King Kong

I saw the spectacle that is King Kong today, and I’ll admit, as a spectacle, it undoubtedly works. Sure, the dialogue is a little campy, and the special effects are a bit overdone at times, but the story is beautifully told. And while those special effects may indeed be a bit overdone at times, they’re also pretty damn impressive.

So, yes, I guess I’d rank King Kong as the best movie I’ve watched in the actual cinema in a few years, and, believe me, that is small praise. I’m also becoming annoyed at how seemingly all the Hollywood movies made today completely lack originality, and I don’t just mean in the general

Hollywood sense, but rather that nearly every movie seems to be a sequel/remake of an older film. Granted, it’s not the studio’s fault that people are more likely to see something they’re familiar with, but it’s starting to get ridiculous. Does the market really demand Cheaper by the Dozen 2?

Still, although Kong was, of course, a remake, it’s at least partially anti-Hollywood with its 3-hour running length, which you know had the studio executives in an uproar (you can fit an extra showing in if you slice an hour off). And the movie isn’t too long, in fact, it’s amazing to see any

Hollywood movie actually give its story enough time to develop so that it actually means something when the big climax hits.

Which is enough for a thumbs up from me.