So.. NBC Universal invited all the West Coast Employees to see King Kong yesterday. It was shown at the Universal City Theaters (they closed them to the public). Eddie and I went, and meet Gavin, Mickey and Ruthie there.
How to evaluate the big monkey movie.
Well, I had heard it was GREAT. The New York paper said grown men were moved to tears. The UK papers loved it. As Ed said upon leaving the movie, they were not sitting next to me.
See, if I had heard it was horrible, I would have really liked it.
As it was, I had one of the best times at the movies I ever had. About half the movie was really funny and really great. The other half of the movie was really funny - for all the wrong reasons. I could not stop making jokes during the movie. Of source this is nothing new, I still love Bram Stroker's Dracula for the cheese-ball moments. But Eddie, Mickey and Gavin were also making comments.
The thing is, in between the laughingly bad moments, it is a really really good movie.
And, top to bottom, it is a fun time at the movies. Jack Black is great, Naomi Watts is great (although she seemed to me to be trying to act like "Nicole Kidman in King Kong") and I finally get why people like Adrian Brody.
Go see it, but don't expect a great movie. Then you will like it.
One last note, it's like 3 hours long! The Monkey doesn't even show up for an hour! Peter Jackson (the Director) uses his wife as the Editor. I don't know who can't say no to whom - but they should work on that.
One other last note. Great GCI, but Peter Jackson is a little too in love with what he can do on the computer. Peter, that way lies the dark side (and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow).