Movie Review
Peter Jackson’s latest project is proof of the adage: We never forget our first love. Ever since he saw the original “King Kong” at the age of nine, the Oscar-winning director knew he wanted to be a filmmaker and vowed to one day bring his own version of his favorite movie to the screen. Audiences this winter will be glad Jackson did not abandon that childhood dream. For while his “King Kong” is not without its flaws, it does succeed in dusting off one of Hollywood’s oldest themes’that of beauty and the beast’to create the most realistic and lovable silver screen silverback yet. Jackson did not rely solely on modern-day special effects and computer animation to make Kong look and sound believable. He spent weeks in the rain forests of Rwanda tracking real gorillas, paying particular attention to their behavior in the presence of humans. That knowledge, along with the acting talent of Andy Serkis (who played Smeagol and Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and now, with digital assistance, tackles the title role), make this Kong far more convincing than the tiny model brought to life by stop-motion photography 72 years ago. One place Jackson’s “Kong” surpasses the original is in the bond formed between Kong and the object of his affection, Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), this time an unemployed vaudeville actress. Unlike Kong’s first leading lady, Fay Wray, who spent most of the time screaming, Watts’ heroine overcomes her initial fear to develop a trusting relationship with her captor, realizing he will fight to the death to protect her. The roles are reversed once the setting shifts to the concrete jungle of New York City, where Ann vainly attempts to save the 25-foot tall ape from his pursuers. While fans of the original will recognize many lines repeated verbatim from the first film (e.g. “We’re millionaires boys, I’ll share it with all of you!”) and Jackson’s lighthearted jabs at RKO Pictures (the studio that made the first Kong), Merian C. Cooper (who directed the original), as well as portions of Max Steiner’s powerful score, they might object to the liberties Jackson takes in regard to the plot. Still, like in the timeless epic that remains one of the most popular movies of all time, Jackson’s “Kong” is set in New York City in the early 1930s, during the Great Depression. Jack Black is curiously miscast in the role of ambitious moviemaker Carl Denham, who will stop at nothing to make his next picture. Though likely to cause a chuckle at times, Black’s attempt at humor seems out of place. Jack Driscoll, the first mate in the original script, is instead a brilliant playwright (Adrien Brody) who finds himself trapped onboard the tramp steamer S.S. Venture, which is headed for what Denham describes as a mysterious place no one has ever seen. At three hours and seven minutes, Jackson’s “Kong” is nearly twice as long as its black-and-white predecessor, allowing ample time for deeper plot and character development. Inexplicably, however, while characters like Jimmy, a wide-eyed stowaway, and Lumpy the cook (portrayed convincingly by Serkis) are thought to be important in the first hour, they ultimately add nothing to the story. What’s more, despite its running time, the picture fails to correct the most glaring omission from the original: How do Denham and his crew go about transporting Kong from his island back to New York? Though Kong is clearly “King” of Skull Island, Jackson gives us plenty of other dinosaurs, giant insects and creepy-crawlies to challenge the giant ape’s supremacy in a primeval world which rivals that of “Jurassic Park.” Many of the action sequences drag on much too long, particularly one in which Denham and his crew are nearly trampled to death by a herd of brontosaurs. Kong’s battle with three V-Rexes is memorable but other scenes are downright ridiculous, like when Jimmy uses a machine gun to shoot giant centipedes off Driscoll’s back. Once Kong, whom the ruthless Denham calls the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” hits Broadway, Jackson’s movie switches into yet another gear. Kong breaks his chains, smashes a few buses and chases Driscoll halfway across Manhattan to reunite with Ann, setting the stage for a spectacular climax atop the Empire State Building. The look in Kong’s eyes moments before he meets his fate is heart-wrenching’a scene that is hard to watch but one you don’t want to miss. Black does not deliver Denham’s last line with quite the same conviction as Robert Armstrong did long ago, but it remains one of the most famous in movie history: “It wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.” Without stealing any of the 1933 film’s charm, this new version has a personality all its own. It is a director’s labor of love a few years in the making that beats its chest at the critics who claim you can never top an original. Jackson’s “Kong” will hold you in the palm of his hand. And rather than make the big fella’ angry, you best sit back and enjoy the ride.
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