"King Kong" (1976, 1986, 2005) Three remake attempts
in 30 years -- one starring Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange and the World Trade
Center; a largely forgotten one from the mid-'80s starring Brian Kerwin and Linda Hamilton (the film's best legacy is a
ride at Universal Studios theme
... more park); and the most recent (sadly
underappreciated) one by Peter Jackson -- mostly had their hearts in the right
place, but none could come close to captivating the world the same way the
original "Kong" did in 1933. Shoddy effects hindered the '70s and '80s
versions -- both of which were trumpeted as innovative by their studios' hype
factories. Jackson's "Kong" was by far the best of the three (maybe even better
than the original), but the public was unmoved, except to embarrassed chuckles
by its overt emotionality -- seems people are more comfortable with teary-eyed
Hobbits than sentimental apes. (Laurentiis Entertainment Group / Courtesy:
Everett Collection/ Universal Pictures )Close
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