The Return of the King

[GL Schmitt]

King Kong stunt in Wellington

by Marcus Brogden
Nov. 10, 2005 1.00pm


Residents of Wellington's central business district awoke this morning to find a Japanese-made car lying crushed in the capital's central shopping area wrapped in police tape.

But then locals noticed a trail of giant footprints leading away from the car -- King Kong sized.

A clerk at the nearby convenience store -- who did not wish to be named -- said the vehicle had been towed in overnight, and was clearly a visual teaser for the Peter Jackson movie.

The footprints taper off to the post office, which has just launched a range of envelopes featuring the giant gorilla's image.

The New Zealand-made movie is scheduled for a US release on December 14th.

The Jackson directed three-hour-long epic has cost $298 million to produce.

 

[Hard-Luck Henry]

I hope it's better than that lousy 1980s remake. That was a travesty. It should be better - new Zealand is developing a reputation for quality film production, now.

 

[no1important]

RE: The Return of the Kin

I hope it is better than the 1980 remake as well and better than that Godzilla remake a few years ago.

 

[GL Schmitt]

Actually, I thought that the new Godzilla movie was an improvement.

Considering the technology of the old man-in-Godzilla-suit stomping Chinese-take-out-containerish Tokyo, I did not feel the producers were aiming too high.

BTW: It could all be hype, but viewers of a production print were quite vocal about the human relationships in the new Kong.

 

[no1important]

RE: The Return of the Kin

Godzilla movie was a big improvement from the campy Japanese ones, but I still thought it could of been done a little better. Just my opinion though.

 

[missile]

298 million just to make! Add another 100 million for publicity and promotion & it has to be a blockbuster just to break even. Somehow I doubt it will be. BTW,the original with Faye Wray was an excellent film.

 

[GL Schmitt]

Jackson continues to claim that his desire in remaking “King Kong” was to give young children the same feeling of wonder which he experienced at eight years of age watching the original Kong.

I guess, when you are a filmmaker, the idea that the same feeling of wonder still could be instilled by the original is beyond comprehension. For those children too sophisticated to permit a back-and-white film to entertain them, a pass through some Turner-type colourization process was the most the film required.

Still, to give credit where credit is due, Peter Jackson, unlike the 1976 De Laurentis remake, retains the Depression Era setting of the original Kong — a time when the possibility of a cloud-shrouded unexplored island harbouring a lost civilization and extinct creatures still existed.

Expect no satellite survey, no exploration crew, no petrochemical company exploitation, or any giant oil tanker carrying a subdued Kong within its bowels.

If nothing else, this is Kong with the sense of mystery found in the original Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper story.

 

[Blackleaf]

It's a New Zealand/US co-production, not New Zealand on its own.

The country is the size of Britain but only has a population of 3 million.

 

[Ocean Breeze]

GL...... (wee diversion)........but when I read the title.....for a moment I thought Elvis was alive and well.
:wink:



(sadly.......not to be..

 

[GL Schmitt]

If you were watching Bravo last week, I can understand your confusion, but I actually meant it as an allusion to Jackson’s previous film, the final installment of Lord of the Rings. :roll:

 

[gd]

lol I was going to rant about how crap LOTR was then...

I think you can tell from the advertising that there is little in the movie which has escaped the ad QED the movie is crap...

 

[bhoour]

Went to see it Thurs. ......I'm gonna have to say


C-H-E-E-S-E-Y!!!!

sorry kids........ :roll:

 

[missile]

The first weeks returns show the remake of King Kong to be another colossal flop; it made only 9.8million on opening day!

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: The Return of the Kin

But the opening day was like Wednesday or something. Lets wait to see the weekend numbers before we write it off completely...hahaha. I had no desire to see this movie. I saw Chronicals of Narnia instead.

 

[SteveinBC]

Went to see it Thurs. ......I'm gonna have to say


C-H-E-E-S-E-Y!!!!

Wasn't great, eh? Too long? In the week previous to its release, Matt Drudge insinuated the theatres were full of weeping grown men... Not the case?

 

[bhoour]

Ok to be honest, it's not really my kind of movie. I guess I expected better effects......with all the hype and build up, there is only one way to go........... down.

 

[coldstream]

I just saw it and thought it was just SPECTACULAR.. total ENTERTAINMENT.. It's intense though, I wouldn't recommend it for young ones.


I'm surprised the box office has been described as a little disappointing.. but with $298 M to recoup, probably anything less than Titanic would be 'disappointing' (and King Kong is a MUCH better film than Titanic). Word of mouth should pick things up for the film.. I expect it'll have a long and lucrative theatre run.