film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
Everything a monster movie needs: Monsters, natch. Cute kids who Know Things. Nerdy-hot scientists. Spectacular sci-fi visions. Humor but no cheese. Warmth but no schmaltz. And a superb green message.
An absolute mess, and nowhere near enough monster action. Does not give good disaster. No fun at all. Makes me long for guys in rubber monster suits awkwardly sparring. At least you could see them.
Raises the bar on big dumb fun, with The Rock’s social-justice-warrior badass and his genuinely charming relationship with a gorilla, plus a ton of goofball sci-fi monster action turned up to 11.
Toho’s reboot of its most famous kaiju is, amidst intense monster action, a bitter satire on bureaucracy and a cautionary tale about humanity’s collective folly.
Boiled down to its bonkers essence, Skull Island is a Vietnam war movie with monsters, a retro analog vibe, and a dash of both Moby-Dick and The X-Files.
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[This post is not behind the paywall.]
But there’s always the sequel…
Breaking down the bling from last night’s Godzilla premiere while putting up the decorations for tonight’s “blue carpet” for X-Men: Days of Future Past…
Elegantly updates the King of All Monsters for the 21st century… but Hollywood’s tedious myopia means the movie as a whole isn’t quite so beautiful.
