King Kong

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King Kong

PG-13

Released Dec 14, 2005

3h 7m

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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Bobby B

It honours the original with great characters but dodgy cgi.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

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Aadvik U

So good I love the styles and yet the audience gave a bad score really bad audience not opinion bashing here

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/25

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Brian M

i will never forgive the one guy who gave the movie 2.5 stars out of 5. it's my 21st fav movie tied with the 1933 classic. this was an absolute love letter to the original.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

Full Review

Bronson H

I LOVED this movie. This movie is a really great one. From the storytelling, to the CGI, everything about it was great! (Except for its run time)

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

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Laura B

Delievers on Expanding the characters and action of the classic 1933 film, but fails on every other level. plus, the film makes titanic seem short.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/25

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Garrett B

Peter Jackson’s King Kong has amazing visual effects, production values, and some surprising emotional depth.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/25

Full Review

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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

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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)

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