King Kong - random thoughts
I won't try to make this a formal review - just my musings on King Kong.
Film: King Kong (2005)
Starring: Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, Andy Serkis
Director: Peter Jackson
Running Time: 187 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for frightening adventure violence and some disturbing images.
Wow, what a ride. There's a ton of adrenaline and emotion in the movie. Several times as I was watching it, I found myself clutching my hair and grimacing at the action that was going on onscreen.
The movie is in three acts; Act I sets up the premise in NYC, Act II is all the action finding Kong on Skull Island, and Act III brings us back to NYC for Kong's disastrous Broadway debut. I thought Acts I and III were clearly superior. Act II, though very good, was the act that felt the most drawn out. I enjoyed the bits on the island, but I felt certain scenes were a bit extraneous (did we really need fifteen minutes of brontosaurus (sorry Meaghan) stampedes? I don't think so). The bugs creeped me out like crazy. So good job there. The shots of Depression-era NYC were fabulous - I loved every minute of it.
One of the funny, and in my opinion, smart things Peter Jackson did was to offer no explanation whatsoever on how a gigantic ape was transported back from Skull Island and into a Broadway theater. Yes, we know the ship had chloroform, but no mention of the logistics are made. Just *CUT*! and we're in Manhattan again! I actually liked it. The logistics would have been extraordinarily difficult and cumbersome to explain, so Jackson didn't bother. I've never seen the original, but I know movies from that era weren't all that concerned with details of this nature. This makes it almost more true to the feel of that era of filmmaking.
The "love story" between Kong and Ann Darrow was lovely, and this was the essential heart of the film. If you can't understand this, you will hate the film. It was tender without becoming icky. (okay, so it bordered on ickiness, but never went over the edge.) I found myself weeping by the end of the film, which I was not expecting. (on a side note, the only other people in the theater with me when I saw this, a couple, also remarked on how sad it was - more so the guy than the girl!)
Conversely, I felt the love story between Jack Driscoll and Ann Darrow a little lacking. It started well enough with the bit on the ship. I could understand the attraction there. But once Ann gets back from Kong and Kong is captured and brought back to NYC, it felt a little lost and wandering. You could tell that Ann thought Jack was somehow involved in the nefarious scheme to capture Kong... but this was never explained or mentioned or furthered in any way. We learn extremely second hand that they haven't seen each other since coming back to Manhattan. When they finally embrace at the end, it felt so remarkably forced. I couldn't understand it.
Denouement? What denouement? Kong dies - roll credits!!!!
Peter Jackson is clearly in love with Naomi Watts' eyes, as they are the focus of nearly every single shot she's in, and they take on an almost unnatural blue color and radiance.
Surprisingly, I felt the special effects a little lacking. Kong is great - Kong is amazing - Kong is real. no question. The dinosaurs on Skull Island - heh. That's an entirely different matter. And when Ann entertains Kong by doing backflips? Painfully fake. For the first time ever in a Peter Jackson film, I NOTICED a miniature. I was very surprised by this. PJ - you've done better in the past!
Overall, this was one of the best popcorn flicks I've had the pleasure of seeing. It wasn't perfect, but it was a great ride with a surprising emotional edge to it. Lots of fun, and I'm glad I saw it in a good theater with a good sound system.
End of my non-review.
Siobhan's Approval: 3.5/5
Film: King Kong (2005)
Starring: Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, Andy Serkis
Director: Peter Jackson
Running Time: 187 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for frightening adventure violence and some disturbing images.
Wow, what a ride. There's a ton of adrenaline and emotion in the movie. Several times as I was watching it, I found myself clutching my hair and grimacing at the action that was going on onscreen.
The movie is in three acts; Act I sets up the premise in NYC, Act II is all the action finding Kong on Skull Island, and Act III brings us back to NYC for Kong's disastrous Broadway debut. I thought Acts I and III were clearly superior. Act II, though very good, was the act that felt the most drawn out. I enjoyed the bits on the island, but I felt certain scenes were a bit extraneous (did we really need fifteen minutes of brontosaurus (sorry Meaghan) stampedes? I don't think so). The bugs creeped me out like crazy. So good job there. The shots of Depression-era NYC were fabulous - I loved every minute of it.
One of the funny, and in my opinion, smart things Peter Jackson did was to offer no explanation whatsoever on how a gigantic ape was transported back from Skull Island and into a Broadway theater. Yes, we know the ship had chloroform, but no mention of the logistics are made. Just *CUT*! and we're in Manhattan again! I actually liked it. The logistics would have been extraordinarily difficult and cumbersome to explain, so Jackson didn't bother. I've never seen the original, but I know movies from that era weren't all that concerned with details of this nature. This makes it almost more true to the feel of that era of filmmaking.
The "love story" between Kong and Ann Darrow was lovely, and this was the essential heart of the film. If you can't understand this, you will hate the film. It was tender without becoming icky. (okay, so it bordered on ickiness, but never went over the edge.) I found myself weeping by the end of the film, which I was not expecting. (on a side note, the only other people in the theater with me when I saw this, a couple, also remarked on how sad it was - more so the guy than the girl!)
Conversely, I felt the love story between Jack Driscoll and Ann Darrow a little lacking. It started well enough with the bit on the ship. I could understand the attraction there. But once Ann gets back from Kong and Kong is captured and brought back to NYC, it felt a little lost and wandering. You could tell that Ann thought Jack was somehow involved in the nefarious scheme to capture Kong... but this was never explained or mentioned or furthered in any way. We learn extremely second hand that they haven't seen each other since coming back to Manhattan. When they finally embrace at the end, it felt so remarkably forced. I couldn't understand it.
Denouement? What denouement? Kong dies - roll credits!!!!
Peter Jackson is clearly in love with Naomi Watts' eyes, as they are the focus of nearly every single shot she's in, and they take on an almost unnatural blue color and radiance.
Surprisingly, I felt the special effects a little lacking. Kong is great - Kong is amazing - Kong is real. no question. The dinosaurs on Skull Island - heh. That's an entirely different matter. And when Ann entertains Kong by doing backflips? Painfully fake. For the first time ever in a Peter Jackson film, I NOTICED a miniature. I was very surprised by this. PJ - you've done better in the past!
Overall, this was one of the best popcorn flicks I've had the pleasure of seeing. It wasn't perfect, but it was a great ride with a surprising emotional edge to it. Lots of fun, and I'm glad I saw it in a good theater with a good sound system.
End of my non-review.
Siobhan's Approval: 3.5/5