It's Vietnam and it's 1973. American troops have started to withdraw and return home, with time for one last mission. There's an expedition to map out a mysterious island but all is not as it seems. Gasp! And it's shaped like a skull! Something's up... Out to investigate are ex-SAS Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), hardcore military man Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), investigative photojournalist Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) and fishy government guy hiding a secret Bill Randa (John Goodman). There's also a countless number of soldiers and supporting characters, but considering this is a monster film, this becomes a numbers game and I think you all know the drill... You've seen this all before - many times in fact - but it doesn't stop this from being an exhilarating adventure that we've been invited to hop on.  At the premiere of Kong: Skull Island, Tom Hiddleston told us, "it's a rollercoaster journey so enjoy the ride."

So there's a big boat and many helicopters. It is a bit of a rough ride, because these helicopters are carrying explosives. Gasp! You mean...it's not a scientific discovery expedition!? (FYI, the deal-maker for the American government is that they need to investigate this secret island "before the Russians do".) The ground shakes, and before you know it, they realise they're not alone. It doesn't take long for you to suss out what's happening and what's going to happen. It's hardly a Shakespearean drama, although there is a fair bit of tragedy and disaster if you think about it. Those poor human beings never really stood a chance did they?

The general gist of the plot revolves around what to do with Killer Kong, and how to survive. I won't give away too much (because you'd probably be able to work it out), but it is a roaring episode and once everything has been set up, it moves quite speedily along. Asides from the monkey business, there's a sub-plot of conflicting management styles, with the clashing of Conrad and Packard. Loki (Hiddleston) vs. Nick Fury (Jackson) in Marvel - haven't we seen this face-off before? But of course, this is a scary dangerous island, so the emergence of a scary dangerous gorilla is just scratching the surface. 

Whilst we probably wouldn't expect too much of a complex storyline (how complex can it get anyway?), we might expect strong characters given the acting calibre of the superstar cast. Unfortunately, we don't. I couldn't even remember their names, and I'm not sure I ever learned them in the first place. Whilst Conrad can supposedly track anything, we don't get to see much of his extraordinary tracking skills. It's also not too hard to find something when it's like 100ft tall. Unfortunately, he's also not given much of a personality either, except for filling the criteria of cool action guy. Jackson gets a slightly juicier role, as the alpha male who's still at war. His men were killed and he's mad, and though he's not wearing an eye-patch in this film he's still wildly blind. He's an angry man who walks around with so much authority, that all you need are lots of meaningful Samuel L. Jackson close-ups. Cos he's Samuel L. Jackson. 

Like Hiddleston, Brie Larson isn't given too much to work with either, but it's good to see her in these 'big' films as Hollywood's new leading lady. She is a pacifist, with camera in hand and no weapon in sight, but there's more room for a story here given that the film introduces her as a strong anti-war character who has snuck onto this island for her own investigation. What works well is the subtle ode to the "the beauty and the beast" original storyline, carefully making the connection without overpowering us with it. But despite these three getting "main star" billings, it's John C. Reilly who steals the show as the most instantly likeable and interesting character. He's quite sweet too, reminding me of imaginary friend Bing Bong from Disney Pixar's Inside Out.

A lot of characterisation is given to the island itself - after all, it's the place "where myth and science meet". And did I mention it looks like a skull? Skull Island is the one name throughout the film I won't forget. It's also refreshing to have a film set entirely away from "home"; there's no New York City in this version. From the gorgeous untouched natural beauty, to the really fantastic beasts and creatures that live there, there's a real native and raw feel about it all. Dammit guys, why couldn't you just leave the island alone this time?

And then there's Kong. We're told and shown much about him and his history - he owns this island...but he also protects it. This is a slightly different take - you'll actually become quite attached to him. Whilst Peter Jackson's 2005 version had Andy Serkis and hugely impressive visual effects and motion capture at the time, it's 12 years (!?) later now, and technology's still hugely impressive. The King looks scary, is able to capture and reflect emotion, and when he beats his chest, you can go from being terrified of him, to rooting for him. The CGI never misses a beat, and combined with the natural wonders, it makes quite the treat for the eyes - something that you'll want to watch in the big screen cinema. 

Kong: Skull Island balances stunning sunsets with heavy and surprisingly gory action scenes. The setting is a world of its own, with tranquil moments being the calm before the storm. There's one scene where it's raining and all hell is breaking loose, then several seconds later there's a Kong silhouette against the backdrop of a red sky. If I wasn't such a big fan of sunsets, I would comment negatively on the lack of time consistency. It looks cool, too. Onto the action - maybe I was too early to be critical of Hiddleston. He gets some kick-ass scenes, vaulting over and sliding under obstacles or whipping out the martial arts tekkers on a random guy. Mainly just because. Still, the 'paintballing scene' as I like to call it is laugh out loud brilliant.

Ok, so what's the verdict? It's a fun ride. I mean, sure, I would've liked every character to have made it out alive (shout-out to Toby Kebbell who provides a moving sob story), but it is a good film. The music, the spectacle... It can be a bit silly but overall pretty exciting to watch. Kong: Skull Island doesn't re-define the genre, but equally doesn't recycle the same old story again. If you're a monster movie fan, you'll have lots to feast on. There are also lots of Godzilla moments throughout and many commonalities, which is just as well because this is the second film in the new MonsterVerse series. Which means (no spoilers, or yes spoilers) Kong and Godzilla will be back. Can we expect a Batman v. Superman-style showdown? Godzilla (2014) kicked things off and Kong: Skull Island has got the ball rolling. Watch this space, 2020! 

Kong: Skull Island is in UK cinemas on 9th March.

(PS. Careful which trailers you watch...certain ones pretty much have the whole film in 2 minutes. Watch this Comic-Con one instead.)