A Misunderstood Ape

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2020)

I admit I've always liked King Kong, from that roaring 1933 B&W version to the man in the ape costume in the 1976 version. The ultimate portrayal though was in Peter Jackson's 2005 depiction of the monstrous primate. Naomi Watts was outstanding in her portrayal of the blond heroine who "liked" Kong and saw in him what nobody else could, that there was more to him than just a raging beast. He had a heart underneath and simply wanted to have the one he liked and who gave him enjoyment to be around.
I remember the 1976 version touched on Kong's sensitive and caring side when he placed Jessica Lange down as the planes were attacking him on top of The World Trade Centre and she screamed at him to pick her back up again to avoid the onslaught of fire power. I got teary eyed when I saw that scene at the theater as a kid, but after viewing it a couple of years ago on the movie channel with adult eyes, it's laughable now.
The ultimate version though has to be Peter Jackson's 2005 depiction. The Kong I liked was perfectly captured in CGI and was so well done that you can actually feel the emotions for that primitive and misunderstood creature. His ordeal on top of the Empire State Building strongly showed how much he cared for his blonde human and she for him.
Well, along comes this version and Kong this time is depicted as a raging and roaring ape on his home turf who seems dangerous and menacing at first, but is gradually looked upon as a savior of sorts. He's HUGE and appears to reach the upper heights of the atmosphere at times. He's also not one to mess around with when attacked by the bombs of military helicopters. This is also a pleasing version of him. He's seen as a dangerous threat at first to the Vietnam War crew from the 1970s who went there to discover an unknown realm of the world, but they grow to learn that he was just acting in self defense for their aggressive bombing of his island.
The one who truly stands for me though is John C. Reilly as A World War II Vet who had been stranded on Skull island for 29 years and who wanted to one day see his pregnant wife again. He also knew the true facts about Kong and how he could be a savior to those on the island, such as that native tribe he became a strong part of.
Anyway, this is indeed a pleasing movie though Samuel L. Jackson's part as an arrogant and ignorant Lieutenant Colonel bent on discovering the site of fallen comrades and ignoring all advice about the dangers of the island, gets tiring and annoying after awhile. Brutes like him have been portrayed much too often in war films.
Kong does spend a lot of time though looking majestically huge and angrily roaring, but his depiction in this version does bring overtones of Peter Jackson's 2005 Kong, though in a less humanly way. Kong is always in a rage and looks vicious to boot, but it fits the atmosphere of the story. Skull Island is not the most pleasant place to be. It's definitely not a tropical paradise like Hawaii, but it does carry about it a mysterious and intriguing element that is always captivating. I mean, who doesn't like mysterious lands where creatures out of the ordinary roam?
I do recommend this version of the gigantic ape though it's far from being the best version. Peter Jackson's 'King Kong" is far the best out of them all, but don't hesitate to give this one a try. It's pleasing to watch and entertaining as well. It carries on the tradition of depicting Kong as not all bad, that there's more to him than just being a primitive and destructive ape. He has feelings too.