Post-Christmas Blues
Well, isn't life crazy. Since my last entry, I have suffered through (and emerged victorious from) the torment of final exams, welcomed friends home from all ends of the country, concluded another nice Christmas at the Casa de Udyavar--all while working a somewhat dull job at American Eagle. Oh, and I've also gotten hooked on Desperate Housewives.
So, Christmas first. Hope everyone who reads this had a lovely holiday. I got a ton of cool stuff, including one VERY unexpected thing that I don't think I should mention here (though those who are near and dear will probably stumble across it sooner or later). And as usual, I can't help but feel wistful that yet another Christmas season is over for a whole YEAR. Though I do have to say that working in one of the most popular stores in the mall during the holiday season has somewhat dampened my love for Christmas. One-on-one duels over parking spaces can become just a tiny bit stressful, you know.
Anyhow, a few days ago I saw Peter Jackson's King Kong.
Before I get into my thoughts on Kong, I'd like to express my condolences to Peter Jackson for losing the other three-quarters of himself to the depths of Mount Doom. Well, can you think of any other feasible explanation for the man's sudden diminution? (And don't say lipo.)
Okay. King Kong. Visually speaking, this movie is absolutely breathtaking: the Manhattan set was astounding and the Skull Island set even more so. And of course, the CG effects. Unprecedented. However, if I can think of a single gripe for this tremendous cinematic achievement, it's....surprisingly enough, the screenplay.
Now, I say that this is surprising because the script was penned by three people to whom I would willingly have sacrificed my first-born child, after Lord of the Rings: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and of course, Peter Jackson himself. But something was missing from Kong. It lacked the humanity and sincerity of the words that the trio used to balance the massive visual feat of LOTR; the words of Kong, instead of being enhanced by the stunning visuals, were nearly overwhelmed.
Case in point: Kong doesn't appear until, oh, let's say an hour or so into the film. Until he makes his appearance, we get a whooooooooole lot of exposition. Yet, rather than expanding on the obvious allegory of the story (imperialism say what?), the script focuses on reiterating over and over and over and over again that SOMETHING fishy is happening on Skull Island. (And please don't use the Heart of Darkness reference to refute that. Yes. They talked about it. FOR ONE FREAKIN MINUTE.) Rather than establishing a solid romantic connection between Ann (Naomi Watts's dopey heroine) and Jack (Adrien Brody's gigantic-shnozz-endowed-yet-still-charming dreamboat), we instead get a cheesy little scene that basically says, "Okay! So now they're in love." This is exactly the kind of thing that made me feel that the focal point of this film was (UNLIKE Lord of the Rings!) the effects, as opposed to the story.
That is, until Kong comes into the picture. It almost pains me to say this, since I worship the ground that Peter Jackson trods, but the most emotionally-developed and sympathetic character in this movie is easily the computer-generated ape. Allow me to compare dear old Kong to his forgettable human costars: Watts's Ann Darrow is a hapless, helpless waif--who, incidentally, barely utters a word in the last two hours of the film, opting instead to fill the screen with close-up shots of her enormous, expressive, tear-filled eyes. Basically, she's a tall, blonde, female version of Frodo Baggins. Adrien Brody is, admittedly, above criticism in this review, because I think he's adorable (despite his gigantic shnozz). Although I will say that his character is underwritten and unmemorable. Jack Black's character, on the other hand, is the most interesting human in the film. Unabashedly corrupt and uscrupulous, Black plays the part of Carl Denham with a sort of comedic charm that easily lends itself to the time period. We see the paradigm of the Western superiority complex played out in Denham: the notion that the savage can be "rescued" from his uncivilized land and brought to our world for amusement and degradation. It's fascinating territory to explore, from any screenwriter's perspective. So why isn't this angle developed? Did I miss something? I feel like Ann didn't really fight much for Kong's case; she refused to exploit him, yet couldn't we have had some kind of scene written in where Ann contends with the fact that fear of creatures like Kong leads to desire to control and subjugate? Isn't that supposed to be the moral foundation of this film?
Maybe it was all there in the subtext, as Dreamy Adrien Brody's character puts it. However, it's easy to miss rhetorical nuances in a film so heavily packed with such astonishing visual effects. There can be no denying that Kong is ground-breaking; I will freely admit, despite the flaws I personally observed, that this film deserves whatever technical Oscars the Academy can think of giving it. I mean, holy shit. We all knew that Peter Jackson knew his way around computer graphics and all, but damn! The brontosaurus herd grazing in the valley? The T-rex battle in the vines? The creepy native people (not CG, but still a fantastic visual element)? And Kong, moving with believable simian grace, decimating the T-rex, scaling the Empire State Building? Peter Jackson, you are the man. Even if you did have lipo.
But back to the giant ape. I was saying earlier that Kong is the most sympathetic character, and to that I hold: he is able to communicate unbelievable sadness and loneliness without the aid of the awkward script, and this is Peter Jackson's greatest achievement (okay, excluding the entire LOTR trilogy, because we all know how I feel about that). With his simple, primal behavior, so child-like at times and unbelievably terrifying at others, the viewer can't help but empathize with the tragedy of Kong. The strongest scene in the film, aside from the iconic Empire State Building sequence, is the one in which Kong and Watts's character are just having this jolly old time sliding around a frozen lake. The scene is beautiful and evocative: for the first time, channeling the visual and emotional excellence of the LOTR trilogy. Only from that point on did I believe in Ann's compassion for Kong, which makes the closing sequence achieve its most profound impact. Kong's death is truly devastating in this film--and, like many powerful movie scenes, doesn't even need the assistance of a script to make its point.
But maybe the script is irrelevant in a film like this. After all, I myself just explained that the most effective scenes didn't even use any dialogue, yet still were able to communicate the emotional impact of the story. So did Peter Jackson's Kong get swallowed up by the visual effects? Actually, no. You can still leave the theater all choked up over the death of a giant monkey. Which means that PJ & Co. did something very, very right.
********************************
And, just in case you're too ADD (I mean....busy) to read my somewhat verbose review, here are some abridged thoughts on King Kong:
KONG KLIFF NOTES! (hehe)
Overall Rating: 3.75/4 stars
Most Disgusting Yet Ridiculously Bad-Ass Scene: Kong ripping apart a T-Rex's face
"Now's a Good Time To Go To The Bathroom" Scene: Uhh...those GINORMOUS arthropods that ate that one guy (I think...I went to the bathroom during this part, so I dunno!)
Best Cameo Appearance: Howard Shore in the pit orchestra! Say whaaaat!
Oscar Plugs: So, remember how I worship Peter Jackson and all? Yeah, keep that in mind.
--Best Director (duh)
--Best Visual Effects
--Best Cinematography
--Best Sound/Sound Editing/all that other sound stuff
--Best Art Direction
--Best Performance By a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Adrien Brody's Giant Shnozz
--Best Performance By a Male Actor in a Lead Role:...can we just give this to Kong?
--And I want it nominated for Best Picture. Just 'cause...giant monkey?
Naomi Watts's Annoying Heroine Rating: 6 out of 10 (10 being most annoying)
Jack Black's Ability To Control His Hilarious Facial Expressions For the Sake Of This Serious Film Rating: 7 out of 10 (he did the eyebrow thing a couple of times).
Best Tear-Jerking Sequence: Kong trying to say "beautiful" on top of the Empire State Building
AND DID ANYONE CATCH A PETER JACKSON CAMEO BECAUSE I DEFINITELY DIDN'T!
And that's it for King Kong. Up next: Brokeback Mountain, a.k.a. The Gay Cowboy Movie!
P.S. Jason Johnson, I hope you read this from top to bottom. ;)
So, I came down with a cold and am therefore not feeling too hot (heh heh). Later, kids, and have a happy New Year!
So, Christmas first. Hope everyone who reads this had a lovely holiday. I got a ton of cool stuff, including one VERY unexpected thing that I don't think I should mention here (though those who are near and dear will probably stumble across it sooner or later). And as usual, I can't help but feel wistful that yet another Christmas season is over for a whole YEAR. Though I do have to say that working in one of the most popular stores in the mall during the holiday season has somewhat dampened my love for Christmas. One-on-one duels over parking spaces can become just a tiny bit stressful, you know.
Anyhow, a few days ago I saw Peter Jackson's King Kong.
Before I get into my thoughts on Kong, I'd like to express my condolences to Peter Jackson for losing the other three-quarters of himself to the depths of Mount Doom. Well, can you think of any other feasible explanation for the man's sudden diminution? (And don't say lipo.)
Okay. King Kong. Visually speaking, this movie is absolutely breathtaking: the Manhattan set was astounding and the Skull Island set even more so. And of course, the CG effects. Unprecedented. However, if I can think of a single gripe for this tremendous cinematic achievement, it's....surprisingly enough, the screenplay.
Now, I say that this is surprising because the script was penned by three people to whom I would willingly have sacrificed my first-born child, after Lord of the Rings: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and of course, Peter Jackson himself. But something was missing from Kong. It lacked the humanity and sincerity of the words that the trio used to balance the massive visual feat of LOTR; the words of Kong, instead of being enhanced by the stunning visuals, were nearly overwhelmed.
Case in point: Kong doesn't appear until, oh, let's say an hour or so into the film. Until he makes his appearance, we get a whooooooooole lot of exposition. Yet, rather than expanding on the obvious allegory of the story (imperialism say what?), the script focuses on reiterating over and over and over and over again that SOMETHING fishy is happening on Skull Island. (And please don't use the Heart of Darkness reference to refute that. Yes. They talked about it. FOR ONE FREAKIN MINUTE.) Rather than establishing a solid romantic connection between Ann (Naomi Watts's dopey heroine) and Jack (Adrien Brody's gigantic-shnozz-endowed-yet-still-charming dreamboat), we instead get a cheesy little scene that basically says, "Okay! So now they're in love." This is exactly the kind of thing that made me feel that the focal point of this film was (UNLIKE Lord of the Rings!) the effects, as opposed to the story.
That is, until Kong comes into the picture. It almost pains me to say this, since I worship the ground that Peter Jackson trods, but the most emotionally-developed and sympathetic character in this movie is easily the computer-generated ape. Allow me to compare dear old Kong to his forgettable human costars: Watts's Ann Darrow is a hapless, helpless waif--who, incidentally, barely utters a word in the last two hours of the film, opting instead to fill the screen with close-up shots of her enormous, expressive, tear-filled eyes. Basically, she's a tall, blonde, female version of Frodo Baggins. Adrien Brody is, admittedly, above criticism in this review, because I think he's adorable (despite his gigantic shnozz). Although I will say that his character is underwritten and unmemorable. Jack Black's character, on the other hand, is the most interesting human in the film. Unabashedly corrupt and uscrupulous, Black plays the part of Carl Denham with a sort of comedic charm that easily lends itself to the time period. We see the paradigm of the Western superiority complex played out in Denham: the notion that the savage can be "rescued" from his uncivilized land and brought to our world for amusement and degradation. It's fascinating territory to explore, from any screenwriter's perspective. So why isn't this angle developed? Did I miss something? I feel like Ann didn't really fight much for Kong's case; she refused to exploit him, yet couldn't we have had some kind of scene written in where Ann contends with the fact that fear of creatures like Kong leads to desire to control and subjugate? Isn't that supposed to be the moral foundation of this film?
Maybe it was all there in the subtext, as Dreamy Adrien Brody's character puts it. However, it's easy to miss rhetorical nuances in a film so heavily packed with such astonishing visual effects. There can be no denying that Kong is ground-breaking; I will freely admit, despite the flaws I personally observed, that this film deserves whatever technical Oscars the Academy can think of giving it. I mean, holy shit. We all knew that Peter Jackson knew his way around computer graphics and all, but damn! The brontosaurus herd grazing in the valley? The T-rex battle in the vines? The creepy native people (not CG, but still a fantastic visual element)? And Kong, moving with believable simian grace, decimating the T-rex, scaling the Empire State Building? Peter Jackson, you are the man. Even if you did have lipo.
But back to the giant ape. I was saying earlier that Kong is the most sympathetic character, and to that I hold: he is able to communicate unbelievable sadness and loneliness without the aid of the awkward script, and this is Peter Jackson's greatest achievement (okay, excluding the entire LOTR trilogy, because we all know how I feel about that). With his simple, primal behavior, so child-like at times and unbelievably terrifying at others, the viewer can't help but empathize with the tragedy of Kong. The strongest scene in the film, aside from the iconic Empire State Building sequence, is the one in which Kong and Watts's character are just having this jolly old time sliding around a frozen lake. The scene is beautiful and evocative: for the first time, channeling the visual and emotional excellence of the LOTR trilogy. Only from that point on did I believe in Ann's compassion for Kong, which makes the closing sequence achieve its most profound impact. Kong's death is truly devastating in this film--and, like many powerful movie scenes, doesn't even need the assistance of a script to make its point.
But maybe the script is irrelevant in a film like this. After all, I myself just explained that the most effective scenes didn't even use any dialogue, yet still were able to communicate the emotional impact of the story. So did Peter Jackson's Kong get swallowed up by the visual effects? Actually, no. You can still leave the theater all choked up over the death of a giant monkey. Which means that PJ & Co. did something very, very right.
********************************
And, just in case you're too ADD (I mean....busy) to read my somewhat verbose review, here are some abridged thoughts on King Kong:
KONG KLIFF NOTES! (hehe)
Overall Rating: 3.75/4 stars
Most Disgusting Yet Ridiculously Bad-Ass Scene: Kong ripping apart a T-Rex's face
"Now's a Good Time To Go To The Bathroom" Scene: Uhh...those GINORMOUS arthropods that ate that one guy (I think...I went to the bathroom during this part, so I dunno!)
Best Cameo Appearance: Howard Shore in the pit orchestra! Say whaaaat!
Oscar Plugs: So, remember how I worship Peter Jackson and all? Yeah, keep that in mind.
--Best Director (duh)
--Best Visual Effects
--Best Cinematography
--Best Sound/Sound Editing/all that other sound stuff
--Best Art Direction
--Best Performance By a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Adrien Brody's Giant Shnozz
--Best Performance By a Male Actor in a Lead Role:...can we just give this to Kong?
--And I want it nominated for Best Picture. Just 'cause...giant monkey?
Naomi Watts's Annoying Heroine Rating: 6 out of 10 (10 being most annoying)
Jack Black's Ability To Control His Hilarious Facial Expressions For the Sake Of This Serious Film Rating: 7 out of 10 (he did the eyebrow thing a couple of times).
Best Tear-Jerking Sequence: Kong trying to say "beautiful" on top of the Empire State Building
AND DID ANYONE CATCH A PETER JACKSON CAMEO BECAUSE I DEFINITELY DIDN'T!
And that's it for King Kong. Up next: Brokeback Mountain, a.k.a. The Gay Cowboy Movie!
P.S. Jason Johnson, I hope you read this from top to bottom. ;)
So, I came down with a cold and am therefore not feeling too hot (heh heh). Later, kids, and have a happy New Year!