AmateurMovieReviews.com

By Christina VanGinkel

When I first heard they were remaking King Kong, I have to admit that I was thrilled. I am a fan of big movies, of movies that take the reality of life and stretch it until it snaps. That is King Kong, a three hour remake of the original that was first filmed on 1933. Bigger than life, action packed, breathtaking, the whole shebang, that is what King Kong is all about! I grew up watching the old black and whites, reruns that though already well past their prime when I first watched them, still elicited in me my rapt attention to a gorilla fifty feet tall and running amuck. The newest installment in the greatness that is King Kong had me pinned to my seat in much the same way, save for the very beginning that is.

I admit that when I first watched this version of King Kong, I was so bored I was yawning. The beginning seems disjointed, to the point that I thought it might be just me, but I have heard others make the same statements as myself. For true King Kong fans though, if you can last the beginning out you will enjoy the rest of the movie.

Starring Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow, the blonde bombshell who steals King Kong's heart, along with none others than Jack Black and Adrien Body, the story begins when Ann loses her vaudeville job. Desperate to do anything other than end up as a working girl on the wrong side of the tracks, she agrees to travel to Skull Island where she is to be the starlet of an action packed film. Little does she know that the trip does not have the backing she thought it did, and their leaving from port is more hurried than expected. This is the part of the film where I felt a bit lost, where the undertakings of the actors were wasted space and time. I am not sure how they could have made it better, other than just skipping it and not bringing, the pieces about being broke into the script. Set sail they do though, and before they know it, they are headed to Skull Island.

When their ship arrives at the island, chaos ensues from the start, and Ann is almost immediately captured by King Kong. Chivalry still exists in the day and age the film is set, so of course a group of men go out into the oversized jungle to try to save her. A few also figure they might as well capture some film footage to salvage the trip at the same time.

The visuals and startling special effect from this point on are fascinating, in true King Kong style. With not only King Kong in giant proportions, but also subjects such as giant insects, there are parts that can get you to the edge of your seat quick. No, it is not realistic, but you should have guessed that when you agreed to watch a flick about a fifty foot tall gorilla. When the dinosaurs fight King Kong I was nearly transported back to when I was a young child watching Godzilla, yet I loved every minute of it.

All good things must come to an end though, and typical of the King Kong I recall from my childhood, King Kong is captured and brought back to the biggest jungle of them all, New York City. I wished they would have delved into the trip back more than they did, but as it was, this is a long movie. My opinion though was they could have skipped the beginning as I already suggested, or clipped it to provide more time for this part of the journey.

Those who captured him think they can control him, and he is soon on display before an audience of partygoers not sure what to expect when the curtain is raised. He does escape, as we all knew he would, and meets back up with Ann. The ending of this show is a must see for King Kong fans, so the next time you are in the mood for a bigger than life, cinematic adventure as the critics call it, then pick up a copy of King Kong. Watch it on a big screen, and enjoy!