Year of Release: 2005
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Jamie Bell, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Andy Serkis, Evan Parke, Lobo Chan, John Sumner, Craig Hall, Kyle Chandler, Mark Hadlow, David Pittu, Geraldine Brophy
Genre: Action, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon
Synopsis and Review
After the resounding critical and commercial success of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", writer/producer/director Peter Jackson decided to keep his creative team intact, and swiftly tackle a dream project of his, remaking Merian C. Cooper's 1933 classic, "King Kong". The narrative focuses on the story of Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress who runs into hard times following the crash of Wall Street in the late 1920s and most of the 1930s. Unable to find any work, she's nearly at her wits end when she encounters film director and producer Carl Denham. Carl's latest film was met with derision by the producers who are hot on his tail. He also has a map for a remote island, which he believes is the ideal setting for his next picture, something that will be an enormous hit and settle all his issues. While initially reluctant to embark on the journey with a complete stranger, Ann agrees to play the part once she discovers that the film is written by Jack Driscoll, her favorite playwright. Carl manages to rent the SS Venture, a small cargo ship that belongs to Captain Englehorn, under the guise of the movie studio bankrolling the film endeavor. During the trip Ann and Jack become smitten with each other, whereas Captain Englehorn receives a radio message letting him know that Carl's venture isn't under the approval of the studio, and that there's a warrant for his arrest as a result of that. Just as they're about to turn around and come back to NY, they reach Skull Island. Carl and his film crew manage to convince the Captain to allow them to do some shooting in the island, only for things to quickly take a turn, as Ann is kidnapped and offered as a sacrifice for a creature named Kong. Just as the crew is about to attempt to save Ann, Kong shows up and takes her into the jungle. They decide to form a small rescue team to go into the jungle and get her back, not knowing what lies ahead.
Unlike many remakes that are crafted with the sole intent of capitalizing on well known characters and situations, Peter Jackson's take on "King Kong" is driven by a deep love and respect for the original classic from director Merian C. Cooper, which featured the iconic performance from Fay Wray (who died in 2004, at the time this film was being shot). Peter Jackson is able to quickly establish the situation/context in which all the lead characters find themselves in, an impasse of sorts for all of them, which eventually leads them all to consider this adventure as the best venue for them to go with as their lives are all in a problematic limbo. The characters are briefly established, but are given enough dimension as to understand what is motivating them to go on an uncertain adventure. As the film progresses, and their relationships are more finely attuned, some with more romance, others with more humor, this small group of characters become an ode to the adventure films of the 1930s (the screwball comedy and adventure genres). The film does take a few different turns, namely when the narrative reaches the island, and again when the setting comes back to New York, but they're all unified by these unique players, in particular by the central performance of Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow, one of her finest performances, where she gets to practice physical humor, some zany comedy, and ultimately reveal her true self, as she reveals the bond she shares with the creature who longs for her and holds a special place in her heart. While the section of the film in Skull Island is far longer than it needs to be, it has a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" vibe to it which makes it all the more exciting. But as I mentioned previously, the heart of this film is indeed the relationship between Kong and Ann, which is wonderfully captured. The last chapter of the narrative, while its saddest, also has some of the most beautiful moments that the film has to offer. The cast is perfect in its roles, with Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Jamie Bell, Colin Hanks, and Andy Serkis, all providing solid support to Naomi Watts. The production team is impeccable, particularly Andrew Lesnie's cinematography, James Newton Howard's score, Terry Ryan's costumes, Grant Major's production design, and the entire visual effects teams. It may not be as iconic as the original film of the 1930s, but this is a beautifully rendered homage to that film that stands on its own.
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