King Kong [Blu-ray]

Online Shopping / DVD / King Kong [Blu-ray]

Big Fat Search

Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Colin Hanks, Thomas Kretschmann
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Binding: Blu-ray
Published: 2009-01-20

$19.99

Features:

AC-3
Color
Dolby
DTS Surround Sound

King Kong [Blu-ray]

Editorial Review:

Movies don't come any bigger than Peter Jackson's King Kong, a three-hour remake of the 1933 classic that marries breathtaking visual prowess with a surprising emotional depth. Expanding on the original story of the blonde beauty and the beast who falls for her, Jackson creates a movie spectacle that matches his Lord of the Rings films and even at times evokes their fantasy world while celebrating the glory of '30s Hollywood. Naomi Watts stars as Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress down on her luck in Depression-era New York until manic filmmaker Carl Denham (a game but miscast Jack Black) entices her with a lead role. Dazzled by the genius of screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), Ann boards the tramp steamer S.S. Venture, which she--and most of the wary crew--believes is headed for Singapore. Denham, however, is in search of the mythic Skull Island, hoping to capture its wonders on film and make a fortune. What he didn't count on were some scary natives who find that the comely Darrow looks like prime sacrifice material for a mysterious giant creature....
There's no point in rehashing the entire plot, as every movie aficionado is more than familiar with the trajectory of King Kong; the challenge facing Jackson, his screenwriters, and the phenomenal visual-effects team was to breathe new life into an old, familiar story. To that degree, they achieve what could be best called a qualified success. Though they've assembled a crackerjack supporting cast, including Thomas Kretschmann as the Venture's hard-bitten captain and young Jamie Bell as a plucky crewman, the first third of the movie is rather labored, with too much minute detail given over to sumptuous re-creations of '30s New York and the unexciting initial leg of the Venture's sea voyage. However, once the film finds its way to Skull Island (which bears more than a passing resemblance to LOTR's Mordor), Kong turns into a dazzling movie triumph, by turns terrifying and awe-inspiring. The choreography and execution of the action set pieces--including one involving Kong and a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes, as well as another that could be charitably described as a bug-phobic's nightmare--is nothing short of landmark filmmaking, and a certain Mr. Spielberg should watch his back, as Kong trumps most anything that has come before it.
Despite the visual challenges of King Kong, the movie's most difficult hurdle is the budding romance between Ann and her simian soulmate. Happily, this is where Jackson unqualifiedly triumphs, as this unorthodox love story is tenderly and humorously drawn, by turns sympathetic and wondrous. Watts, whose accessibility balances out her almost otherworldly loveliness, works wonders with mere glances, and Andy Serkis, who digitally embodies Kong here much as he did Gollum in the LOTR films, breathes vibrant life into the giant star of the film without ever overplaying any emotions. The final, tragic act of the film, set mostly atop the Empire State Building, is where Kong earns its place in movie history as a work that celebrates both the technical and emotional heights that film can reach. --Mark Englehart

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Best Version of Kong Yet . . . Stunning Visual Masterpiece:

As another individual correctly noted this Blue Ray version does in fact contain both the theatrical and extended version of the film. The NBC Universal Store web site verifies it. Amazon simply failed to clarify this and they should do so because several others are disappointed that it doesn't appear to be here. Peter Jackson's version of this classic film is simply visually stunning and it should be a reference quality Blue Ray film to show off a good video setup. This is so much better than the cheap... more info

It is the extended cut. GOD:

For the people complaining about this not being the extended cut, the official press release has already stated over 2 months ago that the blu ray release will have the extended cut of the film. It also will have uncompressed audio. Check highdefdigest.com or blu-ray.com for info.

King Kong...bloated!:

It seems I might be the first one posting here that is not a Peter Jackson fan-boy! I am interested in seeing the extended cut of this film to see if it adds any substance. The theatrical version had many great moments...but also an hour of unnecessary "character development". I believe the entire 1933 original version can be viewed in less time than it takes for Kong to make his first appearance in this remake. The lame attempts at giving the characters depth and backstories added nothing to the story.... more info

Not The Extended Cut:

The new Blu-Ray cut of King Kong runs 187 minutes....which means that this is the theatrical version of the movie. I love Jackson, but it seems we always have to wait through this inferior release for the director's cut. The nonsense of the situation is that so many customers have already purchased the DVD of this movie (many bought both the Theatrical and Extended DVD cuts). I mean...how many times are we supposed to buy it. The moral approach would have been to skip straight to the extended cut for the... more info

Similar Products: