Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. As most of you know (thanks to to Knowles blowing my cover earlier this week) I was in New York for the World Premiere of Peter Jackson's KING KONG.
I wasn't planning on writing a review of the film. I thought I was too close to the production having spent much time on the set and counting a great many of the crew as good friends. Harry would have none of that, however. He demanded a write-up, so here I am.
I understand if you don't trust one word of this review. I wouldn't either, but in my defense I turned down the junket (which would have saved me close to $1,000 in hotel and flight) because I refuse to do roundtable interviews. This is my honest opinion. Was I biased? Sure, I was biased the second I wanted to see this movie, just like those on the other side of the fence who are biased against the film. If you like or dislike a particular actor, actress, genre, director, cinematographer... anything, you'll be slanted one way or the other, for or against, when you walk into a theater. But like I said, I'll understand if you take what I say with a grain of salt.
From the opening credits sequence you can feel the love Jackson has for the original KONG. The font, the background, the music... all capture the spirit of the golden era of film. Very art deco and a perfect tone-setter. Having been to the Empire State Building on this trip (4th time in New York, first time I did the Empire State Building tour), I saw much influence of the graphical design for this opening and closing credits taken right from the architecture of the giant building. Like I said, it sets the mood and the tone.
I've read none of the reviews that have hit from the premiere and the press screenings, but I did hear that a lot of people think the film starts off too slow. There is definitely a pacing difference in the film... pre-Skull Island and everything after are almost two different movies. I wouldn't call the opening in New York or the stuff on the Venture dull or overlong, though... In fact, I don't think there's enough of it.
One of my only gripes about the film is that they really hurry the love story between Ann Darrow and Jack Driscoll. However, compared to the original they court each other forever. I seem to remember the original being more of a, "Hey... I think I love you" romance. In the end I still buy the connection and chemistry between Naomi Watts and Adrien Brody, so obviously they did something right.
The cast all do a wonderful job in the movie with no weak performances. People will be most surprised with Jack Black as Denham. In my set reports I described witnessing Jackson guiding Black into hitting the right balance of Tenacious D/ showman over-the-top-ness and a real life character who isn't a big cartoon. Black does an even better job in the movie than I expected him to. There are 2 or 3 moments in the film where I saw Jack Black show through, but he kept that balance throughout. Good thing, too. Denham could be one of the most hated men in film history if we didn't get a glimpse at his humanity.
But the real star of this movie is KONG himself. Once you see the big lug, the picture is his and I think that might be throwing some people who think the main character is Jack Driscoll. Jackson spends the first 1/3 of the film almost developing the humans, with a focus on the three Ds: Denham, Driscoll and Darrow and we do get moments with them scattered throughout Skull Island, but Jackson correctly focuses on Kong and Ann from the moment he swipes her.
The realization of Kong as an effect is only outdone by the realization of him as a character, a lonely soul. He's a mean motherfucker and can be really intimidating, but there's an incredibly tender soul there. Weta captured the essence of Kong's personality as well as trumping their groundbreaking work on Gollum. I don't believe for one second that Kong didn't exist in the frame with Naomi Watts.
The animators and Andy Serkis are to be commended. Everybody involved brought their A-Game, but if this movie makes a billion bucks it will be because of the work of Serkis and the animators. Their work is truly revolutionary and the heart of the movie.
The emotional impact of this film isn't to be understated. If you've ever teared up in a movie, felt the little lip tremble... Let me just say that I haven't cried in a movie since I was a kid (not even during ARMAGEDDON) and while there have been movies that really touched me (like this year's CONSTANT GARDENER) I haven't had the waterworks happen.
There's a scene in Central Park, a quiet moment before the storm while Kong is loose in NYC, that is incredibly touching even if you know what's coming up for our big friend. Especially if you know what's coming up for him. It's a moment of wonder and happiness for Kong. I don't want to know anyone who doesn't let that scene tug at their heart-strings. But that wasn't the moment that started me going, it was the part that set me up for it emotionally.
Shortly after that scene Kong is jumping across the roofs of buildings and in the same far shot we tilt up to get our first glimpse of the Empire State Building, seeing it's massive foundation only a few blocks away. The building is brightly lit, a stark contrast to the dark rooftops where Kong rests. That's when it started for me. Not just damp eyes. Tears. It got to the point where I had to really force myself to quell embarrassing crying noises from those sitting around me. This lasted 'til the end of the film. I had a crying headache after the movie.
That's how well realized Kong is.
The relationship between Ann and Kong is a loving one, but it's executed completely non-sexual. Kong is in love with Ann the same way your dog or cat is in love with you, except with the cognition of near human ability. The facial expressions, the small character ticks... the soul in his eyes... I'm still reeling at how well done the CG was.
Was the whole movie perfect? I wouldn't say that. Like I said before, I wish we had more time to see Ann and Jack fall in love. I also think Jackson overdoes his patented Jackson-cam that works perfectly well when Frodo's being tempted by the ring and even works out really well for a couple of sequences here (I especially liked the usage when revealing the name of the location Denham is taking the crew of the Venture to). I think it's a little overkill during all the Native tussles. Also, Capt. Englehorn is a little over used as the "last minute rescue" character. I love the way Thomas Kretschmann plays him and he's a well designed character, but they pull him out as the ace in the hole one too many times, I think.
I also wish James Newton Howard had some more time with the music. The music in the film is pretty great, especially when we get back to New York, however there is a definite lack of awe and fantasy on Skull Island. That could have been a creative decision. I don't know. It's not bad music at all, it's just understated and not full of the grand adventure a location like Skull Island calls out for. I'm curious to hear that hour that Howard Shore recorded, but on the whole I have to give JNH a lot of credit. He did some fantastic work. Taking into account how little time he had to do the music, it's fricken' genius. Keep in mind this is the first impression from a visual spectacle of a film. I have yet to listen to the soundtrack by itself. I'll also need to see the movie again to actually listen for the music.
There was also this fat extra on the trolly that Kong batters in Times Square that was really distracting. I mean, it's the depression, right? How many soup lines did that fat ass hit a day? I guess Kong couldn't move the trolly much because it was weighed down by that whale. Should have left that douche on the cutting room floor, in my opinion.
Speaking of hitting the cutting room floor, I noticed quite a few scenes missing, like the "Scream! Scream for you life!" scene from the trailer and even more importantly... the Raft sequence is gone. I can't wait to see that one realized as it had my favorite creature in it (one that had the segmented body of a flatworm while in the water, but had crab-like legs when it went up on land, the tail curling up like a scorpion with two stingers on the tail...). There was also an argument between Jack Black and Colin Hanks on board the Venture when Hanks finds the map to Skull Island that I saw shot and I liked a lot.
Speaking of Hanks, his relationship with Black (as his personal assistant) is probably my favorite side character banter. I love Hanks' last moment in the film with Adrien Brody. Again, to keep spoilers out of this piece, I won't give it away, but it's a great little moment.
I want to highlight a few of my favorite scenes before leaving this review. First of all... if you're a fan of the original King Kong, I guarantee you're going to pop a boner (figuratively of course) during the chained Kong scene. There are big nods to the visual style of the original as well as a nice tip of the hat to Max Steiner. Plus Rav'll be happy because Julia (that cute stand-in for Naomi Watts that I talk about in my set reports) gets quite a nice cameo in this scene.
The Rex fight is perhaps one of the best realized action set pieces ever put to film. From the introduction of the Rexs to the way Kong sacrifices his body to agonizing bites in order to protect Ann to the pacing which just builds and builds and builds... It's a fight that isn't just there for the spectacle, but also represents the moment where Ann puts her trust in Kong as not just a giant monster, but as a protector. It's an amazing sequence that got a big applause from the audience.
Everything on top of the Empire State Building is perfect. Note perfect. The moment of peace Kong and Ann share at the top makes me want to cry just thinking back on it. If everything else had failed in the movie, this one sequence would have still made the movie a success.
Anyway, that's my completely biased opinion on the whole thing. It's a lot to take in with one viewing. I can't wait to see it again, but my first impression is that Jackson hit the ball out of the park with this one. It might have wobbled a bit as it was heading for the bleachers, but it not only got there, it arched landed in the parking lot. Kong himself is phenomenal... The scene where Ann realizes how to keep him from ripping her apart as he did the hundreds of sacrificed women before her is brilliant. Without giving it away, let me just say that it could have come off as extremely corny, but instead it came off as heart-warming and funny.
After the film, I left my theater (the Loews #12... the super awesome theater was #13, but we did have Anthony Edwards, Richard Belzer and Donald Trump in our theater... and I think the two older ladies sitting in front of me were Fay Wray's daughters) and headed for the afterparty. It was held on Pier 92 and was attended by what seemed to be a few thousand people.
I have one pic to share with you from the afterparty... Heading into the VIP section was Frank Darabont carrying the original KONG armature, the skeletal structure that is all that remains from Willis O'Brien's '33 Kong. Later on, I ran into Bob Burns, the man who owns the armature, who apparently killed Darabont and dumped the body in the Hudson before reclaiming his treasure. I had to get a picture, since Kong was the star of the night. Ladies and gentlemen... I give you... KONG!
-Quint
