King Kong : 5 of 5

So many remakes have been showing up lately that it seems like all the good stories have already been told, but Peter Jackson has definitely succeeded in retelling this classic tale with style, emotion and excitement! My parents and I really enjoyed the film, and it stayed interesting through all three butt-numbing hours. Since I had read that Jackson was attempting to keep the feel of the 30's original, I was worried that it would come off too campy, but I thought it was just fine. There's so many amazing scenes on Skull Island that I could go on forever - I can just imagine what his CGI animators thought when he said, "Let's have Kong fight three Tyrannosaurs - all swinging from vines!" I really enjoyed the little details that made everything seem real, such as Kong's broken tooth and the way he slips a little on New York City's icy streets. The peaceful moment of Kong "skating" with Anne in Central Park is really wonderful, and their tender moment looking at the sunset before the final fight is so touching that the special effects are forgotten (which should be the goal of every effects movie!). Even though Jack Black gives the weakest performance, he's still pretty good, and Naomi Watts just has to open her eyes to act the part perfectly. The whole movie experience was tons of fun, and definitely left my parents and I talking about it like excited kids long after the credits rolled.