Kong: Skull Island

Monkeys see, monkeys redo. In this case, a certain crew of filmmaking monkeys did a particularly well-done reimagination of the classic monster movie featuring the titular, towering primate. This flick is a sort of sequel/companion piece to the recent, under-appreciated Godzilla movie--the Monarch cinematic universe?--with some similar themes and stylistic touches, though this flick has perhaps even more visual flair, and maybe a better sense of humor. Ultimately, though, this is truly a descendant of the original, featuring more than a couple of set pieces that seem to very consciously echo that eighty-year-old classic--hence, the heart of the matter is what it always is with a good monster movie: an orgy of satisfying violence. Who can ask for more than that? (And let's face it: the Bad Cat is a bit of a monster himself, so no wonder he's purring.)