New in Home Entertainment
July 25, 2017
Kong: Skull Island
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for brief strong language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
It was only 12 years ago when Universal gave us Peter Jackson’s terrific vision of King Kong, but in an attempt to rebuild a monster movie franchise, they are at it again. This time Kong is much bigger, and the bad guys are the humans trying to kill him, led by Samuel L Jackson. Meanwhile, the heroes, led by Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers) and Brie Larson (Room) try desperately to escape from Skull Island while at the same time keeping the giant ape alive. It’s a fun enough popcorn movie with tons of action and some really great effects. It also has an impressive sense of humor due to the antics of the always great and goofy John C. Reilly. Overall I’m excited to see what Universal does as they prepare to pair up Kong with Godzilla for a big monster mash up. B
Ghost in the Shell
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, suggestive content and some disturbing images
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45%
Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, Ghost stars Scarlett Johansson as a robot with a human brain who is programmed to be a leader in an anti-terrorist military unit. The film itself is beautiful to look at but lacks the screenplay and the vision necessary to pull it off. The actors are definitely well-chosen, but there is an awkward spirit to the film (no pun intended) that keeps it from achieving greatness. Perhaps its the PG-13 rating that holds it back from reaching its potential. Or maybe they just put too much emphasis on production rather than the substance of the story. C+