Kong – Skull Island: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/3D Blu-ray Review
*4K Ultra HD/ 3D Blu-ray was provided by Warner Bros. for review*
The Movie:
A diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers unite to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful. Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong.
I have to admit, I have never really been a fan of King Kong movies. They just seemed kind of cheesy and boring to me so of course when watching this movie I expected the worst. Much to my surprise I actually enjoyed it. I thought that it was a fantastic take and retelling of the Kong story with a great cast of characters. It did take just a little bit to get going and flow but when it did the movie didn’t let up at all. Kong was a powerhouse and did certain things that left me saying “Whoa!” and that was just in the first 30-40 minutes. They even did a great job at making me feel sympathetic for the creature and root for him throughout the film. Hiddleston, Larson and Goodman were all fantastic but the only performance that bothered me a bit was that of Samuel L. Jackson. It’s gotten to the point where he basically plays the same character and normally it fits but in this case it felt really “off”. That was probably the only issue that I had with the film. Other than that I felt like it was a solid and fun monster movie that opens up so much more for this character instead of the typical “one and done” scenario. This film is definitely gets a recommendation from me and if you’ve never really been a fan of these kind of movies this could sway you in the other direction. 8/10
4K Presentation:
There’s a nice improvement in picture detail here. With the film taking place in a jungle setting there are tons of details to look out for in every scene. The lush jungle area is amazing to see with the way you can see textures in leaves and other greenery. You could also see crazy detail on Kong and the other creatures as well down to fur, scales and other weird textures which was fantastic and impressive. The black levels are nice and give a nice view of everything that would normally be dark in your standard Blu-ray. Really great film to watch in this format.
3D Presentation:
Presenting a Blu-ray in 3D can be kind of tricky sometimes. Either you get it right and it looks and feels like a great experience or you get it wrong and it just becomes a sad gimmick. Thankfully this movie got it just right. It’s not perfect but it is super entertaining to watch. My favorite moments have to be when Kong takes down the helicopters and the fight scenes with the creatures in the third act. The depth between the foreground and background as well as the aspect of things flying towards the screen made this really fun to see. It’s definitely worth checking this version out.
Special Features:
Creating a King – This two part feature looks at Kong throughout the years as well as the difference between those and the modern Kong from this film.
Monarch Files 2.0 – A fake classified documentary regarding the company in the film.
Tom Hiddleston: The Intrepid Traveler – The actor takes us on a tour of all the shooting locations of the film.
On Location: Vietnam – This takes a look at filming in the area and includes interviews.
Through the Lens – This focuses on Brie Larson’s character in the film and the photos that were taken.
Deleted Scenes – Only a few scenes here that are interesting to check out but nothing too extraordinary.
Director’s Commentary
