Kong: Skull Island

1973. Monarch's Bill Randa lands a military escort to map a hidden island in the Pacific. Along for the ride are tracker James Conrad, photographer Mason Weaver and Lt. Col. Packard's helicopter squadron. Their seismic charges wake Kong, who swats the whole fleet out of the sky. The survivors scatter. Conrad and Weaver find Hank Marlow, a pilot stranded there since 1944, who explains that Kong protects the island and its people from the Skullcrawlers, reptiles that live underground. Packard wants revenge for his men and to kill Kong. Randa is killed by a creature. In the end the biggest Skullcrawler surfaces, Kong kills it and saves Weaver, and Packard gets crushed. The survivors leave, and Marlow finally goes home.

1. ReferenceNames lifted from Heart of Darkness

   James Conrad and Hank Marlow are named after Heart of Darkness: Joseph Conrad wrote it, and Marlow narrates it. The movie also nods to Apocalypse Now, which moves the same story to Vietnam.

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2. SetupCave paintings

   After the credits, Monarch shows cave paintings of Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah. It was the first hint of who was coming next.

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3. Behind the scenesA Kong built to scale

   This Kong stands about 104 feet tall, far bigger than the 1933 and 2005 versions. The size was planned so he could grow into a fight with Godzilla someday.

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