While it's easy to assume Ray Morton's King Kong - From Fay Wray to Peter Jackson is a quick cash-in on the second big screen update of the giant ape's romp, to do so would be missing out on what is easily the most complete collection of Kong-related trivia assembled. Morton digs into them all, including the much-maligned King Kong Lives. This is information that's never been featured anywhere.
In chronological order, Morton begins the cinematic history of the oversized simian where he should: the 1933 classic that set a standard for special effects. With exhaustive text, Morton pulls out no stops to deliver the story behind the film, the people who made it, and how each individual effects shot was accomplished. Behind-the-scenes photos are uncommon, scattered throughout the book. For most of these films, the material simply isn't available.
It's noted that the majority of the information on the original film has been told numerous times. Anyone with a passing interest in special effects or film history knows the story. The same goes for the bloated 1976 remake that was promoted with millions of dollars behind it.
What makes this collection special is the in-depth look at the other films in the series/franchise. Son of Kong is given an exceptional chapter, following in the same format as the others. Every special effects shot is deconstructed (in plain English) and the multitude of stories from the first concept until the end of production are staggering.
Morton even gives credit to the two Japanese King Kong efforts, King Kong vs. Godzilla and King Kong Escapes. While a few of his facts are a little off, Morton covers Godzilla's history leading up to his encounter with Kong. Information on these films is a little scarce, somewhat acceptable given the general lack of available hard facts and few surviving cast members.
Still, 1986's laugh fest King Kong Lives is given more pages than both the Japanese films combined. That's not a complaint, just a disappointment that the foreign efforts are pushed to the side. However, nothing has been written on the horribly produced sequel to the 1976 US version, and this book covers some great material. Interviews with actors who freely admit what a mess it was, deaths in multiple families while the movie was shooting, budget crunches, and an irritable director keep Morton's enjoyable detailing engrossing.
The author doesn't stop there either. His brief snippets on knock-off films (the miserable Queen Kong included), spin-offs like Mighty Joe Young, and a small chapter dedicated to collectibles help round out the pages. Sadly, the book was published before the release of Peter Jackson's 2005 edition of the classic story, so it feels incomplete. Only basic details, which include a rundown of a 1997 script from Jackson, are written here. An excessive amount of editing errors are slightly distracting as well.
Though not complete, a few of the chapters would have made fine books on their own. For a dedicated Kong fanatic, or someone who loves to read on the process of filmmaking, this is a fantastic piece of work. As of now, this is as close to a definitive work as we'll ever see.
Article comments
1 - Monkey king
Any would-be web reviewer never misses an easy opportunity to jump on the band wagon and bag on the 1976 version. "Bloated" Is not a word I would use to describe the brisk, well acted, well shot, fantastically scored, and entertaining 70's film. ALL the Kong films have thier unique imperfections and shortcommings. Morton's Book is terrific, but leave the 1976 film alone already!
2 - Matt Paprocki
Bloated is the right word. They went well over $10 million on the budget end. Brisk isn't the right word either. The pacing simply can't keep up.
The effects are of course a sore spot, especially the two completely distracting moments where the giant robot Kong pops up miserably on screen. The jungle sequences are off due a lack of Kong fighting, well, anything. That's a crucial portion of the original story. Don't even get me started on the giant snake fight that was beyond laughable. The team did create one hell of a great suit though, especially the face.
The movie was rushed to beat Universal and their remake that never actually happened, and it shows. Yes, it does have some great moments, and the build on the Kong/Dwan relationship gives the film something to fall back on emotionally when he's eventually shot down. Aside from that, it's a dull, overly long (and the same of course for Jackson's update) update that was released too early before it was finished.
3 - Monkey King
Matt, you stated your opinion already in your blog. Someone disagrees with it.