Comments on: King Kong Question

By: greenseagirl

greenseagirl — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 17:36:26 +0000

‘King Kong’ is not really worth your time. Some very yicky scenes, for one thing (King Kong lives on the island of the Orcs, apparently, and of enormous creepy bug-things, some of which eat a sailor’s head). The special effects were kind of cool, but I felt like most of the time they were about showing off, rather than in service to the story. You end up loathing Jack Black’s character so much that you’ll never want to watch any movie that has him in it ever again.

But Kong himself is awesome. He’s not a monster, he’s not a human– he’s a gorilla. I saw his relationship with Ann Darrow as almost a Jane Goodall/chimpanzees or Dian Fossey/gorillas sort of relationship. It’s not erotic, but friendly and sympathetic and somewhat enchanted on her side. On his side, I kept thinking about Koko’s kitten. There are no other gorillas on this island. Gorillas live in family groups. He’s lonely. Ann is friendly and pretty and playful.

If you want to see a movie with cool special effects that help tell a story, I would recommend “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” –I loved it.

By: Bill Baar

Bill Baar — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 15:15:24 +0000

I saw it last night for lack of anything better.

I don't recommend it although the special effects recreating city scenes from the 1920's are spectacular; as are the scenes at the end atop the Empire State Building.

The film has a character reading Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Conrad must be Hollywood's favorite metaphor for viewing any European's encounter with non-Europeans e.g. Apocalypse Now.

It just reminded me of American capativity literature. Where the Europeans are captured and then raised by Native Americans; then freed by a semi gone native Deer Slayer character.

The non Europeans never fare well in these stories and die in droves as they do in this movie. The Europeans don't fare well in portrayel either and Kong flings them about too.

Like I said, I didn't like the movie much. If there was a love story in it (or an Oil angle), it was overwhelmed by everything else.

By: UUpdater

UUpdater — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 15:08:15 +0000

In answer to your first question it’s Reality vs. Fantasy. Homophobic parents might worry about their sons being more inclined towards homosexuality if it is ok for masculine figures like cowboys to be homosexual. It is unlikely that any parent would worry about their daughter running off with a 40 foot gorilla. So King Kong is no threat, but Brokeback Mountain might be percieved as one. Well, by people who would be threatened by that sort of thing.

Oh, and if you don’t read the Onion, then check out the Cowboy Film Buzz. You are not alone in your observations.

By: Jaume

Jaume — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:00:53 +0000

I don’t know about the Platonic bestiality (excuse the oxymoron) side of the story, but think of this: the first King Kong was released in 1933 during the Big Depression; the second Kong was in 1976, at a low point of American hegemony after the Vietnam defeat and the oil crisis (and the big gorilla jumped to the Twin Towers); and the third Kong is in 2005, after 9/11 and during the Iraq fiasco. Coincidence?

By: Chalicechick

Chalicechick — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 04:41:46 +0000

Yup, Adrien Brody is the love interest. Her feelings for King Kong are more of a sympathy thing.

By: LaReinaCobre

LaReinaCobre — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 03:19:34 +0000

I think maybe the love story is between her and Adrien Brody. And KK falls in love with her, but it’s not a consummated relationship (I hope).

But I haven’t seen it; this is just from what I’ve read on it.