Kong: Skull Island * * *

Kong reacting the way we all do when some stupid helicopter 
disturbs our sleep.

 King Kong is a bit like one of those singers that keeps retiring only to return a few years later.  Do we really want to see them again?

    Unlike those unwelcome "come-back" artists, in this film King Kong doesn't go on tour.  They couldn’t transport an ape of this stature even if they wanted to: he is HUGE.  

     Kong: Skull Island is set in 1973.  Those new satellite cameras they’re tossing up into space have revealed an uncharted island in the  South Pacific.  Its subject to a weather phenomenon of constant mist and thunder clouds  thus no ship has seen it.   As an Australian I'd have told them “No it’s cool, we know about Tasmania, it’s part of us”: but that’s not the island they were thinking of.  It’s a bit more tropical than that..

     The Vietnam war is staggering toward its inevitable conclusion, and a lucky platoon of airborne soldiers are told this is their  last mission before going home - to look after the Civilian company who are going to explore the island with their hired guide who is an ex soldier himself, (Tom Hiddleston).

    King Kong does not appreciate their visit, especially when they start dropping bombs to test the density of the earth.  Other animal inhabitants that don't appreciate their visit are huge lizard type creatures that live underground.  The lizards and Kong don’t get along thus they provide entertainment for us by having gigantic monkey v lizard fights.

    Before that, It’s kind of fun watching Kong rip Army helicopters out of the sky and slam them into the earth, but the stupid Colonel (Samuel J Jackson) wants his napalm style revenge on Kong for doing that, especially having done so badly in the Vietnam war (that’s a good message, I’ll give it that).

     The essential pretty girl for King Kong to fall in love with is the official photographer on the mission (Brie Larson).

    As monster punch-ups go it isn’t bad, but all this CGI stuff is just a bit wearisome now so it's necessary to give us some real drama to offset it. Unfortunately Kong:Skull Island is lacking in that area, except for the discovery of a WWII fighter pilot who crash landed on the island years ago, and the rather beautiful native people he lives with.  More of them would have been welcome as opposed to the rather dull main characters (no reflection on the actors, they're just uninteresting characters).

    Kong: Skull Island is okay, but I must confess I did check my phone and my watch a few times, which says something.