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King Kong (2005) Movie Review

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Sci-Fi/Fantasy Comedy & Personal Dramas Action Dramas
Actors: Jack Black, Adrian Brody, Naomi Watts
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about King Kong (2005)
Set in New York during the Depression era in the 1930s, aspiring actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) loses her job and is told by a movie producer that her best option to earn enough money to eat is by working at a burlesque.

While contemplating her future, Darrow runs into devious filmmaker Carl Denham (Jack Black), who just stole the only copy of his most recent adventure film after movie executives would not give him the funds to finish the project.

With the police hot on his heels, Denham convinces Darrow to join his crew and board a ship headed for Singapore, giving her the opportunity to star in a movie written by Jack Driscoll (Adrian Brody), an up-and-coming playwright she admires.

Aboard the ship, the crew inadvertently finds out Denham does not plan on stopping at Singapore to film his movie, but rather Skull Island, an uncharted island with many secrets.

The ship then moves into a dense cloud of fog, and crashes into jagged rocks near the shore of Skull Island.

While filming scenes for the picture, the movie crew is attacked by natives of the island, but is able to escape and make it back to the ship. Before the captain can set out to sail, the natives manage to kidnap Darrow and use her as bait for King Kong.

While Kong takes her deep into the jungle, Driscoll and Denham gather the crew and set out to find the kidnapped actress, while armed with plenty of firearms and chloroform to subdue the beast.

As the rescuers battle dinosaurs, giant insects and gruesome monsters, Kong protects Darrow from three T-Rexes, and a truly compassionate, yet platonic bond is formed.

After about an hour of action-packed non stop action sequences, Driscoll manages to grab Darrow away from the beast and the two make their way back to leave on the waiting ship.

Knowing Kong would come after his new female friend, Denham comes up with a plan to capture the beast to show him to the people of America, so he can make it up to the movie executives for being unable to provide a full film.

Denham brings Kong back to New York and promotes him as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." As a packed crowd watches the creature on display, flashing camera bulbs and a Darrow look-a-like cause Kong to break his shackles and escape from the theater.

Acting like a confused animal unsure of his settings, Kong stumbles around downtown New York picking up any blonde woman who looks like Darrow, only to be disappointed at his findings every time.

Darrow finally makes her way to Kong, and after the two share an emotional moment on a frozen pond, authorities start the attack on the beast and Kong takes Darrow to the tallest building in the city.

--Adam Tobias, Resident Scholar


Analysis of King Kong (2005)
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 40%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%



**Fantasy or Science Fiction?** - science fiction story
Giant monster movie? Yes
Kind of monster - Giant Monster(s)

Main Character
Identity: - animal
Eccentric: Yes - eccentric - obsessed - wild
Hair color? - brunette (Black)
Events of movie makes character more... - sensitive
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor? - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - Bulging muscles

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Female
Hair color - blonde
Hair style - (woman) long wavy
Body type - ample chest & buttocks (female)
How much in movie? - 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - writer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - 80%
Hair color - brunette (Black)
Hair style - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - fat (man)
Ethnicity - White
Sense of humor? - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average Intelligence
Physical condition - average physique
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant

Setting
Jungle? Yes
Big cities? Yes
Misc settings - fort/castle
Kind of city - Dirty, crime-ridden (like NY)
Small Island? Yes

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Tone of movie - depressed/sad
Any profanity? - Occasional swearing
Kinds of F/X - exotic big cities
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