Kong: Skull Island |OT| For your health!

Status
Not open for further replies.
duckroll said:
Goddamn I had a fucking good time. Probably one of the best monster action movies I've ever seen. I loved how the script was tight and simple, but really satisfying. The casting was great. Some characters felt a bit wasted, but there's a lot of great stuff there too. The tone was perfect. It wasn't comedy, but it was enjoyable enough to have that laid back adventure tone while still feeling a little gritty. Loved the setting and the cinematography was to DIE for. OMG. The lighting, the framing, the action choreography, the monster designs, the island layout. Yum. Yum Yum. More please. This is what Godzilla 2014 should have been!
Click to expand...

Yup. It's what Jurrasic World should have been. This was a romp from beginning to end.
 
Sanjuro said:
Not sure how Hiddleston was miscast. You just needed an attractive actor who can handle a paper thin role. It could have been Channing Tatum just as easily or whoever can mug for the camera.
Click to expand...

Because he's boring. He's a better actor than Tatum, but Tatum reeks of more charisma for this kind of role.
Give Tom a slow burning moody character or let him go full camp, but an action hero he ain't.
 
duckroll said:
Goddamn I had a fucking good time. Probably one of the best monster action movies I've ever seen. I loved how the script was tight and simple, but really satisfying. The casting was great. Some characters felt a bit wasted, but there's a lot of great stuff there too. The tone was perfect. It wasn't comedy, but it was enjoyable enough to have that laid back adventure tone while still feeling a little gritty. Loved the setting and the cinematography was to DIE for. OMG. The lighting, the framing, the action choreography, the monster designs, the island layout. Yum. Yum Yum. More please. This is what Godzilla 2014 should have been!
Click to expand...
Yes yes YES! I agree wholeheartedly. Had a blast with this movie.
 
Sanjuro said:
Not sure how Hiddleston was miscast. You just needed an attractive actor who can handle a paper thin role. It could have been Channing Tatum just as easily or whoever can mug for the camera.
Click to expand...

I don't think he was miscast at all. They needed eye candy and they got it. What was kinda unfortunate is that his character is kinda just... there. For someone who was hired to be the tracker of the team, he didn't really do jack shit. Lol. Still more participation bonus than Jing Tian though.
 
I think they did a pretty good job of masking how useless the leads really were in the film

Didn't really occur to me how Hiddleston did nothing until reading here and thinking back

The type of character he was playing is the guy that would be there solely to save the damsel in distress the whole movie and be the hero. But (thankfully) they don't go there. So he gets a moment or two where he shines, otherwise he's just there to look Hollywood in front of the monsters. Serves his purpose and I'd be down for them to return in future movies (and hopefully like....contribute or something)
 
duckroll said:
I don't think he was miscast at all. They needed eye candy and they got it. What was kinda unfortunate is that his character is kinda just... there. For someone who was hired to be the tracker of the team, he didn't really do jack shit. Lol. Still more participation bonus than Jing Tian though.
Click to expand...

He does tracking stuff maybe like...three times in the film? One of those times he straight up thinks it's a great idea to indulge H8teful Sam Jackson.
 
I thought this movie was pretty fantastic. I liked the brisk pace, felt like a cousin to Jurassic Park and had a real 90s vibe. John C. Reilly completely steals the movie, just owns it. Way better than I thought it would be.
 
I was really, really surprised by Reilly's performance and character in the film. I think the trailers really did him an injustice because what I thought the character was and who he really was were such different things. They tried to play up the humor in the trailers but a lot of it is really there to show how awkward he is and I think he really nailed it. Him successfully selling the character made the ending credits work. It lands the movie at the end imo.
 
BronsonLee said:
Jing Tian is the most important character in the entire film!
Click to expand...

I made a comment about making this a boys club movie. Brie Larsen I understand her entire purpose for existing in this film.

I just felt bad for this girl though. I mean, they simply had nothing for her.
 
duckroll said:
I was really, really surprised by Reilly's performance and character in the film. I think the trailers really did him an injustice because what I thought the character was and who he really was were such different things. They tried to play up the humor in the trailers but a lot of it is really there to show how awkward he is and I think he really nailed it. Him successfully selling the character made the ending credits work. It lands the movie at the end imo.
Click to expand...

His line of "You shouldn't have come here" is one of the funniest I've heard in years. The delivery is fantastic.
 
duckroll said:
I was really, really surprised by Reilly's performance and character in the film. I think the trailers really did him an injustice because what I thought the character was and who he really was were such different things. They tried to play up the humor in the trailers but a lot of it is really there to show how awkward he is and I think he really nailed it. Him successfully selling the character made the ending credits work. It lands the movie at the end imo.
Click to expand...

John C. Reilly is the lead human character in this film easily. For his role he delivers the comedic relief, the lone complete character arc (mayyybe Sam Jackson as well if you want to nitpick), an emotional investment for the audience, surprisingly the most rational and heroic individual, and he basically provides Kong's entire narrative. It's outright impressive. Especially when you see all of the military characters gasping for air to say something interesting.
 
I wasn't lying when I said it was Reilly's film, I think the film would've suffered significantly without him and he really helps it stick the landing

For Jing, eh. She's just lucky she didn't get Jurassic World'd
 
Also don't think I've seen it discussed here but lowkey, worst line of the entire movie is probably the first

The Washington one. Like you didn't even try
 
Sanjuro said:
He does tracking stuff maybe like...three times in the film? One of those times he straight up thinks it's a great idea to indulge H8teful Sam Jackson.
Click to expand...

He's also pretty bad at his job - who in their right mind would go against the judgement of someone who's been there for nearly 30 years and lead a group of people straight through a
mass grave
where the air has a poisonous, healthy green look all around?

But at least he put it well: 'We can make it' - How else would they arrive at their next action set piece :P

Reilly was alright. I liked him until they tried to emotionally heavy hand us his character's conclusion at the end.
Complete with the nearly 30 year old son that has to look somewhat teeny to not be mistaken for a husband, a wife that just so happens to drop her drinks and is still single and Reilly enjoying himself on the couch while still wearing his WWII uniform.

I realize this all sounds a little cynical, but I enjoyed the movie - it was entertaining and a special kind of schlock, that doesn't happen often anymore in big budget movies.
 
Thought it was kind of a "whatever" movie. Was never boring and definitely had some fun scenes but it felt like an empty movie. John C. Riley and Larry Fong are the true stars of the movie, with Riley being the only character resembling an actual living (And likable) person and Fong's photography being absolutely gorgeous throughout. Otherwise it's an actual "turn off your brain and enjoy" movie (Unlike a certain nauseating robot series) that's not very memorable but supplies some moderate fun. Rental imo.
 
Movie was alright. Solid B.

I was expecting to despise the WW2 pilot from the trailers, but he was tolerable and actually kind of funny. The line about the ant towards the end was great.

Packard(was somebody behind this movie from Detroit? There were moe than a few references) was a pretty interesting character. Could have been a complete cartoon villain easily but they kept him pretty relatable.

One thing I missed from the 05 movie was the hour long build up. I LOVED that time spent in 20's/30's New York. I know there was no chance this would be a 3 hour movie, but it would have been cool to soak in a little more of the 70's in America atmosphere.

Also did this remind anyone else of Shadow of The Colossus? The location, the creatures, the architecture, even the specific look.
 
duckroll said:
I was really, really surprised by Reilly's performance and character in the film. I think the trailers really did him an injustice because what I thought the character was and who he really was were such different things. They tried to play up the humor in the trailers but a lot of it is really there to show how awkward he is and I think he really nailed it. Him successfully selling the character made the ending credits work. It lands the movie at the end imo.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. The trailer made him look like wacky comedy relief, but there was a grounding to his character that made him sympathetic and his oddness understandable. He was the emotional center to the film, to the extent that hit had one. The ending scene worked because of that.

Though I thought it was odd that
the kid was still at the house; he'd be what, late 20's, early 30's by then? What are the odds he's just there in the living room?
Still, Riley gave a really great performance.
 
So apparently this movie starred:

-Nick Fury
-Loki
-Captain Marvel
-Rhomann Dey from Guardians of the Galaxy (JCR)
-Peggy Carter's boss in Agent Carter (grenade guy)

And someone mentioned Godzilla 2014, which featured Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch playing a husband and wife.
 
So was John C. Reilly's comment about how
Kong is still growing implying that he'll be Godzilla sized by the time the crossover rolls around?
 
The alternative opening would have been amazing:

The alternate opening that I pitched to them, the studio said: ‘No. You’re crazy. You can’t do that.’ So it’s World War II. A full squad comes to this beach. They’re killing each other – and then suddenly, this giant monkey (that looks a lot like the monkey from the last King Kong movie) comes out of the jungle. And they just kill it. It’s dead. And you’re sitting there going, ‘wait, did they just kill King Kong? Did they kill the hero of this film?’

And then you’d hear a roar and see a much bigger creature – the real King Kong. That was the crazy version of me wanting to send a message that this isn’t like other King Kong movies that you’ve seen. The studio were like: ‘you can’t do that.’

http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3...y-alternate-opening-ending-kong-skull-island/
 
Where did all the helicopters come from? There was only 4 hueys and the seaspray in the back, and when they take off to the island there is suddenly like 12 choppers in the air.
 
Just got out of the movie. Fucking fantastic.

Ending spoilers
I wasn't prepared for the feels at the end with Reily's character seeing his family again. That was a really great note to end the movie on.

Posts credits spoiler
KONG ISN'T THE ONLY KING, MOTHERFUCKERS!
 
There were a ton of visually striking moments, and the action was great. John C. Reilly was damn good.

I'm so glad it turned out better than I thought it would when I read that Max Borenstein was involved and that the director was a total unknown.
 
I seriously didn't remember any of the characters' names outside of Packard cause it was on his uniform. Just super basic characters. The CG kaiju fun was worth it though.
 
This was a lot of fun and worth seeing in theaters. That after credits stinger tho 😭😭😭😭 it's happening!

BronsonLee said:
I wasn't lying when I said it was Reilly's film, I think the film would've suffered significantly without him and he really helps it stick the landing

For Jing, eh. She's just lucky she didn't get Jurassic World'd
Click to expand...

No it was just
male scientist with a mustache turn for a weird carried off death.
 
Odoul said:
Also did this remind anyone else of Shadow of The Colossus? The location, the creatures, the architecture, even the specific look.
Click to expand...

It's funny you say that, because the director said that that was one of the big inspirations for some of the designs of the creatures in this movie among other things.
 
I have to say that Kong also made a lot more confident in the whole "Kaiju Shared Universe" or whatever their calling it. I was worried this movie was going to have some fairly awkwardly jammed in links to other movies (see: the DCEU movies). Instead the
couple of Godzilla
references were pretty organically placed and the post-credits scene actually worked in the full context of the movie.
 
Post credits spoiler

That should have been mid-credits. The actual credits spoiled that scene because just a few seconds before the scene happens, you see "Godzilla, Rhodan, Mothra and King Ghidora are characters from the Toho company".

But I had already guessed that the film would end with Godzilla's roar. Still, I couldn't stop smiling throughout that whole thing.

Great film, really enjoyed that.
 
Lone_Prodigy said:
Did anyone else feel like that giant octopus/squid wouldn't be living in such shallow waters?
Click to expand...

Yes and is that a fresh water squid or was Kong drinking saltwater?

So much does not make sense but did not stop the fact that I really enjoyed the movie! it was refreshing to see giant monster fights in the daytime and not always obscured by night, rain, caves etc. I'm looking at you Pacific Rim and Godzilla.
 
I usually don't like John C. Reilly but he was really good in this. The Cold War joke had me dying. I was in tears.
 
Daingurse said:
Lol, yep. I think it was the creepiest looking monster easily too. I fear what Kumonga would look like in this new monster-verse . . .
Click to expand...

I didn't get what happened when they shoot at it though, were those supposed to be tentacles in its innards pulling that one soldier up?
 
GhaleonEB said:
Totally agree. The trailer made him look like wacky comedy relief, but there was a grounding to his character that made him sympathetic and his oddness understandable. He was the emotional center to the film, to the extent that hit had one. The ending scene worked because of that.

Though I thought it was odd that
the kid was still at the house; he'd be what, late 20's, early 30's by then? What are the odds he's just there in the living room?
Still, Riley gave a really great performance.
Click to expand...

It was
right at the end of the Vietnam War, yar? Perhaps the son has also just come home.
 
Boss Doggie said:
I didn't get what happened when they shoot at it though, were those supposed to be tentacles in its innards pulling that one soldier up?
Click to expand...

Shit got weird, right? I was pretty confused. Wasn't exactly sure what I was looking at. That thing was a freak lol. I was pretty bummed that they only showed one of those things.
 
I think the one thing that I missed the most was dinosaurs.

The Skull Crawlers were cool and all, but nothing is better than having Kong fight a T-Rex.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Oscars 2025 |OT|
2
75
4K
Zathalus replied
Kawasaki to show off concept for robotic horse (sort of) - rideable robots |OT|
22
1K
Darkmakaimura replied
Andor S2 |OT| Remember Star Wars?
26
158
TintoConCasera replied
TV Shows You’ve Watched Lately |OT| - 2025
|OT| Community  2 3 4
152
7K
RaduN replied
Movies You’ve Watched Lately | OT | - 2025
|OT| Opinion Community  7 8 9 10 11
512
19K
bitbydeath replied
Top Bottom