movie review - King Kong
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
We watched this silly re-telling of "King Kong" by Peter Jackson and featuring Jack Black. It is a nonsensical mess from the outset, and doesn't improve for relocating from New York to an implausible island full of giant monsters. Every imaginable trope is employed from silly cliches on the street to a tramp steamer whose crew is apparently wanted by the police. We even have a character who's on the voyage "against his wishes". None of the characters have any chemistry and the whole thing feels like the set must have been a nightmare. The movie alternately crawls and then surges for three charmless hours.
Not recommended.
P.S. Oh Adrian Brody and Naomi Watts, how did you get roped into this? Also,
Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Andy Serkis, Evan Parke, Jamie Bell, Lobo Chan, John Sumner, Craig Hall, Kyle Chandler, William Johnson, Mark Hadlow, Geraldine Brophy, David Dennis, David Pittu, Pip Mushin, Jim Knobeloch, Ric Herbert, Lee Donahue, Tom Hobbs, Tiriel Mora, Jed Brophy, Frank Edwards, Michael Lawrence, Crawford Thomson, Richard Kavanagh, Stephen Hall, Will Wallace, Joe Folau, Tim Wong, Steve Reinsfield, John Wraight, Matthew Chamberlain, Lee Hartley, Troy O'Kane, Louis Sutherland, Jason Whyte, Toa Waaka, John Clarke, Ray Woolf, David Dengelo, Greg Smith, Chris Bailey, Peter McKenzie, Peter Ford, Tamihana Nuku, Todd Rippon, Eddie Campbell, Roussel Dubois, Billy Jackson, Katie Jackson, Tania Rodger, Samuel Taylor, Hilton Denis, Geoff Dunstan, Daniel Tusia, Paul Wilson, Shannon Wilson, Jesse Rasmussen, Sosina Wogayehu, Peter Corrigan, Colin Bogaars, Susan Eastwood, Caron Dallas, Darryl John, Felicia O'Brien, Phil Grieve, Belindalee Hope, Crushanin Dixor-McIvor, Jodie Taylor, Jacinta Wawatai, Terence Griffiths, Vicky Haughton, Luanne Gordon, Lorraine Ashbourne, Edwin Wright, Glen Drake, Tim Gordon, Julia Walshaw, Ross Duncan, Geoff Timblick, Stephen A. Buckley, Geoff Allen, Lee McDonald, Matthew Dravitzki, Stig Eldred, John Dybvig, Bob Burns, Kathy Burns, Joe Gertler, Jennifer Gertler, Rick Baker, Jim Dietz, Randall William Cook, Gene Demarco, Rick Porras, Frank Darabont, Hamish Bruce, Chic Littlewood, Lawrence Jarden, Matt Wilson, Jim McLarty, Latham Gaines, Rest of cast listed alphabetically:, James Ashcroft, Aaron Beard, Jarl Benzon, Ken Blackburn, Charlie Bleakley, Colin Bleasdale, Dorothy Anne Bonner, Emmanuel Buriez, Luke Burnyeat, Amalia Calder, Kadrolsha Ona Carole, Richard Carrol, Robert Catto, Colleen Cleary, Steve Cooke, Bill Crisp, James Crompton, Mana Hira Davis, Joan Dawe, Alice Dinnean, Peter Doile, Lee Donoghue, Carol Drysden, Greg Ellis, Deana Elvins, Taungaroa Emile, Coen Falke, Joan Foster, Michael Fowler, Barnaby Fredric, Lana Garland, Brian Gibb, Matt Gillanders, Georgie Goater, Nigel Godfrey, Jan Gopperth, Eve Gordon, Ran Grumolis, Will Hall, Winham Hammond, Jamie Harrison, Marlon Hart, Julie Holmes, Richard Hopkins, Julia Hyde, Robert Ireland, Ralph Johnson, Nichola Jones, Samantha Jukes, Tim Kano, Camille Keenan, Kelly Kilgour, Elizabeth Killian, Eric Leighton, Thessaly Lerner, Liz Loza, Isaac Lucas, Jack Machiela, Asofa Manase, Sam Manzanza, Jordan Mauger, Carlton McRae, Iain Middleton, Des Morgan, Michaela Morgan, Todd Morgan, Drew Neemia, Aidan Neeson, Jimmy James Nielsen, Evana Patterson, Jon Pheloung, John Puleitu, Shane Rangi, Thomas Rimmer, Christian Rivers, Thomas Robins, James Schaw, Michelle Scullion, Tony Shaw, Howard Shore, Samuel E. Shore, Dianne Smith, Jimmy Star, Laura Surrich, Jason Te Kare, Robbie Titchener, Ray Trickitt, Eric Vespe, Pierre Vinet, Maria Walker, Lucy Wigmore, Robyn Worthington, Tony Wyeth?