Jason Khor: King Kong

First I would like to say that I had a hell of a time watching this movie at Cineleisure at 210AM. It was insane. Although there were three moments where I blanked out for 2 seconds each (hey, it was in the wee hours of the movie), it didn't stop me from feeling how extraordinarily epic this movie is.

The movie runs for 188minutes. It is in my royal opinion that that fact alone is going to make the ticket price worth it. Also, this is a critically acclaimed movie. Resident movie buff for Life! Ong Sor Fern gave the movie 4 stars and she is one of the most knowledgeable movie critics ever. I've heard so much about it that I wanted so badly to watch it and just jumped at the chance when me and my cousins stayed over at the Crown Prince Hotel to celebrate my grandma's birthday. We took hold of the advantage of the close proximity to watch this movie. And I've got to say that the movie was shown to a full house, despite it's ridiculously late showing. The 12midnight and 1 AM shows were all sold out. This is a testament that Kong, is indeed King in cinemas this December (at least until Narnia comes out! Wooo!).

Backed by an extremely talented cast and of course, the director who gave us LOTR, Mr Peter Jackson, this movie ploughs through genres of every kind, from horror, fiction, comedy, action to romance (Naomi Watts gets to stare deeply into the eyes of our hero, King Kong and shares a kiss with Adrien Brody). The animation is ridiculously real, with humungous dinosaurs and great big, disgusting insects coming to life, hard on the heels for the fresh flesh of the human characters. The official movie site dedicates a page for all of them at the The Beastiary where you can learn the names the creatures, including the most disgusting one of all, the Carnictus.

Apart from the three main characters Ann Darrow, Jack Driscoll and Carl Denham played by Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody and the fantastic Jack Black respectively, the other actors also gave a stellar and memorable performance. There is Jimmy, played by Jamie Bell of Billy Eilliot fame. It is interesting to see him, now older, fill the shoes of a more grown up role. Of course, we're talking about the Best Actor of the 2001 British Academy Awards here so the impressive performance of a brave kid who is part of the crew of the ship which sailed to the godforsakened Skull Island is proof of his deserving win.

Then, there is the Captain Englehorn , the reluctant hero played by Thomas Kretschmann. Evan Parke also puts up a good performance as Hayes, the character who acts as a fatherly figure to Jimmy.

This 3 hour blockbuster plays a lot on the human spirit and also the spirit of the not-so-human, yet emotional King Kong. There are plenty of times where King Kong stares into Ann's eyes, although I think they've overdone it a little. The way they look at each other on Skull Island, while iceskating and atop the building showcases so much mush you never thought was possible between the beauty and the beast. In addition to all that, there are plenty of fast-paced action scenes with humans and dinosaurs alike on the run from T-Rex and of course, King Kong. Oh, and they did a terrific job with the natives of Skull Island too. I was freaked out by how terrifying they looked. The witty dialogue at the beginning of the movie helped grasped the audience's attention right from the start. Coupled with the roaring soundtrack which built the atmosphere of every scene, I think this is a movie which is brilliant in every way.

Perhaps one of the largest draw for watching the movie for the guys is not the dinosaurs and the action, but Naomi Watts. Looking positively glowing even when covered with dirt, or staring fragilely into the eyes of the monster, not only are her acting chops up to standard, she was a gem in her portrayal of the comedic beauty who caught the attention of the beast.

All in all, it is deserving of the 5/5 stars that many American critics gave it and is one movie not to be missed. It's got something in it for everyone and you're bound to be amazed by its riveting storytelling and vast array of characters. A huge thumbs up to everyone who was involved in this movie. It will impress you, from whichever angle you see it.