Tweet

Release Date: 11/14/2006

Back in March, I said something like “[Kong] is a must own DVD for anyone, but you might want to hang out for a bit and wait for the ultimate edition.” I may not be Nostradamus or Dionne Warwick, but after watching the King Kong 3-Disc Deluxe Extended Edition, I just may be the smartest person to ever compare them self to Dionne Warwick.

Carl Denham (Jack Black) is on a search for the film of a lifetime, and the fame and fortune that will surely follow. What he finds is that his career is nearly over and no studio will fund his newest endeavor. Denham decides however, to take matters into his own hands by setting sail for an uncharted, uninhabited island. Playwright Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) finds himself caught up in Denham’s mess and is forced to accompany him to the filming location. What neither the ships crew nor Driscoll knows is that their voyage is to the mysterious Skull Island. The entire film is perfect in Denham’s mind, but the one piece that is missing is a leading actress. Denham convinces Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) to take the part to give her career a jumpstart.

After reaching Skull Island, the crew is soon faced with obstacle after obstacle. Skull Island proves to be worth more than the journey, filled with exotic plants, insects, animals, and an unexpected King. The natives of the island kidnap Darrow, and offer her as a sacrifice to their King. She is soon taken by the 25 foot eighth wonder of the world, and finds herself escorted around the island while escaping death on several occasions. The beast soon finds himself utterly smitten by the blonde haired blue eyed New Yorker, and would stop at nothing to save and protect her. Ambitious and money-hungry as ever, Denham sees a lucrative opportunity in the relationship between his actress and the beast and decides to show the world King Kong.

This film is an adaptation of the 1933 original that is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time due to its special effects. If you really want to know about Kong and its cinematic beginnings, I highly recommend King Kong (1933) Collector’s Edition, which is packed full of special features that would keep even the world’s biggest nerds away from their vintage lunchbox collections, at least for a moment. Peter Jackson’s King Kong is nothing short of spectacular. It’s as if God said to Peter Jackson, “Let there be Kong”, and so it was.

Jackson has become known for his skill behind the camera, and the ability to express his vision to a group of individuals who make movies that win visual effects Oscars. I have not seen a movie since Jurassic Park where the computer generated characters have so much depth and impact on the story. I felt completely attached to Kong, and not for a moment did this film become unbelievable. Andy Serkis, who has become well known for his work as Gollum in LOTR, provided all of the facial effects for Kong throughout the film and brought a certain authenticity to the character that has never been seen before in the history of cinema.

King Kong is absolutely hardcore; the video and sound are so spectacular that they (rather than the 201 minute runtime) left me exhausted. Coming from a person who will buy a DVD just based on its audio and video presentation, I will vouch that King Kong will give you sensory orgasms. Considering the limitations of the previous Kong releases, this 3-disc extended cut is more than worth the money. 38 minutes of deleted scenes are walked through scene by scene with Peter Jackson, as to provide insight on why these scenes were left on the cutting room floor. The near 18 minute gag and blooper reel titled “The Eighth Blunder of the World” is so entertaining, that it alone makes this a must buy for fans of the film. Jack Black and company provide a ton of laughs all throughout the supplementals on this DVD. The lost production diary is hilarious. If you have already shelled out some cash on Kong, shell out some more because this re-release is worth every penny.

The Upside: Amazing visual effects and sound.The Downside: Some of the special features are actually a bit more entertaining than the film itself.

On The Side: King Kong‘s roar is a lion’s roar played backwards at half speed.

Film Grade: A-

DVD Grade: A+