King Long (But You Won't Notice)

The keyword these days in Hollywood seems to be remakes. More and more classic films, it seems, are being given a makeover, some successfully, some not. The latest (and perhaps greatest) of the lot is King Kong. One wonders in many cases if Hollywood is just running out of new ideas. That’s certainly not the case here, however, since director Peter Jackson has long dreamed of doing his own version of this thirties classic.

And it shows. Jackson poured his heart into this one, with all the character development, spectacular effects, monster action and drama. Like Jackson, I grew up with the original 1930s version of Kong as a staple of TV viewing. And I think that Jackson has taken that film a step further, retelling the story with 21st century technology that makes it more believable than ever.

As the story opens, Carl Denham (Jack Black) and Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) are a pair of troubled individuals. In the early years of the depression, each is struggling to find their way, Carl as a director, and Ann as an actress. Work is scarce, however, and when the pair meet they’re both in dire straits. Carl is on the run to get a film shot in an exotic locale before his backers, who have canceled the project, catch up with him. Ann is without a job, without money, and caught stealing food.

But Carl has a proposition: his leading lady has left his production, and Ann seems the perfect replacement. Ann isn’t sure Carl is on the level, but when she hears that her idol writer Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) is along for the ride, she agrees to go. But while the cast and crew of the good ship Venture think they’re off to Singapore, Carl knows better: They’re off to find the mysterious Skull Island.

Eventually, they do. But instead of a lost paradise, what they find is an oasis in time that is the home of terrifying giant insects, bats, dinosaurs, mysterious natives-and King Kong, the last of a race of twenty five foot tall gorillas. The natives offer Ann up as a sacrifice to Kong, and when she seems unafraid of him, he takes a real liking to her. You know the rest, of course, and what Beauty eventually does to the beast.

King Kong is a long film indeed at over three hours. For my part, I never noticed-the hours just melted away as the film progressed. The first hour and a half or so is dedicated to character development, and there are a few parts that could have been omitted. Still, the characters are well established, and we come to really like Ann, and really dislike Carl, by the time we reach the island.

From that point, the film is a roller-coaster ride as the adventurers and Kong battle an assortment of huge cockroaches, velociraptors, Tyrannosaurs-and eventually each other. The more we get to see of Kong, the more we like him, too-especially since we know his ultimate fate.

Jackson has done everything possible to “humanize” Kong, and make him a character that we sympathize with. Kong is battle-scarred and looking his age, though still a formidable foe. He can be ferocious but also a gentle giant. His facial expressions really endear him to us, and a curious kind of chemistry develops between him and Darrow.

The special effects here are top notch, and you’ll truly be lost in the action when Kong is pounding a T-Rex or climbing the Empire State Building. The CGI is mostly seamless, and at times truly magical. But Jackson doesn’t make it a focus of the film, simply a way to tell his fantastic story. And Kong really does look real, so much so that we really identify with him by films end.

Jack Black does a great job as Denham, and he was a perfect choice for the role. He’s obsessed with making a film that will in turn make his career, and he’ll do anything to accomplish that. Naomi Watts is equally impressive as Ann Darrow, with her pouting eyes and lips and sad demeanor that foreshadows the end of the film. Good things never happen to Ann, and Watts makes us believe that. Thomas Kretschmann is also impressive as the mysterious Captain Engelhorn, who always arrives to save the day, if for less than altruistic reasons.

Sure, this is a long film, and there are a few flaws. But the story is classic, the execution well carried out, the action impressive. I could watch it again and again, and I’m sure you could too.