King Kong: Eighth Wonder of the World

I've always loved King Kong (2005). But it's length usually deters me from watching occasionally. I was hoping to find something under 3 hours that doesn't edit too much of the original. I think this edit makes an enjoyable, shorter film.
I think starting the movie at the Kong premiere was genius. The edit also gets through the exposition and into the ship very quickly. All the character development on the ship to skull island was also retained, which helped sell the romance between Jack and Ann. All the best action scenes were kept in. I'm glad the giant insect scene was essentially over before it began. I never liked that scene. Also, I watched the Technicolor version which was done very well.
Possible improvements:
1. Once we go back a few months earlier from the Kong premiere to Ann on the street, the font that says "a few months earlier" is quite cheesy in my opinion. It feels like it was made in PowerPoint or iMovie. Maybe finding a better font that matches the title credits could work?
2. I think having Jack stay down with the animals on the ship needs more reasoning. Maybe having the quick scene where Denham is able to keep Jack on the ship long enough that it sets off before Jack can get off the ship?
3. I think the addition of the swamp scene does not serve as a good first man vs monster fight. I personally think the team seeing the Brontosauruses for the first time works better. Of course you would have to trim the scene considerably. I argue this because it shows Denham trying to film the dinosaurs and make some money from the island rescue mission. The conclusion of the scene shows Denham trying to "save" Herb from the raptors with the camera. He then says he'll donate the proceeds to his wife and kids. I think this works better than the swamp scene where Denham literally only films a guy get eaten by a swamp monster.
4. I think including the scene of Bruce Baxter quitting helps show the difference between a hero and a coward, thus emphasizing Jack's heroic character more when he later goes the distance to save Ann from Kong.
In no way am I trying to bash the edit. These are all just minor improvement possibilities if you decide to do a version 2. Overall this is a great fan edit and would recommend it.

Cuts the mustard quite nicely. Less yellows. Less yells.

Authenic appeal. Both in screenplay and screen gamma.

Peter Jackson's King Kong is way too long and some of the CGI feels rushed and corny. This edit fixes both problems beautifully. It's still probably a bit too long, but the narrative flows more consistently now and there is very little drag. The new opening pulls you right into the film and the cut directly to Ann and Carl bypasses much of the sluggishness of the original opening sequence. Belgarath has left in just the right amount of action and CGI on the island while excising most of the less convincing effects and chase sequences.

I watched the B&W version, which is glorious to look at and seems appropriate given Jackson's choice to set the story during the 1930s. I will be adding the color version to my collection, too, as this cut will be my go-to from now on and I prefer my Naomi Watts in color!

Highly recommended, especially for fans of the original.

The new structure is excellent!

NARRATIVE

Starting with Denham in the theatre, then flashing back to Ann's story...It's a remarkable way to get the story moving and keep interest. When you start with Ann's perspective you realize so much of the setup just isn't that important (Denham's movie woes, Driscoll getting stuck on the ship). We lose a little bit without seeing more of Ann's life, but the stolen apple and dinner with Denham quickly establishes her character.

There was a moment early on where I was wondering why Driscoll was down in the hold looking for a room, and just at that moment the captain appears and apologizes for not having a cabin for him. That's really enough to sell it. Jack was always supposed to come with them. Somebody just screwed up and didn't count the heads/rooms properly.

I was happy to see most of the ship voyage kept intact. It's still nearly an hour before we reach the island, and that may be a lot for some viewers, but I think that section is really important for establishing Ann and Jack's relationship.

In terms of negatives, I do think it was odd the way some characters simply disappeared (Herb, Lumpy). We don't see them die, and nobody seems to notice. Baxter turns into a hero for reasons unknown...All of these are easy to overlook, though. This is a movie about Kong, Ann, and Denham. The other characters are bit players (including Jack, in my opinion; he's more of a device than a character).


VISUAL EDITING

Great for the most part, though there were some visual cuts that seemed a bit odd. There's a moment when Ann is in the log and is about to be touched by a huge bug, and it cuts to her running out. In the original, this section is more drawn out and her quick departure makes more sense. Another cut during the water attack seemed a touch off.

The flashback transition was effective, but I think it might have worked better with a really long cross fade rather than a fade to black.

UPDATE: I should note: I believe I watched the technicolor version. While the presentation was great, it didn't seem particularly different from the original. It was good, but not noticed.


AUDIO EDITING

Some of the audio cuts weren't perfectly seamless, and I noticed some music bleed during the transition to Ann's flashback. Additionally, something seemed a little off with the T-Rex fight. That's a stand out section for me, music-wise, and the same music was present, but I think the beats might have been a touch out of alignment. It just didn't seem to gel with the video like the original. This may just be my imagination, however.


ENJOYMENT

Most of the enjoyment (for me) lies in those quiet moments between Ann and Kong, and those moments were retained here. Getting to them a bit sooner was a welcome bonus.