[Snowflake]

Well, I plunked down my $6.50 for an early matinee today of King Kong. Overall reaction, it had some enjoyable moments.

First off, I have to give some snaps to Peter Jackson for his nods to the original (and better) film and film makers. The nice touch in the first portion of the film, outside the screening room was an insert poster for Chang. It was one of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack's silent documentary films (and it's a great film too). Of course, to the average person going to see this film that was likely missed.

Secondly, in the theatre sequence when Kong is chained up. Jackson recreates the summoning of kong sequence from the original film down to accurate reproductions of the costumes and using Max Steiner's original music. Steiner's music was used throughout that sequence. I loved that.

As others have mentioned I felt the Skull Island section was overlong, like Flippyshark, I was exhausted by it. There were huge bleeding chunks that could have been trimmed a whole hell of a lot and the film would not have suffered one iota.

The CGI, as NA mentioned, was astonishingly poorly done and took me out of the film repeatedly.

Naomi Watts gets snaps from me for making me believe she was seeing and reacting to Kong. How she ran, fell and swam through all that jungle mess and barely tore her dress or got it dirty is beyond me. Not to mention, not a toe was stubbed. I can barely get through a lunch without dropping food on myself, it's a marvel she managed it!

The one gesture that I missed more than anything is that final, resigned, aching arching move Kong makes in the original before he lets go of the Empire State and falls. Watts provided some emotion in the farewell, kong with all the CGI art available, did not. I missed Willis O'Brien.

Jack Black was only annoying and stupid and I was sorry he got the final line (as Carl Denham did in the original), but it made my stomach turn hearing him say it without any point.

I appreciate that Jackson is a fan of the film and he had some nice touches. But this film missed the mark for me almost as much as the 1970s version did. Call me old fashioned, call me a stick in the mud if you will, but I will keep and treasure the 1933 original.

Donna

Adrien Brody has the dreamiest eyes. I could just fall into them.