King Kong (2005)

In an average scenario, what would one usually do if one encountered a gorilla out in the open? Better yet, how about a 30 foot gorilla? In an average scenario, I think it is safe to say one would run like hell!

However, this time that isn’t the case. King Kong will draw you in like an ant to sugar.  It’s the heart of this story that will make you fall in love with Kong, make you cry for him, and make you scream in dismay as fighter planes attack the beast on top of the Empire State Building in Great Depression era New York.

But it all starts with filmmaker Carl Denham (Jack Black).  Carl Denham is in a calamity. His films aren’t his producers' cup of tea, and they aren’t willing to give him any more money for further shooting. To further complicate matters, his lead actress has decided to quit on him right before they are about to sail to their filming location far away from New York. Looking for a beautiful woman to co-star with the charming, suave Bruce Baxter, Denham finds hungry, poverty stricken Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts). Darrow was an actress on the vaudeville stage until her theatre closed, and her mentor moved to Chicago.

Denham offers her the role of a lifetime. She refuses his offer until Deham mentions that Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), a successful playwright whose works are well-known to Darrow, will be penning the script. They hurry to the dock to board their ship, and Denham eventually cons Driscoll to stay on board for the voyage. None of the cast or crew know where they are really going except for Denham and the Captain (Thomas Kretschmann). He purposely fails to mention that they are on a wild goose chase after an uncharted island with a questionable history.

It is not long until the cast and crew find out where they are headed. Some try to warn Denham about the island, but Denham pays no heed, resolved in making his dream picture.

Then one day they find themselves surrounded by fog and they crash into a mammoth rock wall with a foreboding air about it. They collide onto rocks that are eerily shaped as skulls or monster heads and soon find themselves stuck. Exploring the island, they come across savage and hostile natives that eventually capture Ms. Darrow in order to sacrifice her. The men lauch a rescue mission, guns blazing, but before they can save Ann they hear a roar, a thunderous pounding, and then silence. Ms. Darrow has been kidnapped by someone….or something. Now, it is for the men to brave the forest to rescue Darrow from the monstrous, 30 ft. gorilla known as Kong.

This is a better movie than the original 1933 version that starred the late Fay Wray. That was the movie that inspired Peter Jackson to make movies such as his masterpieces, The Lord of the Rings trilogy. How can this new titanic of a movie be better than the one that started it all; the one that made the little children hide underneath their chairs in the theater? Three major points: Heart, passion, and a better developed story.

This version does follow the original storyline from 1933, more or less. However, there is more that we encounter with this film than the original. For example, we are introduced to impoverished New York, suffering the effects of the Depression. You have the Model T’s and the old billboard signs in Time Square. We see that film starts taking the interest to the eye rather than theatre or radio. There are many things in this films that just blossoms from the original.

More importantly, we have a better view of the nature of the love story between Ann Darrow and Kong. A question that entered many minds during the original film is that since Kong probably had killed dozens of beautiful sacrifices in the past, why was Ann Darrow any different? Why was Ann the one not to be de-limbed?

It is brilliant how that aspect comes into play. Kong puts her down and starts beating his chest, showing he is indeed the king of the jungle. Darrow, picking up from her theatre experiences, has a keen instinct and tries to confuse the gorilla. Eventually, Kong gets very amused, and starts playing with her like a toy until she's had enough and scolds him! But Kong remains intrigued by her. He shares the jungle view with her, and a beautiful sunset. Something sparks for Ann, telling her that this beast is beautiful, creating a passionate bond between them.

While it is easy to compare the two movies, it’s a bit difficult to compare the actresses from them. Fay Wray and Naomi Watts both depict Ann Darrow magnificently. But while Fay Wray seemed to just scream a great deal, Naomi is laid backed as soon as her character gains trust for the beast. However, I think this time around there is more for the actress playing Darrow to work with. The script Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Phillipa Boyens wrote is fantastic, and gives much more characterization to the characters.

Jack Black is amazing. I can’t think of any actor right now that could have given Carl Deham the necessary energy, cockiness, and nuance the part begged for. His character is not really a villain; he’s just one confused man. Black’s delivery is an x-factor. Both Black and Brody’s characters are not hero material, yet they do venture out into the dangerous jungle, battling giant bugs and scorpions.

What really blew my mind were the CG and other special effects in King Kong. The fight between Kong and three T-Rexes is absolutely insane! With cinematography taking its toll, your head feels like it is spinning as you watch, exhilarated. However, it is Kong's realistic movements and interaction with his world and Ann that will leave your jaw hanging open. I don’t think Andy Serkis, who plays Kong via CGI disguise, spent all those times in Rwanda studying gorillas for nothing. His hard work and research pays off. One could even say if there was an actor to receive an Oscar nomination for this movie, that it would be Andy Serkis who is most deserving. 

This is one of those films where when things start picking up it simply doesn’t stop. I left the theatre not feeling like I just sat through a three hour movie. It is certainly not a boring movie, unless you have a short attention span. The action in this film is intense and brutal. There is an outstanding dinosaur stampede. There is the battle between Kong and the T-Rexes. There are fights with giant bugs, and good chase sequences that will keep you riveted.

Final

This is a genuinely emotional film believe it or not. It succeeds in winning the hearts of its audience. This King Kong will go down in history because it took a film that was already great and made it better. It is a perfectly paced film, where Jackson’s specialty drives in as a filmmaker. At the end, we understand how beauty did indeed tame the beast, and how beauty killed it as well.