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Reviews
King Kong (2005)
Definitely worth the 3 hours...
While I would be inclined to agree with some that 3 hours is a bit long for this film, in the end I feel redeemed for the additional investment. One might draw comparisons to Titanic, with the first half of the movie leading up to what we are all waiting for...in Titanic's case it's the striking of the iceberg, and in Kong's case, it's his first on-screen appearance. So while I sat through the first hour and change waiting for Kong to appear, in hindsight I believe that it was necessary to the story to do so. My impatience got the best of me, but it's no big deal.
While the action sequences are quite impressive, even if the special effects are a bit obvious in some scenes, they are flawless where they need to be--the scenes between Kong and Ann Darrow, played brilliantly by Naomi Watts. The bond that these two form is beautiful, touching, and definitely magnifies the tragic ending of this picture. Kong has never had so much personality, and Peter Jackson is to be commended for his work and the decision to dig deeper into the relationship between the giant gorilla and his sacrificial beauty.
This movie is definitely worth the three hours, even if two and change would have still done the film justice, and it will absolutely have a spot in my DVD collection, as well as one of the five best movies I've seen in 2005.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Better when viewed twice...
Initially, I was expecting the movie to be more plugged into the matrix than unplugged from it. After deciding to go back and see the movie a second time with that expectation already established, I watched it again and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I understood then that the movie really required to be primarily "unplugged" in order to make any type of sense at all and close the trilogy. It didn't hurt that the second viewing was on an IMAX, as well. The sound and effects were simply amazing once again, and in spite of all the negative reviews out there, I am satisfied with the trilogy as a whole. I look forward to adding the DVD to my collection; it will be well worth the investment that is required.
About Schmidt (2002)
A deep and thought-provoking look inside the mind of one man and his struggle with retirement, independence, and family...beautifully done.
No one needs to stand up and argue whether or not Jack Nicholson can act, nor does one need to defend Jack putting 110% to every role he has. Jack is a phenomenal talent, in all senses of the word, and his talent is only matched by the quality of About Schmidt, his latest endeavor.
Although some people might describe parts of this movie as slow-paced, I believe the intent is to give you a complete understanding for what is going through Warren Schmidt's (Jack Nicholson) mind. Without a complete understanding of Warren's mindset, this film would not carry near the weight that I found it to carry.
We have all heard the critical response to various movies over the years, which goes along the lines of "I laughed, I cried...", but possibly for the first time ever, I found a movie in which I was doing a lot of both. The funny moments in this movie, like the letters to his "foster child" Ndugu, had many in the theatres laughing hysterically. Yet, within this same film were moments so emotional and touching, like the final scene which, for Warren, all appears lost and pointed toward a rather sad ending, comes almost out of nowhere and gives Warren and the audience something to feel good about.
For those who like faster paced movies with a laugh a minute or films that do not require much thought, this is probably not the movie for you. But for those who enjoy a movie that really allows you to get to know someone and understand the very essence of who they are, for those who don't mind mixing some great laughs with some very emotion moments and have no shame in shedding an occasional tear over something very relevant and powerful, and for those who know that their money seldom goes to waste when they invest in watching a Jack Nicholson movie, this movie comes nowhere close to disappointing.
Jack is brilliant, and Kathy Bates enters the movie in the second half to bring her backwoods country charm to the mix in this movie that is certain to be become an addition to my extensive DVD collection. This film is definitely worthy of a nomination for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards.