It's hard to admit I have never in all of my 29 years seen the original, "King Kong" the 30's version, but I haven't. I guess this could be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you look at it in Reviewland, but for now, I would say it is a blessing.

Tonight I went to see the latest take on the Kong and left the theater with heart palpitations, tears in my eyes, and a little vertigo, really wanting to date Adrian Brody.

"King Kong" 2005 stars Naomi Watts, Adrian Brody, Jack Black and of course, Kong himself. It is a steady ride from NYC to Skull Island and back that we, the audience, get to enjoy from beginning to end. I must confess, I had heard that this movie dragged so I was preparing to be put to sleep but, believe it or not, I was instead pulled into the world of Kong by the unbelievable performance of Watts as the love interest. (Sorry not good with names, as illustrated below).

King Kong was a delight to see for the first time tonight.

Here's what I knew before going to the theater:

I knew that this film was directed by the guy who directed all three Lord of the Rings films, but I didn't know his name. I figured, well I hope this isn't like Rings 2, where there is that long boring tree talking part. Luckily, I did not feel as annoyed as when watching Rings 2.

I knew Jack Black was in it, which made me happy. He makes me laugh.

I knew Naomi Watts knocked my socks off in her performance in the movie "21 Grams", so I figured, I hope she can pull this one off.

I knew Adrian Brody is always a good actor. His non-traditional good looks and awesome voice are worth paying any $9.50 full price ticket. He made me want to see this movie most of all.

Lastly, I knew it was about a monkey, a big monkey (gorilla), and I was really skeptical whether I would like the movie at all.

While I watched I have to say I fell upon that old phrase, "Don't believe the hype":

Although others may say that the action sequences were too long (and believe me the director does kinda show off his skills in special/digital effects) I did feel every adrenaline packed moment in this movie.

The filming made me feel like I was Watts as she is jostled around by Kong running around Skull Island.

I also felt small and fearful as dinosaurs (yes, dinos) jumped out of nowhere. Not really sure why dinos and gorillas exist at the same time, but hey, who cares, right?


And the best scene was (action wise)...

No scene was quite as heart pumping as the tooth worm, centipede and cricket scene. Once you see this movie you will know what I mean, and you may look at bugs in a whole new and extremely disturbing light. Let's just put it this way, you'll be glad you're human and you'll be itching in your seat. In this particular scene, Brody and the seafaring gang get attacked by creatures of the ground who want to swallow them whole. They are bugs, ugly and giant and the director lets us know how ugly they are!

I noticed that after this scene, more so than any other in "Kong", a great many people were both squirming and itching, which leads me to believe that giant bugs may be a human's worst fear.

Best Eerie Scene:

Okay, one word, Natives. That was crazy scary.

Best Love Scene:

Come on, it's gotta be the kiss. I am not sure if it is what Brody says or the amount of happiness he cannot contain before kissing Watts that makes this scene so classic. However, it beats the pants off of any monkey love scene.

Best Monkey Scene:

Kong, sunset, sleep.



Okay, enough with the bests, go see this movie already. It's a heck of a lot better than any cyborg remake or shoot 'em upper. It gives you crazy action and interest. It even can be discuss intellectually in the whole Beast versus Man versus technology versus love, etc. Believe me, you will finish your popcorn without even noticing.

I liked it a lot, see what you think and get back to me. Until then, I think we should all be wearing "Free Kong" shirts.



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older