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King Kong has been one of my favorite movies for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I would always get a kick out of seeing the giant ape fight prehistoric monsters and rampage through New York City, and as an adult, my love for the film hasn’t waned a single ounce. In fact, as I matured and grew in my appreciation for the art of storytelling, I found myself enjoying this movie even more.
See, King Kong is most famous for its (at the time) groundbreaking special effects, but that's not the only thing the film has going for it. It’s also a thematically rich tale of adventure, folly, and a love that compels both man and beast to risk their very lives. It has a lot more to say than your average giant monster flick, so let’s take a deep dive into this stone-cold classic and examine one of the many great lessons it can teach us. The Basic Plot of King Kong But before we do, I want to take a minute and briefly go over the plot of the movie. When King Kong begins, a filmmaker named Carl Denham is gathering a crew for his next picture. He’s chartered a ship to take them to a mysterious, exotic location, but there’s still one piece missing: the female lead. He takes to the streets of New York to find an actress for the role, and luckily for him, he’s quickly able to recruit a young woman named Ann Darrow. Denham, Ann, and the rest of the crew soon set off for their destination, an unmapped island called Skull Island, and when they arrive, they find the natives to be inhospitable. However, the islanders take a liking to Ann, and during the night, they kidnap the woman and offer her to their mysterious god. That deity is the titular Kong, but instead of eating the poor woman, Kong takes her as a sort of companion and fiercely defends her from the other giant residents of the island. When Denham realizes Ann is missing, he and a contingent of his men head off into the Skull Island wilderness to bring her back, and along the way they encounter multiple prehistoric beasts that threaten to derail the entire expedition. Nevertheless, they keep going, but unfortunately, only two of them survive. Denham returns to the ship to prepare for the trip home, and the first mate, a man named Jack Driscoll, heads deeper into the jungle to rescue Ann. He eventually succeeds, and when Kong chases the pair back to the village, Denham and his crew manage to render the giant ape unconscious with gas bombs. They bring the creature back to New York with them, and as I’m sure you know, this ends up being a huge mistake. Denham tries to put Kong on display for people to see, but the monster quickly breaks his chains and goes on a rampage through the city. He finds Ann and climbs up the Empire State Building with her, and his story ends in tragedy when he’s shot down by fighter planes. Beauty and the Beast Now that we’ve got our bearings, let’s get to the good stuff. King Kong opens with what purports to be an “old Arabian proverb” (although in reality, it was simply made up by one of the film’s directors, Merian C. Cooper): “And the prophet said, ‘And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty. And it stayed its hand from killing. And from that day, it was as one dead.’” If you’re at all familiar with King Kong, those words might ring a bell. They echo the movie’s famous final line, uttered by Carl Denham after the planes take down the titular giant ape: “Oh no, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.” Granted, Ann didn’t literally kill Kong, but on a deeper level, Denham’s words are spot on. The creature was a god on Skull Island, and before Denham’s crew pulled up to shore, he was just about invincible. Nothing on the island could challenge his supremacy, but that all changed when he laid eyes on Ann. He was smitten with the woman, so like the fake proverb says, he didn’t kill her. Instead, he took her to be his companion, and when Jack rescued her from his clutches, Kong chased her all the way back to the village, where Denham and his men took him captive and made him their prisoner. He was eventually able to break free from his chains in New York, but he couldn’t escape his affection for Ann. The beast just wanted to be with this beautiful woman, but Jack and Carl Denham couldn’t let that happen. To save Ann once again, they enlisted a fleet of fighter planes, and those planes finally took the monster down. So no, Ann didn’t literally kill Kong, but the ape’s instant infatuation with her led directly to his ultimate demise. Beauty really did kill the beast, and his fate was sealed from the moment he first saw her. The Human Beast That’s the King Kong story everyone knows, but if we pay close attention, we’ll find that the movie actually tells another story that closely parallels that of its titular ape. The first act contains a shocking (to modern audiences, anyway) amount of misogyny, and most of it comes from one character: Jack Driscoll. The first time he meets Ann, he’s quite mean to the poor woman. He tells her that women are “a nuisance,” and after about only a minute of talking to her, he says she’s “been in the way already.” Then, when these characters bump into each other again, Jack doubles down on his sexist attitude. He claims that the ship is “no place for a girl,” and when she points out that she hasn’t caused any trouble, he tells her that “just being around is trouble.” He even has the gall to say that women “just can't help being a bother” because they're “made that way,” so if you didn’t know any better, you might even think this guy was the villain of the story. But then something unexpected happens. After Ann leaves, Jack has a brief conversation with Denham, and he starts to soften up a bit. He expresses concern about their mysterious trip, and when Denham asks if he’s “gone soft,” Jack clarifies that he’s actually concerned for Ann, not himself. In response, Denham quips that “beauty” will make this “tough guy” go soft, and then he launches into an explanation of his new film. Here’s how he explains it: “The beast was a tough guy too. He could lick the world, but when he saw beauty, she got him. He went soft. He forgot his wisdom, and the little fellows licked him.” The first time you watch King Kong, those words don’t mean much to you, but if you know where the story is headed, they hit you like a ton of bricks. They inevitably call to mind Kong’s arc in the movie, but surprisingly, Denham is applying them to Jack. He thinks the plot of his film is playing out right in front of him with Jack and Ann, and as the story goes on, we find that he’s absolutely right. Despite initially displaying a severe case of misogynistic machismo, Jack quickly changes his tune. He becomes very protective of Ann, and right before the woman is kidnapped by the Skull Island natives, he even confesses his love to her and kisses her. Then, when Kong kidnaps her, he risks his life twice, once on the island and once in New York, to save her. The Dignity of Women All that being said, there is a big difference between Kong and Jack: Kong’s affection for Ann eventually kills him, but Jack lives. That’s a pretty stark contrast, and on the surface, it almost seems to destroy the parallel between these two characters. However, I’d suggest that their fates aren’t quite as dissimilar as we might think at first. Sure, Jack doesn’t die, but the beast within him does. Remember, when King Kong starts, he’s a hyper-macho, misogynistic monster, but by the end of it, he’s risking it all to rescue the woman he loves. He does a complete 180 and learns that women are just as valuable as men, and the way I see it, that’s the thematic heart and soul of this movie. At its core, King Kong is all about the dignity of women, and it highlights that theme in two ways. On the most basic level, multiple characters–including Kong, Jack, and Denham–risk their lives to keep Ann safe both on Skull Island and in New York, so she’s a shining example of just how important women are. On a deeper level, this film is an allegory for the evils of misogyny. The parallel between Jack and Kong shows that Jack’s initial attitude towards women is truly monstrous, so just like Kong has to die at the end of the story, so too must Jack put away his disdain for all things feminine. He has to learn that far from being “made” to cause trouble, women have the exact same dignity and value as men, and in a world where women are often seen as disposable objects to be used and abused, that message is just as relevant as it was when the movie first came out.
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I know what some of you are probably thinking. A Looney Tunes movie? Really? What’s next, Paw Patrol and The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth? But hear me out. Sure, the cartoon-loving kid in me was super excited to see these characters on the big screen, but nostalgia wasn’t the only reason I wanted to check out The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. The early critical buzz for this film was surprisingly positive, so I had to see it for myself. I wanted to know if the movie lived up to the hype, and after finally getting a chance to watch it, I'm happy to report that it's a total blast.
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie was directed by Pete Browngardt, and it stars the voices of Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, and Peter MacNicol. In the film, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig were raised together by a man named Farmer Jim, and even though Jim has passed, they still live in the same house where they grew up. They seem to lead a fairly normal life (or at least as normal as Looney Tunes characters can be), but that all changes when a mysterious UFO crash-lands near their neighborhood. An evil alien creates a mind-control drug to take over the planet, and of course, the only people who can stop him are Daffy, Porky, and their new friend Petunia Pig. If you’re a longtime Looney Tunes fan like me, you’ll be happy to hear that The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie sticks very closely to the original cartoons. Unlike, say, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, this movie doesn’t reinvent its beloved characters for a new generation. Porky and Daffy look and sound exactly like they did when I was a kid, and they get up to all the same hilariously ridiculous shenanigans that made me love them all those years ago. That being said, there is one big difference. The classic Looney Tunes was basically just a sketch comedy show, so the stories were never the series’s string point. In fact, they were usually little more than excuses to showcase a bunch of over-the-top slapstick humor. They rarely had much genuine heart or humanity to them, but The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie bucks that trend. For starters, the film highlights two key relationships that will melt your heart: Porky and Daffy, and Porky and Petunia. Let’s start with the first duo. Like I said, Porky and Daffy were raised together by Farmer Jim, and the movie wastes no time showing us how their unbreakable bond grew from childhood to the present day. It’s more than enough to get us on board with these characters, but The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie doesn’t stop there. Soon after the film begins, Jim dies. On screen, it actually looks like the guy just walks away, but director Pete Browngardt gives adult viewers enough clues that we can easily figure out what’s really going on. It’s an unexpectedly poignant scene, so if you’ve ever lost a loved one, you’ll be sure to feel for Porky and Daffy. What’s more, before Jim leaves, he tells his adopted sons they’ll be okay as long as they stick together, and that line seals the deal for us. In that moment of grief, we want these two characters to follow the farmer’s advice, so from then on, we care deeply about this unlikely pair both as individuals and as a team. In contrast, Petunia joins the fray as an adult, and from the moment Porky lays eyes on her, he’s absolutely smitten. She doesn’t reciprocate right away, but it doesn’t take long for their relationship to advance beyond mere friendship. And when that happens, they’re adorable together. Most notably, there are a number of times when the pigs stutter in perfect harmony, and while that might sound a bit cheesy on paper, those moments are guaranteed to put a big smile on your face. These two relationships are the heart and soul of The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, and as the story progresses, it essentially ends up being an examination of the dynamics of real-life human relationships. Through its over-the-top characters and their often ridiculous antics, the film explores love, loss, and the ups and downs we all experience with our friends and loved ones, so it’s tough to distill just one message from it. This movie is simply about what it means to be human, and it embodies its various interlocking themes in a way that’s simple enough for kids to understand but also deep enough for adults to appreciate. It’s exactly the kind of uplifting, soul-nourishing experience all family films should strive to be, so if you’re even remotely the kind of person who would enjoy a feature-length Looney Tunes flick, I highly recommend that you check out The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. Early reviews are powerful. When I first heard about Black Bag, I thought the film had potential, but I wasn’t entirely convinced. If I’m being honest, I was actually a bit skeptical, so I decided I’d only watch the movie if the critics gave it a thumbs up. I anxiously awaited the day their reviews would start to drop, and when they finally did, I was floored. To say the reactions to Black Bag were positive would be an understatement. The film received nearly universal acclaim (as of this writing, it still has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes with over 150 reviews!), so of course, I just had to check it out for myself. I bought a ticket for opening weekend as soon as I got the chance, and I couldn’t wait to see if the movie lived up to the hype.
Black Bag was directed by Steven Soderbergh, and it stars Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan. In the film, George and his wife Kathryn are both British intelligence agents, and despite living in a world of deceit and duplicity, they manage to maintain a stable and loving relationship. But that all changes when George is tasked with finding out who stole a top-secret computer program called Severus. He’s given a list of potential leakers, and to his chagrin, his wife is one of the suspects. This unfortunate turn of events threatens to tear their marriage apart, and if Kathryn really did steal the program, it’ll force George to choose between the two great loves of his life–his country and his wife. When you first read that plot description, it sounds like an awesome premise for a spy thriller, but unfortunately, the execution in Black Bag doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain. To be fair, there’s a lot to like in this movie. Most notably, the cinematography is top notch, and the story takes some pretty riveting twists and turns…or at least, they would be riveting if I cared about the characters. See, for all this film gets right, it makes one fatal misstep: the characters are boring. Take George, for example. He’s brought to life by Michael Fassbender, and the guy goes almost the entire movie without cracking a smile. He comes across as all business all the time, even when he’s talking to his wife (and even when they’re in the bedroom!), and to his credit, Fassbender plays the part perfectly. He doesn’t let the slightest bit of unwanted levity shine through his character’s unbreachable veneer of seriousness, so you totally believe that this genuinely is his personality. It’s an A-plus performance, but there’s just one problem: it doesn’t make for a compelling protagonist. Sure, that vibe would’ve been fine for a side character, but as the lead, George ends up feeling rather soulless. He’s almost entirely bereft of humanity, so no matter how gripping his story may be on paper, I simply couldn’t bring myself to care about it. And when we turn to Fassbender’s costars, they’re not much better. A number of the characters in Black Bag are similarly mechanical, and the ones who break that mold aren’t given a ton to do. Either way, they all come across as flat and uninteresting, so after about a half hour, the experience started to feel more like homework than entertainment. On a thematic level, Black Bag deals with ideas Catholics should appreciate, but once again, the weak characters sap the story of all its force. For instance, in typical spy thriller fashion, the stolen software has the power to wipe out thousands of innocent people, so the film could’ve served as a powerful witness to the value of human life. Similarly, since George and Kathryn are married, their relationship could’ve highlighted some important truths about the marriage bond. But because Fassbender’s performance lacks humanity, you never feel the weight of those great themes. You get the impression that George cares about Severus because it’s his job, not because he truly values the lives it threatens, and despite what he says about his wife, his love for her seems almost passionless. Intellectually, all the pieces are there, but like its lead character, this movie just has no soul. It’s the cinematic equivalent of reading a list of bullet points, so if you ask me, I’d recommend giving Black Bag a pass. |
Jp Nunezis a longtime film buff and theology nerd with master's degrees in theology and philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville. His favorite movie genres are horror, superheroes, and giant monsters. Archives
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