Monumental effort falls short slightly. Review on King Kong (New) Movie

Arguably the most awaited movie of the year, this is a re-make of the original which hit the screens more than 70 years ago! The character has managed to live in public memory for so long and hence, it has got to be special. Also, Peter Jackson returns after his epic trilogy of Lord of the Rings.

As in many such movies, the story isn't important, the character is. Here, we have a 25-foot gorilla with a heart. We have a movie crew going into unchartered waters and we have New York. Seems like weird combination? Don't worry about logic when all of that is strung together.

The first hour of the three -- intended to be a mild warning -- is kind of slow, Maybe, it feels like that since we're awaiting something else. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see a re-creation of the Depression Era. Kong dominates proceedings once he moves in. Dinosaurs may be more scary than Jurassic Park, but viewers will focus only on the King. Only action may be expected from the ape, but he surprises you with emotion and even comedy.

Jackson is obsessed undoubtedly. While that is what has made this monumental effort possible, sometimes it leads to avoidable portions. The insect / reptile (or whatever) sequence and the tribals may put off many and is quite unpalatable for children. Screenplay should have been tighter to sustain audience interest when the story is so very straightforward.

Watts looks simple and beautiful; she does her role at the right level. Black, a surprise choice, comes out well as the director with ruthless craze. Brody fits his part perfectly, except that the audience might crave for some charisma. One person who may not be noticed but has to be mentioned here is Serkis, who has breathed life into the animated creature (and also plays the ship's cook). Check out on the Web or otherwise for the amount of effort put into making it realistic. Among the supporting cast, you may also catch Hanks Junior.

One has to talk about special effects first. It is definitely the best we have seen till date in several scenes, but an overdose robs the movie of natural settings at times. Cinematography and editing are brilliantly done. The background score is adequate.

This is definitely a movie worth watching. That too, it mandates a visit to the theatre. But crisper narration would have certainly helped it go the extra mile.