The Kings Of Summer director Jordan Vogt-Roberts transitions to big-budget tent pole with relevant ease; his Kong a mammoth creature discovered during a scouting mission to an unmapped island in the immediate aftermath of the Vietnam War. Roberts wastes no time in introducing the ape, keen to make him the main focus, to the point where both narrative and characters are sorely underdeveloped. The action scenes, however, are where the film comes to life. Kong knocks helicopters clean out the sky with a mere swipe of his fist – the survivors, of which Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson are two, strive to make it off the island in one piece. Roberts directs the film with a tremendous amount of flair, making Kong into a terrifying, if misunderstood beast that’s all about defending his territory at any cost, rather than partaking in an interspecies romance. It could have been much better, but Kong: Skull Island reinvigorates a monster with a fair amount of expertise.
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