King Kong is about American as baseball and applie pie. He made the Empire State Building famous, and it was the only monster movie that really made the audience have sympathy for the creature. I saw the original back when I was a kid, but I never knew what the movie was about. Sure, I knew there was a big gorilla and he fought dinosaurs while clutching in his hand a damsel in distress who never stopped screaming. Of course, King Kong was in love with the woman. I'm not sure that the woman in that movie knew it, what with all the screaming. But Peter Jackson knew it. And that's why his remake of the 1933 classic not only bests it, but challenges the notion of what a blockbuster typically is.
Like the original, this film is set in the midst of the Depression. Director Carl Denham (Jack Black) has come into his possesion an ancient map, where he plans to film his next movie. However, his producers pull the plug, so he has to find his own stars and set sail before anyone can catch him. He just manages to stumble upon Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), an out of work Vaudeville actor. At first she is hesitant to leave, but when Denham mentions that Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) is writing the script, she jumps at the chance to work with him. And so they set sail for Skull Island, uncharted and untouched by time. The sea voyage is full of ominous waves, mutinous rumblings and some good old fashioned tension.
At last they arrive, only to be attacked by savage natives that still occupy the land. Judging by the inhabitants of the island, their ferocity is certainly necessary, and they look absolutely perfect. As they try to escape, they kidnap Ann, sacrifing her to Kong, a giant ape that is for all intents an purposes, king of the island. Driscoll mounts an expedition to bring Ann back, while Denham only really cares about getting footage of the ape. This is the second act, and it is full of such spectacular sequences you'll wonder how the director even had the imagination for such a thing. Remember though, this is Peter Jackson.
There are three events that really stand out on the island, the first is the crew running from a herd of stampeding brontosaurus's. As the stampede goes on, raptors eventually join in as well, trying pick off the humans while darting in between the legs of the dinosaurs. It's a lot of fun to watch, especially when the trail leads them along a cliffside that begins to collapse under the weight of everything. The second is a fight between Kong and three Tyranosaur's. This is quite possibly one of the most inventive fights I've ever seen in a movie, describing how much fun it is to watch is nearly impossible. Kong is also holding Ann in one hand, which gives the fight another layer of tension. In one sense, we want Kong to put her somewhere safe so he can really duke it out, but in the other sense, it's far more interesting with that slight handicap. The third is a fight between the crew members and giant insects at the bottom of a ravine. This scene is not for the squeamish whatsoever.
The scenes between Ann and Kong are among some of the best in the movie, and this is where it manages to surpass the original. This time, Ann figures out that Kong is only trying to impress her, so she does her Vaudeville act, and Kong is enthralled. Their relationship turns into one of the strongest points of the movie, and creates a plausible love triangle between them and Jack Driscoll. Ann doesn't want to be with Kong, but she does understand him. Before I get too much further, I think it's worth mentioning that Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Lord of the Rings, does all the movements for Kong, and is spectacular. In this new age of movies, he's essentially redefining what an actor is. Not just anyone could play a part like King Kong.
The relationship between Ann and Kong is heartbreaking of course, first of all, because it just isn't meant to be, and second, we all know how it ends. In the third act, Denham manages to capture Kong and brings him back to NYC. The rest is history, as the movie plays out exactly like the original. Except this time, you have some sympathy for Kong and Ann. I have to admit, I could feel the tears welling up as he took one last look at her. This is what Peter Jackson was able to create that the original never even came close to. He made King Kong a genuine character, complete with love, rage, jealousy and delight. Watching him climb the last section of the Empire State Building, beat his chest and roar at the planes is a truly inspirational sight, just as it was over 70 years ago. Peter Jackson has redefined a classic, bringing it into the digital age, so again, filmmakers will be captured by the type of magic this film simply exudes at every level.
"What does it matter? The planes got him."
"The planes didn't get him. It was beauty that killed the beast."