First of all, I am grateful that this movie was only 2 hours long. The last King Kong movie I saw directed by Peter Jackson was like 3 and half hours long! Thankfully, not this movie. The CG is phenomenal. The details of the creatures found on Skull Island were almost exquisite. There is a scene of a close up of an ox-like creature that just took my breath away. The fights between monsters was also action packed. The visuals were outstanding.

The movie begins with a serious tone, the team gets on the Island at the cost of many lives. I really liked that Kong was introduced early on in the movie. He is really the protagonist here – as he should be, after all, he is the king. I was a bit annoyed though that the movie then becomes a little silly with the introduction of Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly) – a man who was lost on the Island for 28 years. He’s a bit silly and granted – funny, but it really changed the mood of the movie. The movie didn’t feel as suspenseful as it had been the previous hour, and that is when I started noticing everyone’s hair looked perfect! They’re in the jungle, the CG is phenomenal, the Island looks very humid, Kong has never looked so real, the creatures are from my nightmares and then you introduce a loon and everyone’s hair stays styled. It was so irritating! The movie felt real, Skull Island could be out there somewhere, but you ruined it with everyone’s perfect hair, and Marlow’s sense of humor. Also, I really like Samuel L. Jackson. His interviews are funny and he seems like a nice guy. But his angry voice and stance makes me laugh. He really doesn’t do well when he’s on a furious tirade. I found his character annoying. I will say his stare-down with Kong was pretty good though. The overall acting was okay. The most moving scenes came from the CG not the actors themselves.

I took a pack of teenage boys to see this movie and they loved every minute of it. There is blood, monsters, guts, fights, explosions, military weapons, and fires. A teenage boys dream.

Recommendations: I recommend this movie to those who love action movies and great CG. The movie isn’t inspiring, but is great if you want to just eat popcorn and be entertained. Teenage boys and men will really enjoy this movie. The movie is set during the Vietnam War, so those with military backgrounds would also like this movie. (Just FYI – The rank on Lt Colonel Packard (SLJ) is blatantly wrong, even I noticed that!)

To the Christian – This movie is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for brief strong language. There is a short scene where some men are at a racy restaurant, but there is no nudity and a woman is dancing and you can see her bra. Other than that, there is no other sexuality. There are cuss words used in the movie, and God’s name is taken in vain.

The movie is violent and gory, but most of it comes from animals that don’t even exist. I had to turn away from one scene because it was a bit gruesome. Some questions to ask would be: What is man’s role in nature? What does God mean when he told man to subdue the earth and all that is in it? Why aren’t there large animals like Kong and the creatures on Skull Island here on earth?