When 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters – the third entry in Legendary’s MonsterVerse – stumbled at the box office, I figured that then already-in-production Godzilla vs. Kong would be the end of the series. Closing up shop after four films wouldn’t have been a bad way to go out either, at least on the Godzilla side of the equation. I figured Legendary might attempt a second solo Kong movie, but that’d be about it. I was wrong and I couldn’t be happier.
While we await the release of next year’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (love that title), Legendary has two TV expansions on the way in the interim to keep us occupied. The second series, a live action AppleTV+ show that takes place across two timelines – is expected to arrive on near the end of this year. It’s current title is Godzilla and the Titans and it stars Kurt Russell and his son, Wyatt Russell. While I remain excited for that series, that’s not what I’m here to discuss today.
Instead, my mission is to talk about Netflix’s animated series, Skull Island. Seemingly taking place between the events of the 1973-set Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla (2014), this series centers around the survivors of two wrecked ships who are stranded on the titular land mass. Naturally, they must eventually set aside their differences in order to survive and escape Skull Island and its weird carnivorous wildlife.
Said monsters, of course, include Kong himself, but the show makes it a point to introduce at least one new beastie every episode. Big man-eating crustaceans? Check. A big red-orange bird of prey that calls to mind 1966’s Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster? Check. The weird water buffalo from Kong: Skull Island? Check. The terrifying ants that John C. Reilly’s character described in 1973, but we never got to see? The wait is over. All of those and more are on display here, but one in particular stands out.
What pray tell could that be? How about a giant tentacled sea creature that has a penchant for destroying ships and eating seafarers? That’s how our two groups end up on Skull Island after all. And it’s why they’re going to have a tough time leaving, as anyone standing near the shore sure is at risk of becoming a snack.
Why is this particularly tantalizing for me? Because creator/writer/showrunner Brian Duffield – the man beyond greatness such as The Babysitter, Love and Monsters, Spontaneous, and Underwater – has done here is quietly gift us an unofficial pseudo-sequel to Deep Rising. Do we have Finnegan, Pantucci, and Trillian? No. But we DO have a pair of bickering friends, a charming captain, and a couple of strong female leads. We also have a small group of cantankerous mercenaries alongside them. Add in the Octalus-esque threat that drove them onto the island and we’ve got the closest thing we’ll ever get to an answer to Treat Williams’ exasperated query “Now what?!?!” as he stood on the beach of a Skull Island-esque locale at the end of Stephen Sommers’ 1998 cult masterpiece.
Bless you, Brian Duffield. Intentionally or not, you have given me Deep Rising 2: King Kong Boogaloo in a roundabout way. Not only that, but you managed to do it using the actual Kong and the actual Skull Island in the process. You should be gifted with wealth and song for this, but you’ll have to make due with a blog post instead.
The animation comes courtesy of Powerhouse Animation Studios. This is the same outfit that has bequeathed Netflix viewers with shows like Castlevania, Blood of Zeus, and Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Their work here is comparable to those shows, albeit with a lighter, more adventurous bent befitting a Kong-centric series. Will the animation stun you? Probably not, but the show still looks great and the design work slides it in nicely alongside its live action MonsterVerse brethren.
As for the voicework, this show is no slouch. In addition to name talent like Mae Whitman, Benjamin Bratt, and Betty Gilpin giving great performances, you also have some wonderful turns by relative newcomers Nicolas Cantu (TMNT: Mutant Mayhem) and Darren Barnet (Gran Turismo). These five are also backed by voicework vets Phil LaMarr and John DiMaggio. both of whom are always on their A-game. Like I said, it’s an excellent lineup.
When this show was first announced, I assumed it’d just be a throwaway tie-in. Once again, I was wrong. What the aforementioned Brian Duffield and showrunner Jacob Robinson have crafted here is a deliciously breezy and super fun animated series packed from start to finish with giant monsters. Is it the greatest thing since sliced Gyaos? No, but it’s still pretty damn entertaining. It’s exactly the kind of show I would have loved as a kid. It’s a show my own son loves now. And he’s not alone, because I loved it too. Bring on Season 2!
Skull Island is the first television expansion of Legendary’s MonsterVerse. It was created by Brian Duffield, based on concepts originated by Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper. The show was produced by Brad Graeber, Jen Chambers, Brian Duffield, Jacob Robinson, Thomas Tull, and Jason Williams. It stars the vocal talents of Nicolas Cantu, Mae Whitman, Darren Barnet, Benjamin Bratt, Betty Gilpin, Phil LaMarr, John DiMaggio, Mara Junot, Trevor Devall, Sunil Malhotra, Ian James Corlett, Alejandra Reynoso, Charlie Townsend, Yuki Matsuzaki, Tania Gunadi, and Fryda Wolff.
(P.S. – In addition to sort of handing us the Deep Rising sequel we never got, this show also dishes out a riff on the King Kong vs. the Sea Monster movie that Toho almost made in the mid-1960s. The Godzilla film by the same title that I mentioned above was originally meant to be Toho’s third Kong film. There was a rights snafu and Godzilla was subbed in very late during prep, resulting in an outing where the Big G all of a sudden has lightning powers like Kong did in King Kong vs. Godzilla. Granted Godzilla battled a giant crustacean in that film, instead of a Kraken, but giant crabs are also present in this series, alongside a similar giant bird to the one that the Big G K.O,’s in the ’66 film. Brian Duffield certainly knows his stuff. So again, thanks Mr. Duffield. You’ve done us proud!)
The Schlocketeer 