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Grab yourself a couple of big tubs of popcorn and get ready to have one heck of a good time at the movies, thanks to THE LORD OF THE RINGS' Peter Jackson. Remaking the 1933 classic film starring Fay Wray, Jackson's vision of KING KONG is both a loving tribute to the original as well as a great romance, blending equal measures of JURASSIC PARK and INDIANA JONES. What is absolutely certain is that a captivating Naomi Watts, as Ann Darrow, has great chemistry with her big, hairy costar. Andy Serkis, who should have won a supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of Gollum in THE LORD OF THE RINGS, is responsible for Kong's mannerisms and motions. Watts and Serkis turn out to be a match made in heaven. And Jackson's film is one that will rightly appear on many best of the year lists, which isn't a place where you normally find such popcorn pictures.
"Monsters belong in B-movies," Carl Denham (Jack Black), an aspiring director, says. This is a double joke, since Denham is a B-movie director who wants to be the next DeMille, while KING KONG itself is basically a very big budget B-movie. It is also a very confident picture, since it waits a full hour and ten minutes before it ever shows us the big ape.
Much of the movie follows the original quite closely, even if it is twice as long. And some of the parts that aren't in the original are some of the best bits. Do you remember an episode that has Kong hamming it up, skating on a frozen lake in Central Park? I didn't think so, but it's in this remake. There is also a stampede sequence featuring a herd of brontosaurus in a traffic jam with humans underfoot. Many of the incidents are at once completely ridiculous and wonderfully fun to watch, as when they use a Tommy gun to kill some hawk-sized mosquitoes. On the way home in the car, my wife, who did not like the film, kept telling me of one part after another that she thought was stupid. My reaction was, "well sure, but it was great fun watching it." The special effects are so real that you're never sure what is done with models, what with CGI and what with normal sets and people.
Like a long roller coaster ride, the movie provides so much entertainment that you'll almost feel like going back to the box office and complaining afterwards that you were undercharged, since you got twice as much movie and enjoyment as usual. The stunning cinematography and set decoration, particular the sunrise and sunset scenes and all of the Time Square sequences are so gorgeous your jaw will drop.
That's probably enough, since I don't want to make my review as long as the movie. My only quibble is the casting of Adrien Brody as Jack Driscoll, the screenwriter for the movie that Carl is making and the human part of the love triangle. Brody plays his character way too wimpy, and his whole performance just never works since the casting was wrong in the first place.
And I never got a chance to tell you about the big killer worms with sharp teeth and lion-sized mouths.
KING KONG runs 3:00, but I wouldn't want a single minute cut from it. It is rated PG-13 for "frightening adventure violence and some disturbing images" and would be acceptable for kids around 9 and up.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Wednesday, December 14, 2005. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
By : Steve Rhodes (http://www.internetreviews.com/)
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QUOTE: "There are lots of reasons we go to the movies, and King Kong celebrates and showcases all of them."
If we're lucky we get one film a year that has the action, humor, heart, and colossal appeal of King Kong. The story and message are both timeless, and it's likely that many audiences worldwide will leave the theater exclaiming that they've never seen anything like this before. Of all the films I have seen this year, King Kong handily owns the competition in terms of memorable shots and sheer glee. There are lots of reasons we go to the movies, and King Kong celebrates and showcases all of them.
For those unfamiliar with the plot, here's a quick synopsis. Carl Denham (Black) is your run-of-the-mill sleazebag movie producer who has exhausted the budget on his current project, not to mention the patience of the studio heads. Desperate to show the world something they have never seen before, Denham convinces (well, lies to) his cast and crew to charter a ship to take them to the legendary Skull Island. There he will utilize the one-of-kind location shooting. Along for the ride are recently hired Vaudeville actress Ann Darrow (Watts) and screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Brody). The crew eventually locates and explores Skull Island, and I think we all know who resides there...
Director/Co-writer Peter Jackson knew that he'd have to reach into his bag of tricks to keep our ADD, "ninety minutes or bust" butts in the seats for three hours. Oh has he come through. The second act, in which the unlucky crew comes in contact with every vile beast on the island, is one of the most action-packed ever filmed. It all leads up to a third act that, unbelievably, seems rushed in comparison. Jackson never lets up, throwing new and creepy creatures at us every few minutes. A sequence involving Kong's battle with two dinosaurs, all the while keeping Ann safe in his grasp, is the show-stopper in a film of show-stoppers. You'd think Jackson had, say, $207 million to work with here or something. Oh, wait.
What will take many by surprise is the scope of humanity given to the film. The story has always been oddly touching, but here Jackson will have even the most cold-hearted choking up just a little with the inevitable tragic ending. I figured it would be a chore to get me attached to an oversized ape that destroys most of an island and a good chunk of New York City, but Jackson pulls it off in pitch-perfect fashion. It is the perfect footnote to a near-perfect film.
The performances are solid, but it is Naomi Watts who truly stands out. Looking as radiant and beautiful as any actress has this century, Watts is dynamic and playful as Ann Darrow. A scene involving her and Kong teasing each other is a warm and vivacious sequence that really attains its impact by Watts' willingness to ham it up a little, especially since she probably performed primarily in front of a blue screen. Jack Black delivers most of the humor and script's best lines. He teeters on the edge of overacting, but overall he is funny and enjoyable as the ruthless producer who only sees dollar bills. Adrien Brody isn't given a whole lot to do other than sort of have the hots for Ann and occasionally be a hero.
King Kong is a surefire audience pleaser that delivers everything we could possible want a film to. Peter Jackson proves to us once again that he is one of the most inventive and respectful directors working today. In King Kong he has delivered a blockbuster that will be one to reckon with for years to come. As for Kong himself, he wins over Naomi Watts and literally has her in the palm of his hand. How many of us will ever get to say that?
By : Bill Clark (http://www.fromthebalcony.com/)
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