Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20726 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-04-10
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Box set, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Arabic, Icelandic
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 179 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Movies don't come any bigger than Peter Jackson's King Kong, a three-hour remake of the 1933 classic that marries breathtaking visual prowess with a surprising emotional depth. Expanding on the original story of the blonde beauty and the beast who falls for her, Jackson creates a movie spectacle that matches his Lord of the Rings films and even at times evokes their fantasy world while celebrating the glory of '30s Hollywood. Naomi Watts stars as Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress down on her luck in Depression-era New York until manic filmmaker Carl Denham (a game but miscast Jack Black) entices her with a lead role. Dazzled by the genius of screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), Ann boards the tramp steamer S.S. Venture, which she--and most of the wary crew--believes is headed for Singapore. Denham, however, is in search of the mythic Skull Island, hoping to capture its wonders on film and make a fortune. What he didn't count on were some scary natives who find that the comely Darrow looks like prime sacrifice material for a mysterious giant creature....

There's no point in rehashing the entire plot, as every movie aficionado is more than familiar with the trajectory of King Kong; the challenge facing Jackson, his screenwriters, and the phenomenal visual-effects team was to breathe new life into an old, familiar story. To that degree, they achieve what could be best called a qualified success. Though they've assembled a crackerjack supporting cast, including Thomas Kretschmann as the Venture's hard-bitten captain and young Jamie Bell as a plucky crewman, the first third of the movie is rather labored, with too much minute detail given over to sumptuous re-creations of '30s New York and the unexciting initial leg of the Venture's sea voyage. However, once the film finds its way to Skull Island (which bears more than a passing resemblance to LOTR's Mordor), Kong turns into a dazzling movie triumph, by turns terrifying and awe-inspiring. The choreography and execution of the action set pieces--including one involving Kong and a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes, as well as another that could be charitably described as a bug-phobic's nightmare--is nothing short of landmark filmmaking, and a certain Mr. Spielberg should watch his back, as Kong trumps most anything that has come before it.

Despite the visual challenges of King Kong, the movie's most difficult hurdle is the budding romance between Ann and her simian soulmate. Happily, this is where Jackson unqualifiedly triumphs, as this unorthodox love story is tenderly and humorously drawn, by turns sympathetic and wondrous. Watts, whose accessibility balances out her almost otherworldly loveliness, works wonders with mere glances, and Andy Serkis, who digitally embodies Kong here much as he did Gollum in the LOTR films, breathes vibrant life into the giant star of the film without ever overplaying any emotions. The final, tragic act of the film, set mostly atop the Empire State Building, is where Kong earns its place in movie history as a work that celebrates both the technical and emotional heights that film can reach. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com

Synopsis
Despite his origins as a low-budget filmmaker with a taste for the unsavoury side of life, Peter Jackson has turned into an event filmmaker someone who can conjure up a movie on a scale unlike anything we've seen before. KING KONG is his sprawling, epic remake of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 movie of the same name, and it is as big as the gorilla that runs riot through Jackson's rendering of Depression-era New York. Keeping the simple yet effective plot intact a film crew travels to the mysterious Skull Island, picks up Kong, and brings him back to New York City Jackson expands on this basic premise by drawing on the jaw-dropping talents of his special effects team to satisfy his thirst for the grand spectacle. The movie posits Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow, the starry-eyed blonde beauty whom Kong falls for; Jack Black as Carl Denham, a low-rent Orson Welles look-alike who drags the crew to the island to make his movie; and Adrian Brody as Jack Driscoll, a hack playwright who battles Kong both physically and for Darrow's heart. As the men struggle against Kong and the lumbering dinosaurs of Skull Island, Andy Serkis, who made the character of Gollum so believable in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, steps in to form the facial features of the mighty gorilla, lending a real emotional sucker-punch to the scenes between Darrow and Kong. But it's the final third of the movie where Jackson really delivers; his 1930s New York is stunning, and when Kong breaks free from his shackles and stampedes on a lovelorn trek through the city, then iconically climbs the Empire State Building with his sweetheart, it's impossible to not be swept away by the sheer beauty and sadness of the moment. While its three-hour length may prove daunting to some, the payoff in Jackson's KING KONG is ultimately worth it, proving once again that he is a director of breathtaking vision.

Customer Reviews

Better than expected....
I must admit, when I saw this at the cinema I wasn't what you would call excited... In fact we only saw Kong as the film we went to see was not on!
But I was sooo wrong. I was absolutely blown away from start to finish. It is beautifully directed and shot and I love Jack Black in this film. Naomi Watts was perfect in her role, she has the doey eyed look of a female in distress down to a tee.
I know some people must be thinking "It's just another re-make" and I thought that at first but honestly, this is a moving, exciting and thrilling re-make. Most probably the best re-make I have ever seen. Three hours flew by and I wanted the film to go on....
Peter Jackson shows his strengths in this feature and I hope he carries on making pictures as truly wonderful as this.

King Pong
Oh dear me. I went to see this in the cinema and I've seen it several times on DVD and I've really tried to like it but no...it's still a waste of time and not a patch on the original. Far too long with action scenes that go on for so long that they drain all the initial excitement they had out of them, and with a largely unappealing cast (the lovely Naomi Watts aside) you'll be willing the planes to hurry up and finish the big galoot off at the end so you can do something more interesting instead.

I started to hate the movie around about the time Naomi did her vaudeville turn in front of KK and then he started to react to her clowning: it smacked off we've been on a gorilla interaction course and we are gonna use it. And yes the gorilla in this movie walks like a gorilla rather than upright as the 1933 Kong did but so what? Are we meant to be impressed by that? It's a minor detail nothing more - the original Kong was much better: he came in, kicked the living bejeesus out of everyone, leered over and terrified the maiden, and took the skydive off the Empire State all in about 90 minutes. This Kong overstays his welcome. He's like a huffy boyfriend in a troubled relationship with Naomi most of the time - it would be interesting to see their Relate sessions.

The film also records unbelievably the worst day of Kong's life: he not only gets involved in a 3 T-Rex smack down and has people trying to shoot him every 5 minutes but has to contend with vampire bats nibbling at his vitals while the drippy hero steals his gal. It's too too much Mr Jackson: ever heard of editing occasionally? And now apparently there is an extended edition - heaven help us.

And can someone please explain how a 25ft gorilla weighing several tons is able to skate on the very thin ice of a Central Park pond? A true Arctic Monkey. This scene was trying to be cute but will only make u feel queasy with an insulted intelligence.

Other dreadful things about it:

Billy Elliott is in it - I have no idea why.
The insect bit: so long make a cup of tea during this bit. Or two.
Jack Black: he cannot act.
Naomi dangling over the edge of the Empire State building looking perfectly calm because she is in the hairy paw of her loved one: it's still a 1000 ft drop shouldn't she be slightly concerned?

AVOID

Certianly NOT the 8th wonder
Over dramatic, Heavy handed, Shall I go on?, Less is more is certainly a phrase alien to Peter Jackson, King Kong is the movie equivalent to being smashed over the head with a sledge hammer, the viewer must be beaten down with overplayed visual info, he can't understand simple things, Like, were all going to Skull Island, best make every rock, pebble, and Stone look like a Skull, Skulls everywere!, Yeah Ok He's getting it now, Skull Island!!!. Throw in a charmless script seemingly written by an 8 year old. Half the time you could predict what the next line was going to be, also Destroy the viewers suspension of disbelief by conjuring some of the most ridiculous action scene's ever, especially the T-Rex fight, I had a curious feeling I was watching the WWWF, all shot from a special angle designed to get rid of all sense of scale and were getting a pretty bad film.
Not everything is awful, the final scenes in New York are competent and beautifully visualized but generally with flat acting, an average humorless overly dramatic script and a bombardment of the most over the top CGI and youve got something that although might be an interesting night out at the cinema is something that doesn't stand any kind of scrutiny. If you like action and monsters you'll get something from this, If your wanting something a little more from youre films avoid this self indulgent mess, were as the original King Kong still stands as an unforgettable Movie this will be consigned to the bargain bucket of history.