Starring: Jack Black, Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody
Director: Peter Jackson
Category: IIA
The new King Kong film is itself like one big gorilla - at times, impressive, majestic, powerful and moving; mostly though, it's a cumbersome ape that just sits there refusing to move.
The 1933 original was 100 entertaining minutes of primitive adventure. We barely get to Kong by that mark here. Peter Jackson reveres the classic so much, he's stretched it to three hours. In essence, he's cashed in his Lord of the Rings chips for free rein to indulge his vision.
The setting remains Depression-era America, with Jack Black as a fast-talking filmmaker running from creditors. Adrien Brody (The Pianist) and Naomi Watts (21 Grams) also leverage their Oscar credentials for a fat pay-cheque as, respectively, a screenwriter and fledging actress lured into thinking they are on a film shoot. Instead, they end up on Skull Island, home to a giant simian with a liking for blondes.
