When I was a little kid living in California during the seventies, I'll never forgot one of our neighbors (who worked in the biz!) handed out small movie posters of KING KONG (1976) for Halloween! I was just the type of weird kid who would much rather have a miniature advertisement featuring a giant ape crushing a plane while straddling the World Trade Center than any known form of candy (keep in mind that SOUR PATCH KIDS had not been invented yet). This past Friday when I went to the very first showing (Thursday is for cheaters) of KONG: SKULL ISLAND, the disgruntled dude that took my ticket handed me just such a miniature poster featuring the brand spanking new KONG movie's promotional artwork! Yes, I got sorta giddy and yes I rolled it carefully, tied it with a napkin from the concession stand (I'm a genius) and put it in a protective plastic grocery bag that I just happened to have in my back pocket from walking my niece's dog, Nelson. So basically, I was sold on this movie before I sat down in a chair- just so you know.
I feel guilty that I haven't been writing many reviews for current movies lately. It's not that I don't go see them it's just that I've needed the escapism of film so much that I am loath to taint the therapeutic experience with critical thought. Scanning entertainment with a laser eye is not a luxury my mental health can afford right now. These days when I'm watching a movie and my brain tries to be smart and point out illogical discrepancies, I politely tell my brain to shut the hell up and remind it how little its annoying opinion has gotten us thus far. There are so few enjoyable places in the world and I refuse to hand over the haven of the multiplex. If I want a nonstop mudslide of inconsequential jabbering I've got the Internet for that. I'm not talking about leaving your brain at the door when you see a movie, I'm talking about taking your brain, wrapping a bonnet on its head, shoving it in a baby carriage and pushing it down a long hill in the opposite direction of the theater, preferably one of those steep San Francisco hills as seen in WHAT'S UP DOC?. Hopefully it will run into two guys transporting a large plate of glass.
Naturally, I had a fantastic time with KONG: SKULL ISLAND. I left the theater feeling ten years younger and with my posture improved. For a would-be blockbuster it's rather muted and easy on the eyes; obviously borrowing visual tips from the more grounded cinema of decades ago. It clearly has an aspiration to ape (haha) APOCALYPSE NOW and hey, there's nothing wrong with setting your sights high. The visual effects are seamless and I'm looking forward to never having to discuss CGI again. It's as convincing as any dream and that's good enough for me. The nostalgic tone is solidified by the extensive eclectic cast who I can easily envision being featured in tiny profiles squares at the bottom of a disaster movie poster. JOHN GOODMAN rules as usual, SAMUEL L. JACKSON menaces like a pro and JOHN C. REILLY steals every scene not nailed down. In addition, I found BRIE LARSON fetching and I think SHEA WHIGHAM is the coolest. Plus I love KONG. He's more than a giant monster to me. He so perfectly represents all the beautiful wildlife that we're all going to burn in hell for destroying…. Oops, I guess I didn't leave the real world behind as much as I thought. It all boils down to this; If you're in the mood to see a giant monkey punch a giant octopus in the face- this is your best bet!
