14th October, 2008 Login • Register
Search This Site
King Kong (2005) DVD Review
King Kong (2005) DVD Credits:
King Kong (2005) Directed by:
Peter Jackson
King Kong (2005) Written by:
Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
King Kong (2005) Cast:
Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Kyle Chandler, Evan Parke, Lobo Chan, Jamie Bell, John Sumner, Craig Hall, Geraldine Brophy, Will Wallace, Joe Folau, Ray Woolf, John Clarke, Pip Mushin, Jed Brophy, Jason Whyte
King Kong (2005) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
King Kong (2005) DVD Release Date:
14th November 2006
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

User Rating:  Log in to rate this DVD
King Kong (2005) Synopsis:

Maverick filmmaker Carl Denham (Black) is determined to shoot his latest adventure flick on a mysterious, unexplored island, despite the fact his bosses want to close the picture down and his leading lady’s walked. With the authorities on his tail, he convinces Ann Darrow (Watts) to join him aboard the Venture — a ship which takes the actress to that very island to meet her giant-gorilla-shaped destiny…

King Kong (2005) DVD Review:

King Kong: Deluxe Extended Edition

The titles given to DVD packages when they are released can be very deceiving. One might assume that because the extended cuts of the Lord of the Ring films were so much more spectacular than the theatrical, the same could be true for Peter Jackson’s follow up film, King Kong. The fact that the DVD is also given the additional “Deluxe” title makes the package seem even more promising, but fans should know that this is a different studio and different distribution, so the same attention given to the Lord of the Ring packages cannot be expected for King Kong. To begin with, the “extended edition” is merely thirteen minutes longer, which isn’t much considering the theatrical version was already over three hours long. There are some impressive sequences within the added footage, including a few extra creature scenes on the island, but they don’t add to the film in any important way. The “deluxe” in the title is also questionable. Although this three-disc has many new special features and other perks for fans, the packaging is rather sloppy for a DVD that holds such a weighty title.
This remake adds a great deal of sub-plots and characters to the mix, making a film that was barely 90 minutes into a three hour ordeal. It is an action packed film, which often gets trapped in its own grandeur and loses sight of what the film is actually about. A filmmaker is deep in debt, so he flees on a boat with a new actress and a screenwriter he is employing to write on the way. They are in search of a hidden island that is supposed to be a perfect location to finish the film. Unfortunately this is the island that has a giant ape. The lead actress (Naomi Watts) is stolen by the giant ape and the boat crew must go in after her. What they find is a prehistoric land where dinosaurs still live and there are giant bugs everywhere. It is an adventure, and it is where some of the best sequences in the film happen, as well as some horrible special effects involving obvious overuse of a green screen.
This is obviously a film made by a huge fan of the original film, but some things have changed a great deal since the original King Kong was made, and some of the nuances are just laughable. The last line of the film was kept the same for historic purposes, but it is archaic and strange sounding, causing more laughs than were meant. Then there are the additional characters having their own storylines. Although it may have seemed important that a boat hand be reading Joseph Conrad on the way to the island, giving each of these characters their own stories and then killing them off on the journey just felt far too much like Lord of the Rings to be comfortable. I understand that Peter Jackson obviously has a hang-up with unity, but the epic quality of King Kong has got me wondering if Peter Jackson will ever just make a film without making it such a production again. One would be surprised to hear how independent he used to be.
Although the extended version of the film isn’t reason enough to buy the package, there are over six hours of new special features for fans to get excited about. Among them is a feature commentary by Peter Jackson which is on the first and second discs that contain the film. These discs also have a number of great little features such as a hilarious gag reel, an examination of the similarities between Jackson’s King Kong and the classic original, and footage of the vaudeville performers.
In case the added thirteen minutes isn’t enough they were so kind as to include nearly forty-minutes of additional footage, most of which has not been polished or digitally finished. There is even a short film made by the cast and crew for Jackson’s birthday included on the DVD. It is rather ridiculous, but of course everything that there is to add in the special features is welcome. The third disc is filled with featurettes and documentaries, but they have made it impossible to own just one package of King Kong if you want all of the special features available. The special features on this new package seem to be much more entertaining, while covering a great deal of ground, but the real reason that the package is effective is the commentary by the director.

Our Rating: Extras Rating: User Rating:  Log in to rate this DVD

King Kong (2005) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

Content Management System provided by P J Thomson - Freelance Web Design - PHP/MySQL Development