Dirk V
Reviewer

     I’m a fan of the original “King Kong.” I loved its use of stop-motion animation, and I loved and appreciated the novelty of the original film. Being a fan of the original, I was somewhat leery, as I am with all remakes of films that I love, watching Peter Jackson’s “King Kong.” To my delight, it was entertaining, funny, sad and every bit as good as the original.
 
     The basic story is the same. Movie producer Carl Denham, played by Jack Black, embarks on a sea voyage to shoot his newest film with a young girl he discovered on the streets of New York, Ann Darrow played by Naomi Watts. The film and boat crews find Skull Island. After an encounter with the natives, Darrow is taken by them and offered up to Kong, a gargantuan-sized ape worshipped by the islanders. Denham, the ship’s captain, and Jack Driscoll, Darrow’s new love played by Adrien Brody, set out to rescue her. The men battle numerous monsters, including dinosaurs and gigantic bugs, to attempt to rescue Darrow, and many men die during the encounters. Driscoll finally rescues Darrow from Kong, and escapes. While Kong is chasing Driscoll and Darrow, Denham captures Kong and takes him back to New York to show him off. Kong escapes, wreaks havoc in New York, and climbs the Empire State Building before finally being brought down.
 
     The relationship between Darrow and Kong is the biggest difference between the original and Jackson’s remake. In the original film, Fay Wray’s Darrow was terrified of the ape. Her loud shriek every time she saw the monster was what set the tone for the film and is still one of the film’s most memorable characteristics. Watts’ Darrow is frightened by the monster at first. However, she develops affection for the monster that borders on love. Tender moments are exchanged between the two after her capture by Kong when she dances for him, and in New York after he escapes and they play on the ice in Central Park. She sees in Kong a gentle, playful creature that no one else does, and cares for him.
 
     The acting in “King Kong” helps make the movie enjoyable during its two-and-a-half hour run time. Watts, Black and Brody are all terrific in their roles. Watts’ portrayal of a down-on-her-luck vaudevillian is both entertaining and depressing. While it cannot be easy to act opposite a computer-generated gorilla, Watts is able to effectively convey sensitive emotions toward Kong. Black is perfect as Denham. Black brings his mad-capped, crazy attitude to the character and makes him both lovable and detestable, and his delivery of the film’s final line, “No, it was beauty killed the beast,” was both poignant and sad. Brody also turns in a commendable performance as the love-struck writer who attempts to save his newfound love.
 
     While the acting and special effects were tremendous, the most enjoyable parts of “King Kong” might be Jackson’s little homage’s to the original film. In an early scene, Black’s character references both Fay Wray and Merian C. Cooper, the original film’s director. Jackson also includes scenes and dialogue from the original film, but he places them in different spots—creating an amusing treat for fans of the original.
 
     Overall, in “King Kong” Jackson combines good acting with a creative adaptation of the classic film to create a new film that will keep the viewer entertained for the majority of its lengthy running time.