10 Reasons Kong: Skull Island Might Be 2017's Most Surprising Success
It's so...colourful!
Kong: Skull Island is the second instalment in Legendary Pictures' Gozilla-Kong film series, an attempt to create a Kaiju-inspired cinematic universe. The first, of course, was Gareth Edwards' 2014 Godzilla, and though an interesting film, it had its detractors. But there is clearly something in the monster genre, and now all eyes turn to its follow-up and the revival of King Kong.
The trailer dropped recently and it's safe to say it took a lot of people off guard. Many expected a similar tone to Godzilla, grey and gritty and realistic. Instead, what they got was something bursting with colour, with a focus on humour and a fantastic array of strange and terrifying beasties.
At the moment, Kong: Skull Island looks like one of 2017's most unique offerings, and has the potential to blow audiences away with its refreshing take on the monster movie. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has even said he's uninterested in withholding Kong from audiences for the first hour of the film, determined to make a different kind of film than Godzilla.
Here, then, are ten reasons Kong: Skull Island might be 2017's most surprising success.
10. It Actually Gives Audiences Want They Want
How many people, heading to see a monster movie, are really all that concerned about gradual suspense? Watching tiny slithers of the monster's big toe until finally, during the climatic fifteen minutes, the entire creature is revealed, only to be dispatched with a disappointing level of ease.
The trend in recent years (looking at you, 2014's Godzilla) when it comes to movies has been to excessively tease. It's not that this technique doesn't work - 2008's Cloverfield is practically built on the premise of teasing the monster, with the film's entire marketing campaign focusing heavily on the nature of the creature - but sometimes audiences just want to get straight to the point.
The trailer for Kong: Skull Island does just that. Within the first minute Kong appears in all his terrible glory, and there are multiple shots of him throughout, including one which is practically a full body shot.
It's clear the film isn't interested in keeping what Kong looks like a secret (the director has even said so) rather, it's the incredible action set pieces that are the focal point. And that's what audiences want.