5. Hayes' "Heart Of Darkness" Monologue (Amounts To Nothing) - King Kong
I have no problem with characters in movies making dumbed-down comparisons between famous works of literature and their own situations, because that's the kind of short-hand that enables us to feel good about ourselves (if you've read the book in question, that is). Such an event occurs in Peter Jackson's excellent King Kong remake, courtesy of shipmate Ben Hayes, who is one of those wise black characters that Hollywood likes to implement on a frequent basis. When a young shipmate named Jimmy asks why Marlowe (the main character from Joseph Conrad's seminal novel "Heart of Darkness") continues on his perilous journey, Hayes likens their own ill-fated voyage to Skull Island to the happenings of the book. Well, okay. But this is about as vague a comparison as they come - Hayes turns towards the camera and almost addresses the audience directly, pretty much saying "this story is like Heart of Darkness. Please note we are referencing the similarities now." CliffsNotes, eat your heart out. And that's the last reference we ever get, and it comes across as pretty pointless and half-assed as a result. Had this scene been removed entirely, nothing would have been lost, especially given that Hayes dies an hour later and Jimmy's character is abandoned during the third act and is never mentioned again. Why are we dealing with such themes if these characters aren't sticking around? In the end, then, this feels like wasted screen-time - just an opportunity for Jackson to mention a classic novel in an attempt to add a bit of weight to proceedings.