Yeah, there's no other way to put it, this is a B-movie. But there's a real awareness to this status.
Admittedly, the story takes a little while to really pick up, mostly to set up the motivations (though they are admittedly rather loose). But once it gets to the island, that's when the action picks up, and it picks up fast. And its damn good action at that, with some top notch cinematography; in a time where action is generally done through quick shots and edits, much of the action is shot in a way where we linger on one shot for a time, which is often just the monsters fighting or roaring. There are, however, a number of scenes that are rather slow, and while I wouldn't be opposed to it, it creates a rather severe contrast between the fast paced, and quick action, to these slow, and plodding dialogue scenes.
Though the acting is alright, the characters are cutouts, and you've probably seen these characters in just about every action film. Though I do wish we could get some slightly more interesting human characters, they're obviously not intended to be the focus; the focus is obviously supposed to be on Kong. And I will say I liked Sam Jackson's portrayal as an Ahab-esque figure, which certainly held my attention. There's one particularly good scene where he and Kong make eye contact with flames surrounding Kong.
Speaking of the giant primate, I'd say he's definitely pretty good in this as well. The design is retro enough to look like the original, but new enough to feel like this is its own rendition. He also grunts, roars, and beats his chest, all while fighting giant lizards, which I imagine a lot of people going to see this movie would want, and there is certainly plenty of that.
In conclusion, if you're hoping for a movie with giant monster brawls, I'd definitely recommend it. But be prepared to deal with some pretty corny, and stupid scenes.
A B-movie, and it knows it
Yeah, there's no other way to put it, this is a B-movie. But there's a real awareness to this status.
Admittedly, the story takes a little while to really pick up, mostly to set up the motivations (though they are admittedly rather loose). But once it gets to the island, that's when the action picks up, and it picks up fast. And its damn good action at that, with some top notch cinematography; in a time where action is generally done through quick shots and edits, much of the action is shot in a way where we linger on one shot for a time, which is often just the monsters fighting or roaring. There are, however, a number of scenes that are rather slow, and while I wouldn't be opposed to it, it creates a rather severe contrast between the fast paced, and quick action, to these slow, and plodding dialogue scenes.
Though the acting is alright, the characters are cutouts, and you've probably seen these characters in just about every action film. Though I do wish we could get some slightly more interesting human characters, they're obviously not intended to be the focus; the focus is obviously supposed to be on Kong. And I will say I liked Sam Jackson's portrayal as an Ahab-esque figure, which certainly held my attention. There's one particularly good scene where he and Kong make eye contact with flames surrounding Kong.
Speaking of the giant primate, I'd say he's definitely pretty good in this as well. The design is retro enough to look like the original, but new enough to feel like this is its own rendition. He also grunts, roars, and beats his chest, all while fighting giant lizards, which I imagine a lot of people going to see this movie would want, and there is certainly plenty of that.
In conclusion, if you're hoping for a movie with giant monster brawls, I'd definitely recommend it. But be prepared to deal with some pretty corny, and stupid scenes.