King Kong (2005)
6.881 /10
7594 Reviews
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In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with the leading lady.
Videos & Photos
cast
... Ann Darrow
... Carl Denham
... Jack Driscoll
... Kong / Lumpy
... Preston
User reviews
They just couldn't leave him on his island could they...
King Kong is directed by Peter Jackson and Jackson co-writes the screenplay with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. It's based on a story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace. It stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Andy Serkis, Evan Parke, Jamie Bell and Kyle Chandler. Music is by James Newton Howard and cinematography by Andrew Lesnie.
After completing the hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson turned his attentions to a reimaging of that daddy of classic creature features, King Kong. With all the new tools of the trade to hand, Jackson set about making a Kong film full of love and respect the original from 1933, whilst obviously making his own beast as it were. Story remains the same, mankind sets off to a fabled place known as Skull Island, there they find beasties not of this world, not least a gigantic mountain of a gorilla. They stupidly bring him back to America for money making exercises and things go really bad. The End.
I have personally found it most interesting re-watching the film nearly 15 years since its release, especially given we have not long had a different Kong reboot with "Kong: Skull Island" in 2017. For the differences, for better or worse depending on your proclivities in Kongdom, are enormous. Kong: Skull Island is a no brain adventure yarn, high on action but low on intelligence, but it does know it. Jackson's Kong aspired to be much more cerebral, and for the most part it achieves it. Sadly it takes a whopping 3 hours to reveal its intentions, which was a problem to many back in 2005, and is still a hindrance sitting down to watch it these days - this even knowing and preparing once again for how long it is. Frustratingly there's a great film in the mix just crying out for an hour of extraneous filler and clunky dialogue to be jettisoned.
Once set up has been achieved in the first hour, we finally get to Skull Island and it's an absolute technical treat. The look is fantastic, the turn of events as Kong and his acolytes have been introduced is terrific. From here it's creature feature mayhem, the beauty and the beast aspect kicks into gear, and it's all very comforting, thrilling even - with one exception. A dinosaur stampede looks ridiculous, the blend of human actors and CGI is so poor it belies the money spent on the effects for this production. That aside, though, the action sequences are electric, particularly the monster mash ups. Yet the quite reflective periods on Skull Island really strike a chord as well, just sections where Kong and Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) are chilling out together, taking in the landscape that money mad men want to take Kong away from...
Then it's back to The States and carnage ensues, culminating in a brilliantly staged last quarter of film, where all that superb period detail gets obliterated during the battle between man and beast, and where even now I'm rooting for Kong to win! As the tenderness of the Beauty and the Beast arc subsides - and it is beautiful - it's then that you once again know that Jackson was too indulgent. His cast were on form, Serkis as Kong a revelation, this is a great picture at times, a real treat in High Definition, if only someone had fronted him up to not over indulge. For then we might have a 9/10 movie as opposed to a bloated 7/10 one.
Director:
Writer:
Philippa Boyens (Writer)
Fran Walsh (Writer)
Peter Jackson (Writer)
Merian C. Cooper (Original Concept)
Edgar Wallace (Original Concept)
Release Date:
2005-12-12
Run Time:
187 min
MMPA Rating:
PG-13
Reviews of
King Kong
They just couldn't leave him on his island could they...
King Kong is directed by Peter Jackson and Jackson co-writes the screenplay with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. It's based on a story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace. It stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Andy Serkis, Evan Parke, Jamie Bell and Kyle Chandler. Music is by James Newton Howard and cinematography by Andrew Lesnie.
After completing the hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson turned his attentions to a reimaging of that daddy of classic creature features, King Kong. With all the new tools of the trade to hand, Jackson set about making a Kong film full of love and respect the original from 1933, whilst obviously making his own beast as it were. Story remains the same, mankind sets off to a fabled place known as Skull Island, there they find beasties not of this world, not least a gigantic mountain of a gorilla. They stupidly bring him back to America for money making exercises and things go really bad. The End.
I have personally found it most interesting re-watching the film nearly 15 years since its release, especially given we have not long had a different Kong reboot with "Kong: Skull Island" in 2017. For the differences, for better or worse depending on your proclivities in Kongdom, are enormous. Kong: Skull Island is a no brain adventure yarn, high on action but low on intelligence, but it does know it. Jackson's Kong aspired to be much more cerebral, and for the most part it achieves it. Sadly it takes a whopping 3 hours to reveal its intentions, which was a problem to many back in 2005, and is still a hindrance sitting down to watch it these days - this even knowing and preparing once again for how long it is. Frustratingly there's a great film in the mix just crying out for an hour of extraneous filler and clunky dialogue to be jettisoned.
Once set up has been achieved in the first hour, we finally get to Skull Island and it's an absolute technical treat. The look is fantastic, the turn of events as Kong and his acolytes have been introduced is terrific. From here it's creature feature mayhem, the beauty and the beast aspect kicks into gear, and it's all very comforting, thrilling even - with one exception. A dinosaur stampede looks ridiculous, the blend of human actors and CGI is so poor it belies the money spent on the effects for this production. That aside, though, the action sequences are electric, particularly the monster mash ups. Yet the quite reflective periods on Skull Island really strike a chord as well, just sections where Kong and Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) are chilling out together, taking in the landscape that money mad men want to take Kong away from...
Then it's back to The States and carnage ensues, culminating in a brilliantly staged last quarter of film, where all that superb period detail gets obliterated during the battle between man and beast, and where even now I'm rooting for Kong to win! As the tenderness of the Beauty and the Beast arc subsides - and it is beautiful - it's then that you once again know that Jackson was too indulgent. His cast were on form, Serkis as Kong a revelation, this is a great picture at times, a real treat in High Definition, if only someone had fronted him up to not over indulge. For then we might have a 9/10 movie as opposed to a bloated 7/10 one.
05 is the worst of the Kong movies, mainly because it tries to do way too much. It tries to be epic, and because it tries to be epic it drags. DRAGS.
Watching through it, there is about an hour and a half that I would cut, mostly because it's not necessary for a movie like this. There was character development... but too much of it. There was plot, but too much of it.
If the movie was trimmed down with an eye to making it flow, it would have been decent. But instead they let it run too long with with not enough happening in it to be an exciting monster movie.
The result was kind of a drag.
Cast & Crew of
King Kong
Cast
... Ann Darrow
... Carl Denham
... Jack Driscoll
... Kong / Lumpy
... Preston
... Captain Englehorn
... Jimmy
... Bruce Baxter
... Hayes
... Choy
... Herb
... Mike
... Venture Crew
... Manny
... Weston
... Harry
... Maude
... Taps
... Zelman
... Thuggish Executive
... Sleazy Executive
... Studio Guy's Assistant
... Young Assistant
... Fruit Vendor
... Venture Crew
... Venture Crew
... Venture Crew
... Venture Crew
... Venture Crew
... Venture Crew
... Venture Crew
... Venture Crew
... Old Security Guard
... Hooverville Child
... Theatre Actor
... New York Theatre Goer
... NY Child
... Venture Crew
... Venture Crew - Helmsman
... Venture Crew - Crewman
... Venture Crew
... Laughing Man
... Photographer
... Photographer
... Photographer
... New York Citizen (uncredited)
... Biplane gunner
... NY Child
Crew
... Casting
... Original Music Composer
... Casting
... Costume Design
... Production Design
... Producer
... Director of Photography
... Producer
... Director
... Original Music Composer
... Producer
... Casting
... Original Music Composer
... Editor
... Sound Designer
... Sound Designer
... Casting
... Producer
... Animation
... Stunts
... Visual Effects
... Art Direction
... 3D Supervisor
... Art Department Manager
... Script Supervisor
... Assistant Costume Designer
... Script Supervisor
... Art Direction
... Supervising Art Director
... Armorer
... Choreographer
... Art Department Coordinator
... Costume Supervisor
... Hair Designer
... Makeup Designer
... Set Decoration
... Assistant Art Director
... Post Production Supervisor
... Projection
... Special Effects Coordinator
... Sound Editor
... Visual Effects Producer
... First Assistant Camera
... Carpenter
... Dialect Coach
... Propmaker
... Telecine Colorist
... First Assistant Director
... Gaffer
... Set Decoration
... Location Scout
... Set Costumer
... CGI Supervisor
... Visual Effects Coordinator
... Sequence Leads
... Camera Operator
... Craft Service
... Digital Effects Supervisor
... Color Timer
... Lighting Technician
... Visual Effects
... Associate Producer
... Steadicam Operator
... CG Supervisor
... Script Supervisor
... Publicist
... Production Sound Mixer
... Additional Editing
... Greensman
... Sculptor
... Set Designer
... Aerial Director of Photography
... Software Engineer
... Utility Stunts
... Creature Design
... Animation
... Thanks
... Construction Coordinator
... Painter
... Unit Publicist
... Animation Supervisor
... Motion Capture Artist
... Boom Operator
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Machinist
... Co-Producer
... Unit Production Manager
... First Assistant Sound Editor
... Set Decoration
... Conceptual Design
... Stand In
... Visual Effects Editor
... Production Manager
... Sound Engineer
... Unit Manager
... Sound Recordist
... ADR Supervisor
... Still Photographer
... Transportation Coordinator
... First Assistant Editor
... Supervising Sound Editor
... Dolby Consultant
... Standby Painter
... Key Grip
... Grip
... Property Master
... Rigging Gaffer
... Location Manager
... Sound Effects Editor
... Digital Compositors
... Co-Producer
... Construction Foreman
... Makeup Artist
... Systems Administrators & Support
... Best Boy Electric
... Electrician
... Production Coordinator
... Orchestrator
... Lead Painter
... Hairstylist
... Music Editor
... Set Dresser
... Set Medic
... Dialogue Editor
... Conceptual Design
... Stunt Coordinator
... Animation
... Digital Compositor
... Hair Supervisor
... Foley Recordist
... Supervising Music Editor
... Matte Painter
... Researcher
... VFX Director of Photography
... Visual Effects Production Assistant
... Extras Casting Coordinator
... Additional Second Assistant Director
... Stunt Double
... Casting Assistant
... Assistant Production Coordinator
... Production Assistant
... Third Assistant Director
... Assistant Grip
... Lead Animator
... Music Consultant
... Rotoscoping Artist
... Animation Technical Director
... Senior Animator
... Color Grading
... Digital Intermediate Assistant
... Digital Intermediate Editor
... Music Coordinator
... Costumer
... Second Unit Director
... Draughtsman
... Data Wrangler
... Location Assistant
... Accountant
... Second Assistant Director
... Second Second Assistant Director
... Title Designer
... ADR Mixer
... ADR Recordist
... Focus Puller
... Assistant Accountant
... Creature Technical Director
... Dialogue Coach
... Production Executive
... ADR Editor
... Senior Visual Effects Supervisor
... Clapper Loader
... CG Artist
... Extras Casting
... Costume Coordinator
... Vocals
... VFX Artist
... Best Boy Grip
... Helicopter Camera
... Post Production Coordinator
... Conductor
... Production Runner
... Costume Assistant
... Second Assistant Camera
... Assistant Editor
... Digital Colorist
... Digital Effects Producer
... Extras Dresser
... Assistant Makeup Artist
... Assistant Dialogue Editor
... Camera Trainee
... Animation Director
... Graphic Designer
... Special Effects Assistant
... Special Effects Technician
... Additional Visual Effects
... Visual Effects Production Manager
... Dolly Grip
... Assistant Script
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Supervising Sound Editor
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... Animation Director
... Animation
... Foley Artist
... Stunts
... Creature Design
... Writer
... Writer
... Writer
... First Assistant Camera
... Creature Technical Director
... Musician
... Makeup Effects
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Coordinator
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Original Concept
... Original Concept
... Makeup Supervisor
... Casting
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... Stunt Coordinator
... Stunt Coordinator
... Special Effects Coordinator
... Sound Designer
... Sound Editor
... Sound Editor
... Sound Editor
... Sound Editor
... Foley Supervisor
... Foley Editor
... Foley Editor
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Visual Effects Supervisor
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