Ahh, the age old story of girl meet giant ape, girl falls for giant ape, giant ape fall of the Empire State Building, making girl sad. Indeed, it was "beauty that killed the beast." Probably better off, though, because I don't think Anne (Naomi Watts) would have survived the wedding night.
King Kong is an epic three hour long film that moves pretty quickly. The film is broken up into three acts (with names that I titled myself): I. The Voyage to the Great and Terrifying Unknown with Some Unexpected Love and a Caged Up Writer; II. Skull Island or Home of a Giant Beast, the Last Known Dinosaurs and Odd Tribal Ceremonies that Paves the Way for Some Unexpected Love and CGI Juggling; III. Love Falls to the Ground After a Brutal Debut in NYC. Each "act" has a beginning, middle nad ending and is entertaining enought o stand on its own, though the entire film is much more fun (obviously). This doesn't feel like a three hour film, and my eyes were glued to the screen, excited about what director Peter Jackson would pull out of his hat next.
The acting was supurb. Watts did a great job playing Anne, a struggling comedic actress who lnads the role of a lifetime that leads to her falling in love twice, with two different species no less. Her feelings for King Kong felt surprisingly real, as did her heartbreak.
Jack Black, who is at his best when he is overdramatic, did his finest acting job yet as a movie producer who would do anything for his own personal success. He's a bullshit artist, and a convincing one at that. His facial expressions were priceless and he did a great job bordering on the edge of creative insanity.
? got to play a writer/action hero (aren't all writers secret action heros?); a man who would risk life and limb for the girl he fell for on a not that many days voyage. Though he wasn't a bad guy (this is a rare film with no villian), Kong saw him as a nemesis for Anne's love, which makes for a great scene when they get back to New York.
The hype for this film is more than deserved. Jackson provides us with a wonderful film that features a great slow zoom out of King Kong climbing the Empire State Building, showing the rest of New York City in the process, in what is possibly the most beautiful shot I have ever seen. The dinosaurs are incredible looking, as is King Kong. I can see this as a groundbreaking film, as it is amazing on every level. I'm even willing to look past the "pro-bestiality" message of the film.
Written by: RF