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