Sandy Kenyon reviews 'Kong: Skull Island'

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The first of the "summer" blockbusters is now in theaters, as King Kong returned to the big screen in "Kong: Skull Island."

More than 80 years have passed since the first King Kong film, and it's been 10 years since he starred in his own movie. But that isn't enough of a reason to pay to see him again.

What makes "Kong: Skull Island" worthwhile is how the monster is re-imagined, as the creators have made him more real thanks to advances in computer-generated imagery.

The movie is set in the time right after the Vietnam War, when uncharted territory could still plausibly exist. The expedition to Skull Island comes at the behest of John Goodman's character, who recruits an expert guide played by Tom Hiddleston and a photographer played by Brie Larsen.

Larsen won a Best Actress Oscar in 2016 for "Room," and while this isn't likely to garner another nomination, the great cast does make the movie more fun.

As fierce as King Kong might be, he isn't the real threat. There are monsters lurking on the island that are much scarier.

The movie works as pure escapism, especially if you enjoy laughing when the drama turns ridiculous.