King Kong
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Taglines:
- The eighth wonder of the world.
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Review
Back in 1933 a film came along which shocked, scared, and thrilled audiences in equal measure. The effects work in it were so astounding at the time that they influenced generations of film-makers, most notably Ray Harryhausen who became the most prolific stop-motion designer of the 20th Century. The film, as a whole, was a love story/monster film, a play on the classic Beauty & The Beast tale, where the giant ape fell in love with a young, blonde actress. The film was King Kong, and it is responsible for a lot of film-maker’s fascination with the movies. One such director who places Kong as the prime reason he became involved in the film industry is Peter Jackson. As a child he tried to recreate the key moments of the film with an old home camera and some models, little knowing that he would eventually be able to not only recreate the film, but add sumptuous layers to the tale for a new audience.
The film was remade in the 70s, and was brought up to date, placing the ape in modern day New-York and using the Twin Towers for the epic end fight (this time against jets). However, it was a disaster of a movie with some terrible acting, effects that looked dated even then (including the ingenious idea of a man in a monkey suit!), and lines of dialogue that could only be described as gorgonzola. It was as though the studio were not confident that the story could be taken seriously, and so deliberately cheeesed it up and sabotaged the film. After all, who could seriously believe that a woman and a giant primate could love each other? Maybe in the 30s, when it was a simpler time, but now?
Thankfully Peter Jackson believed it! Even more thankful should we be to the studio who, after Jackson completed the epic, and extremely successful, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, simply gave Jackson a blank cheque for a project of his choosing. So it came to pass that King Kong was given another treatment. Avoiding the pitfalls of the 1976 version, Jackson got his writing team from LOTR on the task to bring to vibrant life all the characters from that first movie, and also stated that the film was to be set in the early 1930s, as the old film was, that was keeping a timeless quality that will not age. Now, the film is here, and at just over 3 hours in running time (with a rumoured 4 hour edition coming to DVD next year), the question must be asked – Is it worth it? The answer is an undeniable “Yes!”
The first hour of the film sets up the key players in the tale. A young stage comic, Ann (Naomi Watts), is hitting hard times during the depression, whilst at the same time a maverick director Carl (Jack Black) is trying to get a film made, and seek out the legendary Skull Island at the same time. Chance brings them together and the cast and crew head off on the voyage. Manipulation by Carl ensures that an old friend, and reluctant script writer on the film, Jack (Adrian Brody), joins them on the voyage, and he and Ann begin to bond. The crew, non of whom know when setting off where they are heading, consist of the usual variety of characters, and also a young man named Jimmy (Jamie Bell), who has a mysterious past and wants to prove himself, and the cook Lumpy (Andy Serkis). Pretty soon they find themselves on Skull Island, and from that point on the action barely lets up as the crew are ambushed by natives, Ann is put forward as a sacrifice to Kong, the giant gorilla enters the film, dinosaurs, giant bugs, chases, fights, death, destruction, love, hate, vengeance, turmoil, scheming, plotting…… This film contains it all, and it really does hit you with one idea after another without letting you come up for air at all! After the slow pacing of the introduction, the rest of the film rattles along at breakneck speed, and the remaining 2 hours seem to fly by!
Such is the skill of Jackson that he can make a 3 hour film seem like it isn’t long enough! Much as with the LOTR films, in King Kong you get the feeling that there is a fair few scenes missing. Jamie Bell’s character is given a mysterious past, but this is never really developed. That is just one example of a sub-story that we will probably see restored in the extended DVD next year. But don’t think that this, in any way, dampens or lessens the film! No, the film is high up with the best of the year, if not the past decade. Indeed, on par with LOTR, it seems Jackson can really do no wrong when it comes to storytelling.
But what about the ape? Is he convincing? Well, with effects work from the team who worked with Jackson in the past, Weta Digital, you know what to expect going in, and by and large the CGI work is amazing! There are a few scenes that don’t quite work, such as the ‘running with dinosaurs’ scene where you can tell that the actors were green-screening it all, but they don’t worry too much, and in fact are only as bad as the best effects in, say, Star Wars. The high point of the CGI, however, is Kong himself! The body actions were modelled on Andy Serkis (who did the same for Gollum), and this ‘real life movement’ element really works to make him more real and believable. The detail on every strand of hair on Kong, and each scar from his many fights over the centuries with the various beasts of Skull Island lend credibility, and majesty to this mighty beast. Then you come to the eyes! The eyes of Kong convey the sorrow and despair of loneliness that this, the last of a great race, feels. The eyes, and their beauty lend impact to the early scenes of Kong and Ann, as the two come to know each other not as victim and beast, but as twin lost souls seeking for someone who understands them, right through to the look of despair as Kong thunders through New York, seeking Ann out once more to reassure him. Those eyes will be the element that chills you, and which sets the tear ducts going.
To compliment a great story, with great cast and amazing direction, you need a fitting soundtrack, and on this film there could have been problems. Initially Jackson turned to his old friend Howard Shore, but pretty soon found that they had different ideas on where the music should go, and the styles it should use. As this was Jackson’s long-time-dream project, the pair realised that it could endanger their friendship if they tried to argue everything out, so Shore stepped down allowing a different composer to come on board. The result is a score that differs from a normal score for films of this ilk. One great example is a scene when the crew are attacked by giant insects. Most other composers would have made the music dramatic and exciting – instead the music is low key, and eerie, lending a chilling nature which creeps down your spine, and unnerves you. The scene goes from being an action sequence, to something dreamlike and surreal in nature. This is possibly the exact kind of scene which Jackson and Shore would have differed on.
I sincerely cannot recommend this film enough. It contains everything that you could ever hope for in a film (including references to the original film, and to Jackson’s earlier films). Emotional, entertaining, funny, action packed, dramatic, jaw dropping – this film is all of them. Yes, we already know the story, but why should that stop you enjoying the film. We knew the ship would sink in Titanic, and we knew that Bill would be Killed, but the true enjoyment in any story is in how we get to the end. The story which leads to the climatic moments of Kong is timeless, ageless, and wonderfully told.
Trivia
- When Carl Denham and his assistant are in the car talking about which actresses can fit in a size 4, Carl says, "Fay's a size 4." His assistant says, "Yes, but she's doing a movie with RKO". The name of the actress who played Ann in the original King Kong (1933) was Fay Wray, and it was produced and released by RKO Pictures.
- WILHELM SCREAM: During the brontosaur stampede, as a sailor is knocked off a cliff
- At the very end of the closing credits the movie is dedicated to "The original explorers of Skull Island..." followed by the names of the actors who played major roles in the 1933 original.
- The scene where Kong splits the jaw of the V-Rex is in the original, right down to his right hook to the animal's face and quizzically shaking its broken jaw after it is dead. Also in the original is the "shaking log" scene.
- The billboards that appear in Times Square (with ads for Coca-Cola, Pepsodent, and Chevrolet), are identical to those in the original 1933 version.
- Adrien Brody was the first and only choice for hero Jack Driscoll. While Brody was under the impression that he was competing with other actors for the role, he was quickly informed by the producers that they were only interested in him. He signed on before the script was written.
- The film is appropriately set in 1933, the same year the original film was released.
- The tyrannosaurus has hands with three fingers (instead of the scientifically correct two) as an homage to the original King Kong (1933) in which the tyrannosaurus also had an extra digit, and is explained by the idea that the dinosaurs on Skull Island have evolved in the 65 million years since the two-fingered tyrannosaurus went extinct elsewhere in the world.
- Many shots, including Ann stealing an apple are taken directly from the original King Kong (1933).
- Several of the Skull Island natives were played by Sudanese actors who did not speak English, and they were coached with the assistance of an interpreter. Conceptually, the natives of the island had piercings and scarification that were created as makeup and prosthetic appliances, although one of the extras had authentic tribal scarring on his forehead.
- Over 2 million feet of film were shot, equivalent to 370 hours of footage, 123 times more than the final cut.
- The pages of script that Jack gave to Carl in the ship were actually part of Peter Jackson's personal copy of the original 1933 King Kong script itself. As proof, Jackson revealed it in one of the film's post-production diaries "Pick Up Wraps".
- The scene where Denham, Driscoll and the crew fall into a pit filled with giant bugs is a reference to a scene in the original King Kong (1933), where the crew fell into a pit and were devoured by giant spiders, which was cut after many members of preview audiences ran out of the theater in horror during the scene.
- As a personal favor for Peter Jackson, Bryan Singer - who was in Australia working on Superman Returns (2006) - spent two days directing the King Kong vs T-Rex confrontation sequence. He was given a special thanks at the end credits.
- As the Skull Island natives are attacking Ann, Jack, and Carl, look closely at the old witch doctor woman's right hand as she's chanting and approaching Ann: she's giving Ann the finger.
Cameos and allusions to other films
- Director Cameo: [Peter Jackson] A gunner.
- In the scene where Jack Black (Carl Denham) and Kyle Chandler (Bruce Baxter) discover the Apatosaurus heard in the clearing, Baxter removes his sunglasses in disbelief in a similar fashion to the way that Sam Neill did in Jurassic Park (1993) upon seeing his first Brachiosaurus.
- Cameo: [Rick Baker] the pilot of the airplane which is shooting at Kong at the Empire State Building. Baker also played Kong in King Kong (1976).
- Peter Jackson's children, Billy Jackson and Katie Jackson, each have brief cameos during the first two minutes of the film.
- Cameo: [Howard Shore] The conductor seen in the theater where Kong is on display to a large audience.
- When Jack Driscoll goes into the hold for the first time you can see a sign that says "Sumatran Rat Monkey", the animal that causes all the undead in Peter Jackson's Braindead (1992) (the Sumatran Rat Monkey is captured on Skull Island as well).
- Cameo: [Frank Darabont] a biplane gunner.
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