I concur that Peter Jackson's remake has a lot of wonderful imagery,
but ultimately fails as storytelling because of a near complete
collapse of pacing. And the pit scene is a great example of a sequence
that is visually arresting but keeps me from learning what I need to
keep me involved with the overall tale.

And it's nice to come across some love for the 70's remake. I have to
defend this thing all the time. It's become standard to dismiss as
junk, but despite some pretty odd bits (the full-size Kong is a mistake
for sure) it offers a pretty engaging telling of the saga. And as I've
grown older I've come to appreciate Dwan's addled notions more and
more. She's a ditz, but that's why she and Jack cannot connect. It's
certainly a movie of its time just as is the original.

Dean