How can you make a legend even greater, a hero more heroic, and a masterpiece more exquisite than the original? That question is easy: by adding in a few modern day sound and visual effects. King Kong is a timeless classic, a legend, a hero, and in my eyes a masterpiece. The original King Kong was shot in 1933 by directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. During this time period film makers had not yet done much with special visual effects, so when they made Kong, they were taking visual effects to the next level. This is why I refer to King Kong as a masterpiece. The story line is incredible. It is a mixture of a love story and a heroic tale. It has action, drama, romance, and comedy all wrapped in one film. This is why King Kong is a legend.
Being a legend means that you can live forever. And through time you become even greater. This is what happened with the story of King Kong. With the equipment that we have today, we have the ability to make a legend come alive once again. Visual effects have become an art to perfect. Not only do they make a movie seem more realistic, but also they can increase the complexity of a character's personality and increase suspense in the telling of the tale. Peter Jackson recreated King Kong in 2005. His rendition of Kong was absolutely breathtaking. Jackson stayed true to the script of the original plot, but he did spice it up to fit into modern day and recreated the love story so it would seem to be between Kong and Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts). It is not some much of a sexual relationship as it is a friendship and a love of a friend. This aspect truly makes Kong seem more of a hero. The visually enhanced graphics of the bugs and stegosaurus and T-Rex make the fight scenes more intense and dramatic. I enjoyed the ending of the newer King Kong because I feel that I made a better connection with Kong in this version.
Thanks to Peter Jackson's heroic efforts, King Kong was brought back to life and now will continue to reign in our minds as one of the fiercest yet beloved heroes in movie history.