This remake of the 1933 classic sees movie producer Carl Denham (Jack Black) and his crew set off to an unmapped Sumatran island to film the backdrop for his latest romantic drama.
Along for the ride are screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Brody), leading lady Ann Darrow (Watts) and a ship full of disenchanted sailors, including renowned big game hunter Captain Englehorn (Kretschmann).
But as soon as the motley crew arrive at “Skull Island” (the clue’s in the name) things get nasty as they are set upon by a gruesome combination of man eating worms, giant blood sucking bats and gap toothed natives. And that’s before they’ve even met Kong…
They say:
Total Film: "Epic escapism. A two hour movie ironed out to three. Kong is King.”
Empire: "A triumph, the kind of romantic action spectacle that makes the big screen silver and provides box office gold. Puts the prime in primate.”
Channel 4 Films: “As it is a remake, it doesn't have the shock Lord Of The Rings possessed upon its release, but this is a beautiful beast of a B movie, thrilling and touching.”
We say:
“Lord of the Rings” supremo Peter Jackson was paid $20 million to direct KK - the highest salary ever for a filmmaker - and we’re happy to report that it was worth every penny.
Some may argue that the opening hour drags like the eponymous star’s knuckles, but when Kong finally bounds onto the screen even the most cynical viewer will be stunned by Jackson’s creation.
Andy Serkis gives a tender humanity to the giant gorilla - using the same computer trickery that turned him into Gollum in the LOTR adventures - and his doomed relationship with Ann (Naomi Watts) provides some truly heart breaking moments. Kong is at his best though when flexing his monstrous pecs and the four way scrap with a gang of T Rexes is possibly the greatest CGI action sequence ever committed to celluloid.
Not forgetting a jaw dropping brontosaurus stampede, the spine chilling spider pit attack and Jackson’s beautifully recreation of depression era New York, this is a giant feat of filmmaking that makes monkeys out of the year’s other so called Blockbusters.
Extras:
With three discs worth of special features - including an audio commentary from Peter Jackson, six hours of featurettes and 13 minutes of brand spanking new action (taking the total to a truly epic 192 minutes) - this deluxe extended edition is surely the best value DVD release of the year.
Jackson’s talk track (alongside wife and co writer Philippa Boyens) articulates his excitement at finally being able to remake his favourite movie and the new footage includes another thrilling action sequence involving a rather nasty swamp dwelling beast known as the “Piranhadon”.
In truth, there is too much of interest to mention but highlights include 40 minutes of deleted scenes (with Jackson commentary), a stunningly detailed “Making Of” documentary entitled Recreating The Eighth Wonder, and plenty of technical mumbo jumbo from the CGI boffins.
For real movie geeks there is also a complete list of all the references made by Jackson to the 1933 original and a nice blooper reel entitled “The Eighth Blunder Of The World”.
CAST
Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis, Jamie Bell, Evan Parke, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks
DIRECTOR
Peter Jackson
TIME
187 mins
POSTED...
Tue 21 Nov 2006 at 9:05pm
