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MOVIE REVIEWS

For Peter Jackson, it’s good to be king. For King Kong, however, it isn’t so good, especially when the whole city of New York is out to get you.

Jackson’s version of King Kong is the third version of the monster movie classic, and it is definitely the best one yet. It succeeds where the original and the 1976 version did not, particularly in terms of special effects and acting. For those who do not know the story, the basic premise is about a group of filmmakers—led by their pompous, ambitious, greedy director Carl Denham (Jack Black)—that go to a mysterious island to make a movie. But things don’t go the way they planned when their leading lady (Naomi Watts) is kidnapped by scary island natives, and then offered to Kong as a sacrifice. Once they rescue her, they capture the mighty ape to be an attraction for tourists in New York.

Remakes, like sequels, are usually unnecessary and disappointing. Yet Jackson remains respectful to the original version. He even manages to improve several things, beginning with Kong himself. The computer animated character not only looks more real than the previous versions, but he also acts like a real gorilla. He no longer walks on two legs. He eats plants instead of people, though he is seen biting the heads off his enemies in battle scenes. He’s also remarkably intelligent, in spite of what the characters think of him.

One improvement is the relationship between Kong and Ann Darrow. Unlike her terrified predecessor, Fay Wray, Watt’s Ann is smart enough to realize that Kong, far from wanting to kill her, is protecting her from the island’s other vicious residents. She and Kong form an unlikely friendship, which leads the viewer to wonder if she would have been content to stay with him, had she not been rescued.

The film does have flaws, namely that it does run a little long. The first hour drags a bit; it consists of introducing the human characters, namely Ann, Denham, and Denham’s crew. Jackson attempts to bring depth to even the smallest of roles. If it weren’t for the fact that most of these characters are killed off before the last half of the movie, this might have worked. Instead, it just feels pointless.

Aside from that, King Kong was one of the best movies of 2005. You would have to be made of stone not to have more sympathy for Kong than for the people. In the end, all he wanted was to be free, but society wouldn’t leave him alone.