A Review by Phil Calabro
2005, Universal Pictures, Dir. Peter Jackson - Starring Jack Black, Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis, Colin Hanks, Thomas Kretschmann, Evan Parke, Jamie Bell, Lobo Chan, John Sumner, Craig Hall, Kyle Chandler, Mark Hadlow, Geraldine Brophy
"Somewhere out there is a woman born to play this role...a woman who will journey into the heart of the unknown...toward a fateful meeting that changes everything..."
Every year there's that one movie to capstone everything. It may not necessarily be one of the best films of the year, but it holds a majestic reputation and an epic story - something that has grown to become a diamond before it's ever released. For 2004, that movie was 'The Aviator'. For 2005, it is Peter Jackson's mesmerizing revision of 'King Kong'. Blueprinted for years, the classic beauty-and-beast seemed like it would never get off the tracks until Jackson's lifelong desire to revamp the story came to play. People already knew what they were in for - a nightmare to cringe in horror at, a romance to coo upon, a thriller to entice eyes - as if the hype of the original 1933 blockbuster was going to fire up the box office nearly a century later. Now 'King Kong' may be a bit heavy in material, but the wait is well worth it. Jackson has melded an electric blend of CGI action along with a wonderful rewrite (that thankfully doesn't involve scaling the Twin Towers...pathetic 1976 version). 'King Kong' is the magnum opus that audiences have been salivating for - it serves as a tearjerker, a mind eraser, and the thrill of a lifetime.
It is the Great Depression, and the capital of the world - New York City - is looking like it needs a good makeover. Failed filmmaker Carl Denham (Black) has been slaving away for the studios to make the perfect blockbuster, but the executives are sick and tired of all the nature flicks. Before the execs can cut Carl's budget, the slick filmmaker has a plan - he has an ancient map to an unchartered island where he wants to shoot, all he has to do is get a finished screenplay from the socialite Jack Driscoll (Brody), and get himself a new leading lady. Carl comes across a Miss Ann Darrow (Watts), a jobless vaudeville actress who's in need of a good payroll and an adventure. Stowed away on a cargo boat led by Captain Engelhorn (Kretschmann), the cast and crew set sail for the mysterious "Skull Island". When finally landing shore, they run into dilemmas with the savage indigenous tribespeople who have taken Ann as a sacrifice to "Kong". Little did they know the island is home to a legendary towering gorilla, aptly known as King Kong. When the film fails to be shot, Carl decides to capture the mega-monkey instead and profit off him as a city attraction.
It's hard to take Jack Black seriously, but after 15 minutes on screen you know that Jackson's trained him well. This is no longer the wife-beater donning couch potato who helmed 'Orange County' and 'Saving Silverman', these are the opening stages for a long road of good roles for Black. Carl Denham is a professional hawker: his mouth is like a loudspeaker for the masses, his heart pumps opportunity and greed through his veins, and his eyes sparkle like the filaments combined in Times Square - he lives to be famous. Jack Black uses his snide tongue and hate-laced glare to create another monster - the same monster that builds inside everybody else, one that strives for a will to power no matter how it can be received.
Naomi Watts is lavacious as Ann Darrow, a sultry looking woman who proves to be the missing half of the title character's heart. As she builds a taciturn relationship with the ape on Skull Island, she finds confidence within herself, knowing she is worth something in the world. Adrien Brody provides great dashing bravador to the male endeavour (human, I should note) for Ann - he is the shoulder to cry upon, and his own adventure to be in love follows in congruence with Kong. And of course, Andy Serkis: you are a star forever. The actor's emotions and expressions for the great beast is nothing short of amazing. We no longer have the 18 inch clay models to create a theatrical bond with, so Serkis' CGI connection is heartpounding as well as heartbreaking. There is no doubt that Serkis' job at Kong only reaffirms a sense of emotional control within the actor.
Jackson bloats the story of Kong to add more detail and fill in plot holes that may have left the original Kong a little implausible for today's audiences. True, the first 40 minutes carries on for awhile, but once the climax counts down, the viewer won't be able to get enough. After awhile, it's a little obvious to point out faults in the CGI visuals, but there's no point in factoring this in - as long as you let yourself follow the gorilla's path, you will not care about the visual quality whatsoever. Every scene from the '33 reel is reshot, with ten times more action than before - more fights with dinosaurs, more wreckage across the island, and more Empire State Building. I suppose it's important for me to mention the sheer momentum that the finale has. It's hard for me to get teary at the theaters, but whether it was a computer or not, Jackson has made one of the most mournful breakups in history. Between Ann and Kong, the apex of the Empire State Building remains the end. It's not a feat, but it is a cork in their love. The mighty beast has gone from every depth and height to be with his woman Ann, that he would risk his own life to keep her to himself. This is not the alpha-male at work, nor is this some sort of impressive trick he's trying to prove. This is truly beauty killed the beast.
Peter Jackson has hit the jackpot with 'King Kong'. It may have its stumbling moments, but it is quite a spectacle to behold. Mammoth and magnificent, this is the Kong for a future generation. After all the planes are gone and the dinos defeated, the question only arises: who will be the next director to venture into Skull Island again?
