I saw King Kong on Wednesday, the day it opened. I saw it again on Friday after school, with the family. The three hours went by even more quickly the second time! Have you been accosted yet by attention-deficient people complaining about it being too long? "Too many notes, Mozart." The damn thing takes as long as it has to. Is anyone really in a hurry to see those dinosaur fights end? And ever since I saw the 1933 version (the "real" King Kong, as Lucy, 7, refers to it) I've wanted to learn more about Carl Denham, and Ann, and Jack, their voyage to Skull Island, and a thousand other details the new movie throws in. Maggie and Lucy paid attention just fine. Maggie applauded every time Kong overthrew an enemy (including hurling airplanes down on 32nd St.) and Lucy made a fist and hit her seat with disgust at Carl Denham's repeated acts of recklessness. I do suggest you be aware of the state of your digestive system before you try to sit for 3 hours. It can be done. You should never eat movie theater popcorn anyway.
The reviews in the New York papers (all raves) take up more than half their space synopsizing the story. Assuming, I guess, that there really are people with any consciousness of movies who don't know what King Kong is about, for crying out loud. All I'll say is that if you have any appreciation at all for fantasy/adventure -- and a surprising number of people don't, too many lead paint chips, or something -- you'll have a swell time at Jackson's "Kong."
On the way out of the theater I said to Lucy,"Well, Luce, the airplanes got 'im," and she responded with the correct line of dialogue. It pleased me mightily. I beat my chest.
You are just the guy to ask this question. I heard that Peter Jackson has an extra on some newer version of the 1933 version of Kong where he takes a scene that was cut from the original (a monster scene of some kind) and remakes it using only technology that would have been available at the time. I've looked for it online through Blockbuster and didn't find it. Have you heard of this?
Posted by: Brad | December 17, 2005 at 06:31 PM
YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE, BRAD.
What you're talking about is the LOST SPIDER PIT SEQUENCE, supposedly shot in 1932 but removed because it held up the search for Ann and Kong (a consideration that did not prevent Jackson from putting it in his version, and it is terrifying). A couple photos of that sequence survive. Jackson's crew went to elaborate lengths to shoot the sequence based on clues and sketches in the original script, with the model animators playing the sailors who get eaten! It's an extra on the new "Kong" 2-disc special edition and the 3-disc "giant ape" set. If you're looking for it on Blockbuster or Netflix it would be on the 2nd "Kong" disc, with the supplements. They didn't edit it into the movie.
Posted by: Mr. Steve | December 18, 2005 at 01:25 PM
I finally got to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire this weekend. Let's see if I can make it to the theater before they kick Kong out.
Your review makes me want to see it.
I'm not going near another mall for any reason until the holidays are over, I'm telling you that right now. All those people are insane.
Posted by: Theresa | December 19, 2005 at 09:02 AM