When it comes to creature features and wonders of the world of fiction, there have been none greater than the likes of King Kong since his debut in 1933. He definitely began the world’s obsession with larger than life creatures and characters. In 2005, Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings) would direct this remake that starred Jack Black (Orange County) as director Carl Denham. Carl needs to create a movie that is unlike anything the world has seen, but the studio doesn’t believe in him. Naomi Watts (The Ring) stars as struggling actress Ann Darrow who is just looking for a big break. The two will eventually run into each other and she is hired to star in his film. The only problem is that the film is to be filmed on an island that no one has been to and they bite off more than they can chew when the eight wonder of the world shows up. The film also stars Adrien Brody (The Jacket) as Jack Driscoll, Thomas Kretschmann (Wanted) as Captain Englehorn, Colin Hanks (Orange County) as Preston, Andy Serkis (Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes) as Kong, Evan Parke (Django Unchained) as Hayes, Jamie Bell (The Fantastic Four) as Jimmy, Kyle Chandler (The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Bruce Baxter, and John Sumner (District 9) as Herb.
I still have yet to see the original 1933 classic that actually has King Kong listed as an actor in the film. The only other version I have seen is the 1976 version that starred Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange. The one thing you can guarantee when it comes to watching this film is that the special effects are going to be amazing compared to any other version before it. The CGI alone makes this a version worth watching because they can do so much more with the film then they were able to do in the past. One of my favorite things about this film is when they are actually on Skull Island because that is where the fun and adventure is in this film. From the crazy looking natives to all the creatures that inhabit Skull Island like giant spiders, dinosaurs, and so much more creepy crawlers. The fight scene between Kong and the three T-Rex’s is absolutely amazing and one of my favorites. This is actually one of many films where Jack Black flexes his acting abilities and shows us he doesn’t have to be an imbecile all the time on screen to entertain people. Adrien Brody does a terrific job in the film as well as Naomi Watts, the beauty that kills the beast. They have the iconic climbing of the skyscraper scene in this film and it’s superb as well as other iconic shots. This was definitely a cool movie that I enjoyed and I can not wait for Kong: Skull Island to come out in 2017. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade. Check it out on Showtime or Showtime Anywhere right now.
I have always been a fan of the Planet Of The Apes series whether it were the classics or the reboot Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. It took me a little bit to catch the sequel Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, but it’s here. I believe that it has been ten years since the events of the first film and what the humans called the Simian Flu has almost wiped out the entire human race. Meanwhile, Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his family of apes are enjoying the fruits of their fight by living in the forest across the Golden Gate Bridge. The apes believe that there must not be any more humans until they run into a crew looking to gain access to the dam. The crew led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke) need to gain access to the dam in order to establish a power source for the humans who still live in San Francisco because they are running out of fuel for power. As Caesar begins to allow the humans to work, one ape named Koba (Toby Kebbell) begins to get angry and he rises against Caesar in order to gain payback on the humans for what they did to him when he was captive. Can Caesar and Malcolm stop Koba before he starts a war or will it be too late? The film also stars Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight) as Dreyfus, Keri Russell (Felicity) as Ellie, Kodi Smit-McPhee (Paranorman) as Alexander, Kirk Acevedo (Oz) as Carver, Nick Thurston (White Irish Drinkers) as Blue Eyes, and the film was directed by Matt Reeves (Felicity).
I loved the first reboot film because it obviously explains the story of Caesar who we hear about in the original films. The first one left you in the cliffhanger of knowing how exactly the apes were able to kind of take over (at least part of San Fran). The second one kind of explains the story a little bit more as it is starting to inch over to where it is kind of the planet of the apes. The second really takes us into the psyche of the apes now that they have been free for what they say is 10 winters. They are still adjusting to the freedom and some of the apes struggle with how Caesar handles humans and it turns into a battle. I love the special effects obviously, but one of my other favorite elements of the film are the sets. The set design for the film was phenomenal as they created a post Simian flu San Francisco. Jason Clarke was phenomenal as well as he kind of took the place of what James Franco was to Caesar in the first film. I don’t know about you, but I am certainly excited for the new film War Of The Planet Of The Apes. I am most excited because it continues the story from this film and that means more Caesar and Andy Serkis. I am going to give this film an A- for a final grade.
365moviesin365dayschallenge 