"King Kong" Review
KING KONG
Directed by Peter Jackson
Starring Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis
In 1933, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack directed a film that, upon its release, singlehandedly saved RKO Studios from bankruptcy and introduced to the world a cultural icon: "King Kong." The film, which has rightfully earned its place as one of the greatest movies ever made, has mesmerized audiences for decades and inspired countless others to enter the movie business. It has been a longtime dream of director Peter Jackson, who credits "King Kong" for his love of film, to remake this classic. Now he has done so - and it is absolutely stunning. This is undoubtedly the pinnacle of Jackson’s career so far and one of the very best films of 2005.
There is much to be admired in this film. While it is a frequently heartstopping roller coaster ride of an action film, it still takes the time (nearly an hour, in fact) to set up the story, develop the characters, and build the suspense. When the titular character finally does appear, the pace picks up considerably and rarely loses momentum; when the credits start to roll you can hardly believe that it has been over three hours. The visuals are astounding, with spectacular sets (especially the village of the Skull Island natives) and unbelievable creature effects. The film also boasts two incredible performances, those of Naomi Watts and Andy Serkis. Most importantly, however, Jackson’s directing has captured the soul of the original. This film is funny, pulse-pounding, and ultimately heartbreaking, and you will come out of it knowing you have just seen something that is sure to go down in motion picture history.
The story, for those unfamiliar with the original, centers on Ann Darrow, a struggling actress in Manhattan during the Depression. She is convinced by film director Carl Denham to join him on a voyage to an uncharted island where he will be shooting his latest picture. Along for the ride is the scriptwriter, Jack Driscoll, who falls in love with Ann. Once arriving at the island, Ann is kidnaped by the natives as an offering to a mysterious creature, a giant gorilla named Kong. Kong also falls in love with Ann, but he is captured by Denham and taken back to New York. Breaking free of his chains, he searches for Ann throughout the city, eventually making his way to the top of the Empire State Building for the film’s famous climax.
What keeps the film from being a simple retread is that Jackson has made some changes to the source material while still remaining faithful to it. He has done away with some of the original’s action sequences (namely Kong’s fights with the giant serpent and the pteranodon) and used this newfound time to expand on the famous T-Rex sequence. The result is thrilling. This time, instead of just one, Kong fights three T-Rex, battling them both on land and in a tangle of vines hanging in a deep ravine. Jackson has also included his take on the infamous “Spider Pit” sequence, which was cut from the original film and has since then vanished. The scene, in which several characters are eaten by giant insects after being thrown off a log high above by Kong, is the only truly scary part of the movie and will have you squirming in your seat (although the giant worm creatures are a bit excessive). Jackson has replaced the rampaging brontosaurus of the original with a stampede scene that is very exciting. The characters have also been changed. Driscoll was not a scriptwriter in the original, but this change suits the story well. Kong has undergone some changes too; in this version Jackson has altered both his appearance and behavior to be more like that of a real gorilla. The Skull Island natives, while still politically incorrect, are a great deal less racist than those of the original.
The performances in the film range from excellent to incredible. Two of the casting choices, Jack Black as Denham and Adrien Brody as Driscroll, were intriguing. Black is best known for his comedic roles and some doubted that he had the ability to play a serious part, but he proves here that there’s more to him than meets the eye. He is very convincing as the overambitious and sometimes immoral Denham, with a maniacal glint in his eye that matches the character perfectly. Brody, while he might not immediately strike the viewer as a romantic lead, is very appealing and he does what he can with his largely undeveloped part. It is Watts, though, who really hits home as Ann. Her terror, amazement, and eventual love and respect for Kong are vividly portrayed, and her performance as a whole is quite touching. Even more incredible, however, is Andy Serkis’ performance as Kong. Serkis studied gorilla behavior in Rwanda as preparation for the role, and he is so convincing in his movements we forget the CG character on the screen was modeled after him. His facial expressions are astounding; Kong may be an powerful animal, but he is gentle at heart; Serkis’ ability to convey this is why the relationship between Ann and Kong works.
For the film’s score, Jackson hired Howard Shore, who composed the music for Jackson’s "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. After completing a significant portion of the score, however, Shore left the project due, as Jackson put it in his official statement, to “differing creative aspirations.” To replace him, Jackson enlisted the talents of James Newton Howard, who had less than two months to write the required three hours of music. Given the time constraints, Howard has provided an excellent, if somewhat generic, score. It is exciting and touching in all the right places, and has several noticeable themes that run throughout it. Shore still makes a cameo in the film, conducting the orchestra in the theatre where Denham displays Kong. Here Jackson pays a deliberate tribute to the original; the orchestra plays several pieces of Max Steiner’s 1933 score.
Despite all its strengths, "King Kong" is flawed. The main complaint critics have against the film is that it is too long. The script is so tight that it feels like it needs that amount of time to tell the whole story, but even so this criticism is valid. The most superfluous scenes deal with the subplot involving the relationship between two of the ship’s crew members and the younger of the two’s devotion to Ann. While this is an interesting addition to the story and is aided by great performances from Evan Parke and Jamie Bell, it slows the movie down and adds unnecessary running time. The action sequences also ran a bit long at times, but this is forgivable given how much excitement they generate.
On the whole, this film is a wonder. Peter Jackson has given us a film that not only shows that remakes can be valid and enjoyable, but also sets the standard for how they should be made. He has proven himself one of the most talented filmmakers of our day, and has provided a spectacularly exciting and touching film. Go see "King Kong." It is a reminder of why we go to the movies in the first place.
Directed by Peter Jackson
Starring Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis
In 1933, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack directed a film that, upon its release, singlehandedly saved RKO Studios from bankruptcy and introduced to the world a cultural icon: "King Kong." The film, which has rightfully earned its place as one of the greatest movies ever made, has mesmerized audiences for decades and inspired countless others to enter the movie business. It has been a longtime dream of director Peter Jackson, who credits "King Kong" for his love of film, to remake this classic. Now he has done so - and it is absolutely stunning. This is undoubtedly the pinnacle of Jackson’s career so far and one of the very best films of 2005.
There is much to be admired in this film. While it is a frequently heartstopping roller coaster ride of an action film, it still takes the time (nearly an hour, in fact) to set up the story, develop the characters, and build the suspense. When the titular character finally does appear, the pace picks up considerably and rarely loses momentum; when the credits start to roll you can hardly believe that it has been over three hours. The visuals are astounding, with spectacular sets (especially the village of the Skull Island natives) and unbelievable creature effects. The film also boasts two incredible performances, those of Naomi Watts and Andy Serkis. Most importantly, however, Jackson’s directing has captured the soul of the original. This film is funny, pulse-pounding, and ultimately heartbreaking, and you will come out of it knowing you have just seen something that is sure to go down in motion picture history.
The story, for those unfamiliar with the original, centers on Ann Darrow, a struggling actress in Manhattan during the Depression. She is convinced by film director Carl Denham to join him on a voyage to an uncharted island where he will be shooting his latest picture. Along for the ride is the scriptwriter, Jack Driscoll, who falls in love with Ann. Once arriving at the island, Ann is kidnaped by the natives as an offering to a mysterious creature, a giant gorilla named Kong. Kong also falls in love with Ann, but he is captured by Denham and taken back to New York. Breaking free of his chains, he searches for Ann throughout the city, eventually making his way to the top of the Empire State Building for the film’s famous climax.
What keeps the film from being a simple retread is that Jackson has made some changes to the source material while still remaining faithful to it. He has done away with some of the original’s action sequences (namely Kong’s fights with the giant serpent and the pteranodon) and used this newfound time to expand on the famous T-Rex sequence. The result is thrilling. This time, instead of just one, Kong fights three T-Rex, battling them both on land and in a tangle of vines hanging in a deep ravine. Jackson has also included his take on the infamous “Spider Pit” sequence, which was cut from the original film and has since then vanished. The scene, in which several characters are eaten by giant insects after being thrown off a log high above by Kong, is the only truly scary part of the movie and will have you squirming in your seat (although the giant worm creatures are a bit excessive). Jackson has replaced the rampaging brontosaurus of the original with a stampede scene that is very exciting. The characters have also been changed. Driscoll was not a scriptwriter in the original, but this change suits the story well. Kong has undergone some changes too; in this version Jackson has altered both his appearance and behavior to be more like that of a real gorilla. The Skull Island natives, while still politically incorrect, are a great deal less racist than those of the original.
The performances in the film range from excellent to incredible. Two of the casting choices, Jack Black as Denham and Adrien Brody as Driscroll, were intriguing. Black is best known for his comedic roles and some doubted that he had the ability to play a serious part, but he proves here that there’s more to him than meets the eye. He is very convincing as the overambitious and sometimes immoral Denham, with a maniacal glint in his eye that matches the character perfectly. Brody, while he might not immediately strike the viewer as a romantic lead, is very appealing and he does what he can with his largely undeveloped part. It is Watts, though, who really hits home as Ann. Her terror, amazement, and eventual love and respect for Kong are vividly portrayed, and her performance as a whole is quite touching. Even more incredible, however, is Andy Serkis’ performance as Kong. Serkis studied gorilla behavior in Rwanda as preparation for the role, and he is so convincing in his movements we forget the CG character on the screen was modeled after him. His facial expressions are astounding; Kong may be an powerful animal, but he is gentle at heart; Serkis’ ability to convey this is why the relationship between Ann and Kong works.
For the film’s score, Jackson hired Howard Shore, who composed the music for Jackson’s "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. After completing a significant portion of the score, however, Shore left the project due, as Jackson put it in his official statement, to “differing creative aspirations.” To replace him, Jackson enlisted the talents of James Newton Howard, who had less than two months to write the required three hours of music. Given the time constraints, Howard has provided an excellent, if somewhat generic, score. It is exciting and touching in all the right places, and has several noticeable themes that run throughout it. Shore still makes a cameo in the film, conducting the orchestra in the theatre where Denham displays Kong. Here Jackson pays a deliberate tribute to the original; the orchestra plays several pieces of Max Steiner’s 1933 score.
Despite all its strengths, "King Kong" is flawed. The main complaint critics have against the film is that it is too long. The script is so tight that it feels like it needs that amount of time to tell the whole story, but even so this criticism is valid. The most superfluous scenes deal with the subplot involving the relationship between two of the ship’s crew members and the younger of the two’s devotion to Ann. While this is an interesting addition to the story and is aided by great performances from Evan Parke and Jamie Bell, it slows the movie down and adds unnecessary running time. The action sequences also ran a bit long at times, but this is forgivable given how much excitement they generate.
On the whole, this film is a wonder. Peter Jackson has given us a film that not only shows that remakes can be valid and enjoyable, but also sets the standard for how they should be made. He has proven himself one of the most talented filmmakers of our day, and has provided a spectacularly exciting and touching film. Go see "King Kong." It is a reminder of why we go to the movies in the first place.