King Kong [2005, Special Edition, Limited Edition]

I totally can't wait for this DVD! Great coverart too. I was worried that they would screw up the cover art.

that dvd cover sucks i dont like it at all

Might wanna listen out for an extended edition of the film, that is rumored to be released on Nov this yr...

Similar to Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.... a 3 or 4 disc version.

I don't think I could sit through an extended edition!

I thought this version was long enough.

Yeah, I hope there isn't an extended version either. This movie was already too long.

I want to see an extended version released. I have the perfect moniker for it: "Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Hubris Edition". (y)

There is going to be a "truncated version" for this movie. After PJ made us watch this horrible mess for 3 hours, I don't see any benefit of an extended cut. Extended cut of a movie that is already way too extended. Wait a minuete - there is going to be an extra scene where Frodo hands over the ring to King Kong ..bamp there we go.. The art cover is really horrible. Feels like a video game look..

--Ranjan

yup, I'd go for a shorter version too...

yeah they should have the art work like the new posters, and it was a really bad ending for me, and to long of a mess, it shoulld have been shorter and more action on action instead of bordom because it look likke 1:10 mins for king kong just to get in the movie, to long for my taste

Sorry but I completly disagree with most everything posted here. Peter Jackson created a great film out of King Kong. He turned a monster picture show into an amazing dramatic tragedy which put me in tears by the countless times and the pacing for me felt dead on perfect. In my mind this is one of the most perfect films in history and is much underappreciated in its time today. It is not an action film but instead a tragegic love story, the visual effects were truly an aid in this film not the centerpiece. They were a means of telling a story. The duration of the film was perfect not too long or too short it in my mind is the perfect film.

As for extras I think these will be great I get to complete the production diaries, and best of all we get to see some of PJs great mocumentaries or film lies which he is known for i.e. Forgotten Silver, and some scenes in the Frighteners. I think we can expect a nice juiced up version of Kong in Nov-December time with a nice little longer cut of the film.

But with Peter Jackson he is a strong believer in not reusing any of the extras therefore you will not be rebuying any part of it and will get as much fresh and new material as ever.

Peter Jackson truly is the genius of film of our time. This is evident from ALL of his films from Bad Taste to Meet the Feebles, LOTR everything, this plays especially true in KK 05'.

Sorry if everyone disagrees with me but I strongly believe PJ is the greatest directer of our time and perhaps in the history of film.

musicpenguy,

You are my new best friend. I finally find someone who thinks the same about the film as I do. Kong was my favourite film of 2005 and is one of best films I've ever seen. Literally. People who are unable to invest their feelings and emotions into the characters of the film, especially Kong, will never understand how much of a tragedy this love story really is.

I too, thought that the length and pacing of the film was perfect. I was just so engaged into the film that I didn't even notice the time.

I am also very excited about the 35 new production diaries.

i notice that roger and musicpenguy are using the exact kind of argument that john said that chris and i were using when attacking "crash". however, chris and i didn't attack "crash" because it moved other people but didn't move us. yet, roger and musicpenguy are with regards to "king kong" (2005). ;)

Everybody views films differently some hate KK, some love it and some are like its okay.

I think in 50 years KK05 will truly be a classic film that will stand the test of time.

Differences is what make the world interesting...

musicpenguy,

not only can you see the future, you can also speak for people of the future. dang, that's impressive.

eddie

I am making that generalization from kong based on expierence from the past as most of us do learn, and by learning from the past in what makes classics I believe Kong falls under the category of a classic and will become a classic based on history not being a fortune teller.

I wish I could speak for people of the future...

Seriously though, this film was really good, aside from the occasional bad special effect (the blue lines around the people during scenes shot in front of blue screens is simply unacceptable for a movie of this calibre), and some of the languid pacing (the scenes on the boat just went on forever), but overall I was thrilled, excited and intrigued the entire way through, not easy for a three hour movie. Kong and Anne's final moments in NYC are bittersweet and wonderfully sadening. Hell, most humans go their entire lives without such intimate interaction between anything and here we find it between a gorgeous gal and a big, ferocious ape (who, to the filmmakers credit, became so much more as the film progressed). I love the cover art too, a clever update on the posters previously seen on the VHS covers of both Kong films ('33 and '76, or whenever that terrible remake was made). Very stylish and black. I too would also like to see both an extended and truncated version of this film, but any new material pertaining to this film is more than welcome. I can't speak for people in the future (in fact I doubt a future will ever exist... but let's not get into that here), but as of right now this film is already an overlooked classic that was unfortunately over-hyped by critics. Next time, don't tell me how good a film is and how badly I must see it guys, lemme figure that out for myself, it seemed to work with LOTR.

It is more or less confirmed right now, that a Extended version dvd of KING KONG will be released at around Nov/Dec 06.

Of the scences to be included, are how Kong was transported to New York City....

This is no longer a rumor as it came directly from Jackson himself.....

Thinesh

I believe the scene where Kong goes back to NY is a joke, and Jackson has said many times that it is one of the best film edits and I think he will leave it like that.

But I do think there is truth behind the fact that Jackson will release a extended edition late 2006!!!!!!!

Yes! I might get to make my joke for real after all--"Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Hubris Edition".

Well, hear it from the Jackson himself.

This is the clip of him accepting the Empire's Best film award. At the end, you will hear him tell u the magic words..... EXTENDED EDITION later this year..

Beware, there are quite a few swear words in there..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TaU-9l0HmE&search=king%20kong


Thinesh

That clip was pretty hilarious. Especially the bloopers.

I'm still not 100% convinced that PJ is actually developing an extended cut. I mean, he DID say that it was coming to DVD at the end of the year but when he said that, it reminded me of when he told us that there was going to be two sequels to Kong. He said it with the same serious face and plain voice. And that sneak peek clip of how Kong was transported to NY didn't make things any more convincing.

I'm not saying that there won't be an extended cut at the end of the year. I'm just not sure yet.

Not sure if I'd said this before, but he might of said that to force the studio to allow him to release and Extended Edition to not disappoint, just like the premiere of ROTK at Wellington.

I really, really liked the film. However, let me get to the stuff I thought detrimental to the film as a whole. 1) Specific sections in the movie (both at the beginning, middle, and end) go on for too long -- better editing would've made the movie more tighter and fast-paced. 2) Did we really need character development for all the characters on the boat? The movie would've been perfect at 2 hours or 2 1/2 hours. (I personally think Jackson's three-part LOTR trilogy each deserved their 3 hour runtime, but KK doesn't - it doesn't have enough story for 3 hours.) Okay, now to the good stuff.

Kong is beautifully realized and not for one moment you think it's a CGI creature, but an actual creature. His relationship with Ann Darrow is beautiful and touching, and you do get emotionally invested in it. The action sequences are just exciting and beautifully choreographed. Overall, the movie is very worthwhile, even though the runtime did test my patience time to time.

However, I'm getting the single-disc edition and that'll be it for me. I am curious to see how the EE will make the movie more sluggish or faster-paced, but I'm guessing the former. ;)

The film was originally 2.5 hrs long but after screening the 3 hr cut of the film to the studio, they agreed to make it 3 hrs. PJ and his wife even agreed to pay for all of the extra special FX shots.

musicpenguy, there aren't trailers that start up when you put the disc in? Just wondering... ;)

Nope, no trailers it goes straight into the dvd menu, there is a trailer for I Wish You Were here it is a film put together by NYC that can be seen in full online, I think it is seemoreofnyc.com not sure though

Hopefully this won't be deleted like all of my other prerelease info!

musicpenguy,

We appreciate information about upcoming releases, but not if the discs in question were obtained against studio policy. As a site, we do not condone illegal or suspect activity. I hope you understand.

John

John, I feel that the person responsible for "going against studio policy" would be the store manager (or store chain) responsible for the new DVD releases and letting the consumers buy the DVD ahead of time. Heck, if they released KK a week early in my local store, I'd buy it too.

"i notice that roger and musicpenguy are using the exact kind of argument that john said that chris and i were using when attacking "crash". however, chris and i didn't attack "crash" because it moved other people but didn't move us. yet, roger and musicpenguy are with regards to "king kong" (2005)."

Eddie, why are you even commenting on the remake of "King Kong" when you haven't even seen it? (It's an honest question, especially when you mentioned that in your review of "Memoirs of a Geisha".) I think you should take a chance with it -- yes, some of the CGI in KK looks a bit "off" and fake, but KK himself is impressively rendered.

And despite the fact that Peter Jackson does over-indulge himself with needless exposition and filler during the movie (which could've been a leaner, meaner film with a 2 and 1/2 hour runtime), he makes the relationship with Ann Darrow and KK more endearing and more emotionally potent. Even with the waiting around, the movie is more than worth it by the end. (Of course, the length probably did fray more than a few people's nerves...)

Honestly, Eddie, if you're not going to see this film, then don't comment on it. It seems rather silly when you bash a film prior before seeing it, then seeing it and then change your mind about it. Simple as that.

mcjw_serenity:

your post doesn't make sense. i didn't bash a movie prior to seeing it only to say that i like it after watching it. maybe that is your inference about how i might respond to peter jackson's "king kong", but we'll never know since i plan on avoiding seeing it, even for free on broadcast tv in the future.

as for my comments about "king kong" in my review of "memoirs of a geisha"...i'm simply tired of seeing movies with a lot of demolition win sound awards all the time. there's nothing intrinsically artful in piling on noise after noise after noise of things going crash or kaboom.

eddie

p.s. yes, someone selling dvds prior to street date is responsible for violating industry standards. however, someone buying dvds prior to street date is also violating industry standards. without a market, people wouldn't sell. without vendors, people wouldn't buy. both parties are guilty.

I agree with your point of view but I think good word of mouth would help a DVDs sale and in some way in the chaous of the universe by having a few have it early studios can generate a larger sale by knowing how good their release is ahead of time.

(Could you be so kind now that the dvd is offically released to repost my reviews omitting the parts that reveal the early release of it)

musicpenguy,

that is achieved through advertising and dvd reviews, not by breaking street dates. besides, if movie companies really wanted you to be able to buy movies prior to street dates, then they wouldn't have street dates in the first place--they'd just let the market have a free for all.

eddie

With this review, a lot of 'problems' the reviewers had, were things I liked about the movie.

1. Length. Okay. I am not sure why people are complaining, because I found the Lord of the Rings films stretched on for eternity, especially the first. Esentially all that happens in the first is they get together and start their adventure. Does that really take 3 hours to show? Kong has much more story, and is far superior to the LOTR in terms of visuals, and emotional impact. I was not bored for a second, and i mean that.

2. The action scenes did go on for a while, but on my second viewing of the film, I noticed how excellently orchestrated they were, and they are so well done that I do not think they interfer with the film one way or another.

3. Yes, I don't think the new Kong is completely believable. But, I thank the brilliant Naomi Watts for her amazing acting, because she sold me on every moment that I believed she was on set with the huge guy.

4. The reason why I love Kong the most is the underlying theme of the destruction of beauty. Why does our society need to destory natural beauty? Throughout the film, Kong is constantly attacked, and these are the times he becomes the monster to defend himself. We are creating this. What else can I say? "Beauty killed the beast." When I viewed the film again, I realized how importatly Jackson viewed this theme, and he drives it home to heartbreaking effect.

Overall, this is one of the best films of 2005, and a nice counterpart to the original classic.

ps I do think it deserved the Oscar for sound. Kong is not just noise upon noise. I thought it was all mixed very well. If anyone can name a better contender, please, do so, and not out of spite, but sincerity. Some of the best sound mixes I've head are in films you wouldn't expect (a small independent film Morvan Callar, on a tiny budget. There is no 'noise upon noise' in that movie). But, come on, even I can see that Kong did deserve the award.

last year, i felt that "munich" had better sound mixing than any other movie. my colleague chris long felt that "the new world" had the best sound mixing of any movie that he's seen in the last 20 years.

King Kong bored me to no end. And this goes to the previous two versions as well. An oversized gorilla fell in love with a beautiful human female? Right. At least in Beauty and the Beast, the Beast was humanoid. It's not a script problem, it's not a visual problem, it's a premise problem. For me.

Loved this movie. Not a movie for everyone, after reading the posted reviews! I think the picture quality of this dvd is amazing. Sound too. I give it **** 4 out of 5 stars.

Kong was good enough for some eye-candy thrills and action, but it really adds nothing new to the original with the exception of color. It worked as a film, but at the same time, I'm not buying into the oversized hype.

The sound was pretty good but I have to agree with Eddie that "Munic" did have some pretty impressive sound. I mean, when that hotel room blew-up it jolted me out of my seat . . . hey wait, I'm talking about loud noises as being good sound. D'oh!

T

"but we'll never know since i plan on avoiding seeing it, even for free on broadcast tv in the future.

as for my comments about "king kong" in my review of "memoirs of a geisha"...i'm simply tired of seeing movies with a lot of demolition win sound awards all the time. there's nothing intrinsically artful in piling on noise after noise after noise of things going crash or kaboom.

p.s. yes, someone selling dvds prior to street date is responsible for violating industry standards. however, someone buying dvds prior to street date is also violating industry standards. without a market, people wouldn't sell. without vendors, people wouldn't buy. both parties are guilty."

I don't know why you insist on not seeing it. Is it the very fact that KK is a remake, or any other reason at all? Just because you're a film elitist doesn't mean you can't give movies that aren't to your tastes a chance. :@ (If I lived in your neighborhood, I would consistently pester you to watch it until you finally relented. ;) )

Also, there is more to KK winning the Best Sound Award than just things going boom. There is frequent surround usage, the score is given good stereo presense, impressive bass (of course), clear dialogue, and a feeling of complete immersion in the film. It was a worthy candidate for Best Sound (I haven't seen "Memoirs of a Geisha" or "Munich", so I can't comment on how good their sound mixing was).

Also, about the last part of the comment you made. Okay, what if someone orders the KK DVD online, the online store gets their shipments in early, and the customers get their DVD a few days ahead of time. Do you blame the online store or the customer then?

Loved this movie, and just about everything by Peter Jackson for that matter. But then again, I like longer movies. I'm gonna save my money and pick up the extended edition when it comes out. I don't think that it deserves to be ripped on as much as it has, he obviously loves the material and I feel like his passion for the original work shows.

This is in regards to - purchasing DVDS before the street date. Technically, DVDs should not be distributed before the street date. However, I have bought so many DVDs before the street date (unknowingly). Most of DVDs I bought were Criterion discs and old classics. The only instance of new/blockbuster that I got before the street date was Minority Report. My recent purchases included - Young Mr Lincoln, Pickpocket, Ugetsu, Traffic etc - all of which I got 2 weeks before the street date from Best Buy. Heck I even got Ran 2 weeks before it was released.

From customer???s perspective, it is difficult to remember the street dates of lesser known movies. One cannot blame the customer for picking the DVD from shelf before the street date. The customer is not stealing anything - he will probably pay of the DVD if he wants.

I have talked to the Best Buy manager couple of times if I had know that the DVD on shelf is before the street date. Apparently, I still always see DVDs before the street date. Mind you these are not blockbuster movies.

I feel it is the responsibility of retailers to ensure that DVDs are sold only on the street date. For online purchases, if studios are worried about the sales, they should enforce online stores to mark on the packet -"Don't deliver before the street date". I know Amazon does that but not always. Retailers can be fined if movies are sold before the street date. This is just like sales tax. How many of you declare sales tax on your tax returns for online purchases if you haven't paid it?

There is nothing to indicate that movies sold before street date has a significant affect on sales. I am still talking about specific movies - Criterion, Anime, Noirs etc (no blockbuster or other popular stuff). If studios are that much worried maybe they should put a label on the disc about this warning.

Yes, DVDs should not be sold before the street date but if customer picks the DVD then I don't see how customer is at fault when studios/retailers have done nothing to stop the pre-street date sale.

--Ranjan

Ranjan,

Thank you for your words; they represent a rational and practical approach to the subject. However, whether the customer intentionally or unintentionally buys something before street date is a matter entirely up to the individual customer, not me; I am neither a cop nor a snoop. I just don't think it is appropriate for DVDTOWN to condone such action if the studios frown on it. Thus, I removed the comments.

John

mcjw_serenity,

you don't seem to understand how artful and artistic a sound mix can be. there are many movies mixed in mono that have better sound designs than something like "batman begins".

i won't watch "king kong" (2005) because:
1) in general, peter jackson's movies don't interest me much.

2) most movies are too long, and judging by what's been written about the movie, i'll hate myself for spending three-plus hours watching it.

3) i didn't like the movie's visual style from what i saw in trailers.

eddie

p.s. ranjan, if a person knows that a dvd has not streeted yet, then he should not buy it.

as for online retailers sending out stuff early, they are also violating industry standards. in this instance, the customer isn't at fault since he didn't request the online retailer to send stuff to him early, but he can still report the online retailer to the affected media companies.

"p.s. ranjan, if a person knows that a dvd has not streeted yet, then he should not buy it. "

You missed the point of my entire post. It is diffficult for customers to remember the street date for every DVD that hits on Tuesday except for the popular stuff. If customers buy the DVD and then realize after reaching home that they unknowingly purchased the DVD before the street date, then what? Like I said - retailers are more responsible for ensuring this. The only way to ensure that customers follow this is by putting a label on the disc just like copyright warning or by displaying the trailer like studios do for copyright/pirate DVDs. Till then one cannot blame the customer.

ranjan,

no, YOU missed the point of my post. if you know what the street date of a specific title is while you're shopping in best buy, circuit city, target, etc. and see that the place is selling it early, then you should not buy it. i'm not writing about buying a dvd, going home, and looking up the street date online ex post facto.

eddie

The assumption of my post is that customers don't always remember the street date. Your assumption is - what if customer knows the DVD is sold before the street date? Fair enough. Personally, I feel there are lot of variables involved here. There is no "awareness" of this issue like copyright violation has. Like John said - it totally depends from person to person. If studios specifically condone a customer for buying legal copies before the street date, please share that information through a web link if you have any.

PS: Don't use Caps lock to address me. Seems like you are shouting at me

ranjan,

the issue is simple enough. when you know that a dvd shouldn't be sold yet, don't buy it.

eddie

What you say is just one side of the coin. The other side is - what if I don't know?. I think we have to agree to disagree here.
--Ranjan

ranjan,

we can discuss "what if..." scenarios until the end of the world but reap nothing productive from such conversations.

let's stick to facts and figures, shall we?

eddie

"let's stick to facts and figures, shall we?"

And where are they?. Point me to the document, link, forum post that has talked about this issue. No one is going to get any rewards with one sided reasoning. This is the last post from me on this issue

--R

http://www.idealink.org/Resource.phx/idea/benefits/streetdateviolations/streetdateviolation.htx

This is a disappointing review. It's just the original movie review plus a few things tacked on at the end.

mr.caliente, how kind of you to notice. The fact is, I have nothing more to say about the movie, and there is only so much one can say about the audio, video, and extras.

If you would care to add further evaluation, here among the comments, you are more than welcome to do so.

John