The Dino De La Laurentiis King Kong films

It has Jessica Lange in her prime, which is more than enough.

Liked the first better than the Jackson version but still prefer the original.

At its time, the 1976 film was an EVENT. It was hyped up to incredible proportions.

I think the film is halfway watchable... but only until Kong shows up. Then it's a relentlessly hard-packed rubbish train. Yes, the main reason why anyone saw the film in the first place and that itself turns out to be the film's undoing. The first few scenes on the island are nicely done and the score is quite good at places. The projector-room exposition sequence on the ship is watchable too.

But once the guy in a Kong suit takes Dwan away, the film flushes itself down into the toilet. There is just one monster fight, which involves a dime-store rubber snake. The rest of the time, Kong leches at Dwan - it's just super creepy, not exciting or remotely interesting from any angle.

Now I think of it, it doesn't make any sense to set the film in the 1970s. They shoehorn in the whole oil crisis angle - which ultimately dates it woefully - but abducting a 50 foot tall ape and then using him as a commercial mascot is something no government would rightfully allow in the 70s. The animal rights lobby was too powerful then to allow this sort of cheap exploitation.

As for the sequel, it is just... dull. The 1976 film is at least memorable for how misguided it is at every turn. The sequel isn't remotely memorable. Yes, we get to see a flash of Linda Hamilton's boob but that's it. If we wanted to see that, then we would just rewatch the director's cut of The Terminator, won't we?

Never saw the sequel but I pretty much feel the same about the’76 movie. Not sure why they decided to go with the camp approach. But I’d be more forgiving if it was enjoyable or if they at least had dinosaurs for Kong to fight. The music isn’t bad from what I remember.