King Kong: Good Flick Won't Save Hollywood

Hollywood suffers. It's hard to get weepy when they put out such mindless, violent, negative ney-bob stuff. What do they expect?

Will King Kong save this sad sack bunch? The short answer: no. That's not to say the movie isn't worth going to, because it's great.

King Kong soars in a majestic, 40s-era Humphry Bogart kinda-way. In fact, when Director Peter Jackson closes in on Anne Darrow's (Naomi Watts) tear-filled eyes my mind wandered back to Casablanca and Ingrid Bergman staring up into her soulmate's eyes, except this time it is a monster gorilla instead of a barkeep.

The camera work, with mega-tight close-ups, are all the more breathtaking when the viewer stops to think about the fact that most of what she is watching on the film is computer generated. Not only do the eyes of man and beast reveal character, they reveal unbelievable advances in the special effects field. George Lucas needs to move over, Peter Jackson is King of CG.

But here is where I have a bone to pick with my dear Mr. Jackson. Sometimes the extravagent effects sequences slowed down the action. This sounds counter-intuitive, I know. The thought actually passed through my mind (and this could only happen in Mr. Jackson's films so this might be pickier than the film deserves), "Okay, okay, the bugs are bad. Where is King Kong?"

This Kong is set in both New York City during the depression and on King Kong's home, Skull Island--which is somewhere out there in the fog. Ms. Darrow, a vaudvillian actor needing a job and without a single soul in the world to rely on during tough times, finds herself employed by director Carl Denhim (Jack Black) and on the ship to shoot the movie with her favorite playwright Jack Driscoll (Adrian Brody).

Adrian Brody, Naomi Watts and Andy Serkis who plays King Kong brought depth to what could have turned into a fluffy effects film. Mr. Brody conveyed humor, strength, courage and compassion while swinging from tree-tops and writing in the bowels of the boat where he found himself stuck. Andy Serkis needs an Academy Award category all to himself. Naomi Watts needs mood enhancers, her Anne Darrow reads so believably alone yet hopeful. When Carl says to her, "You have to play the part, you're the saddest girl I ever met", I wondered if Ms. Watts truly felt that sad in her life. She has me believing.

Fortunately for me and the reset of the audience, my sister joined us to watch. She screams and oohs and ahhs in all the right places and caused more than a few people close to us to leave their seats by going airborn in fright. She wasn't alone in her screeches of horror, however. The movie boast plenty of heart-stopping moments. Huge T-Rexes, every kind of creeping critter and ground shaking approaches designed to scare you into eye coverage. It works.

One scene, that felt long in a good way comes near the end of the flick. King Kong discovers an iced pond. His shared delight with Anne lights up the screen in childish wonder. Harkening back to earlier in the film where Anne must literally dance for her life, Jackson captures the enigmatic nature of friendship and the kizmet when two people truly share their hearts.

King Kong references so many movies they literally leapt at me from the screen: Casablanca, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Master and Commander, and just about all the WWII movies you've ever seen. I get the feeling Peter Jackson thinks, "Man, I liked that film but it should have been done this way." Most of the time, his way is definitely better.

You'll like this movie. It's intense though. Kids under 12-13 might truly be freaked out. Big kids might be, too. Just leave your phobias at home. Mr. Jackson exploits nearly every one.