KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Is “Kong: Skull Island” king? “The Promise” fulfilling? Popcorn Bag Home Video reviews!
1) KONG: SKULL ISLAND (PG-13)
Universal
RUSS
I felt like a giddy kid at an old-time Saturday matinée when I saw “Kong: Skull Island.” This action-packed fantasy adventure employs eye-popping special effects to create believably scary creatures and an exotic environment. But, most importantly, it establishes a sense of wonder and the feel of genuine peril.
SHAWN
Not what you expect and more fun than it should be. Love the throwback spirit. The Vietnam War is the back drop and Kong goes ape with straight WWE moves and all.
RUSS
Kong protects the natives on an uncharted island from monsters and invading Americans. It’s violent enough to more than earn it’s PG-13 rating, but “Kong: Skull Island” is also funny and involving.
SHAWN
A guilty pleasure, maybe. Solidly made, yes.
RUSS: 4 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 4 Popcorn Bags
2) THE PROMISE (PG-13)
Open Road Films
RUSS
“The Promise” is the second historical drama to open this year that’s set in Turkey during the run up to WWI. It serves as a rebuttal to “The Ottoman Lieutenant,” which gave the Turkish point of view, minimizing the cost of the conflict to the Armenian people. “The Promise” supports the view of an Armenian genocide.
SHAWN
This real life event deserves a much better movie.
RUSS
Oscar Isaac plays an Armenian medical student in a love triangle with an Armenian nanny, played by Charlotte Le Bon, and an American journalist, played by Christian Bale. Beautifully acted and produced, this respectable historical epic is far better than “The Ottoman Lieutenant,” but still never quite catches fire, romantically or politically.
SHAWN
Old-fashioned to a fault and the unnecessary love triangle completely fails.
RUSS: 3 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 2 Popcorn Bags
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