The big fella seems fated to be let down by mankind.
Produced by the same folks behind 2014sGodzillareboot, Kong is no longer a standalone character.
At least, looking forward.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Everett Collection
Every other slightly related character has to be thrown into the mix as well.
And yet, theres some welcome elements of faithfulness to the original Kong story as well.
Nearly 30 years later, its now 1973.
Vietnam is winding down, and America is licking its wounds.
The posse also includes Hawkins former onscreen NWA bandmate Jason Mitchell, Toby Kebbell, and Shea Whigham.
And director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Industrial Light and Magics Kong is a CGI showstopper.
If only so much attention had been lavished on the rest of the story.
As for subtlety, there isnt a whole lot of that either.
Meanwhile, Reilly and the mighty Kong are left to save the picture.
And mostly, they succeed.
Or, at least, well enough.
Kong swats the military helicopters out of the sky like a giant swatting pesky flies.
Jackson barks his great vengeance and furious anger.
Hiddleston smolders and briefly wields a samurai sword.
Larson takes surprisingly few pictures for a photographer, but she does get her Fay Wray moment.
And Reilly delivers sorely needed punchlines between exposition about Kong and the islands backstory.
Meanwhile, Kong does his thing and does it well.
The poor misunderstood guy seems destined to keep proving to humankind that he comes in peace.
I kept waiting for a single tear to streak down his big hairy cheek.B-
