KING KONG FROM 1933 AND 2005

Compare and contrast the films King Kong from 1933 and 2005

Compare and contrast the films King Kong from 1933 and 2005

Introduction

Lets start with this Qoute, “It's money and adventure and fame. It's the thrill of a lifetime and a long sea voyage that starts at six o'clock tomorrow morning!” - (Carl Denham, King Kong. 1933)

Comparisons between the 1933 and 2005 King Kong movies are inevitable. As an avid fan of the 1933 movie, author feel compelled to offer his opinions.

Comparision

My first observation is that author did not feel compelled to compare the 1976 version of the classic story. A quick search of the Internet Movie Database confirms that the masses in general find the 1976 lacking on several levels. Upon the release of King Kong, 2005 (KK2005) IMDB rated it at 8.0. Today with over 50,000 votes tabulated it is resting at 7.7(Jenny, 2005). King Kong 1933 (KK1933) has a solid 8.1 with just over 14,000 votes. (The1976 version is at 5.4 with just over 4,300 votes.)

With KK1933 and KK2005 at a virtual tie, one could say both are great movies and could argue depending on your mood both are your favorite. So the argument then becomes which one are you in the mood to watch more often?

Simply put, King Kong, 1933 is the superior work. Author does not think Peter Jackson set out to make King Kong better. Author think he set out to put his current vision to the movie. If his purpose was to improve on a masterpiece then he failed miserably(Christopher, 2005). To try to improve on KK1933 is to try and make the Mona Lisa or any other great work of art better. It can be copied. It can be re-envisioned. But it can not be made better.

Why 1933 over 2005

No one can fault KK2005 for its visuals, and its amazing CGI graphics and special effects. The movie is stunning, breathtaking, and beyond measure when compared to other contemporary films. Peter Jackson even improved on his efforts from the Lord of the Ring trilogies. That said, the same adjectives could be used for KK1933 when it was first released seventy-two years ago!

A little history lesson folks, the dinosaurs in KK1933 were shockingly realistic for 1933. Their movements, their posture, even their behavior was based on the science of the time.

Anyone familiar with the artwork of Charles Knight is aware that until recently, the general consensus was the dinosaurs were “tail draggers” (Laura, Burns, 2005) and had large lumbering bodies. The idea of fast moving dinos using tails as balancing poles similar to the movement of mammals would have been laughable in 1933! Will Jackson's current CGI masterpiece also look dated in 2077? Author would suspect that with the advancement in technology today's effects will suffer the ravages of time much more quickly.

And how long will it be before critics are complaining that Jackson failed to put feathers on his bird hipped dinosaurs? After all the most current theories have are warm-blooded ...