NERD LIFE: I Like Kong
For some reason, I refuse to write normal reviews of films on this blog, even though I am capable of doing so. Why must I always be so difficult? Instead of reviewing Kong, I will review the emotional undercurrents (I am assuming everyone already knows the story...if not, sorry. (Not really, though:))
Act One: We start off in New York City, where we are introduced to our human characters. Jackson keeps an air of sadness in these scenes, but intertwines it with a feeling of opportunity and possibility. We are in civilization. There may be a "Great Depression", but the modern human spirit seems to be prevailing. We get onto a boat and see humans interacting on a smaller level. Humans are still master of the domain, even out at sea, the space seperating the primal from the modern. Our characters may die on the water, but in a human fashion.
Act Two: We reach the island. Things seem deserted, and our modern human characters seem to be in control. Suddenly, we are plunged into hell. We are no longer in civilization, no longer in control. This is the wild. The demonic, primal humans that inhabit this place seem nothing like our modern characters. They begin to kill our characters off, as if killing is natural. After fighting off these natives, our modern characters are in a battle against nature itself, though the natives seem only an extension of nature in this environment. Through all of this, the beings attempting to kill our characters seem to harbour no ill will or malice to our characters-they are only performing acts natural to their being. Are our human characters' desires to bring Kong back to civilation any different?
On this island, we also witness an understanding and compromise between the primal and the modern-our main character, Ann Darrow, and King Kong become "friends." Sort of. Let us just say that they bond on a very deep, nonsexual (*phew*) level.
Act Three: We are back in New York City, ever the constant symbol of modern society and progress. Kong is captured and on display, but this, we know, cannot last. Kong breaks loose and attempts to find Ann. Of course, in this civilized world, Kong cannot exist any more than our modern humans can exist in the primal world. He is hunted just as our human characters were, and like many of them, he is killed.
This Kong is more of a tragedy than previous Kong's but it still has fun moments, and it is still awe-inspiring. Every death seems tragic, and Jackson never tries to make death look fun, though one can inadvertedly have a good time attempting to avoid it. Don't avoid this movie, though. There isn't anything like it: it entertains, it makes your brain work (subconciously and conciously), it makes you say 'whoa' like Keanu, and it doesn't make you feel like a whore when you walk out of the theater. It's long, but it's worth the time. It's got a huge heart, one that beats until Kong's unfortunate end.
Act One: We start off in New York City, where we are introduced to our human characters. Jackson keeps an air of sadness in these scenes, but intertwines it with a feeling of opportunity and possibility. We are in civilization. There may be a "Great Depression", but the modern human spirit seems to be prevailing. We get onto a boat and see humans interacting on a smaller level. Humans are still master of the domain, even out at sea, the space seperating the primal from the modern. Our characters may die on the water, but in a human fashion.
Act Two: We reach the island. Things seem deserted, and our modern human characters seem to be in control. Suddenly, we are plunged into hell. We are no longer in civilization, no longer in control. This is the wild. The demonic, primal humans that inhabit this place seem nothing like our modern characters. They begin to kill our characters off, as if killing is natural. After fighting off these natives, our modern characters are in a battle against nature itself, though the natives seem only an extension of nature in this environment. Through all of this, the beings attempting to kill our characters seem to harbour no ill will or malice to our characters-they are only performing acts natural to their being. Are our human characters' desires to bring Kong back to civilation any different?
On this island, we also witness an understanding and compromise between the primal and the modern-our main character, Ann Darrow, and King Kong become "friends." Sort of. Let us just say that they bond on a very deep, nonsexual (*phew*) level.
Act Three: We are back in New York City, ever the constant symbol of modern society and progress. Kong is captured and on display, but this, we know, cannot last. Kong breaks loose and attempts to find Ann. Of course, in this civilized world, Kong cannot exist any more than our modern humans can exist in the primal world. He is hunted just as our human characters were, and like many of them, he is killed.
This Kong is more of a tragedy than previous Kong's but it still has fun moments, and it is still awe-inspiring. Every death seems tragic, and Jackson never tries to make death look fun, though one can inadvertedly have a good time attempting to avoid it. Don't avoid this movie, though. There isn't anything like it: it entertains, it makes your brain work (subconciously and conciously), it makes you say 'whoa' like Keanu, and it doesn't make you feel like a whore when you walk out of the theater. It's long, but it's worth the time. It's got a huge heart, one that beats until Kong's unfortunate end.
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