Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Kong: Skull Island is a 2017 American monster film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts. It is a reboot of the King Kong franchise and serves as the second film in Legendary's MonsterVerse, as well as the 11th film in the King Kong franchise. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Jing Tian, Toby Kebbell, John Ortiz, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Terry Notary, and John C. Reilly. In the film, set in 1973, a team of scientists and Vietnam War soldiers travel to the uncharted Skull Island and meet Kong, a gigantic ape who is the last of his species, closely followed by other terrifying creatures.

The film was announced in July 2014 at San Diego Comic-Con, and Vogt-Roberts was announced as the director in September 2014. The project initially began at Universal Pictures as an origin story but was later moved to Warner Bros. to develop a shared cinematic universe featuring Godzilla and Kong. Principal photography began in October 2015 in Hawaii and various locations around Vietnam and ended in March 2016.

Kong: Skull Island was theatrically released on March 10, 2017, to generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its visual effects, action sequences, and performances, particularly Jackson and Reilly. It was also a box office success, grossing $566 million worldwide. The film received a Best Visual Effects nomination at the 90th Academy Awards. A sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong, was released on March 24, 2021.

Plot
In 1944, two World War II fighter pilots, American pilot Hank Marlow and Japanese pilot Gunpei Ikari, parachute onto an island in the South Pacific after a dogfight and engage in close combat until the fight is interrupted by a giant ape.

In 1973, Bill Randa, head of the U.S. government organization Monarch, plans a search for primeval creatures on the recently discovered Skull Island. He recruits a U.S. Army unit commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard, tracker and former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad, and anti-war photographer Mason Weaver. Arriving at Skull Island, Packard's men begin dropping seismic explosives, developed by Randa's seismologist Houston Brooks, to map out the island and prove Brooks' Hollow Earth theory. The unit is then attacked by the giant ape, scattering the survivors across the island. Two groups form between the survivors, one with Conrad, Weaver, Nieves, the researchers, and one of the soldiers, the other with Randa and the rest. Packard searches for the transport helicopter piloted by Major Jack Chapman, intending to use the weapons on board to kill the ape.

Conrad's group encounters the local Iwi natives and an older Marlow. Marlow tells the group the giant ape, named Kong, protects the island from predators, including a race of subterranean reptilian creatures he dubs "Skullcrawlers" responsible for killing Kong's entire species, leaving him the last of his kind. The Iwi believe when Kong dies, a giant Skullcrawler will awaken and ravage the island. Marlow reveals he and Ikari had become friends during their time on the island, but Ikari was killed by a Skullcrawler some time ago. As Chapman is ambushed and devoured by a Skullcrawler, Conrad's group helps Marlow finish a boat made from parts of Marlow's and Ikari's downed planes. They ride down the river, where Nieves is torn apart by carnivorous birds and secure communication with Packard's group. When they regroup with Packard, he insists on searching for Chapman.

Marlow leads them through a mass grave of dinosaurs and Kong's family members. The Skullcrawler that killed Chapman attacks them, killing Randa and others before Weaver triggers a flammable gas explosion that kills it. Learning of Chapman's death, Packard reveals his plan to kill Kong and avenge his fallen men. Marlow and Brooks attempt to explain that killing Kong would lead to the Skullcrawlers running rampant, but Packard refuses to listen. The groups part ways, with Packard's group retrieving the weapons from Chapman's chopper and laying a trap for Kong at a nearby lake, while the non-military personnel head back to the boat. Conrad and Weaver meet Kong up-close and, seeing his true peaceful nature, resolve to save him. Packard's group lures Kong with the remaining seismic charges and incapacitates him with ignited napalm. Conrad, Weaver, and Marlow arrive and, after a standoff, persuade the other soldiers to spare Kong, but Packard refuses to yield. As the others retreat, the giant Skullcrawler emerges from the lake, and Kong crushes Packard. The Skullcrawler fights and overpowers Kong, but in the end, the ape is victorious with the humans' help. The survivors reach the rendezvous point and leave the island as Kong stoically watches.

In a pre-end credits scene, Marlow reunites with his wife and meets his son for the first time. In a post-credits scene, Monarch detains and recruits Conrad and Weaver. San Lin and Brooks inform them that Kong is not the only monster king and show archive footage of cave paintings depicting Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. The final image shows Godzilla and Ghidorah in battle.

Cast

 * Tom Hiddleston as James Conrad: An ex-British Special Air Service Captain who served in the Vietnam War with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment that Randa hires as a hunter-tracker for the expedition. Hiddleston described his character as a man who holds "no political allegiance in the conflict" but "understands conflict." He further states, "He's a former soldier who has been formed by an understanding of war, but his specific skill set is something that's attached to the power of nature; and I think that's something people haven't seen in a long time."
 * Samuel L. Jackson as Preston Packard: The United States Army Lieutenant Colonel and Sky Devils helicopter squadron leader assigned to be the expedition's military escort. Jackson compares his character to Captain Ahab from Moby-Dick, stating, "He does have to exact some measure of revenge for the people he's lost. That's just the nature of how we operate—eye for an eye!"
 * John Goodman as William "Bill" Randa: A senior official in the government organization Monarch, who is in charge of the expedition.
 * Brie Larson as Mason Weaver: An anti-war photographer and investigative photojournalist. Larson stated her character has her "own sort of motive" for joining the expedition: "That's the interesting thing about this movie. It's a group of misfits that are all coming from different angles looking at the same thing. You get to see how many different views in regards to nature and how we should handle it are dealt with from many different perspectives". Larson further added that Weaver has an "interest and respect for nature" and "Through that she has a closer, more loving, and intimate relationship with Kong."
 * Jing Tian as San Lin: A biologist working for Monarch. According to Vogt-Roberts and Borenstein, her role was initially larger, but rewrites reduced it. Alison de Souza of the Straits Times wrote that in the final film, Jing Tian's role would be described in Chinese as a "hua ping" (花瓶), meaning a vase, which refers to insignificant parts, and that she "hardly does or says a thing."
 * Toby Kebbell as Jack Chapman: A United States Army major and Sea Stallion helicopter pilot who is Packard's right-hand man.
 * John Ortiz as Victor Nieves: A senior Landsat official on the expedition.
 * Corey Hawkins as Houston Brooks: A geologist and Yale University graduate, recruited by Monarch for his groundbreaking theories on seismology. An older version portrayed by Joe Morton appears in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
 * Jason Mitchell as Glenn Mills: A warrant officer, helicopter pilot of the Sky Devils, and close friend of Cole.
 * Shea Whigham as Earl Cole: A seasoned Captain of the Sky Devils who wields an AK-47 instead of an M16 and a close friend of Mills.
 * Thomas Mann as Reg Slivko: A Sky Devils warrant officer, known for carrying a portable record player.
 * Terry Notary and Toby Kebbell as Kong (mo-cap performance): A 104-foot-tall gorilla who is the last of his kind and is worshiped as the king and god on Skull Island by the Iwi natives. Notary stated that this Kong is an adolescent, and he tried to play Kong like a "14-year-old that's trapped in the life of an adult", saying it took three days to film the motion capture scenes. Besides playing Chapman, Toby Kebbell also provided some facial references for Kong, stating, "I gave some facial reference – certain subtleties, certain looks. Terry and I worked on stuff together and created what Kong needed. I was just there as backup for pieces that Terry really wanted to get details on. It's a real honor to be asked by someone who's a great performer, to come and help support their performance."
 * John C. Reilly as Hank Marlow: A U.S. Army Air Forces lieutenant of the 45th Pursuit Squadron stranded on Skull Island for nearly 29 years since World War II. He knows the island's creatures and is a friend of the Iwi natives. Will Brittain portrays a young Hank Marlow and also plays Marlow's son.

Additionally, Eugene Cordero appears as Reles, a Sky Devils warrant officer and Packard's door gunner; Marc Evan Jackson portrays Steve Woodward, a Landsat employee on the expedition; Richard Jenkins portrays Senator Al Willis, a politician who reluctantly funds the expedition; Miyavi portrays Gunpei Ikari, a Japanese World War II pilot who crash-lands on Skull Island alongside Marlow; and Robert Taylor plays the captain of the Athena. Thomas Middleditch, who would later play a key role in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, voices Jerry. Moises Arias, Nick Robinson, and Erin Moriarty appear as Bar Guests.