How would you rate Peter Jackson's "King Kong"?

[Josh500 1,615]

Do you like this movie/score? Yes, no?

[Quintus 5,399]

4 and 4.

I'd rate the movie a full 5, if it were an hour shorter.

[Richard Penna 3,689]

Movie 4, score 5.

It's a good film but goes on a bit, and also Jackson lets the effects come centre stage a bit too often.

Love the score, one of my all time JNH favourites.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Bellosh 3,419]

New York/On the Ship: 3/5 ----- the last part of the ship ride is really when it starts to get good)

On Skull Island: 5/5 ------- EVERYTHING you expected from Peter Jackson, and more. The bug pit sequence is so dark, it almost feels out of place. Love his take on it!

Back in New York/Empire State Building: 4/5 --------- Loved everything when they were on the building.

As for the score, it was good, I really can't comment on it that much. I really like a statement when Kong is first climbing the building, though.

[crocodile 8,012]

3,5 and 3,5.

Karol

[Charlie Brigden 7]

4 and 4.

I'd rate the movie a full 5, if it were an hour shorter.

I'm not normally a fan of JNH, but he did a great job here. It's even better in film order. Would certainly love to hear Shore's music. Great use of period music as well.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

FIlm 4 stars. It drags a little sometimes. But it is rather entertaining.

Score 3, its just decent.

The CGI has some very good and very awful shots.

Universal Spain: 0 stars, since they did not released the expanded edition because they didnt want to dub the new scenes. It would matter much, but they sold a 'special edition' package with the same cover design as the extended edition. With false advertising.

[Quintus 5,399]

I'm not normally a fan of JNH, but he did a great job here. It's even better in film order. Would certainly love to hear Shore's music. Great use of period music as well.

Shore's effort is the one rejected score I hope to see released one day.

[Ollie 1,059]

Movie = 4

Score = 3.5

The film is a tad bit too long, would have preferred Driscoll remain the first mate and not have his character split into two people. Too many characters and the film could be trimmed buy about 30 minutes. But I can appreciate it for the effort and what did appear on screen.

The score is good and fun but feels rushed and frankly has ideas that sound like Howard Shore. Not really JNH's fault but I would really like to hear Shore's rejected score.

[Quintus 5,399]

Too many characters and the film

That is perhaps the most fundamental problem.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Film - 4.5

Score - 5

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

The movie is ok but way tooo long, as already mentioned here.

The Universal studio ride was much shorter, better and frightening as hell.

About the score; not best effort by Howard Shore.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Ooops!

But I was kind of right

[indy4 155]

Movie: 3 - way too long

Score: 3.5

[ST-321 4]

The movie is waaaaaaay too long for me & has some parts that are too over the top to believe (aside from the premise). The score certainly has some beautiful moments though.

[Romão 2,274]

Movie 2, most of it really is beyond ridiculous. But I also find the LOTR films to be totally underwhelming, so you know where I'm coming from.

The score is alright, I guess, no more, no less

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Yeah man that movie was totally ridiculous. I mean they had dinosaurs and giant bugs and everything. What's next, a giant ape?

[Romão 2,274]

Mostly it was the relationship between Kong and the Ann, plus some of the most cringe inducing moments in mainstream hollywood (the ice skating scene, the "beautiful" thing, Ann Walking in the middle of a deserted street in New York like some sort of angel, the typing of SKULL Island). Just too many to mention

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The proper term for that would be cliche, or in this case, more homage, rather than ridiculous.

[artyjeffrey 20]

My son would rate this movie a 5, but then again he always jumps to the part when the group is afoot in the jungle, searching for Ann.

And then he always stops it when they trap Kong.

I've told myself that one of these days I'm going to do my own edit of this ridiculously overblown movie, and streamline it into a tight and solid one. But then I realize that I'd just be turning it into the original, better King Kong, and so I just put THAT dvd in the player instead.

[Datameister 2,043]

I don't remember the specifics of the film TOO well, but I think my impression was that the CGI was good, the writing and delivery often rivaled LOTR in the cheese department, and the whole thing was just too darn long. I'll give it 3 stars.

I remember the score better because I bought the OST. I like it...I definitely like it. It gets a little repetitive, but other than that flaw, I think it's a very nice effort by Mr. Howard. The themes are quite good, the action music is better than a lot of the JNH action music that I've heard, and there are even some pretty neat atmospheric passages. I'll give the score 4 stars.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Movie: Somewhere between 4 and 4.5. I'll give it the 4.5 because I feel the movie is generally underappreciated (I'm surprised to read more favourable comments above than I'd expected). I absolutely consider the first act not too long; it takes its time, but it's time well invested because it allows us to care for the characters in the end. You could argue that the second act is too long, or rather filled with too much pointless effects action, but the same goes for the original. In the end, the scene with Kong on the ice makes me cry, and considering that it's essentially a giant ape skating in Central Park, that means the film has achieved a lot for me by that point.

Score: 4.5. My favourite JNH along with Lady in the Water. The love theme is sublime. The Shore-ish stuff for the finale is the least interesting part of the score for me.

[Jeff 10]

Movie - I would give it a 4.5 for quality of filmmaking, but a 3.5 for my enjoyment. It was one of those movies that was fine to watch once, but I have no desire to see it again.

I didn't notice the score when I watched it and I never bothered listening to it since, so I voted 3 in an attempt to be neutral - I would have only voted in the first question if it were possible.

[Dean1700 4]

4 and 4

I just watched this last night and I agree with most others in that the first hour is too long. The movie is enjoyable and I love the expanded relationship between Kong and Ann over the original, even understanding Kong's back story, (being the last of his kind) but Jack Black is just so mis-cast I just found him more irritating than anything else and unbelievable as Carl Denham.

I really liked the various homages to the original through identical scenes and even the music in some parts. My overall favourite part is the entrance of the planes into the story. I like in some scenes where the camera follows the planes in on an attack and you see the whole of the city.

[TownerFan 4,983]

Funny, I've rewatched it just the other day!

The rewatch confirmed my first ideas: the film is waaay too long--I like that PJ expanded the scope of the original movie, but I think he overindulged a bit too much just for the sake of being "epic", losing the pure fun of the original story in the process. I would have completely scrapped Jamie Bell's storyline with the black guy and I would probably got rid of most of the slow-motion shots all over the picture. The fx are impressive, even though sometimes rushed in certain spots. Kong's expressivity however is stunning. One of the film's strongest point is Anne Watts' performance. Aside from being such a gorgeous lady, she really got the role with grace and beauty.

The score is certainly competent and generally consistent, even though most of it get drowned by sound fx. The main theme is not strong enough imho and it's overused throughout all the first hour and half. I also don't like at all the Thomas Newman-isms in the lyrical cues--they sound really out of place in what is essentially a period movie (this was apparently one of the points where Shore and Jackson had different views). Also, the action cues sounds a bit too generic and too bombastic just for the sake of it.

Overall, it's a flawed movie, even though it has more than a thing to remember.

[crocodile 8,012]

I'd like to see a "phantom edit" of this film.

Karol

[A24 4,333]

Movie 2, most of it really is beyond ridiculous. But I also find the LOTR films to be totally underwhelming, so you know where I'm coming from.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I really liked the various homages to the original through identical scenes and even the music in some parts. My overall favourite part is the entrance of the planes into the story. I like in some scenes where the camera follows the planes in on an attack and you see the whole of the city.

The entire third act is stunning. I love the moments you described, where we just see the whole skyline with the sound dialed out.

[Ollie 1,059]

The action on Skull Island is fun, if not a bit too much at times. To me that makes up for all the film's faults.

[Quintus 5,399]

Once you get there, it really does.

[crocodile 8,012]

The action on Skull Island is fun, if not a bit too much at times. To me that makes up for all the film's faults.

Well, the film works more or less because of the two key elements: Naomi Watts and Kong himself. And it's probably the only thing that really needs to work. The other stuff is more or less disposable.

Karol

[Naïve Old Fart 9,528]

The sight of that giant pink thing going over Andy Serkis' head always makes me squirm.

There are many things to enjoy about this film, but writing, performance, and direction, are not three of them.

[Quintus 5,399]

I think the two central performances are superb.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I think everyone is pretty good, Kyle Chandler especially, and Watts and Serkis are brilliant. The writing is fine, as is the direction, it's just the editing that needed attention.

[Wojo 2,453]

The movie was pretty good, a bit too long for the movie theater, and I have no desire to ever see it again.

I remember nothing of the score.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jim Ware 526]

The film is bloated and indulgent. I suspect that Peter Jackson was given rather too much freedom on this.

The replacement score is impressive given the amount of time to compose and record it - I would be very interested to know what the music budget was for that! Shore's score remains one of my holy grails, but I cannot imagine Universal letting it see the light of day in the near future.

[Dean1700 4]

One of the film's strongest point is Anne Watts' performance.

That would be Naomi Watts playing Ann Darrow.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,528]

One of the film's strongest point is Anne Watts' performance.

That would be Naomi Watts playing Ann Darrow.

Doesn't that tell you something about the film, when people cannot remember who played who?

John Guillermin rules!!!!

[Charlie Brigden 7]

John Guillermin rules!!!!

Watch 'King Kong Lives' and tell me that with a straight face.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,528]

John Guillermin rules!!!!

Watch 'King Kong Lives' and tell me that with a straight face.

Ah, yes, well...actually, I was referring to "The Blue Max", and "The Towerong Inferno".

John Guillermin rules!!!!

Watch 'King Kong Lives' and tell me that with a straight face.

Ah, yes, well...actually, I was referring to "The Blue Max", and "The Towering Inferno".

[Koray Savas 2,251]

John Guillermin rules!!!!

Watch 'King Kong Lives' and tell me that with a straight face.

Ah, yes, well...actually, I was referring to "The Blue Max", and "The Towerong Inferno".

Doesn't that tell you something about the film, when you can't even spell it right!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,528]

John Guillermin rules!!!!

Watch 'King Kong Lives' and tell me that with a straight face.

Ah, yes, well...actually, I was referring to "The Blue Max", and "The Towerong Inferno".

Doesn't that tell you something about the film, when you can't even spell it right!

Ha, ha, ha! (sonofabitch )

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Mostly it was the relationship between Kong and the Ann, plus some of the most cringe inducing moments in mainstream hollywood (the ice skating scene, the "beautiful" thing, Ann Walking in the middle of a deserted street in New York like some sort of angel, the typing of SKULL Island). Just too many to mention

you clearly have no soul.

The ice skating scene is pure movie magic.

[Romão 2,274]

I really mean no offence to those who enjoyed the scene, I really don't, but that scene just made me laugh out loud. it just rubbed me the wrong way. Peter Jackson's cheese is of the worst kind. The LOTR is filled with it

[crocodile 8,012]

I like cheese...

Not necessarily Peter Jackson's, however.

Karol

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I really mean no offence to those who enjoyed the scene, I really don't, but that scene just made me laugh out loud. it just rubbed me the wrong way. Peter Jackson's cheese is of the worst kind. The LOTR is filled with it

it's not cheese, it's pure movie magic, one of the scenes that elevates this film, it pinpoints the tragedy.

[Quintus 5,399]

Peter Jackson's cheese is of the worst kind.

Heh, not by a long shot. Look to Lucas' prequels for the very top tier of cheese produce.