King Kong (2005)
3 out of 4
Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Evan Parke, Jamie Bell
Director: Peter Jackson
Time: 187 mins
Viewed: Loews New Brunswick, New Jersey
Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson's remake of classic 1933 monster movie (and lesser, campier 1976 version) is a big, bold and ultimately bloated achievement, telling the story of out-of-luck New York vaudeville actress Ann Darrow (Watts), who falls in with maverick director Carl Denham (Black), playwright Jack Driscoll (Brody) and a whole boatload of salty seafaring types on an odyssey to the mythical, unexplored Skull Island. There they encounter a primitive tribe and an assortment of prehistoric creatures, including the titular giant ape, who captures Darrow and takes a liking to her. Jackson's passion for the original shines through in every frame, a little too much so at times, with legendary climax atop the Empire State Building brought to wonderful, vivid detail. Minuses include overlength, choppy story flow due to awkward meshing of pure adventure concept of original Kong and the more romantically themed 1976 take (for example, edits that work in a pure action-adventure don't necessarily gel when one has the Darrow-Kong relationship as the backbone) and mixed acting (Watts glows, Black is Black, and Brody is miscast). Pluses include magnificent rendering of Kong (even though he still moves a little too quick in some sequences), and thrilling, much-talked-about battle with a pack of Tyrannosaurs.(c) Joe Wong (18 December 2005)
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