Director Peter Jackson would have done well to take a cue or two from 1933 King Kong’s director Merian C. Cooper. The latter’s movie was only 1 hour and 40 minutes long: a lot shorter than Jackson’s drawn-out, albeit visually spectacular version.

King Kong is the typical damsel in distress tale with the added twist of a 25-foot misunderstood ape. The poor thing never stood a chance once he got mixed up with the humans. Carl Denham (Jack) is a crazed visionary director who is about to lose his picture, as well as all future financial backing for projects. To avoid the police and his former backers, Carl heads out to sea (actually to the practically unknown Skull Island) with writer Jack Driscoll (Adrien) and nearly starving, talented vaudeville actress Ann Darrow (Naomi), who is going to be the star of what Driscoll hopes to be his greatest picture ever. Ann and Jack fall in love on board, but are separated once the natives of Skull Island kidnap Ann to be a sacrifice to the almighty Kong. Of course, Kong is entranced by Ann’s beauty as are all the men of the crew, which is why they face super size dinosaurs, gigantic worms, and hostile natives to rescue her; unfortunately, most of these near-heroes don’t survive.

Jackson made the relationship between Ann and Kong more of a tender friendship as opposed to the tremendous sexual innuendo in John Guillermin’s 1976 try at telling this pretty silly story starring Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges. Limited in dialogue, Naomi Watts does a wonderful job of conveying a plethora of emotions, much like one would see in a silent picture. She is very pretty and really quite terrific in this role. I think going blond was a good move for her. If you don’t believe me, check her out in the 1998 made-for-TV movie The Christmas Wish. Also impressive is Jack Black, in an Orson Welles-Citizen Kane sort of way. He is fun to watch. Less impressive is Adrien Brody who was poorly miscast and is nearly useless in the role of Jack Driscoll. He vacillates between looking dumbfounded and just being dumb.

According to Premiere Magazine, Jackson was fortunate enough to meet Fay Wray - - the original Ann Darrow - - shortly before her death; he was a huge fan. As homage to her version, Jackson used the same character names and much of the dialogue. Of course, Jackson was wise to also leave out a few now political incorrect things that were acceptable in 1933, but should never have been including “Crazy Black man been here…” and “Yea, blondes are scarce around here…”

King Kong offers a lot of entertaining scenes, particularly on Skull Island and back in New York. However, the movie is much too long. Jackson must have still been in Lord of the Rings mode to make this nearly 3-hour film. There are three distinct parts – 1. setting up the story in New York (too long) 2. adventures on Skull Island (way too long) 3. Kong’s humiliation and demise in New York (almost like an afterthought and very rushed). Jackson could have cut about 40-60 minutes out of this story. It isn’t boring, but the simplicity of this plot could never merit such a long movie.

Did you know?

Andy Serkis, who plays Lumpy and Kong in King Kong was also Gollum/Smeagol in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.