King Kong

KING KONG

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Rated PG-13 for frightening adventure violence and some disturbing images. Recommended for kids aged 12 and up. 185 minutes. Directed by Peter Jackson. Released in theaters Dec. 14, 2005.

Set in the 1930s, this classic tale directed by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings) follows a group of people who venture to the mysterious Skull Island near Sumatra. Carl Denham (Jack Black) is a shifty filmmaker, on the run from the law in New York City. Determined to film a movie on the island, Denham hurriedly commissions an old ship and hires the beautiful Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) as the female lead. Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) is a noted playwright who becomes part of the expedition after Denham tricks him into staying on the ship as it pulls away from the New York City dock. He needs Driscoll's script to finish the movie.

Once on the ocean, shipmate Hayes (Evan Parke) warns the group that all who've ventured to Skull Island have never returned. A Heart of Darkness theme runs through the movie, and one of the crew, Jimmy (Jamie Bell), is actually reading the book by Joseph Conrad. Just as the captain is about to turn back to deliver Denham to the law, the ship is pulled into an eerie fog and washed against the perilous reefs surrounding the uncharted island. The group ventures cautiously on shore and discovers a lost world of prehistoric animals and zombie-like natives, who capture Ann to be used as a sacrificial lamb to the mysterious beast who roams the island.

Driscoll, who's fallen in love with the girl, convinces the crew to find her. What follows is a wild ride of non-stop action, including a dinosaur stampede, giant sea anemones that devour at least one of the crew, and some sticky business with a hoard of oversized insects so big you can shoot them with a gun. Meanwhile, the mighty gorilla known as Kong has taken Ann, and the two develop a bond that ultimately proves fatal for the beast when he's subdued by Denham and taken back to New York to be put on public display.

THE WRAP-UP: This movie includes many layers of action, romance and adventure, but at the heart of it is the love story between a misunderstood beast and a young girl who's faced disappointment her whole life. Together, these two lost souls are mesmerizing and their scenes surprisingly touching. At one point, Kong takes her to a place on the island so beautiful that it makes you weep. Naomi Watts is superb in the role of an innocent young girl who's brave enough to think quickly to save herself. She also has one of the best screams in movie history.

Jack Black has an ability to pull out all the stops and completely inhabit every role he plays. He also has this wild "look" of incredulity, much the same as Harrison Ford became famous for in the Indiana Jones movies – as if to say, How is this happening and how can I turn this to my advantage? The sad-eyed Adrien Brody is unexpectedly good as Ann's love interest.

You have to suspend a certain amount of disbelief in most movies, especially one where the main character is a giant gorilla on a prehistoric island. Still, there are some gaping holes in the storyline: There's no way anyone could survive a dinosaur stampede akin to a running-of-the-bulls scene. We never see how the ship's crew moves the chloroformed gorilla onto the boat, then again onto the New York stage. It's doubtful that the ship could make the return ocean voyage after being smashed against the island's jagged rocks. And how does Ann make her way to the exact spot where Kong ends up after crashing out of the NYC theater? All this and more will, I'm sure, be explained in the extended DVD version.

Note: Film buffs might want to visit www.kongisking.net/kong2005/proddiary/ and read the movie's production diaries. Also, Andy Serkis – Gollum in Lord of the Rings – once again brilliantly transforms technology into a believable character, close-ups and all. He also does a cameo as Lumpy, the ship's cook.

BRINGING THE KIDS:

PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): The fast-paced action, scary creatures and intense scenes are NOT for little ones. For fun monkey business, wait for the G-rated Curious George, due out Feb. 10, 2006.

GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6-10): It's questionable whether this movie is appropriate for grade-schoolers, and much depends on the maturity of the child. Kong isn't just a digitally animated creature – he's REAL, or so it seems. When he flares his nostrils, roars his mighty roar, and beats his chest, there's no doubt that he means business. Likewise, the dinosaurs are unforgiving when it comes to their next meal, and the native people and their pounding drums are downright creepy. Many scenes make you want to jump out of your skin. That said, kids 10 and older who've been ok with the special effects in, say, Lord of the Rings or Jurassic Park, should be ok with this one. Just prepare them ahead of time, and tell them it's ok if they want to leave or take a breather in the theater lobby!

TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): What a great way to introduce older kids to the mighty Kong. This is truly a blockbuster movie that's fun for older kids, teens and adults who realize it's all in the name of good filmmaking. To enhance the experience, watch the original 1933 movie together, then go see this modernized version and talk about how far the special effects industry has come. The original was a huge deal when it came out in 1933. Distraught moviegoers were being carried out of the theater on stretchers, since their only exposure to animation at that point was Mickey Mouse.