A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: King Kong (2005)

Date Viewed: 12/31/05

Details:

Naomi Watts

Jack Black

Adrien Brody

Thomas Kretschmann

Kyle Chandler

Andy Serkis

Director: Peter Jackson

Score: +1/2

The Review: Amazing! A feast for the eyes that keeps your adrenaline pumping -- once you reach Skull Island, that is.

We all know the story, even if (as your reviewer is a bit abashed to admit) you've never seen the entire original 1933 version. (Godzilla: yes, many times; but Kong?, no -- don't ask.) It's the epic tale of a dark trans-Pacific trek to a hidden South Seas island, the discovery of giant Kong and other critters, his capture and return to the great metropolis, and his ultimate downfall -- along with the egos, love and heroism of a small supporting cast. Jackson has taken the classic tale and retold it, not as a dismal glitz-only re-make, but in deepest respect and homage to the original. Much of the music, mood and dialog comes directly from the earlier version.

Carl Denham (Black) is the egotistical film director promoting the expedition in part as escape from pending legal action. Ann Darrow (Watts) is the naive actress he drags along in large measure because she fits into the costumes already purchased for another actress who has abandoned his latest production. Jack Driscoll (Brody) is the reluctant screenwriter -- a very unlikely, but surprisingly effective, action hero. And then there's Naomi Watt's amazing ever-clean never-rip nightgown, in the days before nylon was invented.

The film is a special effects smorgasbord, making this a must-see on the big screen. We think we know what a giant ape is like -- behavior, moods, expressions -- since we've been watching National Geographic and Discovery Channel for decades. On the other hand, we have absolutely no concept of what dinosaurs or giant lizards might be like, except for the equally fantastic Jurassic Park series. One of the pleasant surprises here is that both species work, and work exceptionally well. The dinosaurs might merely be considered textured eating machines providing a challenge for the computational animation, but Kong is simply fantastic! As with Gollum in Lord of the Rings, Andy Serkis does wonders as the armature actor underneath Kong's fully-animated skin. And the SFX crew outdoes themselves with the expressiveness of Kong's face. With such an easy suspension of disbelief, it's very easy to understand why Darrow is attracted to the beast, and some of the scenes in Central Park show the light side of this attraction.

Pacing is a bit, well, slooooow at the beginning, as well as a lot of the Venture's oceanic trek; but once you reach the island, the action, thrills and chills are non-stop.

(19-Feb-06)

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