A plot, a plot, my kingdom for a plot! The movie was not bad—this is not to say that there was not a good deal of theatrical substance lacking from the overall package.

Perhaps if Peter Jackson had been less concerned with a giant monkey making eye love to Naomi Watts, the movie would have been about 45 minutes shorter. That would have helped.

Photo courtesy of Kingkongthemovie.com Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and Kong make computer-generated eye love.

Overall, the special effects and the majority of the acting was on par; though it is a bit difficult to fathom Jack Black-at-his-fattest running for an extended period of time.

And there is a great deal of running: dinosaurs, giant insects, gargantuan apes, and very irascible natives make for a visually dazzling film. The natives seem to embody every stereotype of a savage people ever concocted, in an effort not to offend any real people. It’s an odd approach.

Adrien Brody takes an evolutionary leap from his normal auctorial repertoire with great success—i.e.: going from the sullen Wladyslaw Szpilman in "the Pianist" to the semi-macho hero of "King Kong" is no short feat.

Still, from beginning to end, "King Kong" is sated with uber-maudlin moments that would fit, much more aptly, in daytime soap operas.

Copious scenes with Watts gazing at Brody or Kong weigh heavily on the eyes—not the hearts—of the viewer that knows a good 45 minutes have been wasted on mushy eye love. Furthermore, the first 40 minutes of foundational storytelling could not be less insipid and seemingly over-acted.

Photo courtesy of comingsoon.net Adrien Brody (left) and Jack Black

In spite of all "King Kong’s" flaws, the film picks itself up by the haunches in the spectrum of visuals and pure awe-inspiring scenery.

What the human characters lack, the indigenous people of Kong’s island and the many dangers that inhabit the island provide an aesthetic treat akin to "Jurassic Park," with a monkey twist (a caring, sensitive monkey that inexplicably loves vaudeville comedy).

Many of the scenes featuring Watts and Kong cry out for a touch of verisimilitude: you cannot take a person in your hand, shake them up and down in fits of anger and not break a neck or two.

Certainly when seeing something like "King Kong," one has already suspended disbelief, but oww! that would hurt.

Another problem that could have been easily fixed is that not a single one of the human characters ever eats. The hobbits ate in "Lord of the Rings," right, Pete?

It appears that so much attention to the special effects resulted in negligence of the characters—unless the character happened to be eye-googling someone or something.

To his credit, Jackson has made a visually spectacular film, and to enjoy this movie, the viewer must go in expecting a spectacle.

While this movie may have grander themes, it is not a nuanced movie and should not be overanalyzed.