Fuss over “King Kong” Unfathomable

Reviewing a film one hasn’t seen is never a good idea. But then, this isn’t a review of the new Peter “Lord of the Rings” Jackson film. Instead, it is a confession. The new “King Kong” is undoubtedly a legendary work brought to life by one of the world’s truly great cinema visionaries. Try as one might, though, its appeal exists in the minds of others. The story is dull and stupid, and why one film was made (let alone several) is mind boggling.

Regardless of what Mr. Jackson may have felt when he saw the original in TV back in his homeland of New Zealand, the original “King Kong” was a special effects flick at best. The 18-inch-high Kong was animated by painstakingly moving it slightly, shooting a frame, and moving him some more. At 24 frames a second, the film had to have been a labor of love to produce, and it did astound the audiences of the day. Beyond the slow process of making the monkey move, though, what is there?

Well, there isn’t much of a story. People wander off to some uncharted island, find a huge gorilla, bring him back to civilization for profit, and he breaks loose to climb the Empire State Building. Somewhere in there, he falls for Faye Wray (the character is unknown in popular culture; the world knows the ridiculous role by the name of the first actress to play it), and how that romance is expected to be believed is one of the world’s great mysteries. Lassie and Timmy maybe, at least they could fit in the same room.

Naturally, if one went off to some lost island which had dinosaurs roaming about on it, a truly profit-minded explorer wouldn’t bring back a big gorilla. That is the kind of dimwitted business strategy one would expect from General Motors rather than risk-taking adventurers like the heroes of the Kong story. Gorillas just don’t have the same appeal. Three different “Jurassic Park” stories got made, but the monkey story is the same thing over and over (1933, 1976, 2005). Besides, no one really thinks the T. Rex would lose a fight to Kong, do they? That would explain all the Godzilla movies, wouldn't it?

No doubt, there will be loads of press about how great the film is, and there will be lines round the block to see it. This journal won’t bother reviewing it. The story provides no frisson of interest. It was Hitler’s favorite movie – that sums it up.

© Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.
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