Movie Reviews
King Kong 
Rated PG-13 (2005)
Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis, Jamie Bell, Kyle Chandler, Thomas Kretschmann
Direction: Peter Jackson
Production: Jan Blenkin, Carolynne Cunningham, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh
Screenplay: Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson, based on the story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace
by Vincent St. James
The Lowdown:
Peter Jackson has shown that his mastery of creating on screen spectacles of gigantic proportions are not limited to stories about Hobbits.
Bigger than...well, anything
I must say, I was a bit skeptical when I first heard that "they" were thinking about remaking King Kong, again. However, when I found out that Peter Jackson would direct, I could not wait to see it, and as it turns out, with good reason. The film is a testament to what a good director is capable of when provided a wealth of special effects and the storyline of one of the most classic tales of all time. The task of recreating King Kong would've been difficult for anyone, mainly for two reasons. One, there is a plethora of (mostly bad) remakes and sequels out there, and to get people to care about another would be difficult in itself. Second, in this digital age, it is expected that a film of this magnitude would be flawless in it's visual credibility. Of course, there is always the difficulty of making a movie that has both style and substance, mainly attributed to creating dynamic characters and situations. For the most part, I must say that Peter Jackson's film is a success in practically all of these categories and has created without a doubt the grandest spectacle of the year.
The plot goes something like this: Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) is an actress desperate for work and meets filmmaker Carl Denham (Jack Black) who has financial troubles of his own. They board a ship headed to where they will film Denham's next movie, and it is there that Ann Darrow meets Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), the screenwriter for Denham's epic. Then there are other colorful characters on board such as conceited actor Bruce Baxter (Kyle Chandler) and the captain, Engelhorn (Thomas Kretschmann). Darrow and Driscoll begin to explore a romantic relationship when the ship reaches Skull Island. It is there that Ann is taken away by the natives of the island and surrendered to Kong, the giant ape. It is then all about rescuing Ann Darrow from the beast and trying to escape the island alive.
The plot is simple enough. You have a beautiful girl and a beast that needs to be reckoned with so that the hero can save the day and everyone goes home happy. But is it really that simple? The story of King Kong in itself is more complex than that, and we can thank Peter Jackson for not only doing it justice, but presenting what's at the heart of the story: not the rescue misson, not giant-monster ass-kicking, but the relationship between a gentle giant and a female human being, as I will explore in a moment.
There are a series of scenes that are phenomenal, all for different reasons. First we have the natives of Skull Island, and they have got to be the freakiest people I have ever seen on film. No, really, I would love to see a horror movie based solely on their tribal rituals and sacrifices. It gives the film a creepy Jackson-esque aspect to it, similar to that in his other work.
Visually, the scenes with the dinosaurs (yes, dinosaurs) are just stunning. There is no other way to describe it. I think that Jackson outdoes himself with visual credibility in that these scenes are preposterously impossible to be real yet, they still look so real. Not only that, they have a purpose in that he manges to showcase why Kong is King, as I wouldn't mess with a monster that can kick the hell out of a T-Rex, but that's just me.
Superfluous special effects? I mean really PJ, dinosaurs? Was that necessary? I've heard these criticisms and to that I say, bullocks (how British of me). They are well done and he DOES manage to add to the story by showing just how strong Kong is and just how strong his feelings for the human really are.
Now, as I said, visual effects are one thing, but Peter Jackson treats the source material of King Kong with great care (Of course he would since it has been his fantasy to direct this film since he was young). More specifically, there is a very human side to this ape, and the connection between him and the girl are greater than any connection most of us will ever feel for a fellow human being, and that is saying something. And one more note about effects: they are used to perfection in showing Kong's emotions, primarily through the use of facial expressions. Well done.
Three scenes that stick out: one, is when he first falls asleep and learns about beaty from Ms. Darrow. That was touching. However, its not until *SPOILER (skip two paragraphs)
they are in NY that this scene becomes truly meaningful. The second scene, which helps shed light on what I'm talking about, is the Central Park ice dance. It is particularly striking given the back drop: people who can't wait to kill the monster are everywhere, yet here they are, skating as if they were 16 year-olds on their first date. In essence, that analogy is not far off, and that essence is a preservation and result of Jackson's work.
Last, we have the ending in which Kong's appreciation for beauty is sincere and greater than humanity's appreciation of, well, seemingly anything, and the symbolism of what happens to him is subject for an entire other article.
Ann Darrow is solid, but this isn't exactly an Oscar-type role. Ditto for Adrien Brody, who's character is far from being central to this film. Jack Black is impressive given the context, and he adds a certain dimension to his character that is certainly "Jack Black." He does well in showing the typical shortsightedness that comes hand-in-hand with greed and selfishness. Overall, the performances were solid enough to get the job done. Just like with Peter Jackson's Gollum, however, the best actor here might very well be the ape.
If I had to see this again, I would like to skip over some of the minor details from the beginning, and is really the only flaw of the film in my view: it's running length. Other than that, no visual spectacle of the year rivals this one, and not too many films will match it's emotional depth. Once it gets rolling, it doesn't stop. Seeing this movie, I must say, was quite the gratifying experience.
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