Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29053 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-11-13
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Widescreen, Surround Sound
• Original language: English, French, German
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 192 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The extended version of Peter Jackson's King Kong adds 13 minutes to the running time--fortunately those 13 minutes include two dynamic action scenes and no material has been added to the movie's belaboured set-up, which tries to give depth to these quintessentially b-movie characters with a clumsy patchwork of melodrama and in-jokes. But once movie-maker Carl Denham (Jack Black, School of Rock) and his crew finally arrive at Skull Island, the movie kicks into gear with spectacular action, technical wizardry, and genuine feeling. Though Kong seems crafted to dazzle the eye on the giant screen, the overlong structure improves when you can take an intermission at will. At home, each scene can be approached on its own terms, be it the insanely choreographed battle between Kong and three T. Rexes or the subtle and multi-layered interplay between Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive) and Kong (played, through motion-capture technology, by Andy Serkis, who previously played the similarly animated Gollum in Jackson's Lord of the Rings). The addition of a rampaging ceratops and an underwater race with what the movie's crew dubbed a "piranhadon" not only add more eye candy, but provide some valuable moments of character development. But in the end, that's frosting on the cake; when the movie's weaknesses and strengths are weighed, the emotional power of the fantastical relationship between a woman and a giant ape is a real cinematic achievement. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
King Kong is director Peter Jackson's sprawling, epic remake of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 movie of the same name, and it sees a film crew travel to the mysterious Skull Island, picks up giant gorilla King Kong, and bring him back to 1930s New York City. 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. 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. Extended edition.

Customer Reviews

YAY! All the bits I knew about, put back in!
Now, I'm one of the people eagerly awaiting King Kong at the cinema. I loved the original as a child and was very excited to see a re-newed version of the original monster movie! I wasn't disappointed, I wouldn't say I cherished Peter Jackson films. I tend to think he over does scenes a bit and although I agree that the details in films, make them. He focuses on details that are really irrelevant. I think you cold loose a lot of this film and it would still make sense. Scenes like Ice-skating on a frozen pond, a lot of stuff on the boat and some of the senes that try to build up the 'eerie factor' with bit characters like 'Hayes' and 'Jimmy'.
However, I always enjoy the film and now we have an extra 13 minutes. Luckily, there aren't any extra talking. Pure action baby!

The scenes added, are as followed.

One excellent scene is with a Piranadon!!! A enormous carnivourus fish. This is one I was really looking forward to in the cinema, but for some reason was cut out. One thing a bit lame about it, is Peter Jackson's rubbish underwater shots. You can tell the actors been held up to a fan machine, completely dry, pretending to be swimming. Mr. Jackson did this in one of the Lord of the Rings movies. It's just lazy, yet probably cost them more money! The Piranadon is really really really cool though!

Another is a scene involving a Triceratops! Which mangles many of the sailors that ventured out into th jungle to save Anne.

Then there are a sattering of extra bits and smaller scenes that feature - Dodo's, water scorpions, a bit more bugs and a bit more kong. overall, great additions!

I would advise any fans to get this, although they probably already have. This is a very good film before, now its even better! One thing I was disappointed with was the packaging! LAME! come on Universal, do something special! Anyway, Buy it!

all NEW extras
Just thought I'd do a short review to stress that all the extras on this set are BRAND NEW for this release and arn't a duplication of the stuff on the 2-Disk release. In fact, if you want the whole lot you'll have to buy the 2-Disk release, this set and the Peter Jackson diarys but its recommended for film students and anyone interested in how a film production works because never before has there been such an indepth look at a film is made, from its conception to final release and lots more besides. Also theres loads of fascinating info about how the film was planned to be made BEFORE Lord of the Rings but fell through thanks to another studio making Mighty Joe Young, the original ideas Jackson had for the first Kong film were so different to the one he eventually made and its amazing to hear all about it.

Also theres a featurette all about the homages to the original Kong movie which are present in the remake, did you know that Jackson owns props from the original film and dotted them about the set on his movie, watch the featurette and see what they are!

Personally I liked the new Kong film and think it got a quiet reception merely because it was, understandably, overshadowed still by the Lord Of The Rings films, its a most enjoyable romp and although theres not a great deal of footage added to this directors cut, the scenes that are added are really good and theres loads of additional scenes to watch in the extras which werent included in the directors cut, so basically this dvd has loads of extra footage...but Jackson decided to stick most in with the extras instead of pad the film out too much.

Its a very nice set and whilst I agree with another reviewers comments that the packaging isnt as nice as the Lord Of The RIngs special editions, the Disk contents are just as good and the box, inlays have lovely artwork..still head and shoulders above many special editions!

Kong is STILL King!

Great Speciel Extended Edition from P. Jackson!
I waited a long time for this movie to be released in an extended edition with extra material, and now its finally here. The movie is not significantly better with the extra scenes, but they are interesting to see if you are a fan. As usual the extra material is excellent with hours and hours of interesting documentaries and artwork.

With that said, I find it irretating that the movie is split up with the first 72 minutes on the first disc(plus some more extra materials), and with the rest of the movie on disc 2(plus more extra). Disc 3 is devoted entirely to extramaterials. Why not put the entire movie on disc one, and all the rest on the two remaining discs?
On top of that the packaging is awful! You could easily mistake this for a National Geagraphic documentary on gorillas, since the cover is just a picture of Kong on a black background. There is no booklet either to guide you through chapters and the tons of extramaterial.
I had hoped for something like the LOTR-Special Edition packaging, but unfortunately not!

But as said before, the movie is fantastic, exciting and scary, with great actors, special effects and another directorial job well done by Peter Jackson!!