Peter Jackson's King Kong is the latest installment to the infamous giant gorilla, the first being over 75 years ago back in 1933. Nothing can top his previous directorial work on the Lord Of The Rings Triology, but the 2005 edition of King Kong was breathtaking in several aspects.

Without giving away the entire plot, the film is about a film maker who wants to visit an unchartered island in the Pacific in order to shoot a film, where he comes across Skull Island. Anne Darrow is then kidnapped by locals and is taken by King Kong, sparking a mass search by the crew of the boat. Kong is later captured, taken to New York and escapes. Can't say it's a good description but it's well worth a look.

The film was shot in the same place as the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, in New Zealand. The stunning backdrop of New Zealand creates a fantastic amount of scenery and beautiful landscape for the location of the mysterious and remote Skull Island. New Zealand's tranqulity and beauty is indefinitely present during all scenes shot for Skull Island.

It stars Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, and through a technical body suit and special effects, Andy Serkis as King Kong. I think the cast were fantastic for the film and each one played their role well. The locations and props used throughout the film were great to see and watch. It gave you a feeling of the goings on in 1933, from the Wall Street Crash to vehicles used in New York city to the steam boat used to get to Skull Island.

As well as the beautiful locations, the film contains a lot of extraordinary special effects. The creations of the creatures such as dinosaurs look incredibely realistic. As a matter of fact, in some scenes the use of special effects isn't all that clear, as it just appears so real. The worm like creatures at the bottom of a valley on Skull Island are perhaps the most graphic special effects used, to an extent it is uncomfortable to watch! Not in a bad way though.

The special features on the 2 disc DVD include insights into the making of the film, as well as technical explanations, e.g. how Andy Serkis is transformed into Kong. The bonus DVD also includes various interviews with the cast as well as commentary. There are also various features regarding King Kong in general.

Overall I rate this film highly. The overall film may be too long, but it is great to watch. It's only downfall is the ending, as it does seem to go on a bit, especially with the viewer having been watching it for the past 3 hours. I greatly admire the special effects and the sheer beauty of New Zealand's portrayal of Skull Island. I can't say it's as good as the Lord Of The Rings, but it is definitlely a close second. A great incarnation of King Kong, and it will be difficult to match in the future.