The Monsterverse is one of the more straightforward multimedia properties on the big screen these days. Sure, there are decades of previous source material, but all anyone really needs to know is that there are kaiju, and they fight sometimes. Skull Island attempts to take the format of the enduringly similar Kong: Skull Island and stretch it over a season of animated TV. It's not perfect, but Kong still delivers.
Skull Island comes to Netflix from Powerhouse Studios, the people behind Castlevania, Blood of Zeus, and Masters of the Universe: Revelation. It's a co-production with Warner Bros. Animation, frequently leaving it looking more like a DC Animated Universe film than like the beloved Konami adaptation. Series creator/writer/director Brian Duffield is best known for writing films like Love and Monsters and Underwater.
Skull Island follows a group of survivors shipwrecked on the titular monster-infested island. 17-year-old Charlie, his dad Cap, and his friend Mike wash up on shore while seeking a massive sea beast in uncharted waters. Just before they crash, Charlie finds Annie, a strange young lady who recently escaped a downed ship. Annie arrives just in time to be cast aside by the sea monster's tentacles. While Charlie and Mike attempt to navigate dangerous flora and fauna, they discover that Annie has a strange attachment to the island. Turns out, she grew up on Skull Island, and her powerful four-legged friend named Dog becomes the team's saving grace. Meanwhile, Cap finds himself with a group of hired guns tasked with bringing Annie to the United States for unknown reasons. As both groups struggle to survive, the island's mighty protector waits in the wings.
Skull Island is the fifth entry in the Monsterverse, the first not to play out on the big screen. The series doesn't hold a candle to the live-action films. This is the problem Godzilla's anime adaptations have consistently faced. It's fun to see a big monster thrash everything in an animated series, but live-action is its proper home. The series has the usual problem of kaiju cinema. The human drama distracts from the action that draws the fans. This wouldn't be a problem if the human drama was as good as it is in a great disaster movie, but it rarely reaches those heights. The characters in Skull Island are likable enough, but their dialogue frequently tries too hard to be funny. It feels broadly aimed at a younger audience than the Monsterverse films. That issue follows the show until its best episode.
The first three-quarters of Skull Island are primarily concerned with minor monster attacks and quippy dialogue. Many of the monsters are fun. Giant crabs that attack from below the beach, giant ants with stab-proof armor, and carnivorous plants trouble the main characters for a scene or two each. The headliners are the aforementioned sea monster, a massive bird, and the beloved King Kong. When Kong finally comes out of his well-decorated palace, the best moments in the season come to fruition. The seventh episode is the strongest by far. It takes place entirely in flashback but features some genuinely excellent kaiju action. Kong is a very easy character to build action scenes around. It never reaches the creativity of Castlevania, but it'll be a cold day in Hell before watching this towering gorilla turn fellow monsters into mush becomes boring. The seventh and eighth episodes are the high points of the season, but there are fun elements scattered throughout.
As a continuation of the Monsterverse, Skull Island does the job. It'll whet the appetite of fans eagerly awaiting the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. It's not going to replace any of the other Monsterverse offerings, but this is a good way to keep the excitement alive in between films. The franchise is set to continue its expansion through a live-action series depicting the efforts of the underground government organization that monitors kaiju activity. The world will never have enough of King Kong. Skull Island provides a bit of generic young-adult-oriented adventure fiction with a healthy dose of kaiju action. The series could've been better-paced, but it's hard to resist the solid King Kong scenes when they finally appear.
Skull Island is a fun series, though it does end on a cliffhanger. Any open narrative in the world of Netflix streaming is playing a dangerous game. The Monsterverse will continue. Whether this will continue to be a facet of the franchise remains to be seen. Skull Island feels like it should've come out a couple of decades ago. Like the Godzilla animated series following the disastrous American movie or Jackie Chan Adventures, the series is a cartoon attempt to capitalize on the success of the live-action feature. Also, like both of those examples, it's better than it needs to be. Skull Island features a few excellent scenes and several above-average ones. King Kong fans could do a lot worse.
Skull Island