June 26, 2011
Johannes Ruckstuhl
Action, Adventure, Film
1933, 2005, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis, Ann Darrow, Carl Denham, CGI, Evan Parke, Fay Wray, Film, film music, Howard Shore, Jack Black, James Newton Howard, Jamie Bell, Jessica Lange, King Kong, Kyle Chandler, Lady in the Water, Lord of the Rings, Max Steiner, movies, Naomi Watts, Oscars, Peter Jackson, picture, poster, review, score, soundtrack, Thomas Kretschmann, Venture, Werner Herzog, WETA
How do you go about trying to top the greatest film of your career? Never mind that said film only won 11 Oscars, made over $1 billion worldwide and is already considered one of the masterpieces of cinema. And yet after taking the world by storm, Peter Jackson turned to revive a failed project from his pre-“Lord of the Rings,” namely a remake of the film that he had seen at the age of nine and that inspired him to make movies in the first place. The 1933 version of “King Kong” starring Fay Wray was revolutionary in its own right, completely changed the face of cinema’s visual effects and offers one of the most iconic scenes ever committed to film. A rather faithful tribute to that classic escapist adventure, Jackson’s take bloats the tale to epic levels, constantly pushing the envelope of digital technology and recreating the world’s favourite 25-foot gorilla and the world he inhabits one pixel at a time.
At the height of the great depression, megalomaniac movie director Carl Denham (Jack Black) charts an expedition to an uncharted and deserted island to film an adventure romp. Chased out of New York by the studio executives and the police, Denham and his mismatched crew chart course for Skull Island, this last blank space on the map on a rusty old ship named the “Venture”. Last minute cast member is fledgling actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) who jumps at a chance to work with writer Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody, looking dishevelled as usual). A love affair soon blossoms between the pair. Against all odds, Denham finds the island and the crew go ashore but soon find that it’s not so deserted after all. Prehistoric natives manage to capture Ann and in a Temple-of-Doomesque ritual offer her to the beast of the jungle – the giant gorilla of the title. Not content with leaving her at the mercy of this monster, Jack leads a company to bring her back, encountering all the creatures of the island that include dinosaurs and some very nasty creepy-crawlies. From an excellent opening montage of 30s New York to the drama on the ship, the film starts very promisingly. Indeed, by allowing over an hour of running time before Skull Island even shows on the horizon, Jackson gives himself a great opportunity for character building, humour and atmosphere. The Venture’s crew are a shady lot: Thomas Kretschmann’s Captain Engelhorn, Andy Serkis as Lumpy the cook, Evan Parke and Jamie Bell as a great mentor/student duo. There’s also an excellent turn by Kyle Chandler as lead actor Bruce Baxter. Indeed the opening act is full five star material.
However, as much as Jackson can showcase his talents at the beginning, most of Kong’s most interesting aspects are sidelined come the jungles of Skull Island. The director has decided on all-out action here but as the creatures and corpses pile up, the film’s flaws become more and more, and painfully obvious: The over-reliance on CGI yields some badly rendered shots (remember that this film won an Oscar for visual effects), the sheer number of VFX shots clearly just too much for the usually excellent Weta Digital. Far more problematic is the running time. Like one of Carl Denham’s safari pictures, the film simply goes on for a few reels too many. The middle section in particular sags under its own flab and even come the climatic Empire State sequence, the aeroplanes circle one time more than necessary. Drawn out like this, there will come a moment when every viewer realises the nonsense of what is essentially a love story between a woman and a gorilla. At that point, either nervous laughter or hysterical giggles will be inevitable. It’s a tricky situation because Jackson is clearly a geek in love with his material but unlike “Rings” he has let the fanboy within get carried away. It’s a huge shame because there’s so much to like about this version of “King Kong.”
Such as? Kong himself is well done, with motion-capture courtesy of Andy “Gollum” Serkis and great effects work, though it’s a fine line between human and animal emotion. The live-actors do well too. Naomi Watts, a worthy successor to Fay Wray and Jessica Lange. Jack Black too is clearly having a ball as the crazed Denham, a great tribute to directors like Werner Herzog. It is a pity that most of the great supporting cast aren’t given as much exposition later on. The scenes in New York also benefit from awesome production values and the “look” of the picture, dinosaur stampedes aside, is fantastic. In the end it’s just not enough.
At the eleventh hour, Howard Shore’s score was rejected and James Newton Howard was drafted in as a replacement with literally weeks to write a score to a three-hour film. The reasons will probably remain forever in the secrets vault of Hollywood and while Shore probably wrote great music, Howard’s replacement is amazing, especially considering the time constraints. Famously, the composer never met the director until the film’s premiere, the pair conversing through video chat, one in Los Angeles, the other in New Zealand. Though he cannot quite rival grand master Max Steiner’s epic score, Howard’s score overflows with character, providing a relatively straight action score. The music’s main themes are presented at the outset and crop up again repeatedly. Highlights include “Defeat is always momentary” which plays to Denham and “It’s in the subtext” which is a slowly building suspense cue that plays over Anne and Jack’s first kiss. The motif for Kong is a brass pattern, heard primarily in “King Kong” and again in “Something Monstrous…” The climatic cues “Beauty killed the beast” are simply numbered with haunting female vocals almost equalling Howard’s career high-point “Lady in the Water.” While it’s regrettable that Shore’s music was rejected, Howard’s score is among the best of 2005 though the Oscar remains elusive for the composer.
If only Jackson had been able to maintain the thrills and suspense of that first, sublime hour, this could have been a truly great film. As it stands, this “King Kong” is overlong and will remain a mixed bag for viewers.
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June 21, 2011
Johannes Ruckstuhl
Drama, Film
Alexandre Desplat, Brad Pitt, Cannes, CGI, Emmanuel Lubezki, Film, film music, Hunter McCracken, Jessica Chastain, Jurassic Park, Laramie Eppler, Michael Bay, movies, Palm d'Or, Philip Glass, picture, poster, review, score, Sean Penn, soundtrack, Terrence Malick, The New World, The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life, Tye Sheridan
The films of Terrence Malick are hieroglyphs and dream visions; their meaning or purpose often so cryptic that despite their obvious beauty they alienate many viewers. Great art is of course a matter of taste but the jury at Cannes saw fit to award “The Tree of Life” with the Palme d’Or. However anyone familiar with Malick’s back catalogue (a tiny five films in a career spanning almost forty years) will see their expectations fulfilled: the director’s thoughtful and meandering style permeates this picture as it did “The Thin Red Line” and “The New World.” It’s clear from the outset that the film isn’t for everyone – it’s not exactly Michael Bay after all – but if you have the patience to endure not only its running time but a few bumpier moments also, you will potentially be rewarded with a powerful and highly personal experience.
The film begins in the late 50s as Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien (Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain) are informed of the death of their second son at the age of 19. Their tidy suburban lifestyle is torn apart. Simultaneously in the present day the couple’s eldest son Jack (Sean Penn) reflects on the same event as he goes about his work. As they question the significance of their story within the greater world and the universe, Malick launches into an abstract 20 minute montage, presenting images of space and nature before returning to 50s Texas to recount Jack’s formative years and the strained relationship with his father. It is difficult to coherently sum up the disjointed narrative that follows but perhaps the plot is only the means for posing much greater questions. Chief among these is the child’s innocence, the vision of a perfect or ideal world, a vision that is shattered almost immediately by a far grimmer reality. Mr. O’Brien is a devout Christian, a failed pianist who has become an engineer, trying to educate his sons through strict discipline thus choking off a more free spirited world embodied by Jessica Chastain. Malick calls this a choice between the way of grace or the way of nature – which might be which is an interpretation left to the viewer. The screenplay carefully sidesteps any mention of “God” (a greater being is simply referred to directly as “you”) but a spiritual significance can easily be divulged from the powerful images, if it be “Mother Nature” or otherwise is once again ambiguous.
The chosen setting of the 1950s is ideal for “The Tree of Life,” quite possibly hinting at a personal tale for the director. The look is absolutely authentic and Emmanuel Lubezki’s steadicam-driven images capture lend the picture a feel that is down to earth and natural. The entire cast is well chosen though the performances of the child actors easily eclipse what the adults can muster. Hunter McCracken leads as young Jack, Laramie Eppler and Tye Sheridan filling the other two roles. McCracken in particular has all the makings not of a star but of a serious actor, displaying both restraint and a huge spectrum of emotions – he is without doubt the film’s greatest discovery. As the domestic relationship between the O’Briens deteriorates, the confusion at violence, the inability to understand a world that is so beautiful and yet so cruel are channelled through the boy and his experiences drive the film when Malick threatens to get lost in his own roundabout ways.
Several aspects do encumber the flow of the film some detractions are noteworthy. Several of the images presented in the montages seem out of place. A short episode with dinosaurs clarifies that Malick is expanding the question of significance across all of time but their presence feels jarring, CGI and out of place. Quite frankly if you have awesome images of space (and therefore time) why bother to bring Jurassic Park along? Arguably this montage as well as an extended coda presenting a utopia of sorts go on for a bit too long to maintain interest. It’s possible to simply sit back and enjoy the glorious imagery but the family drama is far more enthralling. Some will find the work in it’s entirety to be far too ambiguous or even too philosophical and spiritual – it certainly won’t speak to everyone. However “The Tree of Life” is in the end an ode to the wonder of our earth and all the life in it. If you consider it a masterpiece or not, Malick remains a mysterious master of his art and continues to dazzle with films that are just, well, refreshingly different from everything else that’s out there.
Among film composers, Malick’s work ethic of endlessly editing and re-editing is notorious. Very often Malick will substitute a written score with classical music at the last minute. Alexandre Desplat’s original score has been released on the soundtrack but unsurprisingly the end credits revealed a multitude of classical pieces, with Desplat’s work limited to less than 15 minutes. With music playing such a significant part in the film it is questionable why Malick hired a composer in the first place. On CD, the music makes for a pleasant if minimalist and relatively undemanding listen. The “great questions” are reduced to a simple piano theme that slowly turns this way and that much like the films itself. It’s reminiscent of some of Philip Glass’ work; nondescript but with an almost otherworldly beauty. In comparison to some of Desplat’s stronger works and to the classical replacements however, the music fails to reach quite the same level. And if you want to hear what was featured in the film, this is the wrong place to search.
“The Tree of Life” is in one word, beautiful. It’s not quite as powerful as “The Thin Red Line” but it’s unlikely you will see a more unusual film in 2011. Unusually for Malick, he has another film in the pipeline as soon as next year and you should definitely be stoked.
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May 10, 2011
Johannes Ruckstuhl
Action, Film, Sci-Fi
Anthony Hopkins, Asgard, Avengers, CGI, Chris Hemsworth, Film, film music, George Lucas, Hamlet, Hans Zimmer, Harry Potter, Henry V, Iron Man, Kat Dennings, Kenneth Branagh, King Lear, Marvel, movies, Natalie Portman, Patrick Doyle, picture, poster, Ramin Djawadi, review, score, soundtrack, Star Wars, Stellan Skarsgard, Steve Jablonsky, The Mighty Thor, Thor, Tom Hiddleston
In Marvel’s scramble to grant each of their superheroes a franchise before a possible united outing, the choice of Kenneth Branagh as director for “The Mighty Thor” was without doubt the best decision. To draw parallels between the mythically-inspired comic and the godly authority of the accredited Shakespearean with a pedigree that includes everything from “Henry V” to “Hamlet” was a stroke of genius that translated into the most anticipated hero-picture of the summer. Similarly a good decision was to cast a relative newcomer, golden-locked and uber-muscled Chris Hemsworth in the hammer-wielding title role alongside heavyweights like Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman.
After a folly mission, young and arrogant god of thunder Thor (Hemsworth) is banished from Asgard by his father Odin (Hopkins) and has his principle source of power, the hammer Mjolnir stripped from him. Exiled to a world called Earth, he first meets with scientist Jane (Portman) and her assistants Stellan Skarsgård and Kat Dennings. Concurrently, Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has been eying the throne of Asgard for himself and has agreed a devious deal with the feared Ice-Giants that would see Odin dead, Thor permanently banished and said giants rise to their former glory. If that weren’t enough, the mysterious SHIELD agency (Introduced in “Iron Man”) is also after Thor’s hammer. As the forces of evil unite, Thor must prove himself worthy, regain Mjolnir and (of course) defeat Loki and thus save Asgard. As expected, Branagh’s influence saturates the picture, lending an epic touch to the exposition that may not quite rival the Bard himself but is a terrific – and the correct – direction in which to take a superhero film. The entire plot has hints of “King Lear,” minus the insanity. Yet Branagh rightly distinguishes between dramatic proceedings in Asgard and more casual ones on Earth, with surprisingly humorous results. Quite a large portion of the film’s middle third contains some hearty laughs that certainly come unexpected but also function as reassurance that Branagh isn’t taking it all much too seriously.
Hemsworth to does well in slipping into his godly shoes, though far more believable when able to ham up the headstrong and foolhardy side of Thor than when purporting love for his father, brother and country. His chemistry with Portman is fine though their relationship misses a crucial middle floor in her coming across a homeless hunk in the desert to believing him to be a god from another world. Portman is never bad in a role but maybe this one wan’t quite suited to her. There are further caveats to register, mainly the underdevelopment of the chief villain. Not only is it clear from frame one that Loki will play bad, his motives are so thoroughly scrambled that many a viewer will be scratching their heads. The screenplay thinks itself far too clever here, seemingly presenting a complex character but comes up short by having his behaviour be illogical. Many will also find fault with the presentation of Asgard itself, as it looks like a rather bad mutation of some of Lucas’ “Star Wars” worlds and oh so CGI. Too much so, especially in the huge crowd scenes and battle set-pieces that should by rights rock the floor like the Battle of Agincourt. Finally, a series of off-angle establishing shots stick out like sore thumbs. If these were intended to be a stylistic device is unclear but in any case no stylistic device should jump out and say look at me!
Patrick Doyle has always been Branagh’s composer of choice and like him, this was Doyle’s first dabble in the genre. Having also previously graced the fourth “Harry Potter” with music of epic proportions, the Brit certainly has the know-how for an appropriately large effort this time round as well. What surprised many listeners and deterred some was Doyle’s choice (or perhaps at the insistence of the studio) to venture into the grounds more usually tread by Hans Zimmer and his associates: That definitive “blockbuster” sound with power-anthems, orchestra plus synth elements and an abundance of driving percussion. Though it’s a departure for Doyle, the style fits the film well and is, unlike some of the efforts of Steve Jablonsky, Ramin Jawadi and indeed Zimmer himself, a score of intelligent construct. The main theme is powerful, the string ostinatos vary as appropriate and there’s almost excessive material for the percussion section to gnaw on. It would certainly have been interesting to hear Doyle apply his more conventional music but that may well have been far too romantic for the film. This score may very well mark the beginning of a comeback for Patrick Doyle who had slipped off the Hollywood radar somewhat in recent years. Definitely recommended.
Overall “Thor” makes for good entertainment. The continuation of style Branagh nurtured on the Elizabethan stage is the film’s strongest playing card though several poor choices, some not directly related to the director prevent it from being an ace up his sleeve. That said, it’s a great kick-off for a summer with a full-up superhero offering. Should a sequel come to pass, definitely bring Kenneth Branagh back to the table.
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March 14, 2011
Johannes Ruckstuhl
Action, Adventure, Epic/Historical, Fantasy, Film
3D, Alexa Davolas, Andromeda, Aphrodite, Armageddon, CGI, Clash of the Titans, Craig Armstrong, Crimson Tide, Elizabeth McGovern, Film, film music, Gemma Arterton, Greece, Hades, Hans Zimmer, Iron Man, Kraken, Liam Cunningham, Liam Neeson, Lord of the Rings, Louis Leterrier, Mads Mikkelsen, Massive Attack, Michael Bay, movies, Neil Davidge, Oscars, Perseus, Pete Postlethwaite, picture, Pirates of the Caribbean, poster, Ralph Fiennes, Ramin Djawadi, Ray Harryhausen, review, Sam Worthington, score, soundtrack, The Rock, The Transporter, Transformers, Warner Bros., Zeus
Just because we haven’t had enough of sequels and reboots already, Warner Brothers felt it necessary to push out a remake of the 1981 film of the same name into a spring season desperately lacking in good action material. Not that the original adaption of the Perseus myth was much good either, but it is fondly remembered by some for Ray Harryhausen’s quite excellent puppeteering effects. For the remake, the monsters of ancient Greece would be created in the computer, and Warners appointed director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter), assembled a cast with considerable talent and invested significant buck that included a late conversion to 3D to cash in on the post-Avatar hype. On arrival however, it quickly became apparent that the film would fail to fulfil even the lowest of expectations and come to represent the very worst that Hollywood has to offer. It is, to apply mythological rationale, a scourge of the underworld.
Perseus (Sam Worthington) is raised by the fishermen (Pete Postlethwaite and Elizabeth McGovern) who found him with his dead mother, unaware that he is in fact a Demigod, the son of Zeus himself (played by Liam Neeson). After they are killed, Perseus finds his way to the city of Argos, the population of which are angry with the endless squabbles of the Gods. Angry at loosing the humans’ love, Zeus sends Hades, God of the underworld (Ralph Fiennes) to threaten the city. If the king’s daughter Andromeda (Alexa Davalos), whose beauty has been compared to that of Aphrodite, is not sacrificed in three days, then Hades will unleash the most terrible beast he has created, the Kraken. After learning of his true lineage, Perseus leads a band of warriors that includes Mads Mikkelsen and Liam Cunningham to exploit a possible loophole in Hades’ plan and thus save the city. There’s a bunch of other stuff, but it doesn’t really matter because it’s all just an excuse to cue one battle and action sequence after the other. Forget such worn out things as plot twists, clever dialogue or, dare we imagine it, character development, “Clash of the Titans” doesn’t need brains, this is about brawn, sculpted abs and overblown action. In many ways it’s masquerading as “Transformers” with mini-skirts, steroids and scorpions but on examination, Michael Bay’s flicks are highly intellectual stuff compared to this.
Not only is the action exceptionally brainless, as it’s presented without any cohesive flow, construction or narrative, the film presents a mish-mash of bits taken from different (and often more accomplished) films: The scorpions and their masters bear resemblance to the Oliphaunts in “The Lord of the Rings” while several gags and of course the Kraken are blatantly borrowed from “Pirates of the Caribbean.” The Kraken may be a genuine feature of mythology but its implementation in the latter was infinitely more frightening than some of the shoddy CGI and green-screen work on show here. Furthermore, the film becomes an exercise in wasting as much acting talent as possible. Imagine the possibilities with two masters like Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes on screen as arch enemies Zeus and Hades. Similarly Sam Worthington, complete with buzz-cut and Australian accent delivers a performance that is so cold he may as well have been turned to stone by Medusa. Never, not once does he, or the screenplay for that matter, make any attempts at believable exposition. And Gemma Arterton’s Io is about as interesting as the lacklustre conversion into the third dimension. What, beyond the promise of a large cheque would force these actors to take on projects like this, is beyond comprehension. A disaster like “Clash of the Titans” simply isn’t worth wasting your time, because not only does it show disrespect for the original (a poor thing in any remake), it is in effect giving the finger to the viewer who was dumb enough to see it. After all, it made Warners over $150 million at the box office. There are dumb action pictures that are well made and entertaining, this is a dumb action picture that is badly made and the most unbelievable bore.
Originally set to score “Clash of the Titans,” was Scotsman Craig Armstrong who had worked with Leterrier before on “The Incredible Hulk,” and who was in desperate need of such a large-scale film to show off his talents. As is the way in Hollywood however, Armstrong’s music was rejected at the last minute, making way for yet another of Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control offspring. Ramin Djawadi and a team of ghostwriters provide a score that is just as cheap as the film, hammering out the same sound prevalent since “Crimson Tide” way back in 1995. Quite apart from the fact that the sound of electric guitars (a “collaboration” with Massive Attack’s Neil Davidge features) and synthesised bass has nothing whatsoever to do with ancient Greece, this music is just a cheap and botched repackaging of a familiar sound, more headache-inducing than everything that went before with the exception of Djawadi’s equally obnoxious “Iron Man.” There’s no point describing anything about it, you can listen to “The Rock,” “Armageddon,” “Transformers” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” and you won’t notice the difference.
To call “Clash of the Titans” poor fare is very much an understatement. You’ll be glad to know that sequels are already in the works so we’ll only have to suffer through the same again twice more. Somewhere in the film’s flabby middle, and in a small attempt to insert a witty line, Liam Cunningham is asked how old a certain creature might be. His reply: “I don’t care.” And neither will you.
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February 9, 2011
Johannes Ruckstuhl
Comedy, Film, Romance
Adam Sandler, Andy Roddick, Bailee Madison, Beach Boys, Bee Gees, Brooklyn Decker, CGI, Dave Matthews, Dennis Dugan, Film, film music, Friends, Griffin Gluck, Grown Ups, Harry Gregson-Williams, Hawaii, Heidi Montag, Jennifer Aniston, Just Go With It, movies, Nick Swardson, Nicole Kidman, picture, poster, review, Rihanna, Rupert Gregson-Williams, score, soundtrack
After the all-round catastrophe that was last year’s “Grown Ups,” Adam Sandler and director Dennis Dugan have re-teamed once again to thrust an improbable comedy in the way of movie audiences. The only real hope for “Just Go With It” was the thought that maybe, just maybe, the pair had hit rock-bottom and that from here the only way was up. And while you certainly shouldn’t approach it with any expectations whatsoever, this film does better than several of its predecessors, allowing us at least a reminder that Adam Sandler can actually be funny. However, mere glimpses of talent do not a good film make and highlights just how pedestrian Dugan’s output in the new millennium has been.
A mush of different rom-com threads, “Just Go With It” tells of cosmetic surgeon Danny (Sandler) who, in an attempt to bed as many women as possible without fear of commitment, wears a wedding-ring despite being single. This romping lifestyle becomes a problem however when he meets the woman of his dreams Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) who does not wish to break a marriage apart. Desperate not to loose her, Danny invents an elaborate tale of divorce that soon involves his assistant Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) and her two children. As the lies start piling up, the troupe all fly on holiday to Hawaii, accompanied by the demented Eddie (Nick Swardson) who can only add to Danny’s problems. Check off all the usual comedic shenanigans, awkward situations and some silly pranks including a gross case of animal-abuse and you have yourself almost two hours’ cheap entertainment. This would flounder immediately if it weren’t for Jennifer Aniston who resurrects a good dose of the humorous expertise she nurtured during the ten seasons of “Friends.” Her scenes with Sandler, particularly within the first half-hour, are without doubt the film’s best, managing to keep things on track. Much less interesting is Brooklyn Decker whose basic function as supermodel eye-candy is so blindingly obvious it’s embarrassing. Her maths teacher role is about as credible as her shallow motivations and eventual change of heart.
Once in Hawaii, several of the film’s more unsavoury elements crowd out the interactions between Sandler and Aniston: There’s a sub-plot involving an egotistical Nicole Kidman as Aniston’s high-school “pal” and musician Dave Matthews which is instantly forgettable. A supposedly damaging insight into the cosmetics industry (i.e. clearly CGI’d and absurdly deformed victims of silicon) is low comedy that might elicit a snigger but no more. Worst of all is the decidedly unfunny Swardson, sporting hugely magnifying specs and a faux-German accent. It’s the collection of these separate strands that make portions of “Just Go With It” almost intolerable. Aniston’s two kids played by Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck have their moments, particularly when practicing Mafia stares and extorting money from Sandler but the presence of a cockney accent on it’s own amounts to little style and no substance. Celebrity cameos by Heidi Montag and Andy Roddick simply go unnoticed. Dugan and the somewhat lazy screenplay are largely to blame for the film’s misfortune and despite the lead duo’s best efforts, they cannot entirely prevent the end product from sinking.
The music for most rom-coms are lead by song compilations and “Just Go With It” is no exception. As an addition, several songs by the likes of Rihanna, The Bee Gees and The Beach Boys have been mixed together as sort of mashups that would be most obnoxious on album, were one to be released. That is looking unlikely however. Equally unlikely to get a release is the film’s original score composed by Dugan regular Rupert Gregson-Williams (brother to the more successful Harry). The score too falls into the mainstream rom-com music category – mostly soothing or else quirkily plucked strings form the basis of a score that is pleasant if unremarkable and remains anonymous throughout the film. The recognisable songs are understandably pushed to the forefront by the studio. Rupert Gregson-Williams is a young, talented composer who deserves to get better gigs than this.
“Just Go With It” is at best a baby-step in the right direction though still testament to Hollywood’s over-reliance on stock fare that will soon disappear into the forgotten-films graveyard. It will entertain you once but no more than that.
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How do you go about trying to top the greatest film of your career? Never mind that said film only won 11 Oscars, made over $1 billion worldwide and is already considered one of the masterpieces of cinema. And yet after taking the world by storm, Peter Jackson turned to revive a failed project from his pre-“Lord of the Rings,” namely a remake of the film that he had seen at the age of nine and that inspired him to make movies in the first place. The 1933 version of “King Kong” starring Fay Wray was revolutionary in its own right, completely changed the face of cinema’s visual effects and offers one of the most iconic scenes ever committed to film. A rather faithful tribute to that classic escapist adventure, Jackson’s take bloats the tale to epic levels, constantly pushing the envelope of digital technology and recreating the world’s favourite 25-foot gorilla and the world he inhabits one pixel at a time.
At the eleventh hour, Howard Shore’s score was rejected and James Newton Howard was drafted in as a replacement with literally weeks to write a score to a three-hour film. The reasons will probably remain forever in the secrets vault of Hollywood and while Shore probably wrote great music, Howard’s replacement is amazing, especially considering the time constraints. Famously, the composer never met the director until the film’s premiere, the pair conversing through video chat, one in Los Angeles, the other in New Zealand. Though he cannot quite rival grand master Max Steiner’s epic score, Howard’s score overflows with character, providing a relatively straight action score. The music’s main themes are presented at the outset and crop up again repeatedly. Highlights include “Defeat is always momentary” which plays to Denham and “It’s in the subtext” which is a slowly building suspense cue that plays over Anne and Jack’s first kiss. The motif for Kong is a brass pattern, heard primarily in “King Kong” and again in “Something Monstrous…” The climatic cues “Beauty killed the beast” are simply numbered with haunting female vocals almost equalling Howard’s career high-point “Lady in the Water.” While it’s regrettable that Shore’s music was rejected, Howard’s score is among the best of 2005 though the Oscar remains elusive for the composer.
