Peter Jackson’s King Kong – the Story of the Greatest Remake of All Time

“We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember because we were travelling in the night of first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign and no memories. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there - there you could look at a thing monstrous and free.” –Hayes (from Peter Jackson’s King Kong), quoting from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

The 2000s perhaps more than any other decade in film and television history had been characterised by remakes, reboots and so-called “reimaginings” of pre-existing material. This is a trend that, if anything, seems to have increased exponentially to the present, as Hollywood experiences an apparent dearth of original concepts. However, amongst all the uninspired and lazy cash-ins – the Star Trek Into Darknesses and the Wicker Mans (Men?), there a few gems – remakes that truly add something new and expand on the source material whilst remaining faithful to the original’s spirit. Of these, perhaps none shines more brightly than long time Kong fan Peter Jackson’s take on the classic 1933 tale of the giant ape.

We all know the story of King Kong – an ambitious filmmaker by the name of Carl Denham recruits out-of-work actress Ann Darrow (“Dwan” in the naff 1976 version, but let’s forget that one exists) and travels to the lost world of Skull Island, brimming with prehistoric life. There, a giant ape known to the natives as ‘Kong’ makes a strange connection with Ann, which eventually leads to his downfall when he is captured and taken back to New York City. Director Merian C. Cooper and his crew deserve enormous credit for turning what could have been a generic, cheesy and obviously low-budget monster thriller into a visually-stunning glimpse into another world, and for creating one of the most enduring and iconic cinematic monsters ever made. Whereas movie monsters in general tended to be one-note beasts with only simple bloodlust or anger motivating them, Kong gave us a more complex character. He got confused at times, he made mistakes, and his stop-motion face (the work of legendary animator Willis O’Brien) expressed a range of emotions, albeit somewhat simplistic. He wasn't evil, just misunderstood, which was very unusual for a monster movie at the time. The original King Kong rightly deserves its place in history as a landmark film for these reasons and more.

Proof that we all get grumpy as we get older

The reason why I have put forth Jackson’s 2005 version of Kong as the ultimate example of a remake done right is that all these elements which made the original film great are present, but amped up to 20. The hint of a soul that audiences caught a glimpse of in the original Kong’s innocent eyes is transformed by the genius of Andy Serkis, the actor and motion capture veteran best known for later bringing Gollum to life in Jackson’s own The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Serkis famously travelled to Rwanda to be amongst mountain gorillas to prepare for the role, and it shows. This Kong is a living, breathing being, who feels every bit as real as the gorillas Serkis spent time with. We feel the aching loneliness and isolation of the ape’s savage world as he gazes out at the sunset with Ann from atop his island kingdom. We laugh with him at Ann’s increasingly desperate attempts to entertain him, and feel his desperate defiance as he faces down the planes that will seal his fate. All this is made even more effective by the incredible soundtrack by James Newton Howard. For me at least, music can often be one of the most stand-out and memorable features of a film, TV show or game, and here it’s no exception. Everything is brought to life here, musically speaking – from the swagger and bustle of the Big Apple to the primal, demonic bloodlust of the Skull Islanders as their fiery display lights up the sky. Of course, the CGI effects, impressive even ten years later, also visually flesh out Kong and Ann’s worlds, adding real depth and spectacle to the proceedings.

The role of Ann Darrow and her connection with Kong is also so much more complex. In the original film, Ann seemed to be restricted very much to the role of a victim – an unwilling, shrieking prize for the giant ape. In this version however, we see a real, organic bond develop over the course of the film between the two. Both characters are lonely and desperate inhabitants of a cruel, doomed world. The Great Depression cuts as deep as the mighty V-Rex’s fangs and claws. Both yearn for companionship (not necessarily of a romantic sort) and find in the other a kindred spirit. Ann is the only person able to look past the monstrous, brutish exterior of Kong and relate to him on a deeper level. This is the emotional depth and soul that Peter Jackson’s film imbues the story with, whilst staying true to what made the original film work.

That is not to say that the other characters don’t stand out. Much criticism has been levied against Jack Black’s portrayal of Carl Denham. Admittedly, this was one of the more radical changes from the original film, in which Carl was a more straightforward, almost heroic figure. However, Black imbues the film with some much needed humour without going over the top, and makes Denham a more interesting character – a reckless, ambitious and passionate entrepreneur with shades of Walt Disney and Ed Wood. Adrian Brody gives a very understated performance, which I felt was perhaps a slight weakness of the film, but it’s refreshing to see a male protagonist played by someone other than a chiselled beefcake Schwarzenegger/Pitt type for a change. The other character who really stood out was Hayes, played by Evan Parke, who lent the film gravitas with his morose gaze and mentorship of the wayward Jimmy. Ultimately though, this film keeps the focus right where it should be – on the giant ape and the out-of-work actress.

I think, to sum up, I couldn’t put in any better than this quote from the companion book Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island – “Tiny humans, one in particular, came as invaders to his domain and utterly changed him forever. Kong died not in some battle for supremacy against the monsters of his savage kingdom but far away, struggling to be anything but alone again.”