King Kong dir. by

19 March 2017


Genre: ,
Script: , ,
Cast: , , , , ,
Setting:
Rated :

Rewatched 19th March 2017 – Originally watched December 2005

[imdb_movie_detail title=”King Kong” detail=”plot”]

So before going to see the new King Kong film I figured I may as well take a look at the Peter Jackson version. I remember enjoying it, but don’t think I’ve rewatched it in quite a while. And I still really enjoyed it. It is a film with a lot of heart if you ask me, the finale is so sad, even though the viewer knows what is going to happen.

I have to disagree with Carl though, twasn’t “Beauty that killed the Beast” but your god damn greed and selfishness. That’s not a spoiler it it? I mean everyone knows what happens in the end of King Kong, don’t they?

As for the effects, well a few of them have aged, that’s true. The dinosaur stampede in particular felt off to me, but some of other scenes were a tad ropey as well, although Kong himself is still great. He is such a real character in the film.

Original thoughts below …


Forget that Star Wars film, this is the blockbuster film of the year. Its got the special effects, the monsters, the danger, the huge budget, and the director, and although maybe it doesn’t the explosions of a space battle, but the rumbles in the jungle you’ll see here will more than make up for missing out on big bangs and fire balls.

You know the story, big gorilla located on a mysterious island falls in love with a blonde actress, is taken captive to New York and put on show, only to escape, wreck the joint and eventually come to an end on the Empire State Building. And I have to say I was a little meh about going to see it. I mean the original was never really my cup of tea, and I knew what was going to happen. How good could it be?

Very good.
It takes an age to get started, but you are never bored. I never wanted them to move it along and meet the big ape, but was quite happy to see Carl Denham lie and cheat and schmooze into getting what he wanted. But once we arrive on Skull Island the pace just never lets up. There’s a kidnapping, fight scenes, unruly islanders, gunfire, dinosaurs, gross insects and even worse giant worm-type-things, and of course, Kong himself. I’d seen a few clips of the fight between Kong and T. Rex, and hadn’t been that impressed. It looked cool, but come on, it’s just a collection of pixels fighting another collection of pixels. Well yes, but it is also so much better than that. You’ll be sucked in and won’t want to be spat out.

The actors were all great. Jack Black in particular was just down right nasty, and yet somehow you didn’t really hate him. But if there is any justice in the world we should see an oscar nomination[1] for Andy Serkis and the team that brought Kong to life. He is fantastic, whether as the rampaging silverback with an attitude or as the over-enthusiastic clown. You’ll love him.

All this raving, yet it isn’t perfect. At times I was too aware of the fact that it was a film. I wasn’t feeling with the characters, I was watching them. And the whole island sequence, while fantastic, seemed to happen to fast and so unrealistic. Yes, I know the whole premise of the film is unrealistic but within that world.

Very much one to go see, yet I don’t know if it’ll stand up to repeat viewings, and I didn’t have that “can I turn around and go back again” feeling. I will go see it again before Christmas, maybe, and thats the point. I won’t be too disappointed if I don’t get to see it again in the cinema.

IMDb rating: [imdb_movie_detail title=”King Kong” detail=”imdbrating”] | [imdb_movie_detail title=”King Kong” detail=”awards”]

IMDb | Kong is King | Stainless Steel Droppins | Shards of Delirium | SFX Discussion | Kong is racist, yawn | I just saw | Confessions of a Movie Critic |

Linknotes:

  1. we won’t of course

You may also like...

5 Responses

  1. Carl V. says:

    Good review. I feel the same way about repeat viewings. I'd go see it again at the theatre with friends who haven't seen it but other than that I don't intend to go again, I'll just wait for the DVD.

    The special effects were indeed amazing and it better win an Oscar for visual effects. There were times when it was obvious at times in the early dinosaur sequences that there were digital characters onscreen (which isn't a good way to put it since we all know the dinosaurs were digitized) but that was a small complaint once Kong entered the picture.

    Overall it was quite the film but like monster movies in general doesn't necessarily have the same replay value once its been seen.

  2. The dinos were actually real. New Zealand is full of remote locations which brilliant directors like Peter Jackson can go and film documentaries like this one and his three-doc epic, Lord of the Rings. The reason for the dinos looking a bit digitized is that modern cameras aren't equipped to film creatures that should have died out years ago.

  3. Fence says:

    There were a few moments when it was obvious the actors weren't acting with the real dinos weren't there?

  4. Carl V. says:

    Yes indeed, there were a few moments in the dinosaur chase scene that the dinos looked very CG.

  5. Fence says:

    Oops, forgot to turn off my pinging there did I Carl. Is that how you got here, cause I don't think I've posted the link anywhere yet.

    Ah well, welcome to the new reviews site :) I'm still importing entries, like all the book ones, and updating the tags. But it'll be ready in a while.