Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Produced by the same team who brought us Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island is an interesting retelling of the Kong story that brings the iconic monster into a more contemporary setting.  Set during the end of the Vietnam war, alternative researchers Bill Randa (John Goodman) and Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) petition the government to fund an expedition to an uncharted island, which they believe contains a secret, primeval ecosystem, never seen by man.  To get there, they are granted a military escort, headed by Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson).  Together with a skilled tracker (Tom Hiddleston) and an outspoken political photojournalist (Brie Larson), they all set off into the mysterious unknown.  Upon their arrival, the group are faced with the dangerous wildlife of Skull Island (not including Kong himself) as well as Hank Marlow (John C. Reilly), who has befriended the natives since being stranded on the island since World War II.  While fighting to survive the destruction of Kong, the team desperately try to reach their arriving rescue team, and escape the dangers of Skull Island.
The thing I like most about Kong: Skull Island is how modern the story feels.  Even though it is set in the 1970s, this take on the story feels fresh in a way that Peter Jackson's version didn't.  There is no mention of New York City here, and many of the other typical Kong tropes are absent.  The film doesn't completely abandon all reference to its origins, however.  There are still a few subtle and not-so-subtle nods to the source material, which I thought were smartly used.  While we're on the subject of theming, this film borrows as much from classic Vietnam movies as much as it does the Kong franchise.  There are many notes from films like Apocalypse Now and Rambo, though but not so many that the movie feels derivative.
I also appreciate the way Skull Island gives the monsters plenty of room to play.  This is a huge contrast with 2014's Godzilla, which did a reasonably good job, but spent too much time with the dull human characters narrating the big monster action fans had paid to see.  The visuals of the film are top notch, with some very creative and memorable creature designs.
My only complaint about the cast is it was perhaps a little too large for everyone to get equal screen time.  There were a few characters I would have liked to see more of, but the various plot threads only allowed for a certain amount of storytelling.  For instance, while Tom Hiddleston may have top billing, I found his character ultimately forgettable.  Of the other players involved, I particularly enjoyed Samuel L. Jackson's intense performance as  Col. Packard.  Being a career military man, Packard has no problem with a new assignment, and decides to start his own personal war with Kong, which results in nothing but trouble for everyone else.  John Goodman is also excellent as Bill Randa, a man who knows for a fact monsters are real, and is eventually proven right.  My praises of the cast wouldn't be complete without the mention of John C. Reilly.  His performance as the grizzled, slightly crazed Hank Marlow steals the show, and is one of the most memorable of the whole movie.
Kong: Skull Island breathes some new life into the old bones of the Kong franchise, and is a great modern interpretation of a classic story.

*There is a small post-credits scene which hints at some possible future films, so make sure to stick around after the show!    

Rogue One (2016)

Rogue One is the latest entry into the Star Wars canon.  It begins with the story of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), daughter of Imperial scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen).  Imperial forces appear at the Erso home to coerce Galen into continuing his work on the Death Star.  Jyn escapes and is sent into hiding, watched over by Galen's trusted friend, Saw Gererra (Forest Whitaker).   Years later, she is rescued from Imperial arrest by Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and K-2SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk), a reprogrammed Imperial droid.  Jyn is taken to meet the rest of the Rebellion soldiers, but doesn't want to get involved.  If she is able to find Saw Gererra, who is now a dangerous political extremist, the Rebellion will consider the debt repaid.  This leads Jyn to a fateful meeting with Saw, in which she discovers her father was, in fact, a Rebel sympathizer, and has built a flaw into the Death Star, the new super weapon of the Galactic Empire.  Banding together with a few other Imperial deserters and outcasts, the new team disobeys Rebellion orders and follows this trail to the planet Scarif, where they begin a guerilla operation to steal the Death Star plans and make sure the Rebellion has them before it's too late for the galaxy.  

One of the notable elements of Rogue One is that it doesn't begin with the standard Star Wars prologue text crawl.  I think this is appropriate, as Rogue One a different sort of movie.  It has much more in common with a classic war movie than any chapter of the Star Wars saga.  The presence of the Death Star throughout the movie reinforces the feeling that no one is safe, and that the Empire has the upper hand in the situation.  Even as a fan, knowing how things would eventually end up, watching Rogue One was an emotional experience.  The characters are all likable in different ways, and it's almost difficult to watch certain scenes, as you don't want to see any of them harmed. 

Each member of the cast brings their own interestingly distinct character to life on screen.  Felicity Jones does very well in the role of Jyn Erso, a woman struggling to trust others, as well as come to terms with her father's actions.  Forest Whitaker is also very memorable as the mercurial and dangerous Saw Gererra.  In addition the the great heroes Rogue One provides, there are also the classic villains of the Star Wars franchise.  James Earl Jones returns as Darth Vader, but I was most impressed with another returning character.  In an astounding feat of movie magic, effects team ILM brought Grand Moff Tarkin (the late Peter Cushing) back to the screen.  While some have complained about this use of effects, I initially thought it was an incredible makeup job rather than CGI effects.  Of course, Tarkin has always been one of my favourite minor Star Wars characters, so perhaps I'm biased.  The next down the Imperial chain of command is new character Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn).  I found his character a little puzzling.  While Krennic does show anger and a thirst for power, he doesn't really cut an impressive figure next to the likes of Darth Vader or even Tarkin.  At times, Krennic looks rather incompetent, although, perhaps that's the whole point.  In any case, it's a minor complaint and doesn't spoil the film for me.

Rogue One is big and exciting, like any Star Wars movie.  The difference is in the serious atmosphere the story creates.  The Jedi mysticism we've seen before is not visible here, replaced by the blood and smoke of warfare.  While it may not be for everyone, I found Rogue One to be a welcome departure from the familiar structure Star Wars has built.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Pan's Labyrinth recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, so I thought it would be a great time to look back and examine what makes this Guillermo del Toro film so special.
The film takes place in the late years of World War II, in Francisco Franco's Spain, which is still recovering from the Spanish Civil War.  A young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her pregnant mother Carman (Adriana Gil) have been displaced, and taken in by Vidal, a captain in the Spanish army.  While Vidal defends his outpost from guerilla freedom fighters and attempts to root out sympathizers in his ranks, Ofeila is more concerned with her mother.  Carmen's pregnancy is a difficult one, and Ofelia is concerned that her mother may not survive.  Ofelia encounters a faun, who gives her three tasks to carry out.  Not only will these cure her mother's illness, but the faun claims Ofelia will become immortal if she performs her tasks correctly.
One of the things I find interesting about this film is that it is told entirely in Spanish, with subtitles.  Guillermo del Toro could have very easily made Pan's Labyrinth in English, but I am thankful he chose not to.  While subtitles aren't to everyone's taste, I find this style choice to be the most authentic to the cultural setting.  It feels completely natural for the film to be presented in this way.  To have the same film in English would be to settle for a cheapened experience.
The contrast of brutal realism with dark fantasy is one of the things that makes Pan's Labyrinth work so well.  The score by Javier Navarrete mirrors this tone incredibly well.  There are notes of the whimsical tempered by terror and tension as the story develops.  The film has an incredibly strong cast, which also helps to draw the viewer in.  In particular, I was captivated by Sergi Lopez's performance as the cruel Captain Vidal.  His mercurial anger is as terrifying as the script intends, and makes you all the more concerned for the safety of the others.  Alex Angulo is also very good as the determined Doctor Ferreiro, who plays a dangerous game by helping the rebel camp in secret.
My review wouldn't be complete without talking about the incomparable work of creature actor Doug Jones, who performs both the fascinating, yet dangerous looking faun character as well as the baby-eating monster known only as 'the pale man'.  Jones uses every part of his body to create these iconic characters, but this is only half the story.  These performances would be nothing without the masterful technical work of prosthetics and special effects.  While the fantasy sequences in this film are brief, they are so richly detailed that they are the most memorable and iconic scenes from the film.  Credit is also due to the production design team for creating such a finely detailed and fully realized world.  
To sum up, Pan's Labyrinth is still as incredible a piece of film as it was ten years ago.  The characters are strongly written and brilliantly acted.  The effects work is beautifully well done, and solidifies the otherworldly nature of this movie.  In addition, Pan's Labyrinth was a film that catapulted Guillermo del Toro into his position as one of the most visually distinctive and sought-after directors in Hollywood.  In short, it's a high point in the ever-expanding del Toro filmography.