When Peter Jackson set out to recreate King Kong (a film already done twice-over in 1933 and 1976), he was handed $200 million and elevated expectations to follow in the greatness of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. What he has helmed is a near immaculate action-adventure pic and a love story for the ages. Even though its hyper-extended running-time nearly causes the kettle to bubble-over, King Kong is still a tour-de-force of action, adventure, and intensity and an emotional roller-coaster powerful enough to set your heart aflame.
After Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) loses her job as an actress/dancer at a vaudeville theater, she is left to roam the streets of New York unemployed. Seemingly by chance, she meets Carl Denham (Jack Black), a filmmaker who is pressed for time to find a leading lady to star in his next film. When Darrow first learns that the film is set to film in Singapore, she displays a lack of interest. However, once Carl mentions that Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) is aboard, Ann is immediately attracted to the project, and once Driscoll lays his eyes on Darrow, another attraction surfaces. Little does Ann know that she is setting sail on a most-dangerous mission to locate...Skull Island.
Hoping to stumble upon the uncharted Skull Island, to use its scenery as the backdrop for his film, Carl convinces the Captain (Thomas Kretschmann) of the ship to stay on course—in accordance with his oilskin map. Even after a minor detour, the ship’s crew and passengers soon find themselves traversing through a thick fog—only to crash into dry land.
Once ashore, the sailors and the production team encounter a group of savage natives who begin to slaughter the crew members. In the mix, the natives kidnap Miss Darrow and attempt to sacrifice her to the beast hidden behind a wall. After observing this beast – a 25-foot ape, whom the natives call “Kong” – grasp Darrow in his palm and head into the jungle, Carl bands together with the other men and follows Kong into the foliage. While on their quest to save the girl, the men encounter everything from a dinosaur stampede to an infestation of the world’s largest insects. Meanwhile, Darrow witnesses a ferocious T-Rex battle and a certain primate’s fixation with her blonde beauty.
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