KING KONG review

I heard about the “slow” 1st act, but had no problems with all the pre-Venture setup. I loved the introduction of Kong and Ann’s first scenes with him (actually all their scenes together). I liked the angle of having Kong be much more ape-like in his acting, and congrats should go to Andy Serkis who will go largely unheralded again I’m sure (anyone in the know knows that Gollum’s acting was really Andy’s, same with Kong). I certainly will be pounding my chest a helluva of a lot from now on. Totally love the quick chest pound Kong gives before taking on the last V-Rex.

…Seeing them slide around the corner showed me that WETA hasn’t improved their skill since the flooding of Isengard, as both effects have the same flaws. However, I heard that PJ rushed Kong into release and was editing it up until a few days before it opened. Still, it looked comical, and the whole scene could have been much shorter. Is there any need for a movie to borrow the ‘raptor scene from Jurassic Park still?

…If you’ve seen the LOTR movies, then there’s no mistaking that Peter Jackson is the director of KONG as well. … I love his sweeping camera shots (thank you CGI) and his close-up emotional shots of characters’ faces, but I can’t stand the way he edits fight scenes and most of all can’t stand his use of slow motion for almost every dramatic moment. … in real-time in the face of the oncoming bi-planes, I think it would have had more impact than the slo-mo shot used by PJ. This is one credit to Lucas as a director, there is not a single slo-mo shot in all of SW.

Once back in New York I had a lump in my throat the whole time, even though I of course knew how it would all end. … I think pretty much every time Kong pounded his chest I did so in my seat as well. Hell, I even swooped my hand to catch Ann during the V-Rex fight scene because I knew it was coming having seen the trailer multiple times.

…Like many though that refuse to be controlled, refuse to quiet the animal inside of them, in the World of Men such beings are not allowed to exist.

RELATED POSTS:

• LOST 6×07 “Dr. Linus”
• INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS [2009] review
• UP [2009] review
• FAST & FURIOUS [2009] review
• TERMINATOR SALVATION [2009] review