Movie review: King Kong

It's too long.
3/5




















JOKING!!!
But seriously, at 3 hours this movie is FAR TOO LONG. After making the LOTR movies, I'm sure any studio would be happy to indulge whatever movie Peter Jackson would choose to make and *whew!* it shows. Too many scenes go for too long - completely irrelevant (Ann and the Old man at the start, Jimmy), or exist as CGI showpieces to kill of characters - the Brontosaurus stampede and the Bug scene. The CGI is pretty brilliant but I couldnt help think at several stages of the movie that these bits would obviously be levels in the computer game.

The acting is pretty good considering that everyone is second banana to a giant Gorilla (pun intended! :P). Naomi Watts pretty much just screams or looks dewy-eyed, Jack Black was so slimy I wanted to punch him, Thomas Kretschmann was suitably menacing, authoritative, and fearful as the captain of the boat, Colin Hanks was great as Jack Black's long-suffering assistant, and Adrien Brody...we all know I *heart* him.

The whole thing about Kong being a victim of circumstance rather than a monster was depicted a bit too well - to the point where I was thinking that Kong was the *real* love interest as opposed to Adrien Brody/Jack Driscoll, and I started to want the movie to end with Ann and Kong being given a little island off NYC where they could live happily together but she'd be in close contact with personal hygiene and nutrition.

Some things I'd like to know
1. How'd they get Kong on the boat? Or did they just drag him all the way back like my sister thinks?
2. Seeing as 17 people died on the island, most of them crewmembers, how'd they even sail the boat back!?
3. How'd they get Kong into the theatre without various people seeing and knowing what he was?
4. Adrien Brody must be superman to survive being tossed around in a taxi without a getting a single scratch.
5. Naomi Watt's dress must be made out of the most awesome fabric ever! Not a single smudge during her time on the island!


Implausibility aside, if the movie wasn't so long, I'd probably give it better mark. But as it is, the length just served to put more flaws in. Shoulda kept it short and sweet.
3/5