From Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson comes an updated version of the tale of Beauty and the Beast — Ann Darrow and Kong.
Beautifully shot, with a pretty well-written story, King Kong is a very nice “roller-coaster” ride that almost doesn’t feel like the 3 hours and 7 minute length — and that’s a good thing!
The casting is excellent — Jack Black as the showman director Carl Denham, hell-bent on bucking the system, risking lives and limbs to create the ultimate blockbuster, but forgetting human compassion in the process.
Alan Brodie is perfect as the brooding, somewhat idealistic writer Jack Driscoll who turns into the very hero of his script, in his desire to rescue the in-distress damsel…
Ann Darrow, played by Naomi Watts, is a upstanding, caring actress who gets caught up in things beyond her control. In the end, she is able to establish a connection, a rapport with the giant ape…
Kong, acted, as I understand, by Andy Serkis (who “played” Gollum in the LotR Trilogy).
That said, the computer technology and expertise that exist today give us no excuse to not have top-notch effects AND acting by our computer-generated characters. Thus, Kong is no disappointment in that department. He is a creature with the greatest of mood swings, wild and savage against the predatory T-Rexes that also roam Skull Island, and yet gentle and almost human with his unwilling “consort” Ann, displaying very human-like expressions and gestures. You almost forget he’s not a real gorilla.
The action sequences are what we’ve come to expect after Jackson’s LotR Trilogy, and the Jurassic Park series — packed with action, excitement, and adrenaline-inducing chases, with some terrific creature effects. There are a few “rough” spots in terms of digital effects, for those that know them when they see them, but overall, everything is up to par.
The music is reminiscent of some of the scoring from LotR, which is no surprise since the composer for both is the same: Howard Shore.
All in all, a great addition to the cinematic roller-coaster world of the action/adventure genre.
Check it out if you like that kind of ride.