I was lucky enough to get free screening passes from the local comic book store to see Kong: Skull Island for Wednesday, March 1st and it was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass up. But if I am being completely honest, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to see the film until they released the latest trailer- that was what sold me and I was not disappointed-probably because I didn’t have to pay for the tickets.

Right from the beginning, Kong: Skull Island is packed with your typical blockbuster excitement- explosions, fights, and arguments abound.  There isn’t a point where any of the action or fight sequences aren’t exhilarating thanks to some very good special effects. Director, Jordan Vogt-Roberts definitely knows how to helm your routine action flick.

The element of ‘cool’ is ever-present and I was glad for it because it instantly debunked my assumption that the trailer revealed the best parts of the film. But this isn’t the case; and there are many more surprises and “OMG” moments to please the audience.

As opposed to other monster films where it takes an eternity for the big reveal, Kong bravely bypasses this element but still allows the viewers enough time to build some anticipation. One thing that came to mind while witnessing Kong, was that he is much different from the Kongs of the past.  This Kong’s predecessors were usually just portrayed as gorillas who were much larger than your average ape.  But this version of Kong is bigger, more protective and typically walks upright. Simply put, he’s more human than we’ve seen him in the past.

Since the screening was in IMAX 3D, it was a visual feast. You really get to see Kong and all of the other creatures living on Skull Island in all their glory! There was definitely no skimping in the special effects department during any part of this movie and it happened to be one of my favourite things about it- visually, it was stunning. Even though I am not always a fan of 3D, I would recommend it for this movie; it’s well worth it.

In regards to the cast, everyone was great. But, I wasn’t expecting anything less with the likes of Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, John Goodman, Corey Hawkins and John C. Reilly starring in the film. Even those with shortest amount of screen time still make the movie worthwhile. The chemistry between all the actors is great and no one in the film ever seems out of place- it was great to watch! However, the majority of the characters are pretty simple and no one has much time for character development, likely due to the size of the cast.

So, if it’s a fun, action-filled time at the theaters you’re looking for, then Kong: Skull Island is definitely the movie for you. Don’t go into the theaters expecting much more than that.

Be sure to check out Kong: Skull Island when it smashes its way into a cinema near you March 10th!