Jackson's latest epic stuns

Not since Boris Karloff's performance in 1935's "Bride of Frankenstein" have audiences felt such sympathy for an intimidating movie monster. Andy Serkis and WETA Digital surpass those heights in Peter Jackson's ("The Lord of the Rings Trilogy") latest three-hour-plus opus, and Naomi Watts deserves praise for portraying Kong's muse so delightfully and convincingly. The effects and action are top-notch, and while the film's first third drags on occasion, the thrillingly exhausting middle third on Skull Island, as well as the emotionally draining final third back in New York City, represent modern filmmaking at its finest. \nPeter Jackson simply set out to honor the 1933 original and erase all memory of the horrible 1976 remake with his own "Kong," but he ended up crafting a memorable marvel of action, emotion and pure heart that deserves to be called one of the top few films of 2005.