King Kong - Movie of the Year
Robert Rouse
December 15, 2005
I've read some grumblings on the net about Peter Jackson's "KING KONG" - rest assured, these people have some kind of grudge. This movie is nearly perfect. From the opening scenes of a depression era Brooklyn Zoo until the classic closing statement - issued this time around by Jack Black - Kong is King of the motion pictures.
While many of us believed there was no way Jackson could again scale the cinematic heights of his masterful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, his vision of the Beauty and the Beast tale easily climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and beyond. Instead of fitting a single story into three films, he fit three stories into a single film. In a way, this film was in 3-D, Denham, Driscoll, and Darrow. Carl Denham, a man so focused on his version of cinematic achievement that he loses sight of what is best for the people around him. Jack Driscoll, a playwright who easily finds words for the page, but can't find a way to speak his heart. Ann Darrow and Kong, a touching and tragic love story.
The actors do amazing work. You won't recognize Jack Black. His normal histrionics and slacker cool guy are replaced by a man who is driven so hard to find success on his own terms that he routinely pushes his conscious (voiced in a nice turn by Colin Hanks) into a deep recess. Naomi Watts is easily the best actress to ever tackle the role of Darrow. She brings a new sense of pathos to a character who purports to be "funny". Jessica Lange did remarkable work later in her career after a bland and embarrassing turn as Ann Darrow, so I can only image truly remarkable work in the coming years for Watts.
The best actor in the film isn't even real. Kong is a breakthrough in CGI. You feel his pain - and his sense of awe and joy. You care for this creature, and when the inevitable end nears, you hope Jackson has discovered a way to save us from the trauma of what we know is coming. We have a vested interest in Kong - and it is well earned.
The film runs a Jacksonesque 3 hours, yet we don't even get a glimpse of Kong until over a third of the way through, but unlike some people are saying, the time is not wasted. The time sets up what we need to know about the characters, including a humorous turn by Kyle Chandler as matinee idol Bruce Baxter.
The action scenes on Skull Island are breathtaking and relentless. And the final act in New York City is wholly astounding. You'll find yourself lost in Jackson's perception of reality and I predict that this film will become a perennial Christmas classic just because of the scene in Central Park.
My score: 5 out of 5 stars
While many of us believed there was no way Jackson could again scale the cinematic heights of his masterful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, his vision of the Beauty and the Beast tale easily climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and beyond. Instead of fitting a single story into three films, he fit three stories into a single film. In a way, this film was in 3-D, Denham, Driscoll, and Darrow. Carl Denham, a man so focused on his version of cinematic achievement that he loses sight of what is best for the people around him. Jack Driscoll, a playwright who easily finds words for the page, but can't find a way to speak his heart. Ann Darrow and Kong, a touching and tragic love story.
The actors do amazing work. You won't recognize Jack Black. His normal histrionics and slacker cool guy are replaced by a man who is driven so hard to find success on his own terms that he routinely pushes his conscious (voiced in a nice turn by Colin Hanks) into a deep recess. Naomi Watts is easily the best actress to ever tackle the role of Darrow. She brings a new sense of pathos to a character who purports to be "funny". Jessica Lange did remarkable work later in her career after a bland and embarrassing turn as Ann Darrow, so I can only image truly remarkable work in the coming years for Watts.
The best actor in the film isn't even real. Kong is a breakthrough in CGI. You feel his pain - and his sense of awe and joy. You care for this creature, and when the inevitable end nears, you hope Jackson has discovered a way to save us from the trauma of what we know is coming. We have a vested interest in Kong - and it is well earned.
The film runs a Jacksonesque 3 hours, yet we don't even get a glimpse of Kong until over a third of the way through, but unlike some people are saying, the time is not wasted. The time sets up what we need to know about the characters, including a humorous turn by Kyle Chandler as matinee idol Bruce Baxter.
The action scenes on Skull Island are breathtaking and relentless. And the final act in New York City is wholly astounding. You'll find yourself lost in Jackson's perception of reality and I predict that this film will become a perennial Christmas classic just because of the scene in Central Park.
My score: 5 out of 5 stars
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