Saw it tonight.

The kind of remake nobody seems to be making--a passionate homage and aesthetic transcendence of the original; it is also an exhilarating piece of filmmaking, and a convincing portrayal of both the human condition and artistic principle. At times a very subtle film, at others an excessive, self-indulgent joy to behold.

Jack Black has been overlooked here. I found his performance full of charm and charisma, and I was on his Herzogian director's side all the way until he succumbed to the greed and cash of his own higher-ups. When the others are all reaching for their guns, Denham reaches for his camera. I loved him.

The opening third didn't drag at all; in fact, Jackson uses it wisely, for the most part, to set up character relationships. You have to admire the original though, for doing so in such a concise time (clocking in at just over eighty minutes). That this both transcends and enhances feelings of the original pays testament to Jackson's storytelling prowess. And this is a film as much about Film itself as it is about a giant gorilla falling in love with a girl.

Exhilarating and, ultimately, exhausting. One of the films of the year, and I have no reason to see it again.