Pleasant Surprises. . .

The Pleasant Surprise
Was that I loved King Kong. I wasn't sure if I would; the trailers had intrigued me, but all I thought was, What could they possibly do in it? It was an amazing movie, but one that should be experienced on the big screen. The visual in-your-face quality would be lost on your television, unless you have one of those nice gigantic ones. Also, I love movies set in this time period; we're far enough away to see all the romantic aspects and apply them to film, but still keep a sensitive eye to what was happening and alert the viewers (the beginning sequence shows the troubles of the time period). But this is the classic B adventure movie elevated to well-made, quality cinema. There's a special feel you get from such B movies set in this time, and it is maintained and expanded upon in King Kong.

I'd say the pleasant surprises resulted from me not following the film closely.
Pleasant surprise one: Colin Hanks is in it. He was adorable in Orange County and in this film portrays a nicely awkward but pure-of-heart type.
Pleasant surprise two: Kyle Chandler. Remember Early Edition? That guy. And not only is he very funny without practically ever smiling (as usual) he also plays a character who knows what he wants, rises above, and then goes right back into character. I had to admire the part they created for him. It was perfect and you couldn't even hate him.
Pleasant surprise three: Three hours didn't seem that long. Thank goodness.
Pleasant surprise four: Jack Black was able to play his part well. There were concerns about his natural ability to be comic whatever he does, but he is able to keep it to a minumum, bring it around when necessary, and abandon it for a few scenes. He keeps the wild eye movement going throughout the entire film, which was a little distracting, but it's excused. Many of the characters were nicely fleshed out with natures that were complex, contradictory, and real. Even the love story worked out, sorta. Nobody was overbearing or too perfect, but flawed and likeable. PS: The boat's captain was very handsome and had lovely eyes and a soft voice.

There's a lot of meat being smacked around in this film, the bugs are nasty, and the fatal plunge is indeed tragic. It's an excellent adventure movie, with dinosaurs and tramp steamers. It even has a philosophical thing going involving Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Sure, some people are concerned about the blonde thing, but Naomi Watts' part was well-written and performed, especially the complex relationship that is formed between her and Kong.