Jack Driscoll - 2005 Film

2005 Film

The original Driscoll is divided into two separate characters in the 2005 film. His duties as first mate are transferred to second mate Ben Hayes, played by Evan Parke, while the character name and the function of Ann Darley's romantic interest are given to a playwright who tries to write a screenplay for Denham, as a friend. This Jack Driscoll does not intend to join the expedition at all, but delivers the script to the ship before it departs. With limited time, however, Driscoll did not write nearly enough, and Denham, desperate for more, tricks him into staying on the ship as it leaves for Skull Island. Driscoll complains that he prefers the stage, but Denham retorts that "if you really loved it, you would have jumped."

As it turns out, Denham's struggling actress, Ann Darley, had been very familiar with Driscoll's work beforehand, and admired Driscoll greatly. She is very excited to meet him, but at first the relationship is awkward (owing in part to a case of mistaken identity on Darrow's part. When writing the next part of the script with Denham, Driscoll decides to kill off the first mate. When Denham questions it, Driscoll replies, "That's assuming she knows who the first mate is." This is a reference to the 1933 film, in which Jack Driscoll was the first mate of the Venture.) The two eventually grow closer, however, and Driscoll also reveals that he has begun writing a comedic play dedicated to Ann, as a sign that he has fallen in love with her. (The dynamic from the original, in which Ann is told that women should not be on ships, is not actually said by Driscoll, but does appear in Denham's film, although as it turns out Driscoll's script had been altered by the actor, Bruce Baxter).

While writing the screenplay, Driscoll is the first to learn that Denham is taking the crew to an undiscovered island. When they reach the island, Ann is kidnapped by the native inhabitants as a sacrifice for Kong, and Driscoll sets out in search for her along with the rest of the crew. He shows both great amounts of courage and a single-minded determination to find and rescue Ann. Of the original party, he is the only member who survived the journey through the island (including attacks by dinosaurs, a giant fish, and giant insects) and did not return to the settlement without rescuing Ann, managing to retrieve her by himself.

Unlike the original, Driscoll did not continue with Denham or Ann after Kong was brought to New York, but rather continued with the comedy he had dedicated to Ann. Nor does Denham give Driscoll credit as being the hero of the adventure at Skull Island. Driscoll does, however, come to fear that he has let Ann slip away from him.

Driscoll realizes before anyone else that Denham's opening is heading for disaster, but can't do anything to prevent it. Discovering that Kong actually recognizes him on sight -- and is hellbent on killing him for taking Ann -- Driscoll attempts to use that to draw Kong away from Times Square and away from crowds of bystanders. Driscoll nearly gets killed for his heroic effort, but Ann approaches and stops Kong's rampage, saving Jack's life this time around.

When Ann is alone on the Empire State Building after Kong has fallen, Driscoll is reunited with her and the two embrace.