Being an animal lover, it pains me to have to sit through the story of King Kong.  To see him get shot down from the top of the Empire State Building is just gut wrenching.  My wife asked me why I feel the way that I do.  She said that the military had no other choice because he was destroying everything and everyone in his way.  You want to know how I responded to that question?  Regardless of whether you do or not, I will tell you anyway.  I said ‘good.’  I was rooting for the beast in Peter Jackson’s King Kong even though I well knew what the tragic outcome would be.  A boy can hope can’t he?  I said, “What did they expect when you bring such a savage and untamed beast back to the States and keep him in captivity within the city?”  Sure Kong is smart and loving, but did they really expect him to just become a model citizen? The stupidity of mankind never ceases to amaze me.  Couple the tragic story with some horrible special effects and an outrageous 3+ hour extended runtime that could have easily been condensed into a 2-hour timeframe and you have one of my most anticipated Blu-ray releases of all time…NOT!

Film 

I guess by now you are already know I am not going to have many kind things to say about the film’s subject matter, but I feel the need to dissect it and discuss it constructively and unbiased.  It is after all, a retelling of one of the greatest American cinematic masterpieces of all-time, and for that reason alone I appreciate the film for what it is.  Thankfully I rejoice in the fact that I am not alone in my opinion.  Another Blu-ray reviewer, his name and website will remain anonymous, feels the exact same way I do about Peter Jackson’s King Kong.  I have not seen this movie since its initial release date back in 2005, but after viewing the film today on the Blu-ray format I can clearly see why this film is well-respected in the high-def community for a number of reasons.  With that being the case, let me just point out the obvious real quick.  This is not the definitive King Kong release.  I am sure we will see it re-released again on the Blu-ray format.  You can take that to the bank and cash it.  I’ll get to my reasons a little later on.

As I mentioned previously, King Kong is a 2005 remake of the 1933 film of the same name.  The film was directed by the Lord of the Rings‘ visionary, Peter Jackson, and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody and Andy Serkis.  King Kong was released on December 14, 2005 and earned lower box office sales than what was projected.  That did not stop the mighty Kong from becoming a “cash cow.”  By the end of its cinematic run, King Kong had earned $550 million worldwide, becoming the fourth-highest grossing movie in Universal Studios history.  It not only won over the critics but it also won Academy Awards for visual effects, sound mixing and sound editing.  King Kong arrives on the Blu-ray format offering fans both the theatrical cut of 188 minutes or an extended cut clocking in at 200 minutes accessible via seamless branching.

I am not sure this even possible, but for anyone unfamiliar with the story of King Kong, the film takes place during the Great Depression in 1933.  Having just lost her job, struggling actress Ann Darro (Naomi Watts) is hired by troubled filmmaker Carl Denham (Jack Black) for the lead role in his new motion picture.  Ann only signs on when she learns her favorite playwright, Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), is the screenwriter.  They all board the vessel SS Venture to embark on a voyage to film the movie that will save Denham’s career.  Ann and Jack end up falling in love aboard the ship as the unimaginable happens.  The ship and crew crash into the rocks of the legendary Skull Island.

For the next near two-hours of runtime, the film takes on quite a Jurassic Park-like punch.  Any Jurassic Park fan will find the price of admission here quite worth it  as we are taken on exhilarating two hour thrill ride in which the ship’s crew battle natives and dinosaurs long thought to be extinct, and eventually capture the beast known as Kong.  If you have been doing the math so far, then you are correct.  It takes two and a half hours until Kong is captured and brought back to the States, billed as “The Eighth Wonder of the World” appearing on Broadway.  This is the point in the film that just sickens me.  There is more than meets the eye about the story of King Kong.  Yes it is about a savage beast, but more importantly it is a love story between Kong and his captive on the island, Ann.  This is the part of the film that I think Peter Jackson excels at.  When they capture Kong on Skull Island and he looks into the eyes of Ann for the last time, that moment truly tugs at your heart and reminds me how sick the sport of hunting makes me.  The rest is cinematic history as we all know Kong escapes in New York City, destroys everything in his path in search of his one true love and then those bastards kill him.  I truly am in love with this Blu-ray release but my heart cannot take another bout of King Kong.  The story of King Kong always ends in the same tragic fashion; with the death of an innocent animal.

Since my viewing of King Kong on the Blu-ray format, I went back and I changed my film score from a 3 to a 4.  I cannot fault Peter Jackson for the tragic ending to this story.  What I can do is credit him, for Jackson brought emotion like none other into the movie.  I genuinely felt the love Kong had for Ann, and it pains me to no end how our human race has no understanding of love as they brutally execute the creature.  That is all I have to say about it.

Video 

I don’t even know where to begin here.  I truly am speechless. I have never seen video look so good on the Blu-ray format.  This has to easily be in the top ten of video transfers I have seen thus far on the young Blu-ray format.  Universal delivers with a breathtaking 1080P VC-1 video transfer presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio.  No matter what your personal feelings are regarding the story of King Kong, there is no denying that this is truly reference grade material.  I have no flaws regarding the video quality, to even discuss here.  I cannot take away points for any of the bad special effects shots, as they do not take away anything from the quality of the transfer.  Even the one scene I had problems with in the theatres, regarding the running with the Brontosaurs, looked drastically improved on the Blu-ray presentation.  The blacks were solid without a single hint of grain, flesh tones were accurate and the colors were alive with vibrancy.  The jungle literally comes to life in your living room as the detail and three-dimensional qualities visually jump right off the screen.  I am afraid to say, but it really doesn’t get any better than this, at least I don’t think so.

Audio 

If the impeccable video quality of King Kong does not bring him to life in your living room, then the audio certainly will.  Universal scores a perfect 5-star grade with their DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track.  All I can really mutter is one word…Wow!  The surround track will rock your living room as you live the ensuing adventure that takes place on Skull Island and then later the tragic ending of Kong in New York City.  From dinosaurs rampaging through the jungle to airplanes soaring past from speaker to speaker, the landscape of this surround track is truly impressive.  The musical score is beautifully orchestrated as well.  I must admit that at first I thought the audio track was going to be weak, but once we crashed upon Skull Island, my rear speakers never took a break.  The low-end bass is dominant throughout as is the dialogue track.  I never once had to touch my volume levels and/or strain to hear a single spoken word.  Like I said in my last sentence of the video section, the same applies here.  Two thumbs up high in praise for the engineers over at Universal Studios.

Special Features 

Do you remember my comment about this not being the definitive version of King Kong on the Blu-ray format?  Well here is why…the supplements package.  The supplements package here is truly lacking.  This definitely may not be a deal breaker to me, but may be for those looking to upgrade their HD DVD version.  You know what I would say to them?  I would say HD DVD is a dead format, buy the Blu-ray and move on.  I should make mention that the audio commentary and Picture-in-Picture track is only available when viewing King Kong in the extended version.  My way of thinking is if you are going to watch a movie that is originally 188 minutes long, then what is an extra 12 minutes going to do to you.  Don’t be a sissy, watch the extended edition that only Blu-ray gives us in High-Definition.  Below are the special features you can expect to find on the King Kong Blu-ray release.

• Feature Commentary – The audio commentary track consists of director/writer Peter Jackson and co-writer/co-producer Philippa Boyens.
• U-Control – With Universal’s U-Control feature, you are able to watch Picture-in-Picture behind the scenes footage, cast and crew interviews and more while watching the film.  Another U-Control feature, entitled Art Galleries, allows you to explore the production of this film through conceptual artist renderings.
• BD-Live – Using your Internet-connected player, Universal provides a feature called My Scenes that allows you to pick your favorite scenes from the film to create your own video montage and share it with others via the web.

Final Thoughts 

You are probably reading this review and thinking what a hypocrite I am.  If you want to label me that, then by all means do so.  I purposely left my first couple introduction paragraphs intact for a reason.  I wrote the first paragraph and a half prior to watching this film as I already had a biased opinion formed against King Kong for obvious reasons stated above.  It was not until mid-way through my Blu-ray viewing of King Kong that I realized what a brilliant and emotional film this was, and try as I might, I could just not find it in me to trash talk this movie no longer.  Even special effects shots I had problems with in the theatre were rectified here on the Blu-ray presentation.  Unless you truly hate the story of King Kong, like I thought I did, then there is absolutely no reason whatsoever that this film should not be part of your Blu-ray collection.  Run, do not walk, but run to your local retail store or online presence of choice and grab this timeless masterpiece and enjoy it in all it glorious 1080P splendor.  You will not be sorry.  This is truly a reference disc to show off to family and friends for years to come.  With that being said, ironically, I promised this disc to the owner of Into The Blu after I reviewed it because I knew I would want nothing to do with it.  It gives me great pleasure to report that after my Blu-ray viewing today I am one click away from ordering a copy for myself right now on Amazon.com.  What are you waiting for?  Bring King Kong home today!

I hope you enjoyed my sometimes-contradicting review of Universal’s King Kong Blu-ray release.  Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.  I look forward to receiving feedback from my readers.

King Kong will be released on Blu-ray January 20, 2009.  If you like what you read in the review above, then please show your support for our site by clicking the shopping cart link above to order and save with Amazon’s Everyday Lowest Price Guarantee.  Thanks for your support!