King Kong Peter Jackson's Production Diaries
February 2006 Reviewed by: Josh Barber Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

There is an old joke that goes "Where does a 500-pound gorilla sleep? Wherever he wants." So what does the film industry's current 500-pound gorilla put on his DVDs? Whatever he wants.

With The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson redefined the scope of what DVD special features should be by including, on the extended-edition DVDs, some of the most in-depth documentaries ever seen. Now he has changed things again, by releasing the special features before the DVD of King Kong is even out. Heck, even before the movie is out! OK, maybe not, but if you've seen the amazing documentaries on the Rings discs, then you have an idea of what to expect from King Kong: Peter Jackson's Production Diaries.

While filming his latest cinematic juggernaut, Jackson developed a relationship with the fansite KongIsKing.net, offering brief videos available for download through the site, keeping fans apprised of what was going on behind the scenes.

For those of us who don't have unlimited broadband access and hours to spend in front of the computer, Universal has collected the segments onto this two-disc set. The packaging for this is truly beautiful. The exterior box is designed to look like an old-fashioned steamer trunk labeled as the property of Carl Denham. Inside is a thick cardboard box with a sketch of the King Kong logo, and within that is the actual DVD case. The case is modeled after a high-end clipboard, and it opens vertically to reveal the two discs. However, it's more than just "modeled" after a clipboard. Open the front flap and there is an actual metal clip holding a 48-page booklet in place.

The booklet details just what the 54 segments, covering all 131 days of the production, each focus upon. There are stills from the shoot, and a few pieces of developmental artwork throughout. While it serves the function of a chapter list, the booklet is much more involved and a great addition to the set. Finally, we get four limited-edition production art lithographs and a numbered certificate of authenticity. Overall, this is a wonderful set, even before we get to the content.

The featurettes are not as in-depth as what we saw for The Lord of the Rings, nor are they as organized. However, that's not the point. The Production Diaries serve as a catchall "making of," covering a little bit of everything. One day you will learn about set construction or sound design, the next you'll get a comedic hunt for someone sneaking photos from the set. There is a fine mix of light-hearted pieces and wonderfully informative ones. A lot of varied ground is covered, and featurettes never just skim the surface.

Peter Jackson guides us through the segments, which were originally podcast every few days. At first, everyone seemed to feel awkward around the camera, but they soon got into it. In one segment, Andy Serkis -- in character as the ship's cook -- takes us on a tour of the kitchen and the head. Later, the actor turns the tables on the DVD crew by stalking after them with a purloined camera of his own. The fact that the cast and crew were so willing to work with the people making these DVDs is really what makes them so great. Without the level of access the producers got, this attempt would have fallen flat.

When you have a DVD collection that comprises what would, on any other set, be considered special features, it's hard to separate the feature presentation from the extras. However, with this set, we start with a jovial introduction from Peter Jackson, explaining the idea behind the Production Diaries. The menus allow you to view the segments either chronologically or by location: for example, you can choose to watch only the pieces related to New York City, only the pieces related to the ship, and so forth. On the second disc there's one definite extra: a 16-minute look at the creation of the fight between Kong and the dinosaurs.

And in case you're worried that, after you buy this set, the featurettes will show up on the DVD release of the film, rest assured: Peter Jackson makes it clear that the Production Diaries are entirely independent of what is being done for the movie. Video quality is acceptable, if you remember that these were originally shot with the intention of being seen over the Internet. The sound is actually presented better than the image, which is surprising considering the source. Everyone and everything comes through clearly, right down to the airplanes flying overhead.

Peter Jackson's King Kong is a great film, easily one of 2005's best. With these Production Diaries, you can see just what kind of work went into making it so good. The producers did quite a good job of letting fans in on every aspect of the filmmaking process while still avoiding any spoilers for the film. You can watch the Production Diaries without worrying that you are going to learn something that will ruin your enjoyment. Still, it is probably best to see King Kong, and get swept up in the spectacle, before you look behind the curtain to see how it was done.

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