Kong ; Skull Island

[Derek.McManus]

Supposedly from what I heard from a friend that was at ComicCon and paid attention to the panel/trailers/press stuff is there are no living dinosaurs in this? I don't know and they didn't see too sure themselves. I really don't have much interest or personal investment in Kong myself. I figured I would share though.

The trailer seems to imply that the helicopters are attacked on there intail foray onto the island, presumably by Kong throwing the tree, however surely there would be time to feature a few dinosaurs or monsters to emphasise the strange nature of Skull Island before the full Kong reveal? Here's hoping anyway!

[Postosuchus84]

Yeah. My friend didn't seem too entirely sure themselves about it. I figured I'd share because it didn't seem like anybody else said anything about it in the thread so far at least. Either way, I do hope some dinosaurs are included. It's part of the mythos for Kong definitely.

[Takama]

Supposedly from what I heard from a friend that was at ComicCon and paid attention to the panel/trailers/press stuff is there are no living dinosaurs in this? I don't know and they didn't see too sure themselves. I really don't have much interest or personal investment in Kong myself. I figured I would share though.

As a fan of monster movies I would still go see it but I really hope they don't leave out the dinosaurs. They're as much a part of Skull Island as Kong himself.

For me, The only reason i watch The Original and 2005 Remake is Because of the Dinosaurs.   I can care less about some smelly ape who likes to rip there jaws apart.   

[Derek.McManus]

 :)I think you will find that many viewers feel the same way Takama! I mean as if Kong is actually going to win vs the dinosaurs...I was never convinced! 

[Gwangi]

I guess I'm in the minority because I always liked Kong as character. Don't get me wrong, I love the dinosaurs, and I even feel sorry for the rex that looses to Kong in the original. But I have an affinity for all animals, but just dinosaurs. Besides, you need Kong as the driving force of the story.

[Jose S.M.]

I guess I'm in the minority because I always liked Kong as character. Don't get me wrong, I love the dinosaurs, and I even feel sorry for the rex that looses to Kong in the original. But I have an affinity for all animals, but just dinosaurs. Besides, you need Kong as the driving force of the story.

I'm with you actually, I have only seen the original king Kong and the 2005 version, and I like Kong in both but the  2005 movie made me really sad about what happened to him. I don't think this movie is aiming for an emotional connection between Kong and a human (like him and Ann Darrow,  especially in Peter Jackson's film for me) but I guess we'll know when  we see it. 

[stargatedalek]

I personally didn't enjoy the 05 Kong. I was unable to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy it for what it was like I can with the Gojira movies, nor was it realistic enough to fit under the bar and feel plausible like Jurassic Park or Jaws. It occupied this horrible middle ground of retrosaurs and giant apes that ignore physics and defeat multiple Tyrannosaurs their own size with ease. Plus I never got the whole thing where they try to make the audience emote with Kong, maybe it's just that I don't like apes, or maybe it's just that I'm bad at non-verbal communicating, but it left me with this horrible uncanny valley feeling.

Whereas the original King Kong was more like the old school Gojira movies, where Kong was this strange and unknown power that humans couldn't fully understand let alone relate with. To me King Kong has never been about a semi-realistic (yet still impossible) ecosystem of extinct animals plus an inexplicable giant ape, it's always been about the fear that comes with not fully understanding something.

It also shows Legendary and Universal are committed to keeping their new series as a whole true to its origins by so blatantly setting this up for a reboot of Toho's take on Kong.

I for one have high expectations.

[Jose S.M.]

I have high expectations too, but I do love gorillas so I guess I'm going to be excited for any kind of Kong movie, and will enjoy them if they are reasonably above average (for my own stantards)

[Derek.McManus]

I think the concept is amazing, a lonely creature on a lost island surrounded by monsters...it's a great idea and I'm looking forward to this new take on the idea!

[SpartanSquat]

I personally didn't enjoy the 05 Kong. I was unable to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy it for what it was like I can with the Gojira movies, nor was it realistic enough to fit under the bar and feel plausible like Jurassic Park or Jaws. It occupied this horrible middle ground of retrosaurs and giant apes that ignore physics and defeat multiple Tyrannosaurs their own size with ease. Plus I never got the whole thing where they try to make the audience emote with Kong, maybe it's just that I don't like apes, or maybe it's just that I'm bad at non-verbal communicating, but it left me with this horrible uncanny valley feeling.

Whereas the original King Kong was more like the old school Gojira movies, where Kong was this strange and unknown power that humans couldn't fully understand let alone relate with. To me King Kong has never been about a semi-realistic (yet still impossible) ecosystem of extinct animals plus an inexplicable giant ape, it's always been about the fear that comes with not fully understanding something.

It also shows Legendary and Universal are committed to keeping their new series as a whole true to its origins by so blatantly setting this up for a reboot of Toho's take on Kong.

I for one have high expectations.

Why retrosaurs? They dont drag the tail. Well brontosaurus is very influenced by the harryhausen brontosaurus creature. But the other dinosaurs were more influenced by JP and most designs were reciled from the cancelled 1996 version that Jackson was working before Lord of the Rings. And it depend people. Kong beign an ape, a near relative of us, most people will have empathy. But yes I have more emphaty to Godzilla than Kong. And about V-rex battle, remember the movie is titled King Kong, not Vastatosaurus rex. And if you read the book Natural History of Skull Island, it was state the dinosaurs and other species extinct Kong specie, but remember its just a movie. If it was real life, do you think all animals in the island will be famished after killing a creature? Like baby Vastatosaurus killed a foetodon and then will chase Naomi Watts? I have to say Jackson Kong was a great influence for me in creature design. A thing that I didnt like from the Jackson Kong was too humanized. 33 Kong was more a real  animal. Very aggresive and he didnt fell in love of Ann Darrow, he simply is like a kid that want that toy only for whim. I hope the new Kong will be more monsterish and more brutal, he was very sadistic with the Tyrannosaurus, Tanystropheus and Pteranodon in the original.
Also in TK they made a chart about the size of the ceratopsian skull.

I hope we will see dinosaurs or at least Kong vs Gorosaurus like creature.

[Gwangi]

Kong 2005 was definitely bloated and over-the-top. I like the movie, and I don't mind the retro creature designs either. I was very invested in Kong as a character and empathized with him. The movie did a great job of depicting the "culture shock" that Kong had to go through in NYC and his emotions were clear despite the lack of spoken language. That last part is a testament to Andy Serkis's awesome motion capture acting, he made me believe Kong and his emotions were real. The entire world of Skull Island was nicely fleshed out, I loved the world building in that movie.

The problem with the movie was that there were a lot of set pieces that just took it too far. A stampede of sauropods is one thing, but they had to push it with them piling up on top of each other like tubs of lard. That's not realistic, no matter how good your CGI is. Kong fighting a rex is fine, even fighting multiple rexes is fine. But they had to take it too far and make them fight while suspended in air within a tangle of vines. Foolish stuff like that takes you out of the movie. And yes it is fiction, but even when giant apes and dinosaurs are involved I want to believe what I'm seeing is real, I want to immerse myself in the movie.

Kong 2005 was also just way too long. Too much crap crammed in there, a lot of sub-plots that didn't go anywhere.

[Silvanusaurus]

I'm more interested in this new film after seeing that trailer - mainly because it looks to me that this version of Kong appears to be emulating a more retro and monstrous giant 'ape-man' (kind of like bigfoot), rather than resembling a real gorilla, which makes his ridiculous size more palatable to me. I still struggle to see how they will successfully pull off a Kong vs Godzilla film while maintaining such a serious tone, and there isn't the slightest question that Kong could ever stand a chance against Godzilla, unless there is some cop-out way to reduce Godzilla's power, which would just be annoying. I think the most important thing with this and any future films in the monster franchise is that they sustain a sense of fun and wonder, and don't become boring.

[Derek.McManus]

Read a short article about this movie in Total Film magazine UK edition today, very little new to add apart from confirmation of Kongs size at 100' tall,  set in 1973 and strongly implied that it is a completely original story not a recylce of what we have seen before.

[Silvanusaurus]

Is there any explanation of why it's set in 1973?

[Derek.McManus]

Apparently the producers described 1973 as the last era when there where unexploded / unknown places before widespread satellite coverage etc, not the exact phrasing.

[Dilopho]

I think he might fight a giant Dragonfly judging by how the helicopter turns into a Dragonfly in the trailer with camera techniques....helicopter-sized Dragonfly foreshadowing?

[Derek.McManus]

That would be a unique take on the franchise...but you never know! 😉

[dragon53]

Japanese trailer released.

Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNbSu5pgw6M

[Derek.McManus]

Thank you for sharing...Sadly I don't see much new footage apart from the helicopter getting smacked down but my anticipation continues to grow!

[SpartanSquat]

Well I have many cool content for you.
A new viral wesbite: http://www.discoverskullisland.com/
The code morse say the Monarch Twitter: https://twitter.com/MonarchSciences
Skull Island Map with Gravity Falls Influence!


Looks like the main antagonist monster is a Mosasaur like creature judging by the skull in the black light map image. I hope to see more info about the superspecies of this cinematic universe.
And many cool stuff with revealing info like Kong beign an adolescent, Biollante hint and other kaijus.