MinionZombie
23-Mar-2006, 10:15 PM
...and, I really liked it, loved it even. Fantastic stuff.
So rarely nowadays do you get a film which is truly epic - and it seems Peter Jackson is the new torchbearer for the 'BIG studio film'. I was having a conversation with *name drop alert* James Clarke (whose latest book - on war films was reviewed in Total Film this month) ... and he was questioning whether people today would accept a film which touted a 'romance' (of sorts) between a pretty blonde girl and a giant gorilla ... I saw where he was coming from, but having now seen it, I think it works.
Yes, there is a HUUUUUUUUUUUGE hole in the part between Skull Island and New York ... but the original had that too. And even though it was a big ape, you still got a real sense of drama and emotion from this CGI creation - more great work from Andy Serkis.
Despite lumbering in at a heavyweight 3-ish hours, it doesn't seem to sag and makes you feel as if it's bounding along at a merry old pace. Now, I won't bother using the spoiler tags, we all know the big fella bites it at the end, but it was executed (hmmm...) superbly and really makes you feeeeeel the moment, you're as sad (ish) as Ann Darrow when Kong takes the big plunge from the Empire State and is disrespectfully swarmed upon by the New York masses.
All in all a fantastic film, but will most certainly never reach the success of the Rings trilogy - I think that ape/woman thing won't be bought by many-a-viewer, which is a shame, because this is how a remake should be done - not to make money, but for the love of the subject by a man who truly loves the film of origin.
Brilliant stuff.
So rarely nowadays do you get a film which is truly epic - and it seems Peter Jackson is the new torchbearer for the 'BIG studio film'. I was having a conversation with *name drop alert* James Clarke (whose latest book - on war films was reviewed in Total Film this month) ... and he was questioning whether people today would accept a film which touted a 'romance' (of sorts) between a pretty blonde girl and a giant gorilla ... I saw where he was coming from, but having now seen it, I think it works.
Yes, there is a HUUUUUUUUUUUGE hole in the part between Skull Island and New York ... but the original had that too. And even though it was a big ape, you still got a real sense of drama and emotion from this CGI creation - more great work from Andy Serkis.
Despite lumbering in at a heavyweight 3-ish hours, it doesn't seem to sag and makes you feel as if it's bounding along at a merry old pace. Now, I won't bother using the spoiler tags, we all know the big fella bites it at the end, but it was executed (hmmm...) superbly and really makes you feeeeeel the moment, you're as sad (ish) as Ann Darrow when Kong takes the big plunge from the Empire State and is disrespectfully swarmed upon by the New York masses.
All in all a fantastic film, but will most certainly never reach the success of the Rings trilogy - I think that ape/woman thing won't be bought by many-a-viewer, which is a shame, because this is how a remake should be done - not to make money, but for the love of the subject by a man who truly loves the film of origin.
Brilliant stuff.