King Kong Tribute Thread (THE REAL KING KONG!)

[Cookson]

Watched the original on Sunday at the theater. First time watching it on the big screen. Awesome experience. Been awhile since I watched it too.

[Gigantis]

So i decided to go ahead and research the original 1998 draft for the 2005 King Kong remake, and now i can't help but feel kinda disappointed in the film we ended up getting. Don't get me wrong it's still a good movie, but Peter Jackson cut out a ton of stuff that could've been a far better one.

A Kong film with action like an Indiana Jones movie sounds too good for words, and the closest we ever got to it was Kong: Skull Island. Hopefully when the big guy gets (inevitably) rebooted again someone takes notes from the 98 script.

[Angilasman]

^ I just picked up the newer Blu-ray of King Kong 2005 used, and the only difference between this one in my old Blu is that it contains all of the enormous amount of DVD special features from back in the day. I watched a bit the production doc and was absolutely gobsmacked at the moment right before production when Peter Jackson and his co decided to extensively rewrite the entire movie right before filming! I have to wonder if the excessive tinkering to the script didn't harm the movie overall.

[Gigantis]

I have to wonder if the excessive tinkering to the script didn't harm the movie overall.

Eh, i say it didn't. Jackson and the crew still put a lot of time and effort into it, from the film itself to behind the scenes even to the point of making an April Fools joke about their being two sequels about it. It also might be possible that maybe everything in the draft was too expensive.

[The Octopus]

Some of it was kinds stupid though. Like when Jack Driscoll is bouncing off of the giant spiders like they're friggin trampolines to escape from the spider pit.

[mikelcho]

I have to wonder if the excessive tinkering to the script didn't harm the movie overall.

Eh, i say it didn't. Jackson and the crew still put a lot of time and effort into it, from the film itself to behind the scenes even to the point of making an April Fools joke about their being two sequels about it. It also might be possible that maybe everything in the draft was too expensive.

Do we have titles for the two "sequels" and by any chance was one of them King Kong Meets Frankenstein?

[Gigantis]

I have to wonder if the excessive tinkering to the script didn't harm the movie overall.

Eh, i say it didn't. Jackson and the crew still put a lot of time and effort into it, from the film itself to behind the scenes even to the point of making an April Fools joke about their being two sequels about it. It also might be possible that maybe everything in the draft was too expensive.

Do we have titles for the two "sequels" and by any chance was one of them King Kong Meets Frankenstein?

One was called "King Kong: Son of Kong" and the other was "King Kong: Into the Wolves Lair". It was about Kiko being rescued from Skull Island just before it sank underneath the waves, brought to Nazi Germany, and was equipped with machine guns on his back and had to take down genetically engineered abominations. It might be on the DVD set, but again, just an April Fools joke.

[Ivo-goji]

To this day I wish there were a real Kong vs Nazis movie.

[Terasawa]

Some of it was kinds stupid though. Like when Jack Driscoll is bouncing off of the giant spiders like they're friggin trampolines to escape from the spider pit.

Don't forget the interminable dinosaur stampede.

[tbeasley]

A Kong film with action like an Indiana Jones movie sounds too good for words, and the closest we ever got to it was Kong: Skull Island. Hopefully when the big guy gets (inevitably) rebooted again someone takes notes from the 98 script.

Their original approach was more like what The Mummy (1999) ended up being. I'm glad he finally got to do Kong post-LOTR rather than post-Frighteners. It's got too much going on, like all his post-LOTR work, but it's probably as good as a Kong remake will ever be.

To this day I wish there were a real Kong vs Nazis movie.

I agree, despite being intended as a joke I think those Son of Kong ideas are quite cool.

[G2000]

So i decided to go ahead and research the original 1998 draft for the 2005 King Kong remake, and now i can't help but feel kinda disappointed in the film we ended up getting. Don't get me wrong it's still a good movie, but Peter Jackson cut out a ton of stuff that could've been a far better one.

A Kong film with action like an Indiana Jones movie sounds too good for words, and the closest we ever got to it was Kong: Skull Island. Hopefully when the big guy gets (inevitably) rebooted again someone takes notes from the 98 script.

Some of it was kinds stupid though. Like when Jack Driscoll is bouncing off of the giant spiders like they're friggin trampolines to escape from the spider pit.

Don't forget the interminable dinosaur stampede.

Or Jack somehow finding a working biplane hanging from a building and flying it to protect Kong during the final battle, or openly embracing the "Kong fell for Ann because she's blonde" theory, or Ann shrugging off her father's death relatively quickly. Overall I thought Jackson's '96 script (read here) was very rough and I'm glad the 2005 version threw a lot of it out. Not that the 2005 version was perfect, but definitely superior to the first draft

One thing I will say I definitely didn't like about Jackson's Kong is how Denham is portrayed. He goes from being a brave and sympathetic man in the original and one of the few to actually care about Kong (I recall that in the Broadway scene he was the first to realize that the photographers were antagonizing Kong and tried to stop them) to a cheap sleazeball who's depicted as the villain of the story. Even more of an insult considering Denham was evidently modelled on Merian C. Cooper himself. It's a real shame considering that I otherwise quite enjoy Jackson's adaptation.

It's even worse in the first draft; while the rewrites and Jack Black managed to squeeze some level of sympathy in for Denham in the final 2005 film, in the '96 draft he's shown as a cruel and cowardly man who doesn't care at all about the lives of his crew, leaves Jack and Ann to die, and actually provokes Kong's rampage by slapping Ann around.

[The Octopus]

Or Jack somehow finding a working biplane hanging from a building and flying it to protect Kong during the final battle

Oh yeah THAT part. That was beyond stupid.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

The 98 (96? Can't remember when it was supposed to come out) script is INSANELY tounge in cheek and action piece but it never feels RIGHT. Like, stuff with that tone like The Mummy 99 or so on work because they EMBRACE that tone but Jackson seems like he wanted to make a GENUINE King Kong movie out of it. It's torn between "intentionally cheeky horror comedy" Jackson and "straight faced epic" Jackson and the tone problem KILLS it

[gottatalktothefake]

That cut ending is actually an unlockable bonus in the 05 game, sadly it's not the actual movie but a level where you play as Jack shooting down the planes.

[cloverfan98]

I personally love the 2005 film although I agree about the vilifying of Denham and how unnecessary that was. That being said I like the 2005 version because its one of the few remakes that adds to the source material rather than take away from it. Plus the recreation of the 1920's was amazing from NYC to the Venture. Adds so much depth and emotion to the film.

[tbeasley]

Denham losing his moral compass gives him an interesting dynamic in the remake compared to the original. I mean, think of what he does. Even by 1930s standards it's pretty scummy. And it's obvious you're meant to empathize more with the Kong/Ann dynamic in the Jackson film than what poor Carl goes through.

The Mighty Joe Young remake also does a good job updating similar themes from its original.

[Monster X]

He's a battle I'd love to see King Kong VS Moby Dick!!

[Jetty_Jags]

Call me Driscoll

[The Octopus]

He's a battle I'd love to see King Kong VS Moby Dick!!

That would be pretty bad ass.

[Monster X]

A new (well old) anime I picked up called Shin Tetsujin 28 has something that caught my eye.



Episode 27 - King Kong vs Tetsujin (キングコング対鉄人 ; Kingukongu tai Tetsujin)

I’ll let you know how it turns out when I get there but King Kong vs the original giant robot is a pretty good premise.