Kong revisited

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Kong revisited

Post by Alatar »

A couple of things conspired lately to prompt this post. Firstly, a review of "Happy Feet" on Irish radio slated the movie, prompting loads of parents to ring in saying that perhaps a jaded movie critic wasn't the best judge of what would appeal to kids. Subsequently, the TV guide came in with pics of the months big movie, King Kong, and my kids eyes went wide. I decided to record it and let them watch in two installments as its 3 hours long.

We should all watch films through the lens of a childs eye.

They were by turns scared, horrified, saddened, excited, but most of all they were hooked. My kids are 8 and 5 (Aoife wasn't watching ;) ). It takes a lot to make a 5 year old sit riveted for 3 hours, particularly Conor. I got a running commentary through the whole film.

She's pretty.
Why did she steal the apple?
She must have been really hungry.
Whay are they stealing the boat?
Are they bad guys or good guys?
That must be really scary.
Does he love her?
Ooooooh! (skull Island)
Is that Kongs back (The big rock)
Aaaaagh! (Scary natives)
Tell us when we can look!
Yay, they got away
Look! They're using big poles!
Why do they want Ann?
Is Kong a good guy or a bad guy?
Is he gonna eat her?
I think he's a good guy
Is he a good guy?
Wow he's big!
Is he a good guy?
I think he's a good guy.
Wow Dinosaurs!
etc...

I have to say, watching it with them was a completely different experience. We're so jaded. I was damning in my criticism of the movie when I first saw it. I thought it was overblown and indulgent. It probably is, but its still a damn fine movie. If the 1933 movie had such an effect on the 9 year old PJ, maybe this movie was playing to that same audience. Ian McKellan described Peter as "Childlike, not childish". This is a movie made for that inner child. It gives you that giggle of "O my God thats cool" and in its finest moments it is simply sublime.

The kids got everything they were supposed to get from the movie. They shuddered at the cruelty shown to Kong, loved his affection for Ann, hated the Army for attacking him.

Towards the end of the movie, when Kong was climbing the Empire State Building and the Biplanes were circling Clíodhna obviously picked up on the mood music and asked me quietly "Daddy, is Kong going to die?"

Conor reassured her. "No Clíodhna, its a movie. The good guys always win"

Sorry PJ, I should have given you more credit. You gave my kids what Cooper gave to you. Which is, at the end of the day, what you set out to do.
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Inanna
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Post by Inanna »

Such a lovely post. :)
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Primula Baggins
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Post by Primula Baggins »

Yes, a lovely post. I will think of the film a little differently now. :)
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Post by truehobbit »

Tell us when we can look!
I remember that line from when I was little myself. :D

Very nice post, Alatar. I haven't seen PJ's Kong, but I agree that this is the way the story works - at least it's the way the 1933 movie works for me.
(And I think the reason PJ got bad reviews is because for those critics it's the 1933 movie that made them feel the same way as your kids...a remake is like when someone tells a fairy-tale, but doesn't use the same words the kid is expecting to hear...
So, I don't think we should condemn the critics so much - they probably aren't all that 'jaded'. :) )

So - what happened when your kids found that Kong does indeed get killed?
but being a cheerful hobbit he had not needed hope, as long as despair could be postponed.
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Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

Out of the mouths of babes ... . ;)

Actually, I very much felt that way about King King when I saw it. Despite the fact that it WAS overblown and indulgent, and some scenes really should have been toned down or axed altogether (e.g., the giant insects), I thought that the relationship between Kong and Ann that was a sublime achievement, unique in the history of film. For that reason alone, the remake was definitely worthwhile, because the original doesn't achieve that kind of pathos.

And the fight between Kong and the T Rex's was kewl. 8)
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Post by Alatar »

truehobbit wrote: So - what happened when your kids found that Kong does indeed get killed?
Conor said "My eyes are all watery..."
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Post by Primula Baggins »

:love:
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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