Grade: A- | Genre: Action/Thriller
Summary: One ape you will love, in fact, you will want one of your very own for Christmas. Peter Jackson, quite simply, has done it again.

After winning three Oscars for Return of the King, or in truth for the entire Tolkien trilogy, Peter Jackson has remade the first film he ever loved and created a tender monster movie that has painstakingly fleshed out the story and characters to the max, and to top it off, this flick possesses a soulful ape that can move you to tears. What more could you ask from a movie this holiday season? At a running time of slightly over three hours, you will need to hold off on the extra-large drinks, but you will get your money's worth out of this film. While a bit overindulgent in the detail and time, Jackson lovingly refashions a tribute to his favorite gorilla, who is breathtakingly created by WETA and given humanity by Andy Serkis, formerly Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Kong is the real star of this film. Every other element of this movie fades away against the humanity in Kong's eyes. Does this film match up to the famous Rings trilogy? Well not exactly, but then the genius of Tolkien is a hard act to follow, however, Jackson gives Kong his level best. This film possesses more story than the previous Kong movies, a breathtaking, 1933 New York City, amazing action sequences, and a monster gorilla you will adore. The movie is one of the two seasonal blockbusters and should be seen on a large screen. The other blockbuster I suspect will be The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. So there you have it this holiday season for your viewing pleasure, noble monkey love and a saintly lion.