At the latest AZ blogger get together, we all mentioned the number of drafts we write, and save...and never publish. We also decided to each publish one of those "stale" posts for all the world to see. Here is mine, originally begun on 12/26/2005 and titled "Movies, Old & New".
Unfortunately, I can't finish my thoughts on SAJU's King Kong post, since it seems to be unavailable in the Zonitics archives - I don't remember what else I wanted to address (I covered a lot in my original review). I am also not sure what some of my points were in reaction to...and they don't hold up so well without the counterpoint.....
Since it has been almost two years, I don't recall what I wanted to say about the other movies, either. I do remember thinking that Fun With Dick & Jane included unnecessary swipes at the Bush administration (completely out of place in what was billed as a light, 'fun' comedy), and I don't think I found it overly entertaining. I will have to watch The Patriot & Rocky again before I can review them fairly.
So, here it is - what there is of it - in all it's stale glory.
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Just a few bit to keep up, I wanted to answer Special Agent Johnny Utah in his King Kong complaints (mostly because I had more to say and he gave me a jumping off point), and then I saw three more movies I want to chat about, as well, the new: Fun With Dick & Jane, and the old: The Patriot and Rocky (I had never seen either of those, can you believe it?)
King Kong: I don't really know that the 'story' was worth telling, but it was certainly worth retelling. What made this movie possible, and desirable, is that it is a remake of a classic film that has been in our collective consciousness for 70 years. When it was originally made in 1933, it pushed the boundaries of the special effects genre (and decency) while making us care about a giant gorilla - no easy feat. I believe the only relationship you need to care about is between Ann & the ape, the rest is just filler for the most part (Well, Carl and his greed play a big part, too).
The comparison to Jerry Macguire is completely out there - I don't get the connection? I can't directly relate to the stories in The Patriot or Rocky, either, but I'm not going to dismiss them because of it. Different genres, different aims, different results.
I actually thought the dinosaurs here looked better than those in Jurassic Park, though I did have some issues with the effects. My complaint was with the backgrounds, specifically the mountain ledge that falls away during that chase. There were anatomical errors with these dinos, but that was intentional as an homage to the errors in the original.
I am willing to suspend my disbelief regarding Ann's potential injuries, and justify her resilience based on her profession. As a vaudeville performer who specializes in physical comedy, she has practiced falling, so flinging herself on the rocks would be no different than flinging herself on the stage. The rides in Kong's grasp and on his shoulder seem much more brutal, but not fatally so.
Posted by Vox at November 25, 2007 08:00 PM | TrackBack | AZ bloggers , blogs , movies