tacomantt

Yeah, lets hope Peter Jackson and Kevin Costner don't ever team up.

SINGLE104

I think after making The Lord Of The Ring films, he feels compelled to make movies three hours long, or more from now on. If his next project going to be three hours, I will be very suspicious.

Hokeyboy

A good movie, for sure, but definitely not a classic, far from excellent, and not even VERY good. It was too long. And don't give me this "oh modern audiences can't take long movies" because that sure as hell didn't seem to deter TITANIC one darn bit. Two of my favorite top 5 movies of all time are SEVEN SAMURAI and LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, and those go well over the 3 hour mark. Those films sustain their running times throughout. Kong does not.

Personally, I could have done without the dino stampede, the bug scene, the unnecessary padding and exposition on the boat, the slow-mo "angelic Ann meets Kong on the NY street" scene (which garnered a TON of unintentional laughter from the sold-out crowd I saw it with), as well as done some judicious trimming on the Empire State building, the V-Rex fights, etc.. When Kong fell, someone in the audience blurted out "FINALLY!" and the theater erupted with laughter. While I'm not a fan of that kind of self-important interjection in movie theaters AT ALL, I have to admit to agreeing with the sentiment.

I did like KING KONG, and loved MANY things about it, but it could have been a great movie. I felt like I was watching the "Extended Edition" without seeing the theatrical cut. I'd give it ***, maybe ***1/2, out of *****. I'd have to see it again.

More tightly edited, it could have gone as high as ****.

But what do I know? I for groin

Josh H

I had very little problems with the length. The only stuff I'd cut/shorten would be the stampede scene and the bug scene as they ran a little long, and cut the whole Jimmy character as there was a lot of build up on him and they do nothing with him.

But for me those are very minor nitpicks in a great film.

ChrisKnudsen

Keeping this thread alive!:

DVD King

I thought it was decent. My only big problems with it were Jackson's insistence on going overboard every chance he gets, that film school line of thought about drawing out from a scene as much as you possibly can. The best example is probably that brontosaurus stampede, with all the key actors miracolously running along fine while the ship members get tossed around. Then those raptors, or whatever they are, that looked like they were made for use in a TV series, getting kicked around by the actors while they're running full speed. And all those times where naomi watts is being handled and doesn't even receive a bruise. Her arms should have been dislocated the moment kong took her off the bridge when she was tied down.

My problem with Jackson is the way he obviously bends and manipulates everything to make it work in the scene. You can see examples everywhere--like at the end when Kong breaks out of the theater. There's cars and people running around for 10 minutes, so that Kong has a chance to throw them around and create tension. Then moments later when Brody is cornered, the girl shows up, and the streets are completely desolate with not a single soul around.

I would have more respect for the film if some scenes were toned down or just plainly cut out. I agree with whoever said it felt like a director's cut. Still I thought it was an enjoyable film.

Movies-2-Go

I just got back from watching it a second time. In looking at it in a different theatre I think the CGI looked better this time around, I would have shorten the bug scene but added the raft scene which I heard he filmed but cut. This was one of my favorite scenes from the original. In short I can't wait until it makes its way to DVD, yes, it's not a perfect film and others have brought up good pionts on what wasn't perfect but it still was enjoyable.

milo bloom

We saw this yesterday, and I can't think of a single moment to cut. The three hours just flew by. Dinosaur stampedes, killer cockroaches, the V-rex brawl, a scantily clad blonde running around screaming her head off. This, ladies and gentleman, is cinema. Add to that the fact that mankind would put rainbows in a zoo if we could*, this is a wonderful film, touching and scary, funny and sad, I can't wait for the DVD, esp if there's even more good stuff put back in.


*from Calvin and Hobbes

Buttmunker

It wasn't what I hoped it would be. Visually, of course, it was stunning. My favorite was the Empire State Building scenes - just...wow! Breathtaking.

Too many scenes on Skull Island bugged me (no pun intended) -- the actors were too casual running from the Brontos during their stampede. They took it all in stride, instead of being frozen in place by paralyzing fear. Carl Denham was concerned for his camera, for sure, but in a matter of life and death, would he really be clutching it or would he have dropped it and have been a drooling idiot with fear? I think the latter.

Also, the fact that the captain of the ship found them not only once, but twice! on this huge island -- just in the nick of time, too!! So, their lack of real fear and impeccible timing for rescue are my issues with this movie.

Pointyskull

I believe all the people run off afraid for their lives after seeing a GIANT GORILLA...

DVD King

Thanks for completely missing my point.

Save Ferris

I think I get your point. He does that on Skull Island when the villagers are there (1000s of them?) and then when it comes to capturing Kong they are all extinct. Surely that many tribesmen wouldnt be afraid of 30 men with 'boombsticks'? On their home turf?

After they served their purpose, they were disposed of in the plot.

animalmystic

First and foremost, Naomi Watts deserves an Oscan for her performance in this movie. Her interaction with something that wasn't even there was simply breathtaking. Her emotion, looks, feelings were nothing but amazing. One of the best performances I have ever seen.

Damn there are some serious Peter Jackson meat riders in this post, shit if I say anything negative I might get crucified, oh well fuck it......

Saw the movie on Monday and loved it!!!! Not a big fan of the LotR Trology, just because i am not into that type of genre. I do respect the movies for there technical achievements/story/direction/characters, but like I said don't like the genre much.

Anywho, I had only minor gripes with the movie (most already posted below by Matt below) I do feel some of the scenes were over the top, but thats what made them so fucking cool. The fight with the dinos, the action on the island, the showdown in the streets, Watts interaction with Kong, amazing. The performances were equally great, Watts deserves an Oscar, I wasn't sold on Black's performance at first, but it grew on me and I started to really feel what his character was about. I loved all the small elements to the movie as well, too many to list.

The technical aspect of this movie made me speechless. I don't know much about production time/time it too to make this movie, but damn, the attention to detail was astonishing. Amazing.

The main scene that bugged the shit out of me is where Brody go after Watts and ends up climbing down a fucking vine, off a huge ass cliff, then Kong starts pulling that shit up, then they grab a bird and fly off, waaaay over the top, i can handle the suspension of reality with this movie, but it just bugged me.

i so hope this movie gets some Oscar love.

Jay G.

Well, in case you didn't notice, Brody did lure Kong away from the people with taxi cab chase. In fact, I think Brody says right before he gets in the cab that they have to get Kong away from people. It's completely feasible that Brody lured Kong away from Times Square, a hot-spot of night activity in NY, to someone much less active at night, such as the residential area that you see Kong carrying Ann through.

cactusoly

I liked the movie but it is easier to point out what I didn't like (I loved the rest of the movie)

1) I absolutly hated the natives, the villiage and the sacrifice. All three were depicted better on the 76 version even. Get off the LOTR kick.

2) New York pre voyage... I get it, its the depression, people are poor and hungry. Please get out your scissors Peter and trim this down to a half hour.

3) The ship... get to the island already. I don't need to see the steem engines one more time. Plus when they actually get to the island it takes forever to actually get on the island, please get out the scissors again.

4) The extra charactors and subplots. It would have made sense if they were introduced just to be eaten but they were not and when they got to NY they were just gone.

5) Kong stop jerking Ann around like a rag doll. Her neck should have snapped in the first 5 min.

6) Dino stampeed, just too crowded and confusing.

7) Show more stuff on the Island, you spent an hour getting there with nothing happening, I want to see more dinosaurs and more people getting eaten.

Ok it looks like I didn't like the movie, but I actually did. I loved just about everything else and it was truley amazing.... its just the PJ needs to hire an editor.

Jay G.

Well, he's had the same editor for all his films, Jamie Selkirk, excepting the first two LOTR films. On the other hand, ROTK is the LOTR film where the editing is considered too loose, so there may be something there.

nickdawgy

I saw it a couple days ago, and it's easily one of my top 5 all-time. I never saw the original, but knew the basic plot.

The music is awesome, the effects were great, and both me and the wife got teary eyed at the end. She actually cried, so there you have it.

I just got the soundtrack, and I will be getting the DVD the day it's released.

SINGLE104

After reading this entire thread, I don't have to see the movie now. Practically every scene, and extensive details in the film have already been discussed.

maingon

why read a review thread when you havent seen the movie?

B.A.

Ya think?

Buttmunker

One more gripe from a guy who did like the movie (you're getting of lot of 'those types' on this thread):

Kong battles not one but three T-Rexes, but only receives a minor scratch?

And yeah, with all the abuse Ann Darrow receives not only from Kong but from her entire experience on the island, it would have been realistic to see her in a sling, at least, once she returned to NY.

cdollaz

In regard to the empty streets in NYC, I know if a big ape was trolling thru my neighborhood, I would keep my ass indoors.

The Bus

This was actually one of my favorites. Reminded me of the shell-shock scens from Idi I Smotri (aka Come and See) and/or Saving Private Ryan. The circular pan around the cave with endless bugs coming out was spectacular. This is a moment where John Williams bombast might've been the wrong move.

What I didn't like where the steamboat scenes where Jackson used his slo-mo blur effect like the Orcs were attacking. That was senseless.

Mr. Cinema

I have no doubt it will. Right now, I have it getting 12 nominations, provided it does get Picture and Director.

Other noms that are very likely:
Adapted Screenplay
Film Editing
Cinematography-could win
Art Direction-should win
Sound Mixing-should win
Sound Editing-should win
Costume Design
Makeup-could win
Visual Effects-should win
Scoring

Unless Munich blows me away, this is the film I'll be rooting for. I still have a couple of other Oscar films to watch such as The Constant Gardener, A History of Violence, Brokeback Mountain, Match Point, and Syriana. I think I've seen almost everything else that will be in contention.

Buttmunker

Oh, oh, oh - and another nit-picky thing to mention: Jack and Ann glide down to the ground from the cliff on bats with huge fangs. Those fangs aren't there for eating bugs and plants, and the fact that the bats didn't attempt to bite Jack or Ann is beyond belief.