that their mission may be complicated by the wildlife which inhabits the island. The beautiful vistas and deadly creatures create a visually stunning experience that is sure to keep your attention.

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Plot Keywords:

giant spider | monster movie | giant monster | monster versus monster | pointless self sacrifice | 

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Taglines:

All hail the King

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for brief strong language.

Did You Know?

Trivia

Russell Crowe was considered for a role.

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Goofs

The main camera used by the photographer is a Leica M3. In some scenes you see a black version but in most of the scenes you see a brown one. This later version was not a standard camera, black was the only colour available at that time. Also, in one scene (in the village with the native people), a shoot is flipped, you see Mrs Larson is cranking the camera from the left side.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bill Randa: Mark my words. There'll never be a more screwed up time in Washington. But we can't let it stop us.

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Crazy Credits

There is a scene in the closing credits: Marlow returns to America and reunites with his family.

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Connections

Referenced in WatchMojo: Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2017 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Ziggy Stardust
Written and Performed by David Bowie
Courtesy of RZO Music

User Reviews

A stylized version of Kong that you may or may not have wanted

Some people go to the movies to be wowed by the superb acting, heart wrenching and well written story, and overall solid production... THIS has good effects? The acting in this film isn't bad, but it definitely won't win any awards for it.

The story has characters Bill Randa (John Goodman) and Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) piggybacking on an expedition to an uncharted island to test their "hollow earth" theory. Tom Hiddleston plays a tracker, Brie Larson plays a photographer, and John C. Reilly plays a surprisingly funny WW2 vet marooned on Skull Island.

The film takes place in 1973 and loves to remind you with CCR and old technology as if it was a hundred years ago. Kong: Skull Island pays homage to Apocalypse Now quite frequently even though it seems a bit excessive at times.

Kong looked good, almost all the creatures looked cool and all the fights between them looked really good, especially in IMAX 3D. Some of the green screen effects, like backgrounds behind characters, were distractingly bad. Ultimately, you get some great stuff out of all the effects if you're not looking too closely.

The characters are more hollow than the earth (according to the film's characters themselves), the story is mediocre, but the effects reign king in this film adaptation.

My suggestion: See it! it's a blockbuster meant to fill seats, not win awards. Take it for what it is.

Seen at an advanced IMAX 3D screening in Minneapolis.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA China

Language:

English Vietnamese

Release Date:

10 March 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Skull Island

Filming Locations:

Village Roadshow Studios, Oxenford, Queensland, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$185,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$61,025,472, 12 March 2017

Gross USA:

$168,052,812

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$566,652,812

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Legendary Entertainment, Tencent Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (DTS: X) IMAX 6-Track 12-Track Digital Sound (IMAX 12 track) Dolby Atmos Dolby Surround 7.1 Sonics-DDP Auro 11.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1