It was very good, but not as great as I was expecting. Then again, I’m not sure that Jackson could follow “The Lord of the Rings” with anything without it feeling like a bit of a let-down.
In a lot of ways, I think that Jackson’s reverence for the original hampered him a bit…it felt like he was holding back making this film truly his, as if he didn’t want to attempt to eclipse the original. (Not saying that he could ever eclipse it, but this one felt at times like he didn’t want to try.)
He did change some things….some things I liked, and some I thought were cringe-worthy. (No spoilers here, though)
Structurally, he pretty much spends an hour on each of the three segments: In New York and on the Venture / On Skull Island / Back in New York for the rampage-and-Empire-State-Building finale. It did feel a little bit like the first hour needed trimming.
I still prefer the original….but this one was definitely better than the late 70s remake.