Lord of the King Kongs
I just got back from a showing of Peter Jackson's King Kong at George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic screening room, part of the new ILM complex at the old Presidio Army base in San Francisco, and... Holy Christ! What a thrill ride! I don't remember when I've been so excited, so enchanted, so startled and amazed and awed or when I squirmed in my seat more than I just did for the last three hours. Certainly Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy had plenty of that, with his unbelievable special effects crew working their particular magic, but King Kong has even those films beat for pure, sustained excitement that grabs you by the throat once the camera crew reaches Skull Island and doesn't let you go until the final scene of the movie. It's a heart-pounding roller coaster ride that achieves the excitement and spectacle that every Saturday movie serial strove for since cinema began -- in spades.
Jackson's version stays true to the story of the 1933 original, while simultaneously updating it with its fantastic effects. The lush, terrifying otherworldliness of Skull Island both repels and draws in the viewer at once, its collection of dangerous and deadly animals and insects enough to make even strong men gasp and jump back in their seats a number of times.
Andy Serkis, who fleshed out the CGI-created Gollum in LotR, is the physical force behind Kong, and his work is extraordinary. This Kong is light-years removed from the original stop-motion model, and far surpasses anything even the great Ray Harryhausen created in his storied career.
Naomi Watts plays actress Ann Darrow, the role that Fay Wray made famous, and she is outstanding. Luminescent. (Full disclosure: I have been in love with her ever since I first saw her in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. Still.) She can express so much in her face and her eyes with just the slightest gestures, without saying a word. If she ever once looked at me the way she looks at Kong in some of their scenes together, I could die happy at that moment. That is one lucky damn gorilla.
Jack Black, as filmmaker Carl Denham, actually underplays it a bit (at least, for Jack Black). He portrays an archetypal man of the '20s and '30s, the larger-than-life adventurer/explorer/huckster out to conquer the world and shower himself in fame and glory with his outlandish exploits. As the love-struck writer Jack Driscoll, Adrien Brody makes a good foil to Denham, with his serious demeanor and firm resolve to do the right thing no matter what.
Together, they make movie magic, unlike anything since... well, since Lord of the Rings. This is a true popcorn movie that is really worth its salt. If you care about movies at all, you simply must go and see this film.
(And just a note about the ILM screening room: Big thanks to my friend, DGA member Marty, for inviting me to experience it with him. It's huge, bigger than many regular theaters; the screen is enormous; the seats large and comfortable, with lots of leg-room; the sound is state of the art. Easily the best facility of its kind in SF, better than the one at Dolby Labs, better than Delancey Street or the Variety on Market. I'd like to see every film there from now on. Plus, there's a life-sized Darth Vader in the lobby, which is totally cool.)
Jackson's version stays true to the story of the 1933 original, while simultaneously updating it with its fantastic effects. The lush, terrifying otherworldliness of Skull Island both repels and draws in the viewer at once, its collection of dangerous and deadly animals and insects enough to make even strong men gasp and jump back in their seats a number of times.
Andy Serkis, who fleshed out the CGI-created Gollum in LotR, is the physical force behind Kong, and his work is extraordinary. This Kong is light-years removed from the original stop-motion model, and far surpasses anything even the great Ray Harryhausen created in his storied career.
Naomi Watts plays actress Ann Darrow, the role that Fay Wray made famous, and she is outstanding. Luminescent. (Full disclosure: I have been in love with her ever since I first saw her in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. Still.) She can express so much in her face and her eyes with just the slightest gestures, without saying a word. If she ever once looked at me the way she looks at Kong in some of their scenes together, I could die happy at that moment. That is one lucky damn gorilla.
Jack Black, as filmmaker Carl Denham, actually underplays it a bit (at least, for Jack Black). He portrays an archetypal man of the '20s and '30s, the larger-than-life adventurer/explorer/huckster out to conquer the world and shower himself in fame and glory with his outlandish exploits. As the love-struck writer Jack Driscoll, Adrien Brody makes a good foil to Denham, with his serious demeanor and firm resolve to do the right thing no matter what.
Together, they make movie magic, unlike anything since... well, since Lord of the Rings. This is a true popcorn movie that is really worth its salt. If you care about movies at all, you simply must go and see this film.
(And just a note about the ILM screening room: Big thanks to my friend, DGA member Marty, for inviting me to experience it with him. It's huge, bigger than many regular theaters; the screen is enormous; the seats large and comfortable, with lots of leg-room; the sound is state of the art. Easily the best facility of its kind in SF, better than the one at Dolby Labs, better than Delancey Street or the Variety on Market. I'd like to see every film there from now on. Plus, there's a life-sized Darth Vader in the lobby, which is totally cool.)
posted by Generik at 10:46 PM
<< Home