On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 6/60 |
Les Winan |
Great, but could have been a classic. Overly long is my only complaint. Terrific work by Watts and the Ape. Jack Black is both mis and perfectly cast. |
| 20/85 |
Kim Hollis |
This film would be so much higher up the list but for the first hour, which I think could have easily been cut. Once we meet Kong and see his relationship with the girl, though, it is heartbreaking an |
| 70/166 |
David Mumpower |
Could have been a great two hour and 15 minute film. Stands as a decent three hour movie with one altogether embarrassing dinosaur chase sequence worthy of Land of the Lost. |
Yet another remake of the classic 1933 film about beauty and the beast what it killed is heading for theatres, this time courtesy of the man who brought to life Middle Earth. Peter Jackson will not only direct but also co-write, along with his partners, the script for this latest version of the tale of the giant ape with an even bigger heart who tears apart New York City all for the love of a human female.
The story of mighty King Kong is not only a classic monster saga, but also a legendary, albeit extreme, example of star-crossed lovers. For it is the beautiful actress, played by Fay Wray in the original and Jessica Lange in the lavish 1976 Dino De Laurentiis remake, who brings Kong to his figurative knees, rendering him docile enough to be captured by those who would exploit him - and his lady love - for their own monetary gain. And it is again for the love of the human female that Kong, believing his Beauty to be in danger, breaks free of his bonds, leading ultimately to his demise in that spectacular dogfight atop the Empire State Building.
Peter Jackson’s version will reportedly spend more time on Kong’s home, Skull Island, exploring not only his natural habitat but also revealing more fantastical creatures that have somehow managed to exist outside of time and natural laws, creating a veritable living archeological museum. And though the tale’s been told many a time before, there is still a fascination with the saga of a mighty creature brought low by the power of love, and the warning inherent in taking anything, whether it be man or beast, from out its natural habitat to try and shoehorn it in where it doesn’t belong. Add to that the advances in special effects that should make for a marvelous Kong and the facility already demonstrated by Jackson and Company for the telling of epic tales, and this latest retelling has all the earmarks of a major event, and possibly even a tentpole release, for Universal come December 2005. (Stephanie Star Smith/BOP)
March 30, 2004
Adrien Brody and Jack Black have both been added to the cast of King Kong. Brody will play Naomi Watts' love interest Jack Driscoll, a former World War I fighter pilot, while Black is the showman who brings King Kong to New York City. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
June 11, 2004
Andy Serkis, who was the man behind Peter Jackson's CGI creation of Gollum, will now play the same role in King Kong. He will provide motion capture information that will be used to create the giant ape. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Vital statistics for King Kong |
| Main Cast |
Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody |
| Supporting Cast |
Andy Serkis, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Kyle Chandler, Jamie Bell, Evan Parke |
| Director |
Peter Jackson |
| Screenwriter |
Peter Jackson, Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens |
| Distributor |
Universal |
| Trailer |
http://www.volkswagen.com/
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| Official Site |
http://www.kingkongmovie.com/ |
| Rating |
PG-13 |
| Running Time |
187 minutes |
| Screen Count |
3,500 (Estimated) |
| Awards |
Awards page for King Kong
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Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture |
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