King Kong

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1:31

King Kong

1933

1h 40m

Adventure

Fantasy

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

116 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) travel to the Indian Ocean to do location shoots for Denham's new jungle picture. Along the way, the actress meets and falls for rugged First Mate John Driscoll (Bruce Cabot). Upon arriving at a mysterious island, Ann is taken hostage by natives who prepare her as a sacrifice to the enormous ape Kong who rules over their jungle. But when Ann is rescued and Kong is captured, the real trouble begins.

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Critics Consensus

King Kong explores the soul of a monster -- making audiences scream and cry throughout the film -- in large part due to Kong's breakthrough special effects.

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Mae Tinee

Chicago Tribune

11/10/2022

King Kong is one of the most original, thrilling and mammoth novelties to emerge from a movie studio. A great show! But don't take nervous children to see it.

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Len G. Shaw

Detroit Free Press

11/10/2022

Trickery? Nothing else, of course. But it is so ingenious, and on such a stupendous scale as the studios seldom if ever before yielded. It doesn't matter how the "shots" were made. You will be too busy wondering what is to happen next to Fay Wray.

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Edwin Schallert

Los Angeles Times

11/10/2022

This is a great circus show. And it outdoes circuses, because it has its own menagerie. The kind that a paleontologist would rave about, and the sort that will make you believe that the screen has grown up overnight scientifically.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jan 7

4/4

In much the same manner as The Wizard of Oz and It's a Wonderful Life, this masterpiece long ago entered into the national consciousness as an enduring part of our heritage.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

09/06/2023

5/5

King Kong might seem dated because of the 1930s visual effects but the pioneering effects are a primary reason why this film is a classic and still discussed today.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

08/19/2023

In the days of modern special effects, the stop-motion giant gorilla Kong may not be realistic to contemporary eyes, but he is a fully realized character in his own right, brought to life with personality and passion.

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Patrick C

@RT84374237 Feb 4

Watching this incredible cinematic feat of fantastical imagination in 2026, it is a marvel. What it must have been like for audiences in 1933, I can only imagine. I can honestly say that the creativity that brought Kong and the other creatures to life impresses me more than a hundred 'Jurassic Park's. The set design is truly majestic, the action sequences quite breathtaking and at times genuinely gruesome, especially in that era. An absolute classic.

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Ryan F.

@FrostyJim Jan 5

A little boring by modern standards, but it definitely deserves credit because I’m sure it was incredible in its day.

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Jim P

@RT08384096 Dec 14

This movie is coming up to 100 years old! But the effects are amazing. One of the best Classic old movies for sure.

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Ilyas Z

@Zellai Dec 13

It's Very Fun To See: King Kong Get A Woman/Lady, King Kong Fight And Kill A Tyrannosaurus, And King Kong Even Climb Up The Empire State Building. Put All Of That Together And What Do You Get? A More Than 1 Hour Movie And A Masterpiece Horror Film.

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Vincent W

@Gojirilla5419 Sep 21

Carl Dehnam’s Giant Monster, and The Eighth Wonder of the World, “King Kong” is one of the best, and most influential movies ever made

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Pierre L

@RT37015838 Sep 20

The phrase "It was Beauty killed the Beast" spoken by Carl Denham at the end of King Kong (1933) goes beyond the simple fact of Kong's death. It refers to the central, tragic irony of the film. While the airplanes are the physical cause of Kong's demise, his love for Ann Darrow is the ultimate reason for it. Kong's affection and protectiveness for her made him leave his home on Skull Island, be captured, and then go on a rampage through New York City to find her. This vulnerability, brought on by his love, is what led him to the top of the Empire State Building, where he was ultimately killed. The line reframes the narrative as a tragic romance in the "Beauty and the Beast" tradition, suggesting that the beast was not a mindless monster, but a creature with a heart, and that it was this heart, not brute force, that led to his destruction. It's a statement about the clash between nature (Kong) and civilization (New York), and how Kong's emotional connection to Ann made him susceptible to the civilized world's technology and violence.

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Merian C. Cooper

Director

Ernest B. Schoedsack

Director

Fay Wray

Ann Darrow

Bruce Cabot

John Driscoll

Robert Armstrong

Carl Denham

Frank Reicher

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King Kong: Trailer 1

1:31

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Synopsis

Actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) travel to the Indian Ocean to do location shoots for Denham's new jungle picture. Along the way, the actress meets and falls for rugged First Mate John Driscoll (Bruce Cabot). Upon arriving at a mysterious island, Ann is taken hostage by natives who prepare her as a sacrifice to the enormous ape Kong who rules over their jungle. But when Ann is rescued and Kong is captured, the real trouble begins.

Director: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Producer: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Screenwriter: James Ashmore Creelman, Ruth Rose
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co: RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 2, 1933, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 28, 2008
Runtime: 1h 40m

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