I watched this from beginning to end last night (after having seen only portions of the film before), and while I was entertained and found the film had a quaint sort of charm and beauty in the jungle scenes especially, I couldn't help thinking that if ever a classic film deserved a remake with greater special effects, this was it. Modern audiences have since been treated to the wonders of JURASSIC PARK and other amazing epics which make the effects in KONG seem totally primitive from beginning to end.
The screenplay is full of clichés and some of the dialog is absolutely laughable. (Bruce Cabot, awkwardly admitting to Fay Wray, "Er...I think I love you.") And the story is a strictly comic book adventure into which the producers put an awful lot of hard work and detail to bring the story to life. And they do bring it to life because once the camera crew lands at Skull Island, the events flow smoothly and the most entertaining part of the tale begins.
FAY WRAY is the ultimate damsel in distress with a scream that forced me to turn the sound down every once in awhile lest neighbors think I was murdering someone. She is very fetching to look at and it's understandable why she became a golden trophy for Kong. Her acting, by 1930s standards, is acceptable too when she isn't screaming.
BRUCE CABOT, by contrast, comes off rather poorly in the acting department. He became a much stronger film presence later on in the '30s, usually as the heel who makes things difficult for the leading man. His acting, as the hero who falls for Wray, is stiff and a bit uncomfortable to watch.
ROBERT ARMSTRONG is enthusiastic as the filmmaker who wants to make the greatest epic ever and takes his adventurous crew to a remote island where he's heard the legend of Kong. There is the stamp of authority in his take on the role but also a bit of the ham.
The effects for Kong are surprisingly good, considering when this film was made no computer animation was possible. All of his movements are well animated (if a bit jerky), and his antics provide much of the excitement for the viewers.
I had to remind myself that I was watching a film made more than seventy years ago--and with that in mind, one can understand why this was such an achievement at the time of release. Taken in that context, it's still quite an enjoyable experience. The log rolling sequence, the train disaster, the flight through the jungle and the many "victim" scenes, are worth watching and waiting for.
However, today's technology can make the Kong story much more compelling and I'm eager to see what Peter Jackson has done with the new Kong.
About the score:
Max Steiner's famous score is not one of my favorites. Perhaps at fault is the primitive sound recording of his music which doesn't do justice to the full orchestral treatments which sound tinny at times. The melodic content featured in most of his scores is scarce here. However, it's worthy noting that this is one of those rare films from the '30s where much of the movie is actually accompanied by music. As such, this was an important step forward in the history of film music.
The screenplay is full of clichés and some of the dialog is absolutely laughable. (Bruce Cabot, awkwardly admitting to Fay Wray, "Er...I think I love you.") And the story is a strictly comic book adventure into which the producers put an awful lot of hard work and detail to bring the story to life. And they do bring it to life because once the camera crew lands at Skull Island, the events flow smoothly and the most entertaining part of the tale begins.
FAY WRAY is the ultimate damsel in distress with a scream that forced me to turn the sound down every once in awhile lest neighbors think I was murdering someone. She is very fetching to look at and it's understandable why she became a golden trophy for Kong. Her acting, by 1930s standards, is acceptable too when she isn't screaming.
BRUCE CABOT, by contrast, comes off rather poorly in the acting department. He became a much stronger film presence later on in the '30s, usually as the heel who makes things difficult for the leading man. His acting, as the hero who falls for Wray, is stiff and a bit uncomfortable to watch.
ROBERT ARMSTRONG is enthusiastic as the filmmaker who wants to make the greatest epic ever and takes his adventurous crew to a remote island where he's heard the legend of Kong. There is the stamp of authority in his take on the role but also a bit of the ham.
The effects for Kong are surprisingly good, considering when this film was made no computer animation was possible. All of his movements are well animated (if a bit jerky), and his antics provide much of the excitement for the viewers.
I had to remind myself that I was watching a film made more than seventy years ago--and with that in mind, one can understand why this was such an achievement at the time of release. Taken in that context, it's still quite an enjoyable experience. The log rolling sequence, the train disaster, the flight through the jungle and the many "victim" scenes, are worth watching and waiting for.
However, today's technology can make the Kong story much more compelling and I'm eager to see what Peter Jackson has done with the new Kong.
About the score:
Max Steiner's famous score is not one of my favorites. Perhaps at fault is the primitive sound recording of his music which doesn't do justice to the full orchestral treatments which sound tinny at times. The melodic content featured in most of his scores is scarce here. However, it's worthy noting that this is one of those rare films from the '30s where much of the movie is actually accompanied by music. As such, this was an important step forward in the history of film music.