"King Kong" (2005 Version)

Keep in mind that the original (1933) version of "King Kong" is one of my favorite movies of all-time. With that in mind I was somewhat skeptical about this new version.

The first hour of this new remake dragged unmercifully.

Thats about the only bad thing I can say about the movie. I LOVED IT!

Director Peter Jackson did a splendid job of bringing this classic tale of beauty and the beast to the screen. The movie is absolutely beautifully photographed and the special effects are awesome. Naomi Watts' "Ann Darrow" is the best of any of the three versions (the Fay Wray role). She's a decent actress who captured the bit about feeling sorry for Kong excellently.

The dinosaur scenes on Kong's Skull Island may have been a tad overdone but they're fun and the "bugs" scene in the bottom of a ravine (alluding to the famous lost spider scene from the original) is one of the skeeviest scenes I've ever watched. (Kong fights THREE Tyrannosaurs!)

The rest of the cast (the Carl Denham role and the Jack Driscoll role) passed, but only barely so (Naomi Watts and Kong stole the movie).

There are plenty of the original's lines in this, and even some "inside" references to the original, so the hardcore "Kong" junky will have fun seeing/hearing them.

This one's gonna have a boffo box office when all is said and done.

Go see it!!!

I read one review that called it the best movie of the year, and said that the dinosaurs made Jurassic Park seem almost amateurish.

I'm looking forward to seeing it. But did it have to be over three hours, especially since you say the first hour dragged?

King Kong (2005) ****

All I can say after this movie is wow! All of my expectations were filled and surpassed. Peter Jackson yet again sets the bar for visual effects in this breathtaking masterpiece of his. Naomi Watts was great but I was surprised with Jack Black the most in his portrayal of Carl Denham. In this film, he's a real a**hole and selfish son of a b*tch and I liked it. The movie is 3 hours but it keeps you entertained all 3 hours of it. I also felt sorrow and compassion for King Kong in this film, unlike the original. IMO, this version is superior to the original.

PS-SC, I think I did pick up on some of the lines about the original (such as Fay Wray, etc).

The CGI in the trailer looked poor. Otherwise I wanna see this (mostly for Black and Watts) but better than the original? I will have to be blown away, considering the original was a special effects milestone.

To anyone who has seen it, is it also true that Miami Vice's trailer is attached to it?

I am seeing this saturday, and I'm pretty excited. I was a bit unnerved about sitting through a three-hour King Kong at first, but I am faithful in Peter Jackson.

I will admit, some of the CGI looked poor, but it can't be any worse than the amazing *sarcasm* effects of the 1976 version.

Thanks for the input guys. I plan to see it over break. The reviews I have read have all been very good, perdicting it'll be one of the year's best. One reporter said that the 3 hours were all "action packed" and where he'd normally say it would be too long, it didn't in this case.

I love watching the special effects (not that I know anything about the technicalities of them). :p The previews just looked good to me.

I've always loved the Empire State scene and look forward to that. I did see the brief clip of "Ann Darrow" falling and Kong catching her. Glad to hear the good reviews.

I imagine they stuck to the original story, although it's pretty basic, and I would think hard to change.

TIS

It wasn't before mine. The local theater here in New York puts 3 previews max usually. In Texas, I get about 10 minutes worth. Before Kong we had X3, The Da Vinci Code and I can't remember the third one but it wasn't Vice

we had a couple of good preview, mi3, miami vice and the producers. there were a few more but i forgot them. lol. collin farrel looks like he needs a bath in the vice trailer..but that's just my opinion.

other then that i loved the movie. i thought the first hour really added depth to this story, and definatly made the characters more three dimentional. the graphics were amazing, and peter jackson is really getting on a roll here. he now has give amazing movies in his list (heavenly creatures, lotr trilogy, and kong....i didn't like frightners to much).

while i don't see this movie winning any of the big oscars, it will win in almost all the technical parts. in honesty, if we were gonna base the oscars on entertainment alone this movie would take top prize. but im petting on brokeback mountain or capote to win.

Question:

Is the time period the same, or did they adapt to modern times? I've seen the ads on TV. Doesn't Kong grab a helicopter while on the Empire State building? I was kinda hoping for a bi-plane grab.

SC, I have great affection for the original, so I was a bit wary of seeing this version. Glad to hear that you enjoyed it. My niece saw it last night and also loved it. Guess I'll have to get to the theater this weekend!! By the way, are the dinosaurs and bugs a bit much for an 11 year old with an overactive imagination??

Its set in 1932 New York, so the bi-planes are in it. Without going into great detail, that Empire State Bldg. scene is REALLY wonderful..... Kong's last look at Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) is very emotional.

SB, I don't think theres a person on this planet who loves theoriginal more than I, but I was "won over" by this re-make. Some of the dinosaur scenes are INTENSE (especially the ones with the insects).

I can't wait. I really can't. Watch this space for my thoughts...

SC, Plaw recently posted that the original was being shown on TCM. As I stated then, my father loved the original Kong, and we watched it every Thanksgiving. We would always be subject to the same questions and comments, as follows:

1. How do you say "friend" in the native's language?

2. "Now he's going to tilt his hat and whistle when he walks away!!"

3. He would always call our attention to the one man who manages to close the massive door. During the scene when they are trying to close up the wall after Ann is rescued, there are seemingly dozens of men trying to close the door. They are having trouble until one more man jumps in, and then the doors close.

4. "See, Kong was a good guy until he attacks the El train. Now they have to kill him."

We would also be subject to a retelling of how my mother worked in the Empire State building when an actual plane flew into it in the 1940's, but how, luckily, it was a weekend and my mother was home.

Seeing the original brings back some of the best memories I have of my Dad, so I'm glad to hear that you loved the original just as much, and also loved this remake.

Sorry to hijack your thread a little, but I thought you might enjoy hearing some of these tidbits.

Now I remember the third preview I had. I had X3, The Da Vinci Code and Inside Man (a film by Spike Lee starring Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, and Jodie Foster - looks pretty good).

On an unrelated question, I was hoping somone could answer it for me. In the original and in this remake version of King Kong they never say exactly HOW they get Kong to New York City. They knock him out sure but exactly how do you get this monster back home? You can't put him on the ship as he's too big, and you certainly probably couldn't drag him along as he'd either drown or sink the boat. I was thinking they got too far into the project, decided they couldn't think of a way to get hime back and just decided not to show it. I know it's not any important piece to the movie, but just outta curiousity, how would YOU get him back to the good ol USA!?

Just fax him, I suppose.

This movie seems like nothing more than eye candy and cheap thrills to me. I don't even want to see it...

Not really. He was supposed to be about 25' high.... they could've easily fit him on the ship.

It's a tie. I watched it every time it came on Million Dollar Movie, and Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young. I should have been an Ape-ologists.

Then I'm not monkeying around when I tell ya that you HAVE to see this version.

I saw the first tv commercials for it a few weeks ago and I laughed to myself thinking "no ape moves that way", "this doesn't look very good at all", etc. I kept making up reasons NOT to like it. After sitting through the first hour of this new version I was sure I was right. Then, BAMMM, it changed gears and I was on the edge of my seat or feeling (deep down downside) sorry for Kong.

The guy that plays the Carl Denham part stinks. Much like Sicilian Babe pointed out in her recollections, a lot of the fun of the original was Robert Armstrong (especially his antics with the natives). Thats totally missing here, although the natives are ONE HELL OF A LOT SCARIER than in the original. Also, you get a total feel of being in the God-forsaken jungle here, not so in the original. I won't go into detail but the scene at the bottom of the gorge will give ya the willies.

Finally, the look that Kong gives (his facial expressions are absolutely awesome) Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) just before he meets his demise is something you won't soon forget.

Jack Black stunk? He was one of the few reasons I was gonna see this. I probably won't be able to see this for a while. Maybe Sunday if I'm lucky.

Well I'm a fan of the original as well, but not the expert that SC & MC are. If SC thought it was that good, I really am looking forward to seeing it.

I really don't know who Jack Black is, although I've seen him a couple times on tv I think.

TIS

Don't let my review stop ya. I though his portrayal to be flat and one dimensional. It lacked the fun of Robert Armstrong's in the original, and he didn't show any remorse at the end.

TIS - I expect you'll be grossed out by some of the Island's scenes, but I also recommend you bring a tissue for the end.

I think I'm gonna have to see this movie in theaters again. The tentative DVD release is for early April. I don't want to wait another 4 months just to see it again

Jack Black is the No. 1 reason I want to see this movie (I'm a big fan of some of his movies and his music)I've heard mixed reviews about him, but I'm still going to see it. Mind you, Black is not the only reason I want to see this magnificent looking picture.

They show Kong's transportation, via ship, in the 1976 remake.

I'm delighted that BBC is showing the original, which I don't own, next week, along with Son of Kong. I wasn't aware that that sequel was also directed by Schoedsack.

I just watched this movie on big screen. Just amazing. I have never seen anything this visually appealing. The dinosaurs in the movie make jurassic park seem like a joke. Except the problem of how King Kong was transported to NewYork, everything about this movie is great. Don't even think about watching on DVD. This movie is a must watch on big screen. I also have to add that the scenes on top of the tower made me feel as though I was there facing the heights. Scary stuff. Very realistically made.

ok i just got back from seeing it again, and let me say that it proved to be more emotional the second time in.


*SPOILER STARTS*

remember the look he gives her at the end really gave me such an emotional feeling during the scene in the jugle where she sits in his hand the and bond forms.


*SPOILER ENDS*


i also don't think jack black was awful, i think he did repent at the end...it was all in the look he gives when he's looking at kong. but most of all, it has to be the beautiful interactions between Anne and kong at the end. I don't know if i can watch it a third time, it was just emotionally overwhelming this second time.

I went to see it today. WOW! A real emotional love story.

And what fantastic special effects!

When the credits started rolling at the end, my daugther turned to me, teary eyed, and said " Why couldn't they have just left him alone on his Island dad?"

I really liked this one.


Don Cardi

Boy, all positive reviews so far. You guys are really making me anxious to see it.

It'll be in the next few days I'm sure. I'll let you know what I think when I see it. I agree, that certain movies must be seen on the big screen at least once. I could tell by the few previews I've seen, that this is one of them.


TIS

Terrific.

King Kong has only made $66.2 million since it opened

Yea I'm reading that it's a "sturdy" amount but not blockbuster. Do you suppose it could be that most people think, "Oh boy, another remake?" Everyone who has seen it really liked it. It may take word of mouth, or perhaps everyone here simply likes it more than others. I know I've wanted to see it since I heard and then saw portions of it. I don't care what it grosses.


TIS

I really loved it. Its true that the first hour is a little slow, and at certain points the CGI is a little off the mark, but that does nothing to spoil what is essentially a wonderful film. There is gentle humour, especially is some of the scenes between Anne and Kong, great action scenes, and it is also incrediably moving and touching too.

I loved Andy Serkis (Gollum from LOTR) performance as Kong. Naomi Watts was brilliant too.

Another highlight for me was the way they recreated 1930s New York, and the scenes from the top of the Empire State Building are absolutely spectacular!!!

Go and see it!!!

The BBC showed Son of Kong before King Kong today. Weird. Anyway, I taped both, and will watch them promptly. Getting my video ready to record The Killer tonight, by rewinding to the end of King Kong, I ended up watching the last ten minutes or so of it. It's crudely dated, but somehow that's what makes it so fun.

No, dude that was all just a prank. lol...its all just a prank. he's known to do things like that. trust me....i read that at kongisking.net. and then they shot it down, it was just a big prank.

Anyway, the third Kong was Mighty Joe Young.

That's what I was afraid of. They did a lot of spoofs on this DVD but I was hoping against hope it was true

Mighty Joe Young wasn't an exactly sequel though.

Well I finally went to sse King Kong today and am I pissed off. I'll tell you why after I tell you what I think.

I went to an 11:00 a.m. showing at my local theater. Surprisingly there was only about a dozen people or so. Anyway, the cast was good (I agree Naomi Watts stole the show). I have never seen Jack Black in anything before this. He was okay, but from the beginning, when he was trying to sell his movie idea to the bigwigs, I got the impression from his expressions that he was imitating John Belushi (am I the only one?) His eye movements made me unsure if he was being comical or serious.

The prehistoric animals, the creepy island natives and the disgusting bugs really added to the movie. How about those gigantic spiders crawling on Ann? The island itself was eerie even before any of the natives or creatures appeared. I loved the 30's feel in the NYC scenes. Any oldtimers notice the Pepsodent marquee, with the scrollinng message advertising Amos & Andy live?

My favorite part has always been the ending, with KK wrecking havoc in NYC, and his climb to the top of the Empire State Bldg with Ann in hand. I was probably anticipating that scene more than any other. I just like it. :p

SPOILER (If you've been living in a cave and know nothing about KK)

As Kong reaches the top of the ESB, after he pounds his heart, and Ann says to him "beautiful", with the planes circling and the pilots giving a 1,2,3 countdown when to shoot, (end spoiler) the freekin' frackin' movie screen goes dark and we are left with only sound.

I felt like a kid. I ran out and grabbed the first worker I see and said, "we aren't getting picture only sound and KK is on the ESB and told the guy how that was the climatic part of the movie, etc. :p Well, went back in everyone that was there waited about ten minutes then the manager came in and said he was sorry but the movie/tape/dvd whatever was broken and it couldn't be fixed. He advised us that it shows again at 2:30, but I didn't want to sit another 3 hours at least not this soon. So he gave us all free passes. The only think I can do, is go back for the last what??20 min or so. I don't know, but it was like clockwork. My favorite scene is exactly when the picture cut out. :p I didn't mind the first hour build-up so much, but why couldn't it have happened then?

So that's my Kong experience. I did see most of it, but you gotta admit, that's a hell of a time to lose the picture.

TIS

Oh, TIS, that's too bad! It reminds me of when my brother saw Jaws for the first time. SPOILER (as if there may be anyone left who hasn't seen it)

It's the end, and the Orca is sinking, and Brody feeds the shark the scuba tank and grabs his rifle. The shark is coming back at him, and all of a sudden, it flashed to the scene where Quint is talking about being on the Indianapolis. At first, my brother thought it might be a flashback, but the scene continued to play. All of a sudden, this screaming and cursing and crashing was heard from the projectionist's booth. Obviously, somebody had cued up the wrong reel. My brother said it sort of ruined the movie, although they finally did get it right, but he laughed his ass off for weeks afterwards!!

Oh TIS, that really sucks!

If they were able to re-show the movie again at 2:30, like the manager told you, then why the hell couldn't he have just palyed the last ten minutes for you?

****SPOILER*** Remember on the Island when Ann is sitting with Kong, looking at the sunset and she motions across her chest with her fingers and says "Beautiful?" Well on the top of the Empire State Building, when she says "Beasutiful," Kong takes his fingers and motions to her across his chest. ****END SPOILER****

I can't believe that those stupid bastards in the theater could not show you the last ten minutes. They have the damn time to show us 4000 commercials and advertisements before the movies starts, so surely they had the time to play the last ten minutes for you people without cutting into the next showing! If I was there I would have probably been locked up!

The manager was probably the same guy from the Tuscanny Restaurant at the hotel we stood at this past summer, or he was that F**king cab driver from Chicago last year!


Don Cardi

I know DC, I was disappointed. It's not even a matter of a free pass or my money back. The showing of the same movie in another theater on the premise started at 2:30. I could have gone back 2 and a half hours later and catch the ending, but I had a lot of Christmas stuff to do. Then he sent a younger kid to hand myself and some others our free passes who happened to recognize me because he was a former student at my school. He was very friendly and apologetic, so I couldn't be snippy with him. :p

Yes, that "beautiful" scene you just mentioned above...it was right after that (when KK makes that gesture on the EST bld. and Ann repeats "beautiful" when things went dark. So I missed about what 20 minutes? I'll rent it when it's out on DVD and catch the last part.

TIS

That sucks TIS. I'm sorry to hear that. I wouldn't wait until DVD. Maybe wait a few more weeks until the crowds die down and see it right before it goes out of theaters (after the New Year)

Damn..... TIS experienced Kongus Interruptus at the climax.

my honest to god advice on the matter is for you to watch a different movie with your free pass, and then when that's done you can sneak into a showing of king kong. its easy in the theatre's here in toronto, hopefully its easy for you as well. you shoudln't have to watch that movie all over again if you don't want to...though it was a beautiful movie.

I know everyone is going to hate me... :rolleyes: but....am I the only one here who isn't interested at all in watching this movie?

Most frustrating!!!!!

You don't like KONG???? That's an infamia. :p


Don Cardi

Forgive me, Godfather....

Kong's an animal anyway, so let him lose his soul.


Have you ever seen the original version of Kong?


Don Cardi

not the first one, I only saw the remake starring Jessica Lange.

Just saw this film. I loved it!

I thought Watts was fantastic, Brody was good, and Black pulled up the rear. They all did rather good jobs, but Watts stole the show. I do have to mention how good of a job Colin Hanks did. He's getting to be like his old man.

The CG in the film is starting to renew my faith in this medium. Great work.

The first hour was great, I loved it. I helped to absorb me into the plot. Everyone was just to hyped for the action scenes to appreciate it.

GREAT FILM, not as good as Lord of the Rings, but up there.

Tied for best of the year with Walk the Line.

The Doc

Lavinia, I had not seen the original and actually had no plans of watching it. But I saw the trailer on big-screen. That is what made me watch this movie. It is just awesome. I didn't care much about the story as many other members here have. But atleast for the special effects, you must definitely watch this.

not the first one, I only saw the remake starring Jessica Lange. [/b][/quote]Thats a damned infamnia!!!!!

not the first one, I only saw the remake starring Jessica Lange. [/b][/quote]Well forget that version. That one was, as the younger people say these days, " Bootlegged."

You need to see the original, and this new version.


Don Cardi

I'll do it. Mostly because biases are wrong and close-minded. Even though [infamia mode on ] I still think a gigantic monkey having a stroll on NY skyscrapers with a blonde in his hand is definitely not my kind of movie.... :p [infamia mode off /]

if you tell me to do it, I'll do it, my Don.

if you tell me to do it, I'll do it, my Don. [/b][/quote]

Don Cardi would never TELL Lavinia to do something. That would be both dishonorable and disrespectful to someone who is such a lovely and respected lady.

All Don Cardi could do is suggestto the lovely lady from Italy that she watch the original and the new version.


Don Cardi

But this Kong, like his predecessors, seemed to have been spayed early in his life. I'd like to meet his vet...

I saw it today. This Kong is a pretty decent actioner that raises the bar for special effects.

SPOILERS: Once you get past the interminable, time-destroying initial 45-50 minutes, there's action aplenty, starting with the near-shipwreck as they approach Skull Island. There are quite a few thoughtful and imaginative touches that give you more than your money's worth: the brontosaurus stampede; the initial billets-doux twixt Ann Darrow and Kong when he first gets her back to her lair; Kong's rampage in Times Square (the set has just the right theatrical touch, like the fireworks near the beginning of "Gangs of New York"), and Kong's ass-slide in Central Park. END OF SPOILERS
But too often the film lacks restraint and intelligence. The action sequences go on far, far, FAR too long: how many split second escapes, missed tyrannosaurus nips, getting caught by jungle vines, last-second rescues by the big ape, etc., can you endure before sheer exhaustion sets in? And the constant spinning camerawork during the action scenes (no doubt a device to keep you from focusing on the rather cheaply executed backdrops) are irritating and obvious. Restraint and intelligence enabled "Jurassic Park" to be not only a great specials-film, but a fine drama: Spielberg had the good sense to reserve his most hair-raising scenes for the smallest dinosaurs, not the biggest. Here, big (and long) are everything. And while Ann Darrow's attempts to rescue Kong had their touching (and yes, imaginative) moments, excessive length made them ridiculous (and director Peter Jackson couldn't resist throwing in 15 or 20 more hair-raising escapes for Darrow on the Empire State building alone--ye gods!). And Kong took longer to expire than Violeta, the heroine of Verdi's "La Traviata."
Naomi Watts makes a very appealing Darrow, right up there with Fay Wray. The rest of the cast is better than good, except for Jack Black, who, as director Carl Denham, does so much beady-eyed, gape-mouthed staring that he looks like he's been lobotomized and is just discovering it.

This Kong is about a thousand times better than the 1976 abomination. But so is just about every other movie I've seen since then. While I enjoyed it a lot on the big screen, I doubt that I could sit through it again. It made me appreciate more than ever the genius of the original, whose specials are still truly amazing for the time (and stand up superbly), and which told its story better, more succinctly and more credibly than this one.

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.

Nope, not at all. I saw some sort of interview w/ Jackson awhile ago, and he is so fucking arrogent. He believes that he is the one and only persdon doing anything "good" for cinema. Aside from the fact that I hate the director, I have also been less then impressed with his previous work (and yes, Im talking about more then just LOTR)and I also do not feel like wasting 3 hours of my time watching something that was filmed in front of a green screen. Is that enough rant for you?

Technically, the animals are named Apatosaurus. Brontosaurus is an incorrect name, used as a popular term by the big audience.

Of all people, I figured Capo would be on my side, but alas perhaps the holiday sauce and (war crimes-like) British cuisine probably finally got to our comrade in arms.

Yeah, Ron, I got caught up in that stampede. My final sentence sums it up for me: an extraordinary film, and I have no reason or desire to see it again.

If that makes sense. Not that I have to defend my opinion to an elitist nobjocky like you.

By the way, you\'re needed here . Pop in for a cup of tea sometime.

Haha Capo. Wait, what the hell is a "nobjocky?"

Actually, I don't slam your opinion Capo, for hey I respect you on a very high level. I just wondered at the time....why 3/4 score for KING KONG? But now I understand quite clearly.

Hah, Capo. Never miss any opritunity to pimp the boards, huh?

Hey, Capo has to feed his kids.....or whores, whatever which I can't remember.