Overall: 8/10 (-2 points for Jack Black and some unneccecary / badly done scenes.)
Cliffs Review: Worth Watching.
First half:
Jack Black really stands out as a man only designed for one role, and thats comedy. In this movie he has many of the simplistic comical expressions that he used for School Of Rock (which incidentally was the most boring thing Ive ever seen) and they just don’t fit here, he can’t seem to get the role of a serious film-maker who needs his one big break to work, he just loops an endless stupid stare where I expect him to break into “You ate my fuckin’ schnitzel” while hes walking around the island.
There are some particularly stupid parts too, such as the overuse of slow motion for no real reason whatsoever, and a particularly stupid screaming & roaring scene where Kong does nothing but flail her about in his hand for no understandable reason while he looks left and right as if hes lost on the island where hes lived all his life. There is also very little transition time between scenes, often you’ll be suprised because you’re startled into a piece of action when it cuts to a scene mid scream or shout.
On the upside however, there are some absolutely spectacular scenes, on both island, and old New York. The CGI is absolutely to-notch and these scenes will most definately be best viewed on DVD with a big plasma.
Second Half:
Again, top notch CGI, and action scenes which you will be impressed with. Also this is not a film for the squeamish, there more than enough scenes to get people creeped out, with creepy-crawlies and assorted disgusting animals. In particular one scene will have you squirming in your seat, even if you usually aren’t the type of person to be effected by such scenes. Peter Jackson really has succeeded in creating a truly ‘wild’ island.
The characters are well played, too, including Kong himself. Expressions are good, and are similar to a normal Gorillas, so you can somewhat relate to them if you’ve ever seen a nature documentary.
Overall the movie is a good adventure and visual feast worth the watch, worth owning too.