King Kong

This is a passable light weight remake at best. It just has too many problems to be great.

Of course, this 1976 remake doesn't come close to the historical significance of "King Kong" from 1933. But as a light-hearted adventure movie, at least it's not a disaster. One of my bigger problems is Jessica Lange. Although she later proved to be an excellent actress, I don't think she was quite as good here in her film debut. But at least in terms of looks, she fits her role quite well. Other than that, the cast worked well enough for me. However, the movie would certainly have benefited from a thematic update. As for Kong, I have to say that the effects are quite convincing, with a few exceptions. The costume is definitely well done; if you know that special make-up effects artist Rick Baker was involved, that explains a lot. The whole thing is complemented by the use of a number of practical effects, such as a giant hand. The special effects are not properly scaled, but this rarely bothered me. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, even though my expectations were admittedly rather low. Nevertheless, I still clearly prefer the 1933 film.