King Kong

By Alex Scilla

Dir. Peter Jackson Starring Jack Black, Adrian Brody and Naomi Watts

Peter Jackson's latest, King Kong, is a remake of the 1933 classic. The story of a filmmaker, a beautiful woman, and a huge prehistoric gorilla. Director Carl Denham (Black) has come into possession of a map leading to an undiscovered country, Skull Island. Along with scriptwriter Jack Driscall (Brody) and actress Ann Darrow (Watts) they set off to film a movie against the backdrop of this unknown land. After arrival, they discover Kong, a force of nature from a lost age.

The most risky thing in remaking a classic movie is when the story is modernized or changed to something that doesn't hold up to the original. It's not a problem here; Jackson does a good job at not taking away from the heart of the story. In this case, he goes to far in the opposite direction. He adds way too much to the film. The original clocked in at an hour and forty minutes, this version at almost three hours. Much of the additional parts don't add much either. There are just too many extended action sequences and visual touches that in the end only waste time. Especially in the middle where the film frequently gets bogged down going from one chase scene to another, many lasting ten minutes or more. If Mr. Jackson had edited the film a little tighter, it could have really been something. As opposed to his last film, The Lord of The Rings trilogy, where the story was complex enough to support three-hour films, King Kong just doesn't need that kind of running time.

Length issues aside, the movie does well in other areas. It's well casted; Jack Black and Adrian Brody both play their parts well. Naomi Watts also gives a decent performance. The movie is nicely shot as well; particularly the way Jackson shoots Black's expressions. There's a nice recurring shot of Black's eyes glistening in the shadows, making you wonder who's more crazed, Denham or Kong. It was an interesting touch. The effects are also superb, as would be expected considering what they did with LOTR.

In the end, while they are a lot of good parts to King Kong, as a whole I was still a little disappointed. It just didn't add up to what it could have been. If they were to release a new edit, fix the pacing up, it could be a great movie, and a worthy remake. You never know, maybe one day we'll see one. Until then though, it's just another example of the difficulty of surpassing a classic.

Grade: B-

With Valentine's Day drawing near, and the pressure on to plan that perfect day for the one you love, we thought we'd lend a hand and chose some of our favorite romantic movies to share with you. You won't go wrong including any of these classics with any evening you've got in mind.

Say Anything (1989)

Cameron Crowe's directorial debut, and John Cusack's best work of the 80's. The story of two about-to-be high school graduates, aspiring kickboxer Lloyd Dobler and valedictorian Diane. Filled with well-developed characters, and a great supporting cast. An honest and intelligent romantic comedy.

Swingers (1996)

The movie that jump-started the careers of both Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. An appealing and funny-as-hell story about friends and romance, both hilarious and heartfelt. Manages to capture the ups and downs of life without ever being cliched or saccharine.

Love Actually (2003)

You can't have a romantic movie list without at least one Hugh Grant film, and Love Actually stands out as one of his best. To be fair though, it's actually an ensemble film, with Mr. Grant just one of the many of a great cast. This film is one of the few movies that really can appeal to anyone.

Chungking Express (1994)