King Kong/Awesome

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• King Kong (1933) is such an awesome spectacle that even today it stand up as one of the best films ever made and a Moment of Awesome not just for those involved in its production; nor just for Willis O'Brian creating Trope Codifier special effects and emotive performances that rival modern Serkis Folk in terms of character and performance; Nor for nearly single handedly saving the production company RKO Pictures from Bankruptcy during the height of The Great Depression. Between all it did, King Kong is a Moment of Awesome for the ENTIRE FILM INDUSTRY.
  • The 1933 version: the "shaking the log" scene. Take a good look at all the different elements of that scene, then remind yourself that only a decade before that scene was made, they hadn't even invented sound. And that's just one example where that occurred. The "Lair" scene before Kong battles the Plesiosaur has, using 3 different methods of compositing, one shot with mat paintings, 2 animated figures with miniature sets and live-acted figures (5 separately shot and projected, 2 actors, 2 set pieces, 1 stylistic element) all at different variable levels. Modern effects artists are in awe of that shot to this day.
  • Keep in mind, it took up to 15 hours to get a minute of film for simple sequence (The T-Rex fight in the original took 7 weeks to film). Worse, every shot had to be done as though they only had one take on it. The fact that they got this 18 inch puppet to trulyact is a miracle unto itself! Everyone who knew the head animator, Willis O'Brian, can see elements of him in Kong's performance.
• One moment in particular would have to Kong's fight with the T.rex.
  • The '05 version cranks it to 11 by having Kong battle three at once.
• Kong's rampages in all the films are definitely one of the highlights.
• The rescue from the bug pit in the 2005 version. Especially when Bruce Baxter, after giving up and heading back to the ship, swings down into the pit on a rope, blasting at bugs with a Tommy gun the whole time.
• The Japanese version is the dream for every kid who grew in that geneation: King Kong vs. Godzilla!
• Ethnic Scrappy Charlie the Cook gets one in Son of Kong when trapped with his allies in a crevas by a territorial Styracosaurus, he breaks his meat cleaver off in the monster's FACE--causing it more anger/pain than his allies' guns had.
• Arguably, a scene where Jack Black has fallen in the insect trench and all of his crew is dying around him, but the real kicker is the fact his film was destroyed on the impact of the fall. So not only does this mean this entire trip was totally pointless, but he wouldn't be able to avenge his friends death, whom he promised he would donate a good portion to the family to keep them financially stable. So when this happens, he SNAPS. He grabs the closest rifle he can find, and he starts kicking all forms of bug ass. It's not much, but to show that the character wasn't always a money grubbing bastard who cared only about himself was a nice touch.
• The only worthwhile scene in "King Kong Lives" is also its Moment of Awesome, where Kong takes on an armed platoon of soldiers, (led by an almost "Ax Crazy" colonel) taking machine gun fire and cannon shots to the chest as he wades through their numbers, either killing or scattering them all. He's dying, yet he's not gonna let up till his enemies are crushed and his mate is protected. He finished this up by crushing said colonel under his big fist.