I have a love/hate relationship with remakes. Some are good and some are well, not so good. I believe it depends on the story itself.

A good story can carry almost any remake, if you have three key elements: great writing, great actors and a good story.

I watched the 2005 remake of King Kong today. Is it really 187 minutes long? Oh but what a cinematic adventure of a masterpiece it was! The scene where Kong fights the three T-Rex’s alone was worth the ticket price. You just can’t take your eyes off the screen!

Here is the blurb from IMDB.com:

“In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with leading lady Ann Darrow.”

Now that’s a story!

Unfortunately, half way into the movie, I remember with a smack in the head by a jar of chloroform why I hate this movie. It makes me cry every time. The 1933 version doesn’t. The 1976 version doesn’t.

The 2005 version just rips my heart out. Could it be the advanced special effects? The cinematic beauty? Naomi Watts’ big, love filled glassy eyes? I don’t know but damn I love that Kong.

As far as stories go, the good ones and I mean the really good ones always leave their mark, their calling card, that last word that sums up the entire story.

Police Lieutenant: Well, Denham, the airplanes got him.

Carl Denham: Oh no, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.

Fade to Kleenex…