DVD Reviews

King Kong – Blu-ray Review

By Patrick Luce Jan 17, 2009, 12:08 GMT

King Kong is the story of a desperate young actress, Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), and an ambitious and unscrupulous movie producer, Carl Denham (Jack Black), who travel to a mysterious jungle island. There they discover an extraordinary lost world, and encounter Kong, a gigantic, savage gorilla who is unexpectedly smitten with the leading lady. But it is their mutual empathy and affection that eventually lead to the beast’s tragic downfall. ...more

Editor’s Note: Images NOT from the Blu-ray release and do not represent the Blu-ray’s picture quality.

Peter Jackson’s update of King Kong swings to Blu-ray and looks incredible. The film still has some flaws (mostly in the long running time), but the beauty of the special effects and the rollercoaster ride of Kong versus the T-Rex make it worth the double dip.

The Blu-ray comes loaded with special features (such as Picture-in-Picture interviews and behind the scenes footage), and includes the theatrical cut and extended cut (with 13 more minutes) of the film.

Jackson’s version of King Kong returns the story to the 1930s setting (the 1976 remake had the story in a modern time), and follows a group of filmmakers headed for the mysterious Skull Island so that director Carl Denham (Jack Black) can shoot the ultimate movie. Along for the ride are Ann Darrow (Noami Watts), and screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody).

Denham is a little less than honest about his film and whether he has the money to pay for the project and transportation, but he is able to con Captain Englehorn (Thomas Kretschmann) and his crew to take them to the island.

While they are traveling to the island (it takes up the film’s first hour), Jackson lets viewers get to know the characters, and starts building the love story between Brody and Watts. He also makes certain we know Black is kind of a sleazy character not above stepping on a friend to make a quick buck.

The journey also builds the suspense for what we will see on Skull Island thanks to mysterious comments about the place, and the dread that seems to follow any talk of the island.

Once the ship arrives at the island, the film’s pace shifts into overdrive as Watts meets her other love interest – Kong (looking good in the full glory of CGI and Blu-ray crystal clear picture). Watts is taken by the great ape, and it is up to Brody and friends to journey into the mysterious island to get her back.

The crew quickly finds Kong isn’t the only danger on Skull Island as they get up to their necks in dinosaurs, giant bugs, and even nasty worms. While the crew is battling the local wildlife, Watts is figuring out there is more to Kong than just a pretty face.

There are some really great scenes between Watts (doing her best Charlie Chaplin) and Kong – where the beast is tamed and a softer side is shown. Watts shows she is truly a great actress by the way she is able to act opposite nothing since Kong was mostly CGI and the actress was normally just with a green screen or tennis ball.

These scenes also give Peter Jackson’s King Kong a lot of heart and charm. The giant ape is fearsome, but you start to see there is more to him – which emotionally pays off when he climbs the Empire State Building for the final act.

Although we quickly get to see a softer side of Kong, Jackson also makes sure to show why there is a King in front of his name thanks to a no holds barred fight between Kong and a couple T-Rexs who mistake Watts for dinner.

This fight is really the highlight of the movie for me, and just a ton of fun to watch on Blu-ray. If you thought the picture was amazing the first time you saw it, you are in for a treat with the Blu-ray quality. This sequence makes the upgrade worth the price alone, but there is still more to come with Kong being taken back to New York and the final showdown.

Watching the film on Blu-ray, I again felt the same problem with King Kong that I felt when I saw it at the theater and then on DVD. The film is just too long. By the time Kong gets back to New York, you are tired - tired of the film, tired of the actors, and even a little tired of the giant ape. While the Blu-ray is visually stunning, it does nothing to help the feeling that the film is still too long and at times too slow.

Kong hits New York like a freight train, and sends cars flying across the streets as he makes his way to the Empire State Building. Again, I like how Jackson took time out of the chaos to have a touching scene with Kong and Watts on a frozen pond.

It reminds us that we are emotionally attached to Kong, before he starts that long climb up. Even after seeing the film so many times, the ending is still tough to watch as Kong fights those planes, and you hope he can somehow make it out alive.

Watching King Kong on Blu-ray reminded me while I loved the film, but also hated parts of it. Visually, this film is stunning and will continue to blow you away on Blu-ray -where smaller details now come to life thanks to the quality picture. However, it is just too long and has some sever pacing issues.

Jackson spends way too much time getting to Skull Island, and has too much action on the island. When Kong finally gets to New York, the movie remains a fun time, but you are ready for the ride to be over and the credits to roll.

Along with the visuals, the strength of the film is in its cast – most notably Watts and Andy Serkis (in both the Kong role and as Lumpy). Watts is great as the Hollywood leading lady (even if the character has never broken big on screen or stage), and manages to have a human connection with Brody and the CGI’d Kong.

Serkis is funny in his onscreen role of Lumpy, but steals the show as the face of Kong. Like his Gollum in Lord of the Rings, Serkis shows how a talented actor can help pull off great CGI effects.

If Watts gives Kong his heart, Serkis gave the ape his soul. He causes you to laugh as Kong plays with Watts on the ice and cheer as he takes down the T-Rex on Skull Island.

Along with the already mentioned features, King Kong Blu-ray includes:

FEATURE COMMENTARY: With director/writer Peter Jackson and co-writer/co-producer Philippa Boyens (extended version only). BD-LIVE: Access the BD-Live Center through your Internet-connected player to get even more content, watch the latest trailers, and more. MY SCENES: Pick your favorite scenes from the film to create your own video montage. U-CONTROL: With Universal’s exclusive U-Control feature, one click of a button lets you watch Picture In Picture behind-the-scenes footage, cast and crew interviews, and more without ever leaving the film. ART GALLERIES: Explore the fascinating production of this unforgettable film through conceptual artist renderings (extended version only).

Peter Jackson’s King Kong is a film that I continue to enjoy each time I watch it, and deserves a double-dip onto the Blu-ray format. The film looks and sounds great and is well worth watching one more time.