King Kong Extended Cut

[John-Locke]

Well I loved the theatrical cut, saw it twice in the Cinema and enjoyed it both times, more so on the second time actually. My biggest gripe with the film is I think the Empire State scene goes on a little too long and by the time Kong gets taken down the scene has lost a little tension and a sense of immediacy.

Can't wait to see the Swamp scene and the scene with Kong and Anne communicating next to a statue of his ancestors, if we get a bit of closure on Jimmy I'll be very happy.

I'll be buying this as soon as I can get my hands on it.

[Keepcoolbutcare]

My biggest gripe with the film is I think the Empire State scene goes on a little too long and by the time Kong gets taken down the scene has lost a little tension and a sense of immediacy.

I loved that whole scene. It could've gone on and on and on and I wouldn't of cared.

The photoreal shots from atop the Empire State Building, looking down on Manhattan and the rest of NY are some of the greatest individual shots I've ever seen on film. I was (internally) clapping during the T-Rex showdown. I audibly gasped when I saw those shots. 'Prolly contributed to me giving the film a B, 'cuz as others (aka ZSS) have said, that script could've used a knob polish.

[John-Locke]

It certainly looked georgeous I just feel like Kong should have been taken away from us quicker after sharing the view with Anne, it would have had greater emotional impact on me if by the time he finally died I wasn't actually wishing he'd be put out of his misery because of the torture he was being put through by those fuckers in the planes.

[MasterWhedon]

See, the thing I hate about the Kong story is the ending. It feels like there should be a coda afterward instead of the forced hug between Ann and Jack on top of the Empire and then the final bit with Denham below.

Are the characters' journeys really resolved at that moment?

[DennisMM]

As it is now, it feels like King Kong with Jackson pausing every now and then for a drum solo.

that about sums it up perfectly for me. i enjoyed the film, but c'mon... it's a GIANT MONKEY MOVIE!!!!

I remember burl and I saying that more than once in the original movie review thread. It was nice and tight at 100 minutes in '33. It doesn't need a lot of character development.

[Shane]

I liked Kong, but I feel it could have been cut down alot especially towards the end. I don't see an extended version as something I want to go buy.

[DennisMM]

See, the thing I hate about the Kong story is the ending. It feels like there should be a coda afterward instead of the forced hug between Ann and Jack on top of the Empire and then the final bit with Denham below.

Are the characters' journeys really resolved at that moment?

Philip Jose Farmer wrote an interesting story, "After Kong Fell," that touched on that briefly. By the time Ann gets down to the street, the place is awash in gorilla blood and people are cutting off Kong's hair and even flesh as souveniers. Denham winds up being sued by hundreds of people and the city.

The story is told from the point of view of a young boy who got in to see Kong but whose aunt, whom he adored, was sick and missed the show. When they finally cut up Kong and tote him away, they find the body of the blonde woman he picked up, sniffed and threw away. Yep, the aunt, who had been cheating on her husband and begged off sick to be with her lover. It messes with how the film actually played, but it's powerfully sad.

[dimnix]

The extended edition is only 13 minutes longer. And if it includes the scenes I'm expecting it to, it'll be well worth watching.

[Chairman Kaga]

As it is now, it feels like King Kong with Jackson pausing every now and then for a drum solo.

that about sums it up perfectly for me. i enjoyed the film, but c'mon... it's a [size=29]GIANT MONKEY MOVIE!!!!

I remember burl and I saying that more than once in the original movie review thread. It was nice and tight at 100 minutes in '33. It doesn't need a lot of character development.

See I disagree. I love the original King Kong but the worst thing about it is the humans aside from Denham.
I never cared for Ann or Jack or Englehorn in the original. Denham was the only fully fleshed out character and everyone else runs around as 2d caricatures and cliches (I always just chalked this up to the time period). I thought the best thing PJ did was to try and give Jack and Ann fuller backstories. Ann improved the most as a result is perhaps the most likeable character in the film. Unfortunately he also tried to give Jimmy et al as much face time as the big three to give more impact to the cannon fodder deaths on the Island. The problem pacing wise isn't the dino scene or the bugs etc it's shifting attention to Jimmy, Preston, Hayes, Choy, Lumpy and Baxter. If it wasn't a remake of one of the most famous films ever made then perhaps it wouldn't seem like wasting time but since most of the audience is atleast somewhat familiar with the subject matter most know ahead of time that the story comes down to Ann, Jack and Denham. That's what the film could stand to lose not the action sequences.

[RogueScribner]

Kaga is a smart man.

Give the man a booby prize!

[Evil Hobbit]

the GIFTSET Collectible

[Ribbons]

I remember in the theatrical trailer for Kong - you see the search party on a raft in the middle of the swamp being pursued by a large underwater dino (probably similar to the 1933 bit.

This bit never made it into the final cut so I'm looking forward to that.

I'm actually not looking forward to that. 'Course, no one's making me buy the DVD, but when people use the term "overlong" to describe this movie, this shit is why. How many strange creature attacks do we really need to see? It becomes completely uninvolving after a while.

I thought King Kong 2005 was good when I saw it in theaters. It's an excellent theater movie, really. I agree that a lot of parts could have been cut though, and I have little desire to see it again, and I'm still not really sure what the point of Jimmy the Cabin Boy and his mysterious origins are. Nor do I really understand the Heart of Darkness motif. I think any connection King Kong has to Heart of Darkness is superficial. The thing that bugged me the most, however, has to be that herky-jerky slo-mo that was used on-and-off throughout the proceedings. Fuck that shit. It's got to be one of PJ's most annoying stylistic inclinations. "S-K-U-L-L..." If there's a way they can digitally remove THAT crap from the movie in this extended cut, then I'll consider buying it.

[AtomicHyperbole]

THANKYOU RIBBONS.

That fucking overediting shit ruined the sense of place he'd instilled in the first section of the film. I really enjoyed the attention to detail of the first part of the movie, but as soon as they step on the ship, we get pointless games with time followed by handycam slo-mo wank. These games did a lot to bring down the quality of the film.

[r8hitman]

Everytime I watch this movie it seems to get longer and longer, now they're going to "intentionally" make it longer??

I dont think so.

This movie went on the shelf right next to the Hulk, and I dont have any intentions on buying another version.

[sonnyboo]

I bought this new extended cut and watched it (with some notable fast forwarding through the boringest parts). The new scenes weren't all that amazing or adding anything deep or meaningful, but fun to look at.

No one's buying THIS one for the cut, but for the commentary, making of's, and additional extras. The extras are really really good, and it was affordable at Best Buy.

This was not the best movie, but it didn't suck too bad either. I love the MAKING OF as a long documentary, and this was very different than the PRODUCTION DIARIES.

[Chairman Kaga]

I will be buying it for the cut of the film.

[dimnix]

Swamp scene is cool but a bit disappointing, I can see why it was cut.

The ceratops scene (which is the proper first interaction the venture crew have with a dinosaur) is great and shouldn't have been cut.

The bird is back in there, it's a quick bit but as it was the only creature actually physically built for the film (and something I worked on) I'm glad it's there.

The other bits are really quick, but mostly great. More Kong rampaging in the village and in New York.

And the added bit at the end of the bug pit scene does add to both Jimmy and Denham's characters.


So, good stuff. The swamp scene could still go, but the rest of the added stuff works great.

And the extras are fantastic.


Oh, and disappointingly the scene with the statue of Kong isn't back in the film, or even in the deleted scenes. I'm not sure why. Maybe they never actually filmed it.

[Fried Gold]

When we will see a King Kong Shortened Edition? Where the 60 minutes worth of story is made into a 60 minute film?

[sonnyboo]

And the added bit at the end of the bug pit scene does add to both Jimmy and Denham's characters.

But not much...

[dimnix]

But not much...

Yeah, it is pretty minimal, but it's something. Gives Jimmy a tiny sense of closure as a character.

And I really like Denhams bit in the added bug pit stuff.

[sonnyboo]

Overall, I still like the movie a lot, but I agree with most that it already ran too long. Funnily enough, Peter Jackson, fielding criticism from the special editions of the LOTR said that if he put out the long verson first, people would have lambasted them... turns out he was right in this case.

The extended cut is not bad at all, and really isn't that much longer. There were things (like the ice sliding in the park) that I felt never should have been in in the first place, and other scenes that dragged on too long and I found myself using the fast forward button (even 16x) a lot.

The documentary was good, even after seeing all the 2 DVD's of Production Diaries. The movie isn't as important to me as how it was made... but then again, that's not what most people care about.

[RogueScribner]

I'll probably get the EE since I didn't get the original version yet. I didn't think KK was great, but I liked it. The only thing I thought slowed the movie down was when it focused on anyone outside of the main four (Kong, Denham, Darrow, Driscoll (is there any significance to the three human leads all having last names that start with D?)).

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

I never cared for Ann or Jack or Englehorn in the original.

Englehorn though, he come inna to a his own inna the Son of a the Kong, no? Anna Charlie too...

[WinslowLeach]

Extended Cut? This piece of crap should be SHORTENED! In fact, take the negative and clip it until its not there anymore! DAMN!

[Chairman Kaga]

Jeez Winslow how do you really feel?

[WinslowLeach]

Sorry, but sitting through the regular cut was bad enough.

[Doc Holliday]

Heh heh - is this more Winslow"Rage Against The Machine"Leach I see before me?

Yes, yes it is!

My day is now complete

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

The Dino, he remembers a the old Winslow, eh? The funny putz who used a to make a the funny posters... what happen to a that Winslow? The new one, he is alla mean anna angry alla the time...

[Doc Holliday]

The Dino, he remembers a the old Winslow, eh? The funny putz who used a to make a the funny posters... what happen to a that Winslow? The new one, he is alla mean anna angry alla the time...

Heh - but I LIKE the new improved Winslow! Reminds me of those innocent days when I was rooting for the peanut-flicking Superman to PWN Clark once and for all.

I wish the new Winslow a better future (stay away from Car-Breaking yards dude)

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Yeah but the guy is right. Stop mocking the Win. The new Kong I watched for a second time the other month, and I found it to be utterly exhausting. Far too padded out and long, just an exercise in how to use excess in a ruining way. About 2/3rds through that film, I was ready to call the film finished, I was done with it, I wanted to leave. Film's too long, admit it. NOW JUST HURRY BLOODY UP WITH THAT LINGERING LOOK TO ANN DARROW AND FALL OFF THAT BUILDING ALREADY!!!!

The way you're all picking on Winslow also, is like your sending out planes to buzz around his head and shoot him down.

That's all you guys ever ever do. Just shoot them down man!! What's wrong with you guys. You just gotta shoot them doooowwnnn, don't you!!!!!!!

[Doc Holliday]

Kirk - for the last time, I'm not mocking Winslow - he's been making me laugh pretty much non-stop for the past week. And that's laugh with, not at.

Take your little spoon and go stir some shit elsewhere you miscreant!

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Take your little spoon and go stir some shit elsewhere you miscreant!

Yes, like over inna the Pub Dink-a-Touch, eh?

Oh wait...

[WinslowLeach]

I'm not mad ALL the time Teh Dino! I just get uncontrollably pissed at this movie for some reason! I cant HEP it!

Great AV btw Maestro! 8)

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Hehehehe.... fair enough....

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Kirk - for the last time, I'm not mocking Winslow - he's been making me laugh pretty much non-stop for the past week. And that's laugh with, not at.

Take your little spoon and go stir some shit elsewhere you miscreant!

Just a spoonful of sugar, helps the medicine, go down.
The medicine.
Go down.
The medecine.
Go down.

[Doc Holliday]

Damn

"There is no spoon.....there is no spoon"

[Bean]

I'm not mad all the time Teh Dino! I just get uncontrollably mad at this movie! I cant HEP it!

You also lose all sense of spelling too eh??

I kid...

[WinslowLeach]

HEP is my new word. No more HELP. Its HEP.

Its the hillbilly way of saying Help.

[Doc Holliday]

Kirk needs hep...

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Hehehe... as in, "holy crappa, somebody HEP a the Dino, eh? I been a the hypmotize!"

[WinslowLeach]

Zactly.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Kirk - for the last time, I'm not mocking Winslow - he's been making me laugh pretty much non-stop for the past week. And that's laugh with, not at.

Take your little spoon and go stir some shit elsewhere you miscreant!

Just a spoonful of sugar, helps the medicine, go down.
The medicine.
Go down.
The medecine.
Go down.

Alright, who edited me again? I wouldn't mind, but I was proud of my original joke. I thought it worked in more ways than one.

Take your little spoon and go stir some shit elsewhere you miscreant!

Bend over then.

That's what it was meant to say. Like Kong, let's just leave the brilliant original with Jessica Lange alone OK?






















Unless, you, you want to get Kong's finger to remove just that little bit more of her dress, that is.

[Chairman Kaga]

God that 76 version blows.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Philistine!

[Chairman Kaga]

I can't keep it bottled up!

[sonnyboo]

That's what it was meant to say. Like Kong, let's just leave the brilliant original with Jessica Lange alone OK?

The "ORIGINAL" kong from 1976???????

A bad bad bad sick joke.

[WinslowLeach]

Its not. It REALLY is not. I feel its a great update of the original and I will defend it til I die.

Its def a masterpiece compared to PJs CGI-POS. It lacked heart and soul big time. The characters sucked, the acting sucked. It just sucked across the board.

Its not supposed to be about the FX, its about the characters and how they relate to each other and Kong. If you like the characters (which I did in the 30s/70s versions) you can look past the big fake Kong hand etc. Just like the original. That wasnt realistic, and people (including me) love that movie.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Winslow, paisan, have a you ever seen a the beaches of a the Santorini? Would a you like a to?

[WinslowLeach]

Teh Dino, we gotta stick together!

[Chairman Kaga]

Winslow has got to be kidding when stating the characters in the '76 version are anything close to the original...