Page 6 March 30, 2017 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Entertainment Check It Out Film Review Kong: Skull Island Finds Fun With Comic Cast Before I Fall By Lauren Oliver By Ryan Rojas for www.cinemacy.com In Kong: Skull Island, Skull Island is a remote, uncharted island in the Pacific, hidden away from the outside world by a stormy surface that has kept the island unexplored for years--which also keeps the mystery of who, or what, lives there as well. That is, until satellite photos--a new technology in the year 1973, during which this latest King Kong movie takes place--reveal the island (named for its foreboding topographical resemblance of a skull) and prove its existence to a team of scientists who set out to discover what unknown mysteries such a place could offer. However, the mysteries that Kong: Skull Island tease as to what could happen hardly end up showing audiences anything they haven’t seen before, as this popcorn romp ends up being a more familiar take of a crash landing on a dangerous and exotic location. However in this take, all must survive not only the wrath of the enormous king primate but that of similarly colossal creatures of equally enormous stature that prove to be their biggest threat until they Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston in Kong: Skull Island. Courtesy of Warner Brothers. are lifted to safety. And yet, while the cash-out mystery is barely paid out to the audience, the film is hardly a disastrous time. This blockbuster, directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer), made by Legendary Pictures and released by Warner Brothers, brings a large ensemble cast of cartoony characters who evoke the camp of B-movie seriousness along with a visually fun, ‘70s-drenched period piece reminiscent of the post-Vietnam era from which the movie mines its story. The light politicking that Skull Island enters into channels the original King Kong story (of the developed nation’s Anglo man capturing and conquering the primal “other”) as an allegory of the controversial U.S. involvement and entering into foreign lands for stake-holding. Living in the silly-serious world of Skull Island are a lot of famous faces that, at just under two hours, make this outing a fun enough time. Leading the expedition is Bill Randa (John Goodman), an assumed crackpot enthusiast who gets last-minute approval (and funds) to explore the mysterious Skull Island. Enlisted to lead the team are local guy at the bar James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), a tracker whose T-shirt physique is more defined than his actual character, and Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), a sexy bombshell war photographer. Leading the team from a defense perspective is the now out-of-work Lt. Col. Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), an American soldier whose post-war memories of losses on the battlefield fuel aggressions that extend to the island’s native inhabitants, including the mighty Kong, being eventually made into this movie’s real villainous and threatening character. Kong: Skull Island is a large movie (about as large as this CGI’d Kong, the biggest of any King Kong in the movie’s franchise), where, upon the group’s arrival to the island and immediate encounter with the giant primate, three separate factions of characters get their own storylines to get quite episodic early. While Randa, Conrad, Weaver and more stumble upon the face-painted loincloth-laden natives and a few other wacky characters (hey, John C. Reilly!), Packard grows further hell-bent. Consumed by his PTSD, he grows determined to conquer the King who, we learn from Reilly’s kooked out WW2 pilot who lives on the island, is actually the protector of the island from an even greater (read: bigger) danger—“skull walkers” that look like two-legged slithery dinosaurs with the face of a bare skull. The consciences of all parties are tested when Kong is threatened by Packard and the skull walkers, forcing the group to realize how saving Kong’s life will affect their own safety and chances of returning home (stay tuned for the sequel). Kong: Skull Island hardly tries to explore new territory, but has its fun as an ensemble movie that slides by with camp and charm. The movie diverts from telling the traditional tale of men capturing the mountain-sized monkey (of which we’ve already seen in Peter Jackson’s 2005 faithful re-telling of the 1933 classic film, King Kong), and instead puts a new spin on the Monster Universe, which also coincides with Godzilla (be sure to stay tuned after the credits for a post-movie teaser). It may drain you a little more than you’d like, but an alluring visual draw and list of enjoyable onscreen talent make Kong: Skull Island a light-fared, playful time. 118 min. Kong: Skull Island is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for brief strong language. Now playing in theaters everywhere. • Reviewed by Kristina Kora-Beckman, Librarian I, El Segundo Public Library This week, I’m reviewing one of my favorite teen books, Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver, which recently has been adapted to the silver screen. While Oliver has gone on to write many New York Times Bestselling titles including the Delirium series and Rooms, my favorite is still her debut, Before I Fall. It’s about redemption, transformation, and how your actions affect those around you--including positive or negative consequences. For high school senior Sam, Friday seemed no different than any other: hanging with her friends, sliding through school and going to parties. In a split second, all that changes as Sam dies in a fiery car crash. But then she wakes up confused in her bed at home. Was it a terrible dream? As she realizes she is actually reliving the same last day over and over again, Sam struggles to come to grips with what is happening to her and each time changes what she does in hopes of breaking the cycle. In many ways, each of Sam’s redos echo classic stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, reconstruction and acceptance as Sam struggles to figure out what is the key to moving on. During the process, Sam evolves from a typical self-centered teen concerned with appearances and oblivious to the damaging effects that her popular group’s causal cruelty has on those around them to an insightful character who chooses to improve the lives of those she has previously overlooked or helped torment. Reminiscent of Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why, this book illustrates how seemingly insignificant choices can have compounding ripple effects but are never too late to begin reversing. To check out Before I Fall, or browse Oliver’s other titles, please visit the library to apply for your free library card. For further assistance including helping to discover your next great read, please contact the reference staff. • Kristina Kora-Beckman. Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver. School Board from front page participating in the 50-plus-year-old age group has been pegged at 74 percent. Clifford’s presentation noted what he said were the “core principles” of having a bond successfully passed in El Segundo, including the uniqueness of the community and that people support what they are vested in--what they help to create. He stressed the need to have the stakeholders in a bond initiative feel that their concerns and needs were adequately addressed. Board President Bill Watkins, in an email sent prior to the Tuesday night meeting, noted that the Board was currently “polling the community in order to gather data and explore options addressing the need of upgrading school facilities.” He added, “No decisions have been made as of yet regarding a school bond measure.” Watkins penned that should the Board decide to pursue a bond initiative in June 2018, the decision probably would not be officially made until February 2018. District Superintendent Melissa Moore indicated that local polling results were likely to be “shared at our Board meeting on April 25.” Also on Tuesday, the Board approved the retirement request of long-time District administrator Dale Lofgren, who has served the ESUSD as Executive Director of Pupil Services for the past 11 years. Tuesday night’s meeting, which commenced with a fully-overloaded Board room jammed with players, supporters, coaches and parents of the local Strikers FC soccer organization, featured several special presentations--including one to honor Arena High student Jespa Awomah; another recognizing El Segundo High student Tammy Mendoza; and an update from El Segundo Middle School administrators about the current status of a proposed schedule change for the 2017-18 school year. The Strikers were out in full force, taking advantage of the public comment portion of the meeting to lobby the Board to consider their pleas for more field time on Districtowned fields. The overflow crowd thinned substantially after the Strikers representatives made their comments. The Middle School presentation made the recommendation to revamp the Master Schedule, starting with the upcoming 2017-18 school year. If the proposal is implemented, key features would include eight classes of equal weight on the schedule, with Spanish, Arts and Design courses newly featured. Depending on a “final bell schedule decision,” classroom time would increase from two to 50 minutes per week. The proposal also hopes to expand the during-theday intervention opportunities on the campus. Middle School Principal Jack Plotkin wrote that the proposal is “really about maximizing opportunities for students. As an IB [International Baccalaureate] World School, we seek learning rich and relevant so students feel empowered to contribute in meaningful ways. I believe the solution that we chose facilitated this end.” Plotkin noted the “long, winding road” to gather the input and data ultimately needed to gain a consensus on the most viable plan, which included the work of the teachers as they were tasked with finding the best solution for the students. He also spoke of his excitement See School Board, page 12
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