Kong: Skull Island (2017)

This is my third King Kong film and thus far my least favorite. Set during the 1970s, it offers a Heart of Darkness theme with members of a secret government organization joined by Vietnam War soldiers and a war photographer to hunt down Kong. It lays heavily on the era setting with a constant jukebox of songs. Kong isn’t even the main antagonist on the island. Instead skull crawlers that remind me of the monkey creatures in Temple Run are the real enemy. The group never actually leaves the island with Kong and Brie Larson, as the main female character, isn’t Kong’s love interest but also doesn’t have much else to do than take pictures she supposedly isn’t going to share with anyone. In fact there are so many extra characters that there were some I didn’t even notice were part of the expedition until halfway through the movie. What the film does have going for it is that’s very beautiful. Kong is impressive from every angle, but even those visuals are more about style than substance.

Oscar Nominee: Best Achievement in Visual Effects