As far as movies go, Kong: Skull Island is an Entenmann’s donut. There’s no denying its plasticky look, and its scent is equal parts stale and intoxicating. It’s been designed, manufactured, and tested to ensure satisfaction. And yet, there must be some art to it because—if you can excuse the unnatural sheen, the mechanical formulation, and the absence of substance—isn’t it delicious?

Those familiar with the classic King Kong, or any of the major remakes, will recognize in this 70’s-set reboot the ape and little else. Taking significant departures from the original story, Kong: Skull Island sends a cadre of scientists, government agents, and soldiers to survey Skull Island, one of the last uncharted places on planet Earth. As happens in this sort of movie, government official Bill Randa (John Goodman) and his geologist protégé (Corey Hawkins) assemble a ragtag team: an uncompromising Army Lieutenant Colonel (Samuel L. Jackson), a suave British hunter-tracker (Tom Hiddleston), an anti-war photojournalist (Brie Larson), and about a dozen others—too many to keep tabs on. Each top-billed star gives a convincing performance, but once Kong makes his ferocious entrance, smacking down helicopters and annihilating half of the film’s ensemble, it’s hard to remain invested in such inane human activity as Brie Larson’s excessive photography.

One of film history’s earliest and most enduring monsters, King Kong symbolizes cinema’s power to inspire wonder, and the creators of Kong: Skull Island seem to understand that. This Kong, a massive feat of CGI filmmaking, doesn’t just look stunning; he has a life force beneath his 19 million masterfully rendered hairs. He carries himself with an undeniable swagger, and in quiet moments, like one that has him snacking on a giant octopus, Kong has as much personality as his living, breathing co-stars. Human standouts like American castaway Hank Marlow (an exuberant John C. Reilly) give the beast some competition, but Kong owns the screen.

With a wordless ape as its centerpiece, the film benefits from a spare plot. Most of the convoluted reasons that bring this group to the island fall away once they discover the hellish creatures that live there. What remains is a story of survival and escape, a routine monster movie with some mildly interesting ideas thrown in about war and national identity. The plot of Kong: Skull Island, as the second entry in Legendary Entertainment’s attempted MonsterVerse franchise (following 2014’s Godzilla), really only needed to provide a reason for Kong to reappear on the big screen. That the film is often engaging and sharp feels like a bonus.

The idea of a King Kong movie in 2017 reeks of corporate greed. Kong: Skull Island already has a connected theme park ride at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure, and a 2020 sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong, has been on the books since 2015. Although not itself exceptional, the film owns its franchise identity, and somehow, Kong: Skull Island, a breezy, clever two-hour romp, justifies the giant ape’s cinematic resurrection, provided you aren’t on the market for fresh baked goods.