Naomi Watts Movie:

		List Price: $26.98		Label: Universal Studios Home Entertainment Salesrank: 7943 Released: November 14, 2006
		Our Price: $2.25
		Used Price: $0.72
		MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: HD DVD

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

King Kong [HD DVD] Reviews:
This movie looks so much better on blu-ray than on dvd
2009-10-31 - The blu-ray version of this movie looks amazing. I saw the DVD version and they must have done a crappy job on purpose on the DVD because the effects look awful on the DVD.

Best Since the Original
2009-10-21 - There have been a lot of attempts to remake the movie King Kong since the original came out in 1933 and this was by far the best one ever made. It is a bit long, but it is a great film. I would definitely suggest seeing this film.

Kong DVD
2009-10-19 - Item was sent faster than I expected & was in excellant shape. Great value.

"And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty . . . and beauty stayed his hand."
2009-10-08 - Every Kong film has their ups and downs, but some of them can be a bit obvious. This new 2005 remake is probably slightly better than the original. Kong is given a more ferocious and more human appearance, while the CGI effects are top-notch. Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Adrien Brody are absolutely amazing here (but they still can't top Wray, Armstrong, and Cabot). And the action is what you would expect from a Kong film, only that it's probably the most exciting we'll ever see when it comes to this version. But there are, as always, flaws. The sub-plot that involves Jimmy and Hayes was not needed at all: it slows the film down and it sometimes feels like it turns into a completely different movie. The references to the original 1933 film are clever, but there are too much of them in this film. They become irritating once we get into the third act. The music theme wasn't eerie and powerful enough; it could have been improved. And finally, having it all set in 1933 again makes it all a bit tedious. It could have been set in the late 30's or early 40's to make it look a bit unique.

But still, this is an ultimate Kong remake. It's got great effects, wonderful jungle settings, and a new and improved look for the ape himself. All three films (1933, 1976, and 2005) do have their own ups and downs, but I still like all three of them.

A little disappointed....
2009-10-08 - I was a little disappointed that it shipped without the sleeve. I really liked the sleeve on this bluray but they shipped it naked....