King Kong (DVD, 2006, Anamorphic Widescreen)

There are astonishments to behold in Peter Jackson's new "King Kong," but one sequence, relatively subdued, holds the key to the movie's success. Kong has captured Ann Darrow and carried her to his perch high on the mountain. He puts her down, not roughly, and then begins to roar, bare his teeth and pound his chest. Ann, an unemployed vaudeville acrobat, somehow instinctively knows that the gorilla is not threatening her but trying to impress her by behaving as an alpha male -- the King of the Jungle. She doesn't know how Queen Kong would respond, but she does what she can: She goes into her stage routine, doing backflips, dancing like Chaplin, juggling three stones.

Her instincts and empathy serve her well. Kong's eyes widen in curiosity, wonder and finally what may pass for delight. From then on, he thinks of himself as the girl's possessor and protector. She is like a tiny beautiful toy that he has been given for his very own, and before long, they are regarding the sunset together, both of them silenced by its majesty.

The scene is crucial because it removes the element of creepiness in the gorilla/girl relationship in the two earlier "Kongs" (1933 and 1976), creating a wordless bond that allows her to trust him. When Jack Driscoll climbs the mountain to rescue her, he finds her comfortably nestled in Kong's big palm. Ann and Kong in this movie will be threatened by dinosaurs, man-eating worms, giant bats, loathsome insects, spiders, machineguns and the Army Air Corps, and could fall to their death into chasms on Skull Island or from the Empire State Building. But Ann will be as safe as Kong can make her, and he will protect her even from her own species.

The movie more or less faithfully follows the outlines of the original film, but this fundamental adjustment in the relationship between the beauty and the beast gives it heart, a quality the earlier film was lacking. Yes, Kong in 1933 cares for his captive, but she doesn't care so much for him. Kong was always misunderstood, but in the 2005 film, there is someone who knows it.

As Kong ascends the skyscraper, Ann screams not because of the gorilla but because of the attacks on the gorilla by a society that assumes he must be destroyed. The movie makes the same kind of shift involving a giant gorilla that Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) did when he replaced 1950s attacks on alien visitors with a very 1970s attempt to communicate with them (by 2005, Spielberg was back to attacking them, in "War of the Worlds").

"King Kong" is a magnificent entertainment. It is like the flowering of all the possibilities in the original classic film. Computers are used not merely to create special effects, but also to create style and beauty, to find a look for the film that fits its story. And the characters are not cardboard heroes or villains seen in stark outline, but quirky individuals with personalities.

Consider the difference between Robert Armstrong (1933) and Jack Black (2005) as Carl Denham, the movie director who lands an unsuspecting crew on Skull Island. A Hollywood stereotype based on C.B. de Mille has been replaced by one who reminds us more of Orson Welles. And in the starring role of Ann Darrow, Naomi Watts expresses a range of emotion that Fay Wray, bless her heart, was never allowed in 1933. Never have damsels been in more distress, but Fay Wray mostly had to scream, while Watts looks into the gorilla's eyes and sees something beautiful.

I grew up with a stepfather who adored the original 1933 King Kong. I mean ADORED it. I was subjected to the film several times during my childhood, most of which were spent dozing or daydreaming. I have faint recollection of a few scenes, but not much. I was therefore not entirely enthusiastic about yet another remake of what was not that impressive a film to begin with. My father-in-law, however, had other ideas....

Today was his birthday. For his special day, he wanted only two things from my husband and I. A steak dinner cooked by my husband (the family chef), and for us to accompany him to see King Kong in the theaters. I cringed at the sheer concept when it was presented to me, but as I love the man dearly (and didn't really want his son to be angry with me for all eternity), I agreed to go.

I was so bowled over by this film, I can't begin to describe it. I have no desire to ruin anything for those not familiar with the original (or the book on which all of them are based), but let me just say this: If you are hesitating to see it because of the cheesy stigma attached to anything with the title King Kong, don't. Just buy the ticket, and see the film.

I was not only impressed with the cinematography (could we expect any less from Peter Jackson?), but also the character depth and development. Most films that take on this story are so wrapped up in the manly tale of a gorilla killing and screaming, they forget the story entirely. This movie does no such thing.

From the very beginning, it enraptures the audience with stunning visual effects, intense action sequences, touching romance, and captivating characters. The most heart-wrenchingly beautiful thing in the film, however, is the bond between Kong and his leading lady (Naomi Watts, looking an awful lot like Nicole Kidman). Even the most stoic of viewers will be brought to tears at their complete understanding of each other, with hardly a word spoken.

The film has its humorous moments, as well. An early comment about finding an actress leads to a conversation about "Fay" and how she's doing a "Cooper" picture for RKO. (The original Kong, starring Fay Wray, was shot by Merian Cooper.) Even the sequences in which the Mighty Kong is rushing his new "bride" through the jungles, shot often from her perspective, give an almost funny look at the ragdoll in his hand, Ann Darrow.

I am not a fan of the action-film genre, but this one surpassed anything I could have possibly hoped for. If you have a free rainy afternoon, buy this film. You won't regret it.

This is a very entertaining and engrossing remake of the famous King Kong story. There are great special effects and Naomi Watts is wonderful in it. I think it's definately her best work. It's a fun movie but by no means perfect. It starts off a little slow until you see Kong. There is no on-screen chemistry between Naomi Watts and Adrien Brody. She has lots of chemistry with Kong though. Jack Black is an odd choice to play the obsessed filmmaker Carl. He comes across kind of shifty, annoying, and not quite right for the part. He's not very believable. Overall, I was surprised to be moved by this film. You feel sympathy for King Kong, an animal that does not seem to fit in anywhere. He doesn't fit in on Skull Island or with people in New York. This movie is kind of a tear jerker but worth watching at least once.


I bought the movie in full screen and in widescreen. Both dvds have little extras. I think all the good extras are on the 2 disc version and Peter Jackson also put out a special set of discs that are sold seperately with lots of behind-the-scenes footage and info. If you love this movie, you probably want the 2 disc version and the special extra discs.

The biggest problem most people had with King Kong was its length, so there's no surprise that reaction by the general public to the release of an extended edition of another 3 hour-plus Peter Jackson film was almost the equivalent of a collective groan.

The surprise is that everything added to the Extended Edition of King Kong should have never been cut. More dinosaurs and more creatures and more action on Skull Island only improves the film, and one wonders if these scenes were cut mostly for time and pacing, why wasn't a little bit of the 51 minutes of pre-Skull Island snipped or perhaps a few overly drawn scenes of Kong and Anna gazing into each other's eyes?

The more noticable scenes are that of a rampaging Ceratops and a fun scene of an underwater monster attacking Adrien Brody and Co. while they are rafting down a river. A bit more character development with some seedy behavior by Carl Denham (Jack Black) and heroic deeds by Jack Driscoll and the shipmates add a bit of flavor to the male characters literally overshadowed by Kong in the film. The spider pit sequence is also a bit lengthened with some more lines by Jack Black. Overall, a worthy 13 minutes of added material, but the film still feels too long in the last act.

The special features to this extended edition are the special features that were missing from the first release of the Kong movie, including a commentary from Peter Jackson and extensive behind the scenes features, describing the making of Kong from concept artwork to the screen a la the performance of Andy Serkis.

I enjoyed the extended cut, but I don't know that this lengthy movie is better served with added material. It's not like the LOTR films where the additions enhance your viewing and understanding of Tolkien's world. But hey, I am not going to complain about more dinosaurs and the raft sequence I was disappointed was missing from the original cut.

Peter Jackson has done it again! King Kong is an excellent movie, and it owes this not so much to the superlative special effects (they do play SOME part in making this movie top notch, of course, but not as much as you may think), but to the performances of the actors, which are just as superlative.

First, I would like to say that when I first saw the movie, I was a bit skeptical about Jackson's choice of Jack Black as a main character. Don't get me wrong, I think he is quite funny and I enjoy the comedies that he is in, but I wasn't sure he could pull of a non-comedic role ... I was dead wrong. Black is a very convincing as Denham, and yes he IS a little over the top, but not to the extent that it undermines the integrity of the role. He may look somewhat different than the original actor, but he nails the performance.

Naomi Watts was outstanding as Ann Darrow; Fay Wray would be proud. In addition, Thomas Kretschmann was a perfect choice to play Captain Englehorn. At times, one could swear that Jackson had simply colorized footage from the 1933 film. The other actors were excellent also, but I won't review any other performances, in the interest of time.

The special effects were nothing short of breathtaking, especially Jackson’s vision of 1930s New York, and all in all the film is an impeccable homage to the film that inspired it. Jackson's painstaking attention to detail, his use of some of the original music, and his dedication at the end of the credits to the deceased actors from the original Kong all show how much the 1933 film inspired him.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, don’t let the colossal running time of 187 minutes daunt you; it doesn’t feel that long, and I am pleased to say that there aren’t really any times that I can think of where the movie drags. I highly encourage you to rent it, and there is a good chance that once you’ve seen it you’ll want to buy your own copy. I’m sure you’ll enjoy Peter Jackson’s King Kong; I know I did!