by Al Ramirez –

When a classic movie like King Kong gets remade, fans of the original want to know why because they feel it was done right the first time and couldn’t get any better.

Like most things in Hollywood it’s almost always about the money, but there have been a few cases where the remake was done well. Both the 1933 and 2005 versions of King Kong have a great deal to offer, but I’ll go right out on a limb now and say that the 2005 remake definitely got it right.

I know some of you are thinking, “But what about the 1976 version of King Kong by Dino De Laurentiis?” This production is also known to me as The Jessica Lange Show or how to make a full size King Kong animatronic appear real without making it look and move like a 25 cent pony ride. Rick Baker who created the make up for the ape always seemed to have this look on his face like “How in the hell did I let them talk me into wearing this monkey suit?” (And those are just some of the nicer things I can think of to say.)

The 1933 version was a true adventure movie. It was written, produced, and directed by Merian C. Cooper who was quite an adventurer in his own right. The character of Carl Denim was loosely based on Cooper and the movie goes so far as to introduce Denim as the film maker who is trying to get funding for a great adventure movie. Note: The boxed collector’s edition of the original movie contains documentary footage of Cooper’s film exploits.

Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame, along with his wife Fran Walsh, was credited with writing the King Kong script. Jackson, who also produced and directed the 2005 version admits he was totally influenced by the 1933 King Kong and says he decided to become a filmmaker after seeing the movie as a child.

One big difference in the two versions is the damsel in distress characters. Both damsels are blonde and beautiful, but their attitudes toward the “beast” differ greatly. In the 1933 version Ann Darrow, played by Fay Wray, is terrified of King Kong and screams hysterically throughout the movie. It is implied that she feels threatened physically, emotionally and perhaps even sexually by him.

In the 2005 version, Ann Darrow, played by Naomi Watts, is an unemployed vaudeville actress who finds herself swept up into this adventure not by her own choosing. She too fears for her life, but she gains an understanding of King Kong and begins to recognize that he is the one who is terrified and that she is the only one he feels safe with. Her character even goes so far as putting her life in harm’s way as she tries to divert the biplanes from their final strike. In short she overcomes her fear and is more concerned about King Kong’s survival.

The original version has the character of Denim, played by Robert Armstrong, obsessed with the pure adventure, capture and exploitation of the creature. In the end he truly believes “It was beauty who killed the beast.” In the new version Jack Black portrays Denim as a man who goes to any means and does whatever it takes to create his fortune. He is willing to take any risk, even putting those who work for him in great peril, without any concern for their safety, always promising great fame and fortune. Ultimately he too says, “It was beauty who killed the beast.” He refuses to take any responsibility for the destruction of King Kong.

Perhaps the reason we love this movie so much is that it is far more than a mere adventure story. It is an allegory that strikes deep in our hearts at a time when humans are responsible for the demise and suffering of so many species of animals on the planet. In the final analysis we may more accurately state, “It was not beauty who killed the beast, it was us.”

[wppa type=”slide” album=”17″ align=”center”]Illustrations by Al Ramirez[/wppa]

Illustrations and Prints by Al Ramirez

The two original dragon illustrations, along with the drawing of a girl under an oak tree are all from a book I’ve been working on for the past couple years. Last year I illustrated a Kindle children’s space adventure, Star Ropers, written by local author Ariel Lucas, which is still available on Amazon. The toy shelf still life illustration of “Rocket Racer,” and the other three images are available as prints by request. Simply email lindsayram1@gmail.com and we can take your order.