Congo, 1995

Kongo, 1995
Director: Frank Marshall
Cast: Laura Linney, Tim Curry, Dylan Walsh




Stage: Home theatre (surprisingly our local TV has numerous good pieces from recent past)



Kongo in short: A megalomaniac C.E.O. sends his son into the dangerous African Congo on a quest for a source of diamonds large enough and pure enough to function as powerful laser communications transmitters (or is it laser weapons?). When contact is lost with his son and the team, his sometime daughter- in-law is sent after them. She is a former CIA operative and, accompanied by gee-whiz gadgetry and a few eccentric characters (including a mercenary, a researcher with a talking gorilla, and a a nutty Indiana-Jones-type looking for King Solomon's Mines), sets out to rescue her former fiancé. What they all discover is that often what we most want turns out to be the source of our downfall.


Preps: again, I have this piece in my head as one of the more polished ones in terms of raising animal abuse issues, human greed, beautiful nature and underestimation of pure nature's abilities to defend itself.


Reality: This piece is one of the more dominant in the time it was made. However, nowadays it seems somehow out of date, in terms of delivery. By that I mean, I have enjoyed watching this much more for the first time. Apart from the plot (storyline), which is always something we should think about - everything else seems somehow under my expectations. In some ways the cast is awful, the only true relationship I see in the movie is between the scientist and his Amy, gorilla. And it breaks my heart as he tries to bring her into environment she yearns for, only to see human abuse of natural wonders, gold yearning and diamond search. Obviously, nowadays even more, the race for diamonds, gold, silver, oil - seems more and more aggressive. In this piece we see abuse of animals as the means to get to the goods. The way the message is delivered - is very pure and brings pure flesh and soul of the deed in front of the viewer.

However, everything else - bad gorillas (grey ones) that represent the ghosts that are guarding the treasures - well, this is not really likely (not shown as if they were real). Now I see that the costumography, scenography made a HUGE step forward in delivering this and more could be done at that time. In 1995, I was really thrilled to see this piece, now I see it as really something average or on average level, not even close to what I would have expected.

Some truths still remain, though, Kongo and unknown teritory is hard to handle if you aren't an expert or at least a warrior. A lot of "hidden treasures" in shape of animals, that might eat you while you are strolling down your way, well, those creatures are waiting for you. Still, the underestimation of the nature wonders and nature itself will show in a decent way that you will be swollen by some weird animal or a plant. To show respect, a human should always consider himself as a part of the chain, not the leader in it.

The movie has a Hollywood ending and all is well - obviously. It might have a better message. For instance, Gorillas in the mist has some conotation with this piece (in terms of gorilla abuse and chopping down the forest). However, a much stronger movie compared to Congo on all levels.


My personal rate : 5,5 (watch it, but don't get overexcited about it :)

Congo on IMDB

King Kong, 2005

King Kong, 2005
Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody


Stage: Home TV selection


King Kong in short: Carl Denham needs to finish his movie and has the perfect location; Skull Island. But he still needs to find a leading lady. This 'soon-to-be-unfortunate' soul is Ann Darrow. No one knows what they will encounter on this island and why it is so mysterious, but once they reach it, they will soon find out. Living on this hidden island is a giant gorilla and this beast now has Ann is its grasps. Carl and Ann's new love, Jack Driscoll must travel through the jungle looking for Kong and Ann, whilst avoiding all sorts of creatures and beasts. But Carl has another plan in mind.


Preps: Just the background of a Saturday evening. Nothing special, as I have seen it before. I wanted to see if I changed my mind about this movie.


Reality: Hm.. the xxxth remake of King Kong and Peter Jackson. Well, the name I want to see again, but not in this role. It's supposed to be a spectacle. And in the movies it was. I remember seeing this in the local theatre. And I cryed. As I always did when seeing the King Kong. I actually despise movies about animal abuse. However, I do agree that in some extent they are necessary to keep us from doing even more such things. And we all love big monkeys, orangutans, gorillas. And we don't want to see them hurt. Which is quite the opposite here. So the movie touches everyone with at least some decent cells within. Or it touches deeply a soul like mine is. In this psychological, animal abuse, sense.

Apart from that, the familiar story, remake as it is expected in the new era of cinemascopy, with all possible effects. To me, a good distinction between real and fiction is really visible here, which makes a minus to this movie. Film it in the studio and then later make the background.. naah, it doesn't pay my bill. Jackson here doesn't exceed LOTR or some of his greatest achievements. The script seems poor, the storyline barely believable. How did they transport the animal in the small boat still remains a secret. The movie could be at least one hour shorter. And the action seems somehow similar to Jurassic park. Ok, it's quite predictable or believable to keep all sorts of weird animals on a deserted island, but somewhere you should pull a line between barely believable and something that's just copied from another movie.

There are some scenes that are a masterpiece, but it's merely a few. And they don't make it up for the looooong suffer you will engage when watching this and waiting for its finish. It will keep you weeping if you see the slaughter of the great animal. In my opinion, it wasn't worth making a remake and making some more money out of emotional-oriented crowd.


My personal rating: 4,0 (merely as a strong warning how cruel people can act towards nature and its wonders. Even if in this case Kong only impersonates the wonders)

King Kong on IMDB

The cove, 2009

The Cove, 2009 - oscar winner for documentary 2009!
Director: Louie Psihoyos
Cast: Joe Chisholm, Mandy Rae Cruishank, Charles Hambleton



Cove in short: Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.


Stage: Local cinema Dvor

Preps: I have seen the trailer. It's the oscar winner in documentary for this year - due to my experience they are good ones that got that. However, I know it's about the massacre of the dolphins. And I know I cannot stand animal torture on screen. So I am a bit sceptical when going to see this with a friend. She is a dolphin fan and claims to have a certain connection with them. I try to warn her, however, she feels she needs to see it. So there we went..



Reality: I am struck as of lightning by this piece. Raw material, absolutely no hard work in putting it together (or so it seems). But in spite this fact, this movie has a message. So profound and deep it doesn't need any fancy material behind it. The truth about the animal abuse /torture/ massacre is so hurtful my eyes are like waterfalls. I think I cry for at least half of the movie. I cannot think about how evil the human race is.. we are violent and take everything from the nature, regardless if we need it, regardless of the consequences. Like grasshoppers, we take and take and kill and take, and never give anything back to it. It's so sad it makes me think about this the whole time and days after the movie. I believe I am bursting with tears as I go to sleep because the cruel footage those brave people took to take a stand against Japanese, well, that footage just kills me parallel to poor dolphins.

It angers me that it's taken so many people and so much time to put something like this public. All because of the politics and its interests. It's really sad that such things get to happen and not only that, the responsible people get by when this happens. The whole massacre in the Cove is just a metaphore for all murders of this kind happening all over the world. I am shutting my eyes every now and then, I cannot stand the pain when seeing poor creatures killed.

The movie leaves me thinking about the world and the place we are leaving to our kids. Absolutely nothing great about it. Sadly enough..

So, what can you do about it? Go to their webpage - see link below! and make a stand. The more people know about this, the bigger pressure can be made to politics. See this movie not because it's sad - It will kill you in your heart, but because it's right to care!

Remember this : Richard O'Barry: If you aren't an activist you're an inactivist


My personal rating: 7,5 (it shocked me and made me cry almost half of the movie. But the high rating is not because of that. It's because I care and I would like more and more people to see this masacre and at least judge their stand in this matter)



Cove on IMDB
Where can you get more info? Takepart.com/thecove or here

Official site of the movie