Movie Releases
‘Kong: Skull Island, ‘and ‘Logan’ are
Kicking Off The Summer Blockbuster
Season on the Big Screen
Stu Ranger
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS
“March has become a monster.” So far, 2017’s version of March is indeed a leviathan. “Logan” kicked off the month
with a massive $88.4 million debut, and “Kong: Skull Island” kept cash registers humming with an impressive $61
million bow.
Vietnam wants to make more use of the ‘Vietnamese factor’ in the Hollywood blockbuster Kong: Skull Island than
just appointing its director as the country’s tourism ambassador. The major part of Kong: Skull Island was shot
last year in three Vietnamese provinces in the north and north-central regions, namely Quang Binh, Ninh Binh and
Quang Ninh.
Plot glimpse: As the Vietnam War winds to an end, government agent Bill Randa (John Goodman) plans a mission
to take a closer look at Skull Island, a remote locale with an abundance of secrets. He is joined by British Special
Air Service Captain James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), anti-war combat photographer Mason Weaver (Brie Larson),
disgruntled U.S. military commander Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), a number of soldiers, and several others.
Arriving in a convoy of helicopters, this group manages to survive a volatile storm, only to be swatted to the ground
by a giant ape. The survivors’ only hope for escape is a re-supply team that plans to meet them at the other end of the
island in three days.
Without destroying the movie for you, this film delivers everything you could want from a blockbuster: wit, craft,
suspense, humanity, and giant monster battles like you’ve never seen before.
The fact that the movie has 70 percent of its content shot in Vietnam would also be a plus for Vietnam to promote its
tourism at international fairs, the tourism director added.
“The movie’s worldwide premiere has already been the greatest promotion for Vietnam,” Tuan said.
“What we need to do next is taking advantage of this effect to increase the number of international tourists to Viet-
nam, and provide the best experiences to them.”
Although the premiere of the movie in HCMC had a little problem when a ten-meter tall model of the cinematic
beast King Kong caught fire, some think that maybe this was a publicity stunt, no one was hurt in the fire however
the stage and statue sustained severe damage.
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The MAG Vung Tau