Review: King Kong
There are many movies that are hyped heavily in the media, and that I hype in my head--War of the Worlds comes to mind. When you actually get into these movies, however, its not that they are bad, but they just don't live up to your expectations. Sometimes, however, there are those movies that you have hyped up in your head and do not dissapoint your expectations one bit. "King Kong" is a great example of the latter. If one had to review "King Kong" in one word, that would would be "masterpiece." Everything about "King Kong" is done perfectly--acting, story, and visuals. This is of course a remake of the original RKO production of "King Kong" which was great in its story, with no attempt at modernization. The downfall of the original "King Kong" however, was that the visual effects, perfectly acceptible for the 1930s, are very dated and take away from the power of the story. Peter Jackon's creation has taken the brilliant story and added stunning visual effects to create a movie that must be seen to be fully appreciated. The movie has a running time of 3 hours and 7 minutes (roughly 2 hours 57 minutes without the credits), which is leading some people to stay away from this picture. The pacing of the film, however, is very fast and you quickly get swept up into the adventure and forget that you are watching a movie. Also, for those thinking "King Kong" is just about a giant gorrilla who rampages the city of New York is totally off base. "King Kong" is a movie with deep emotional impact, and you feel a close connection to all the charcters--even the computer generated Kong. When you watch this movie, you cannot even tell that Kong is computer generated, and while Kong cannot speak, you understand everything he is trying to say through the amazing details in the expressions oh that character. While being rated PG-13, the movie is not bad in terms of language or sexual content. While there are some intense scenes, there is nothing really scary in this picture. For those of you with a fear of bugs, one scene might make you squirm a little, but it should be nothing one cannot handle. There are no major complaints that I left the theater with, just awestruck by the majesty of the movie. Peter Jackson does a great job of capturing humor, fear, anticipation, excitement, suspense, and sorrow in his majestic epic "King Kong." This movie is a MUST SEE for all, you will not be dissapointed. 4 stars out of 4 (****).