King Kong 1st review - jaw-droppingly brilliant

[TheEnforcer]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...4&in_a_source=

This gorilla of a film is blockbuster of the year
by BAZ BAMIGBOYE, Daily Mail

09:45am 2nd December 2005

Reader comments (4)


King Kong: The film stars Naomi Watts


Just over a year ago, Oscar-winning film-maker Peter Jackson stood on the mammoth Skull Island set he had built on a peninsula in New Zealand and told me why he loved King Kong.
Speaking about Merian Cooper's classic 1933 movie, Jackson said: "The original Kong is a wonderful blend - probably the most perfect blend - of escapism and adventure, mystery and romance. It does everything an escapist movie should do: it takes you places you are never going to see and gives you experiences you are never going to have."

Jackson's words came back to me as I sat in the back row at the Loews Cinema complex on New York's West 68th Street this week, watching the first screening of his new version of Kong.


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Photos: Preview of King Kong
He may not have known it at the time, but Jackson could just as well have been talking about his own extraordinary remake of the movie that inspired him to become a director when he saw it one Friday night on TV when he was just nine years old.

The very next morning, Jackson started creating stop-motion films using Plasticine.

This time round, the director had some much bigger toys - 21st-century humdingers - to play with.

And he has made a picture I can only describe as jaw-droppingly brilliant: the most entertaining blockbuster movie this year.

But all this monkey business wouldn't amount to a hill of beans if the movie didn't have a heart, and boy, does it.

Kong's the last of his race. He has withdrawn into himself, and the occasional sacrificial native (he plays with them for a while and then tosses them away like chicken wings) is merely a distraction from the pain of his lonely life.

Then along comes beauty, in the shape of Ann Darrow, a Depression-era vaudeville performer living on the breadline, who lands a role in a madcap director's fantasy feature.

Ann, as played by Naomi Watts, is pretty weary herself. And somehow, the great ape and the lovely, lost woman recognise they are kindred spirits under the skin. Or, in his case, fur.

There's a beautiful moment with Kong sitting on top of a mountain, Ann in the palm of his hand, both watching the sunset. I actually heard one tough broad of a movie executive sobbing. Jackson evokes such a sense of empathy for his beast that Kleenex should be sold along with the popcorn.

King Kong truly is an 8,000lb gorilla of a movie. I'm still marvelling at a scene where a herd of brachiosaurus stampede as they are pursued by predators with teeth the size of carving knives.

Then, just when you think such a sequence can't be topped, Kong pounds to rescue his damsel in distress when some hungry velociraptors mistake her for a snack.

An almighty battle ensues and it's at this point Kong goes from super monster to super hero in Ann's eyes.

Jack Black, who plays preening, self-promoting movie maker Carl Denham, told me that, in the original movie, his character was older and more of a "kick-ass action hero".

"This Denham is darker," he says.

"He has an obsession with accomplishment. He's got insecurities and has this fear of not accomplishing something great before he dies.

"Fran Walsh [Jackson's life partner] told me my Denham has to have a little bit of Willy Loman from Death Of A Salesman to him. There's fear and arousal on my part. Certainly that's what Denham is feeling when he captures Kong on Skull Island."

Jack tells me all children - "at least all boys" - love King Kong.

"He is the king of all the monsters, even better than Godzilla. Kong is stronger and smarter than Godzilla, who's just a stupid, slimy lizard."

He was referring to the original Kong and the gormless 1976 remake with Jessica Lange.

But I think Jackson's version, which he wrote with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens (the trio also adapted The Lord Of The Rings for the screen), is accessible to all.

I don't know what the rating in the UK will be for the film - which also features Jamie Bell, Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Kyle Chandler and Colin Hanks - when it opens in the UK on December 15. (It will have its London gala next Thursday, December 8.) But it might be a bit much for tiny tots.

As I write this, I'm getting shivers thinking of the moment when Andy Serkis - who plays a double role, but more of that later, as they say - encounters a giant insect that extends itself horribly and slurps him down head first.

It terrified me, but then I'm the guy who, years ago, ran from a Manhattan apartment I'd rented because there were cockroaches in the oven. Forget roaches - the bugs in this movie are the size of Agas.

Serkis was at the screening, along with most of the cast. The Londonbased actor told me the final version had only been wrapped up this Monday.

Andy's two roles are that of ship's cook (his speciality is porridge al la walnuts) - and Kong.

He went to Rwanda for a few weeks to study the gorillas - in particular, to observe how they moved and communicated with each other.

Jackson had Andy act out Kong's role and then digitalised it, using the same technique employed with Gollum in the Lord Of The Rings films. Richard Taylor, Jackson's long-time technical collaborator, explained: "Today, as an audience, we crave an emotional relationship, so we used Andy to drive Kong. To make him convey the toughness of this giant silverback, but also to give a sense of empathy.

"In Lord Of The Rings, we used an orange ball to denote something the actors would be acting to, and we added the special effects later. Here, we used Andy or a series of sculptures of Kong's face."

The Kong busts took a long time to make. Just punching in the 40,000 yak hairs took three-andahalf weeks for each one.

Monday will be the world premiere of King Kong, with cinemas around New York's Times Square showing the movie.

Some critics will carp about its length - three hours - but for me, the time sped by.

Jackson opens his movie with Al Jolson singing I'm Sitting On Top Of The World. And that's where the director is - with the competition far, far below.

[Timon]

King Kong is going to be good? That would be a surprise...

[TheEnforcer]

Well.. Peter Jackson did a bang up job with the Lord of the Rings trilogy so I have faith that this will do pretty well too.

[Funbrunette]

I've yet to see the original, Chris keeps telling me I'll be crying my eyes out! I just found out 3 years ago that old yeller gets shot (my parents always made sure I never saw that part) still in therapy for that...lol Maybe I should pass on King kong!

[MorganGrayson]

Originally Posted by Funbrunette

I've yet to see the original, Chris keeps telling me I'll be crying my eyes out! I just found out 3 years ago that old yeller gets shot (my parents always made sure I never saw that part) still in therapy for that...lol Maybe I should pass on King kong!

FB...it will make you cry your eyes out. The story is one of the most unique love stories ever, based on pure love - as opposed to the sweaty, humping stuff - and, of course, doomed to tragedy. It sounds like this version is going to be a total heartbreaker, too.

I can't wait to see it, though.

[SykkBoy]

Peter Jackson has been doing outstanding work for years...all the way back to Bad Taste

[Nickatilynx]

Originally Posted by SykkBoy

Peter Jackson has been doing outstanding work for years...all the way back to Bad Taste

You do know no one thinks your cool just cause you have seen lots of crap films and bands which you claim to enjoy that no one else has seen or heard of.

Oh and your forty , your old...live with it!!!

;-)))







( yes I'm a bit cunty this morning)

[SykkBoy]

Originally Posted by Nickatilynx

You do know no one thinks your cool just cause you have seen lots of crap films and bands which you claim to enjoy that no one else has seen or heard of.

Oh and your forty , your old...live with it!!!

;-)))







( yes I'm a bit cunty this morning)

I'm aware ;-)

[domtheboy]

Originally Posted by SykkBoy

...all the way back to Bad Taste

It's Derek....he's gone ape shit !


Suck my spinning steel shithead !

[SykkBoy]

Originally Posted by domtheboy

It's Derek....he's gone ape shit !


Suck my spinning steel shithead !

There's no glowing fingers on these bastards.

[Dravyk]

I have to admit. I saw a fleeting commercial and that they were doing Kong again, and I just whinced ...

Next time the commercial came on, I was whincing still ... then they said Peter Jackson's name, and like magic I thought "Hmmm, this might actually be good then."

[SykkBoy]

Originally Posted by Dravyk

I have to admit. I saw a fleeting commercial and that they were doing Kong again, and I just whinced ...

Next time the commercial came on, I was whincing still ... then they said Peter Jackson's name, and like magic I thought "Hmmm, this might actually be good then."

Us cool people knew when we heard the name Peter Jackson and Lord Of The Rings back in the day, that only good could come from it ;-)))

[CDSmith]

This film was made-to-order for a Peter Jackson remake. I am very much looking forward to it.

First time I saw King Kong was around 1968-69, I would have been about 5 or 6 at the time. It was the original movie, and it was... well, huge.

Several years later (1976 if memory serves, I was 12 at the time) my dad took me to see the remake starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange. Again, very huge impact, but it just wasn't the same with Kong climbing the twin towers rather than the Umpire state building.

This latest rendition with today's film technology coupled with the epic proportions that Jackson brings to the screen should ensure this is one for the must-see list.

[MorganGrayson]

Originally Posted by CDSmith

...rather than the Umpire state building...

My giggle for the moment. Thank you, CD.

I can actually picture the building in mask and padding bellowing "yeerrrre OUT!" when Kong takes that final plunge.

Terrible of me, I know.

[CDSmith]

Originally Posted by MorganGrayson

My giggle for the moment. Thank you, CD.

I can actually picture the building in mask and padding bellowing "yeerrrre OUT!" when Kong takes that final plunge.

Terrible of me, I know.

Finally a woman who "gets me"


.... and she's married.

[TheEnforcer]

Originally Posted by CDSmith

Finally a woman who "gets me"


.... and she's married.

Isn't life shitty sometimes?

[MorganGrayson]

Originally Posted by CDSmith

Finally a woman who "gets me"


.... and she's married.

Yes, I'm very married.

However, I am available for outrageous online flirtations and the occasional ICQ naughty talk. Sometimes, very naughty indeed. Erotica writers really enjoy that sort of thing. It keeps the skills sharp.

And for someone as bright and eccentric as you are...you'll get the "special" naughty talk!

[sarettah]

My only thought on seeing the commercial for this was "Someone is gonna make a killing with a 3 pack of DVDs of The original, The twin towers version and the new one".....