Peter Jackson's big budget remake of the 1933 classic, King Kong, is a ground breaking, extraordinary motion picture that captivates, allures and astounds in every single aspect of the cinematic experience.
King Kong (2005)
Directors: Peter Jackson
Producers: Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh
Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson (screenplay) *********************** Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace (story)
Features: MPAA: Rated PG-13 for frightening adventure violence and some disturbing images. Running Time: 180 minutes. In Theaters: December 14th, 2005.
Characters:
Naomi Watts...Ann Darrow
Jack Black...Carl Denham
Adrien Brody...Jack Driscoll
Andy Serkis...King Kong/Lumpy the Cook
Genre: Action/Adventure
Review:
When Jurassic Park came out in 1993, I was floored by it. There just wasn’t anything quite like it before and while it wasn’t a perfect film, it was a classic. The visual effects combined with the story culminated into one of the greatest motion picture events of a lifetime. Films like Jurassic Park are few and far between. But when they come, they’re the talk of the town. In the twelve years since Jurassic Park, there hasn’t been one single film that matched its grand scale. Titanic and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy came close, but there was something missing from both entries—one tiny little element that bound the whole thing together—something that words cannot truly describe. Twelve long years have gone by. But finally, that wait is over…King Kong is here.
King Kong, like the 1933 film that inspired it, is a ground breaking, extraordinary motion picture that captivates, allures and astounds in every single aspect of the cinematic experience. King Kong is a classic. Just like Jurassic Park, Kong does suffer from a few flaws. Mainly those flaws are trivial, equating to roughly ten, maybe twelve minutes of the film’s three hour running time. There are a few weak visual effects and one major loose end involving one of the film’s more minor characters. The design of the film, at times, does annoyingly hark back to Jackson’s Lord of the Rings days, particularly the design of the native tribe on Skull Island. There are also a few odd slow motion shots that make very little sense. Why they didn’t get sliced before release is downright confusing. Film fanatics may be distracted by some of these issues, while they’ll likely go unnoticed by the average filmgoer.
Some fellow critics have complained about an uneven pace and a miscast Jack Black, neither of which are very valid grievances. The pace of the film unfolds in a very natural manner. A half hour in New York, an hour and a half on Skull Island and an hour back in New York. Each chapter of this epic tale tells a different story with a different emotional string. The first act plays like a goofy period-piece adventure. It’s funny, riddled with in-jokes and comic characters, and highly entertaining, giving the audience small but exciting hints of adventure to come. It’s just what the audience needs to set them in the right mood. This paves the way for the action packed second act on Skull Island. This act is the real meat of King Kong. It’s scary, amazing, dazzling and extraordinary. Just about every scene on Skull Island is mesmerizing and/or haunting. To discuss them in this review would not be fair to any potential moviegoer. This is a movie that must be seen.
The final act is full of rich, powerful emotion that is sure to keep most audience members in tears long after the credits have rolled. We all know the story and ultimate fate of Kong, but never before has it been told in such a brilliant, sweeping poetic fashion. Jackson has crafted a dazzling homage that not only pays tribute to the wonderful film that came before it, but adds more to it than anyone could have ever imagined. Jackson’s King Kong does exactly what it should; it amazes the audience just as much as the 1933 film did.
Now, about Jack Black. Honestly, Black is perfect as Carl Denham, the insane movie producer/director so desperate to get his name in lights that he’ll sacrifice his friends and his crew in order to get it there. He’s not a maniac per se; rather, he’s a comic caricature of Orson Welles. He’s a silly, doofy man, trying to pretend he’s not. He’s a genius perhaps, or a madman. Black is the perfect choice for such a character. The larger-than-life comedic bravado that is Jack Black plays the performance in a way that’s honest and true to the character. Black isn’t astounding, this is true, but he’s damn good.
A classic film would be nowhere without stunning visual effects and King Kong is in an abundance. Some of the visuals have the same problem that I noted in my Narnia review. Some of the green screen effects are noticeable, but Kong himself—Wow! Kong truly is King. I’ve never, in my life, seen such an extraordinary effect. Kong looks real.
Andy Serkis, known for playing the role of Gollum in Jackson’s Rings trilogy, returns here as Kong and I’m guessing he won’t be forgotten come Oscar time. His performance truly transcends the digital barrier. Serkis breathes life, power and emotion into Kong making him more tangible than any creature ever put on film. The audience understands his pain, his anguish. They love him as much as Ann Darrow does. They feel sorry for him. This really is Serkis’ show and Jackson, his cast and his crew are very aware of it.
King Kong is the sort of film that should be seen on the big screen. If anyone out there even has the slightest inkling to see the film, see it in theaters. It’s a remarkable piece of film that will ‘wow’ moviegoer’s hours, maybe even days after seeing it. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s easily one of the best Hollywood popcorn flicks ever made, right up there with Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Perhaps it’s time Steven Spielberg started thinking about handing his crown over to Peter Jackson. There’s a new King in town.
*Film Scorecard*
As entertainment: * * * *
As a film: * * * *
Overall:
Also, for an in depth look at the production of King Kong, check out the amazing production diaries:
King Kong-- Peter Jackson’s Production Diaries DVD Set:
As seen on Kong is King.net and produced by Peter Jackson himself, the diaries chronicle the filmmaker's incredible journey to bring Kong to the screen. These diaries are absolutely amazing and a lot of fun to watch (Both Andy Serkis and Jack Black are an absolute delight). Each diary, running one minute to twenty minutes each, takes on a different aspect of the film from shooting, to set design to catering—everything you could possibly ever want to know about King Kong, or producing a film for that matter, is here.
The two disc set is shot in anamorphic widescreen 1:78:1 and comes in an amazing case well worth the purchase alone. There is also a spoiler heavy featurette about the amazing T. Rex fight and an intro from Peter Jackson.
Let’s hope that future productions do the same thing as Jackson did here. Any fan of Peter Jackson, or Kong should pick this amazing set up!
*DVD Scorecard*
Diaries: 9
Video: 7
Audio: 6
Extras: 8
UNRATED
* Running Time: 218 minutes
* List Price: $39.98
* Available on DVD December 13th 2005.
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----R. L. Shaffer