Writer: Nurliana Kamaruddin

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Movie-making technology is reaching new boundaries and with each movie the boundary is pushed even further, testing the limits of human imagination and capabilities. It's safe to say "King Kong" has marked a new barrier for itself in movie-making magic. Director Peter Jackson pulled all the stops on this one and piled on the special effects with mind-blowing proportion that would probably make the filmmakers of the 1930s classic to watch with their jaws hanging to the ground.

Reasonably loyal to the source material it was based on, the story begins with actress Ann Darrows (Naomi Watts) who is left on the streets with no money when the theatre she worked at is closed down. Enter manic filmmaker Carl Denham (Jack Black) whose financial backers are bailing due to his self-indulging whims of shooting a movie on an island that's never been found. Denham and his assistant hightails it out of New York to continue shooting their film, but not before Denham manages to rope in Ann to play the part of his heroine.

The start of this movie remains relatively slow as Jackson introduces us to the characters one by one and lays out the impending threat of what lies at the island they are bound for. Once the ship crawls in through the mist of this said island though, the pace picks up considerably. From there on, "King Kong" barrels through the remaining two hours in an intensity that might just leave you gasping.

The world that Jackson has created for Kong is populated by fantastical animals of all shapes and sizes. Living Brontosauruses that stamped through a narrow canyon, gigantic insects and creepy crawlies, flesh-gorging bats - you name it - Peter Jackson throws it in. The sheer amount of creature effects this film boasts is near overwhelming.

It's a good hour before our much-anticipated Kong makes his entrance, but Peter Jackson made every minute worth the wait. Kong is spectacular computer imagery, crafted with so much heart and so much love by the filmmakers that this animated ape will astound even the staunchest of cynics. Scaled down from 30 feet to 25 feet but still impressive in all aspects, the scenes of the giant gorilla dominates the film throughout, be it in the ferocious fights against the T-Rexes or the monumental climb up the Empire State Building.

The best thing to say about "King Kong" is 'wow', and though the 3-hour long film can be a bit daunting, this is one film you do NOT want to miss. Most definitely a way to close 2005.

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008