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King Kong

So admittedly, like most of you are probably thinking at this moment, I was finding myself wondering why in the hell would anyone remake a movie that had already seen one bad remake come and go and is based on a stop motion film that came out in the last century"¦ Let alone have it be three hours long when the original clocked in well under two.

Doubtless you have found yourself also wondering, "Why the hell are there dinosaurs in it?! Is this a bad Jurassic Park tie in or something?" Of course there were dinosaurs in the original film, but most people have either forgotten it or never actually seen it. So naturally the mind jumps right to the most famous dinosaur picture that we remember and assumes they must be ripping it off. And why not, seeing as how Hollywood does it all the time"¦.

And finally, why would Peter Jackson choose to follow up the amazing trilogy that was The Lord of the Rings with a King Kong remake of all things, saying only that it is a loving homage and tribute to the original film?

Because as we learned with Rings he is a damn fine film maker"¦.

When I sat down to watch this film, I couldn't help but hear the various mumblings of my fellow reviewers, "So how do you think this is gonna be?" "God I hope this doesn't waste three hours of my life." And my favorite, "I have a good feeling about this one, but then again, I did about War of the Worlds as well and we know how that went"¦"

Obviously I was not the only slightly skeptical person in the room. In fact, I think most people will be skeptical of this film, until they see it for themselves.

So why did I enjoy this movie so much you ask? Because you totally believe Kong and more importantly his relationship with the girl. Granted some of the effects shots are not what one might expect a $200 million dollar plus movie to have, BUT whenever it was a pivotal Kong moment, they deliver. More on the effects as we go along.

Kong for the first time isn't a monster, but a giant ape as he was always meant to be. He emotes, has that stoic rage that any genuine silverback seems to possess and has a completely real relationship with Naomi Watts' character. (More on that later too.)

For now let's dive right into the movie itself.

The first thing you will notice, and grow to be awed by, is the filmmaker's attention to detail when it comes to recreating a

period New York of the 1930's. Images of poverty and strife greet us from the get go, but we also catch glimpses of what the city will someday become. We go from shots of people lining up for free soup and bread and then juxtapose that with images of steel workers high in the sky building the city that New York will become, but is only dreaming of being at that time. The background shots of the city are breathtaking as none of the modern day skyscrapers are yet built. The Empire State and Chrysler buildings loom like none of us have ever seen in this age when in some of the buildings of today you can even look down at them. The climactic scene atop one of those two buildings has some of the most awe inspiring shots of a cityscape ever created for the screen. PLENTY more on that later.

As the film begins, we meet Ann Darrow played by Naomi Watts. I want to say this now, but I am sure I will say it again in this review several times"¦She is going to get an Oscar nod for this film. Sounds cheesy right? Not once you have seen her entire performance through the film. Granted, you won't believe me at the beginning but by the end you'll be picturing her acceptance speech. She plays a vaudeville actress who dreams of bigger things, mostly of getting into a real show like the one written by Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody). When her dreams fall into the poverty around her, she is given the choice of becoming a burlesque dancer or starving.

Like any good heroine, she realizes this isn't for her and runs away from the front steps of the girlie show without ever stepping foot inside. BUT not before she catches the eye of a mad filmmaker played surprisingly well by Jack Black.

His character is looking for a leading lady with one amazing talent, the ability to fit into the size four costumes of the actress who just quit his movie"¦.

After buying the starving girl dinner he convinces her to join his film even though she doesn't know what he has in store for any of them. It seems he has discovered a map to a mysterious island where, unbeknownst to many of the people in his movie, he intends to shoot on location.

Now let me pause for a moment to say that there are really only two plot holes in the whole film and you basically don't mind them when it is all said and done. The first one is where the hell did he find this freaking map in the first place?! The second will be discussed further on.

Going back to Jack Black, he does a

very good job in this film playing a man obsessed with getting his movie shot and going to any heights to get it done. This maniacal desire morphs into a new plan at the end of the second act and it is this fanaticism which will drive the decision to bring Kong back to New York in the third. Additionally it should be noted that at no time do you feel like you are watching Black, merely the character he is portraying the entire time. No satirical grins or winks to the audience, just sheer honesty and devotion to the part. Something I was surprised but incredibly thankful to see in his performance.

So now we have a ragtag film crew going off to shoot a movie on a creepy mystery island. Cheesy? Yes. Makings of a slow (sometimes too slow) first act? Yes. Good gimmick to get them to the island without it seeming contrived? YES.

The entire first thirty minutes of the film is exposition to get us to the island itself and show some brief but important character interactions. The usual supporting characters are all in place too"¦ The captain with the heart seemingly of stone, the first mate that seems to be an everyman type hero, a young crewman (played remarkably well by Jamie Bell of Billy Elliot renown) who seeks adventure, and basically a pirate (played to comic and general overall perfection by Andy Serkis of Gollum fame). The last character we meet before setting out is the writer of Black's film, the same man whom Watts' character has ALWAYS wanted to work for, Brody's character, Driscoll.

Watts and Brody engage in a love that, while not the everlasting kind, certainly has chemistry to it. Now I for one didn't buy it but that was just me. You do ultimately get the sense that they care for each other but in that sort of, 'lots of hot sex in the beginning then just a nice casual friendship later on' way. Also, Jackson may have been trying to say that perhaps Watts' character is only in it for a part and Brody's actually falling for her, but either way the loving moments are kind of flawed and unbelievable.

SO love story being set up, director maniacally setting people up for an adventure and a big bad island just waiting to scare the crap out of everyone. And boy does it ever.

Yes, you get the typical buildup of learning someone found a survivor a ways back who warned them of the crazy island in the fog with the big wall"¦blah blah blah you don't get scared by this at all, until the moment when we enter said fog.

This is when the movie really gets going and you stop worrying about

how slow this three hour epic has been moving until now. The pace and action quicken considerably from this point on.

Jackson is a master of tension and he uses it amazingly well from here on out. When we get to the island, after a harrowing rough sea sequence that plays out quite well, your mind is always on what lies behind that huge wall we heard so much about.

The film crew goes ashore, much to the ship crew's chagrin, and find the ruins of a deserted habitat nestled right up against the wall. Skulls and decayed bodies litter the black rocks creating a sense of eeriness that is quite haunting.

I want to stop and say just how well the sound design and sound effects in this movie were. If you are lucky enough to get to see it at a THX certified theatre you will be amazed throughout at how encompassing and sometimes down right terrifying the sound effects are in the film.

Back to the creepy ruins though"¦As the crew rounds a corner we see one lonely figure. Said figure is a little girl who would have the brat from The Ring running for cover in no time. Something I liked was how they approached the "natives" on the island. Whereas in the original and god awful remake we were given those "black tribal devils" of Africa, in this film we get something more creepy and disturbing. Now granted they are black skinned, but they are far from what anyone would consider African. This is part of their overall scariness, that 'what the hell did that to their skin?' aspect. They also look like something out of a cannibalistic tribal nightmare and would be quite comfortable as cast members in Deliverance. The sequence where they ambush the film crew is at once intense and gruesome. Anyone who forgot that Peter Jackson started out in the horror movie genre will quickly be reminded. That said this movie is rated PG-13 and it is a STRONG PG-13. This scene and several later ones are quite gruesome and while not gory, they are rather graphic.

After a skirmish, the crew gets back to the ship and set off to leave this godforsaken island behind them. Until Watt's character gets kidnapped that is and the men, led by Brody, set off to rescue her from the island folk.

Wouldn't you know it, the one blond chick on the island and they give her to the giant monkey"¦ This scene is another great build up moment as we have been hungering to FINALLY see the big ape in all his CG glory. The (for lack of a better term) offering platform is a great suspense moment that finds Watts' character dangling by her arms over

a huge crevice being offered to Kong. We feel her tension as we and she see and hear something moving through the jungle towards us. The religious frenzy the islanders go into at this moment is damn scary.

The men from the boat arrive just in time for Black to see Kong and Brody to just miss seeing the big gorilla walk off with his love interest.

Of course the men heroically decide to give chase and run into the jungle after them.

The shots that follow are simply brilliant. We are given the point of view of Watt's character as the jungle rushing up and down and past us as Kong runs through the trees carrying her in his hands. The same hands he is also using to run with. The frenetic pace and view is quite scary and we sympathize with the poor girl having to witness the sight first hand.

The next big moment is the first time we see any of the aforementioned dinosaurs in the movie. Now let me say a few things about them before going on any further. First, these are NOT Jurassic Park dinos"¦ They look and act totally different. While Jurassic had that 'awe quality' to all the big guys, even the T Rex, this movie makes it clear these things are big, bad, and scary. Secondly, while there is a realness to the dinos, the design team kept what can only be described as a Ray Harryhausen feel to them. They have that gritty, scary edge that is reminiscent of the original Kong, and I loved that it was there. Third, don't be dismayed by the effects of the first "Dino Chase" sequence. They spent a lot of money on the key CG moments, and while sadly this doesn't appear to be one of them, the others are MUCH better.

That said the film's CG overall is quite impressive, especially when it comes to Kong and his expressions throughout. However this means that some of the other CG scenes obviously were put on the back burner until Kong was done and in some scenes this shows. Such as this whole chase sequence. While the effects aren't horrible, they aren't up to what the rest of the film turns out.

The scenes following the chase establish Kong and Watts' relationship. It starts with her doing vaudeville acts to try and sooth him. Something which makes the audience, and funny enough, Kong kind of do a, 'what is this about?' moment. But it works to show his going from just thinking of her as a play thing to something he is increasingly interested in. It is in these moments that the film does something critical to the development of Kong's character. We

see him finally, not as a big ape monster but as just an ape that happens to be of enormous size. His reactions, facial expressions, and noises are all something that could be seen in an actual ape and its behavior.

Something that came to mind while watching these two interact was the story of an actual ape that adopted a kitten in the zoo where it lived. In the beginning the zoo keepers were nervous that the big ape would crush the little thing by accident, not realizing how fragile it was. But as time went on the ape realized the vulnerability of the kitten and grew to treat it as gently as a mother would a baby. The filmmakers clearly go for this sort of relationship in the film. Making Kong realize how vulnerable Watts' is and how he actually must defend her, even from himself adds a whole new dimension to the pair's relationship that strengthens the ending and how sad it is. THANK GOD they went this route rather than the almost sexually suggestive one of the 70's version. It keeps the relationship much more pure and innocent to have it be this mutual desire for affection and protection. You also get the sense that Kong is VERY alone on this island and welcomes the companionship that Watts' brings him.

Now one of the most hyped sequences in the film is the fight between Kong and several, yes several, T-Rex's. This sequence is another amazingly intense moment that goes on forever, but doesn't make you feel like it is. Unlike the last dino sequence, this one delivers incredible CGI craftsmanship and you will buy every minute of it. Fans of the original film will be glad to see the climactic jaw popping moment of the fight is kept in with a skull bashing intensity and re-imagining.

Meanwhile the ship's crew has fallen into a deep, dank pit after a run in with Kong. Said pit is just the type of place where the insects that haunt your nightmares live. Only in the film they are brought to hideous and disgustingly vivid life. Several crewmen meet hideous deaths at the mouths and claws of these beasties. One such creature is something that can only be described as what some people must envision when they think of an unclean uncut penis"¦I am not exaggerating sadly, as this monster is a hideous invention that disposes of Andy Serkis in a particularly gruesome way.

Several more daring sequences happen which are equally intense and jarring until we get to the moment where they get the girl back and are trying to leave. By this point Black has abandoned his film idea and now wants to bring back something better than a

movie of a giant ape, the giant ape itself.

The scene where they attempt to capture the giant ape is surprisingly sad and you feel for the big guy in a way that you may not have expected to do so. The way that Watts desperately tries to get back to him, and you don't know if it is to save him or rejoin him I might add, is heartbreaking and proves yet again why I think the girl deserves an Oscar nod.

Then we enter the second of two plot holes: How the hell did they get Kong back to New York on such a tiny wee little boat"¦.

We find ourselves in a giant theatrical experience in a theatre located in the heart of 1930's New York Times Square. A visual masterpiece if ever there was one. From here on out the shots of New York are breathtaking in both their scope and detail. The setup of the fact that clearly a big ape with this many people in the room is not lost and we all know the big guy is going to raise hell in this place.

There are some well executed moments as Black sets up the inevitable escape by even saying, "Don't worry folks, he's handcuffed in unbreakable steel." Anyone else not get the memo about steel being unbreakable?

The only thing that is out of place is that Brody's character is watching a show and he realizes he shouldn't have let Watts's character go. Which they apparently did on the plot hole journey back to Manhattan"¦The odd thing about this is the show whose lines show him that he should get the girl is one which his character supposedly wrote"¦.Now why he didn't realize he should go after her when he was writing the damn thing versus opening night is where you will find yourself scratching your head.

What follows is an incredible sequence in which Kong escapes, goes looking for his blonde lady, and tramples quite a bit of Times Square and its surrounding areas in the process. When he finds her they have an incredibly tender and BELIEVEABLE moment. What follows is a charming sequence in Central Park that in another director's hands would be potential for a cheesy 'lovey dovey' moment. However Jackson creates the feeling of a bond between these two that is, at its core, a beautiful friendship.

The end of the film finds Kong climbing the Empire State to both escape his pursuers and ultimately to protect Watts. More than either of the other two films which made the escape up the building seem an act of desperation; you feel for Kong and sympathize with him. As the two climb up the building, Watts seems to finally realize what the logical end of this situation will

be, even if she doesn't want to admit it yet. The sequences that follow are incredibly sad as instead of an all out action sequence involving planes, guns, and a giant gorilla, we are given incredible emotionally intense images. Kong is a tragic hero and not a beast, trying desperately to ensure Watts' safety. Even if it costs him his own life in the process.

The dazzling shots of the New York skyline and surrounding areas are amazingly detailed and we get to see quite a lot as we go to the planes' perspectives quite often and sometimes dizzyingly so.

The final moments the pair have together atop the building are the most heart wrenching in the entire three hours and when Kong finally dies, even this reviewer felt a tear slide down his cheek. The way that the ending is shot is beautifully done and goes for the emotion of the scene rather than the money shot of a big Hollywood film.

The famous line of the original film is given to Black as he stands over the body of the fallen ape and he does a damn fine job of delivering it too. With this film more so than even the original we finally can grasp the power of the line.

All in all this film has done an amazing job of delivering both intense action and suspense and at the same time an emotionally driven piece of cinema.

Watts delivers a performance so emotionally honest that you finally get why a woman would feel safe with a twenty foot tall gorilla and actually want to stay with him. A task made even more remarkable by the fact that her costar is entirely digital, and more than likely she interacted with a tennis ball on a pole while suspended by wires in front of a green screen.

Jackson and his team should be given credit for writing something that has honored the original film and some key moments while at the same time bringing their own unique touches to the film and finessing out something that I think will ultimately be viewed as a new classic.

Who knows, perhaps sometime in the future we will see yet another remake of the film to honor this one.

Movie Grade: A