The drawn-out $200 million remake of a remake is crippling streaming
To paraphrase Jeff Golblum’s iconic quote from Jurassic Park, Peter Jackson was so preoccupied with being given complete creative freedom to remake his favorite piece that he didn’t think about whether he should. That doesn’t mean 2005 King Kong is a bad blockbuster, but could have used a much more sensible cut in the editing room.
The 1933 original clocks in at a brisk 100 minutes, although the 1976 remake starring Jeff Bridges is significantly longer at 134 minutes, but was apparently encouraged by the success of the nerve-wracking (but brilliant) film. Lord of the Rings In the trilogy, the epic creature film was released at a leisurely 188 minutes, while the extended edition was released at a cool 200 minutes.
The most expensive production in history at the time, costing $207 million. King Kong Grossing $562 million at the box office and winning three Oscars for its technical merits, the film at least broke some blocks, but there’s a far better version of the same story that runs at least 30 minutes less.
Of course, it’s not a sentiment that everyone has to agree with, but large parts of the first and third acts drag on for what feels like an eternity, even if it does soar spectacularly in its highest moments. However, streaming subscribers appear to be in it for the long haul FlixPatrol by presenting Jackson’s love letter to his all-time favorite film as one of Prime Video’s most-watched titles.
If you prefer your rampaging giant apes to be smaller and less elegiac, then there’s always the MonsterVerse to satisfy that itch.
