King Kong

Play trailer

King Kong

PG-13

Released Dec 14, 2005

3h 7m

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

266 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Peter Jackson's expansive remake of the 1933 classic follows director Carl Denham (Jack Black) and his crew on a journey from New York City to the ominous Skull Island to film a new movie. Accompanying him are playwright Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) and actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), who is whisked away by the monstrous ape, Kong, after they reach the island. The crew encounters dinosaurs and other creatures as they race to rescue Ann, while the actress forms a bond with her simian captor.

Watch on Peacock

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Featuring state-of-the-art special effects, terrific performances, and a majestic sense of spectacle, Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong is a potent epic that's faithful to the spirit of the 1933 original.

Read Critics Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

It clocks in at over three hours, but Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic is gripping nonetheless.

May 29, 2011

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

Kong is a showy, state-of-the-art popcorn movie, faithful to the spirit of the 1933 original but generously adrenalized with the best effects money can buy.

Nov 1, 2007

Full Review

Kim Newman

Sight & Sound

Despite admirable chest thumping and Watts' wonderfully enhanced scream, there is still only one true king.

Sep 28, 2006

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Peter Jackson draws on the original 1933 classic in his 2005 remake of King Kong and the film is every bit the epic that one would expect.

Rated: 4.5/5

Sep 27, 2023

Full Review

Arnold Wayne Jones

Texas Triangle/TXT

The visual effects are glorious -- a circus of cliffhanging suspense sequences that go on and on and on. But rather than just padding the story with gummy exposition and silly action, Jackson delves deeply into the psychology of the characters.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 7, 2023

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... an old-fashioned monster movie/jungle thriller pushed to the limits with new technology by a filmmaker with both the skill and the heart to recapture the thrills of his adolescent moviehouse dreams.

Jan 7, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Joao B

Mesmo com a duração de tempo alta ainda é melhor q muitos filmes de monstros gigantes de hj em dia, a ilha da caveira é um cenário a parte que divide os holofotes com Kong.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/02/25

Full Review

Robert P

It would definitely recommend to watch the extended edition (3.5 hrs).

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

Full Review

TI H

Here is my problem with all King Kong movies. We see a 50-ton ape jumping from building to building and landing on rooftops and so on. That's got to cause a lot of damage that we don't see. /////////// At any rate, this interesting approach to the original story is very enjoyable to watch, and I even accept Jack Black in a very unusual role for him. Although we all laud the original (1933) for what it did, this version is a better viewing experience--or it would be, were it not for the fact that it's overly long. An artist needs to know when to edit; Peter Jackson doesn't. The action scenes carried on long after wearing out their welcome and truly hurt the film. Had we lost a good 45 minutes or more, this would have become the definitive version of King Kong.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

Full Review

Letrix Y

i love this movie so much with amazing CGI

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/18/25

Full Review

Audience Member

A great remake to an absolute classic

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/10/25

Full Review

Aaron S

20 years ago I was working as an usher, sweeping up popcorn. Out of all the movies I remember seeing from this period of time, this one has stuck with me. Must have caught it at least 10 times back in 2005 and really think Peter Jackson delivered a powerful movie in every sense with this one.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/31/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Peter Jackson

Director

Naomi Watts

Ann Darrow

Jack Black

Carl Denham

Adrien Brody

Jack Driscoll

Andy Serkis

King Kong

Jamie Bell

Jimmy

King Kong: Official Clip - Giant Bug Attack

2:57

King Kong: Official Clip - Human Sacrifice

2:59

King Kong: Official Clip - Dinosaur Stampede

2:56

King Kong: Official Movie Clip - Kong Battles the T-Rexes

2:57

King Kong: Official Clip - Kong's Rampage

2:54

King Kong: Official Clip - Climbing the Empire State Building

2:17

King Kong: Official Clip - The Fall of Kong

1:45

King Kong: Official Clip - Kong Rescues Ann

1:42

King Kong: Official Clip - Ice Skating in Central Park

1:34

King Kong: Official Clip - Kong Battles the Airplanes

2:39

View more videos

Van Helsing

24%

57%

Van Helsing

Watchlist

Dragonheart

50%

60%

Dragonheart

Watchlist

The Scorpion King

40%

37%

The Scorpion King

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Scorpion King

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

13%

30%

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

53%

72%

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

King Kong: King Kong's Best Scenes

9:06

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Peter Jackson's expansive remake of the 1933 classic follows director Carl Denham (Jack Black) and his crew on a journey from New York City to the ominous Skull Island to film a new movie. Accompanying him are playwright Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) and actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), who is whisked away by the monstrous ape, Kong, after they reach the island. The crew encounters dinosaurs and other creatures as they race to rescue Ann, while the actress forms a bond with her simian captor.

Director: Peter Jackson
Producer: Jan Blenkin, Carolynne Cunningham, Fran Walsh
Screenwriter: Merian C. Cooper, Edgar Wallace, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Some Disturbing Images|Frightening Adventure Violence)
Genre: Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $218.1M
Runtime: 3h 7m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now