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12 Rounds Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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$9.99 Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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King Kong
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MPAA RATING: PG-13 for frightening adventure violence and some disturbing images
Starring Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis, Jamie Bell, Kyle Chandler, Lobo Chan, and Thomas Kretschmann
Director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) helms the dramatic adventure King Kong, bringing his sweeping cinematic vision to the iconic story of the gigantic ape captured in the wild and brought to civilization where he meets his tragic fate. (Universal Studios)
| GENRE(S): | Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-fi | Suspense/Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY: |
Peter Jackson
Fran Walsh Philippa Boyens Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace (story) |
| DIRECTED BY: | Peter Jackson |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: March 28, 2006 Theatrical: December 14, 2005 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 187 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | New Zealand / USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 964 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jay H. gave it an8:
I lives up to all the hype. This is one hugely entertaining film. Naomi Watts is great and the rest of the cast is fine as well. The special effects are some of the best I have ever seen. It hardly seemed three hours plus because the film was immensely engrossing. Peter Jackson did a great job. The sets, sound and editing are all first rate. The period detail of 1933 is fantastic. This is brilliant film making and has everything a great movie should have.
Stephen H. gave it a6:
Generally an ok film, but i lost interest at certain points. I found the boat journey to the island the most enjoyable bit. Some fo the effects were very real, while others needed a bit more imagination and forgiveness, not that i'd ever rate a film on special effects anyway. We have no idea where all the natives disapeared to, i guess they just weren't required for the film. Overall it was enjoyable, but a tad long and in some places defying the laws of physics and chance in a lot of the action sequences to a point even the most openminded of people couldn't forgive.
Eric K. gave it a0:
A disgrace to the original, which is one of the greatest films of all time.
Shane B. gave it an8:
This is my review of King Kong. Pretty much, it's about Ann Darrow, a woman who, after losing her job in 1933, is offered to be in a movie by a rebellious filmmaker, named Carl Denham, who trying to make a movie. They go on a ship and end up at skull island, where Ann is sacrificed to the ape Kong. Now the only reason i wanted to see this movie was because it was directed by Peter Jackson. So, all in all, it was one of the best movies of 2005. the acting was okay, the action was spectacular. Yet the special effects was mixed. Some effects were awesome, like Kong. Yet others were no good at all. So this is a good film to see. I give Kong 2005 an 8/10.
Nick A. gave it a9:
I’ll start by saying the Peter Jackson’s 'King Kong' is one of the greatest movie epics to hit the screen in recent and distant memory. Its larger-than-life story is woven impeccably with the mythic legend of the film’s title character and the modern century’s absolute best in visual technology to create a movie that invigorates the mind and the heart, while also feeding the eyes a mighty dose of wondrous images. Thanks in part to a handsomely larger budget (a then-record-breaking $207 million), Peter Jackson has revitalized Cooper’s 1933 classic in a way that no other remake has ever done; he’s simply pasted the bigger and the better on top of Hollywood’s most treasured tale, while reminding us of its ageless delights. Jackson’s 'Kong' includes a renovated screenplay – which is done by Jackson and two of his 'LOTR' collaborators, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens – that elaborates on the known characters and offers us a few new ones as well (including the Venture’s gruff cook named Lumpy, played by Andy Serkis – who also performs as Kong). However, as big and hugely conceived (at a lengthy 188 min.) as this movie was, it glided from sequence to sequence fluidly and quickly, while managing to evenly weigh action and sentiment. In fact, 'Kong'’s in-film transitions are as clear and clean as its succulent special effects, which rank among the best ever seen on film. One nervous question mark concerning 'King Kong' was the casting of Jack Black to play the eccentric and obsessive film director, Carl Denham, who’s lust for fame and wealth doom his crew, the soon-to-be ravaged New York City, and the most magnificent beast to have ever been conjured. For me, Black came out a revelation – a previously unveiled gem of the screen. He delivers a performance that is as stirring as it is enthusiastic and further adds to the film’s likability. Along with Black, Jackson’s all-star cast (which also includes Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jamie Bell, and Colin Hanks, to name a few) compliments his vision spotlessly and provides viewers with a refreshing, authentic feel. Everything about Peter Jackson’s 'King Kong' is alluring. The extravagant sets (especially the recreation of Great-Depression-era New York) are meticulously constructed and virtually unrecognizable as being false, and they offer amazement as to how Jackson and his team pulled them off. Equally astonishing is the music, composed by James Newton Howard (whose multitude of Oscar-nominated works include 'The Fugitive', 'My Best Friend’s Wedding', and, most recently, 'The Village'), which is gorgeous and tragic, making it perfect for the story’s famed conclusion. Easily the year’s most monstrously entertaining motion picture, 'King Kong' is also one of the best; and, seeing how it was undertaken by the brilliant Peter Jackson, it comes as no surprise.
Franco N. gave it a3:
Like the big ape himself, this movie was bloated and flabby. They could have at least cut 45 minutes out of it.
Balzac gave it a6:
Like the Big Ape himself, this movie is bloated with too much flab. Kong himself looks like Mighty Joe Young. They made him too small. The scene where Kong wipes the jungle floor with 3 T-Rexes is overkill an not believable. But hey, it's a picture about a giant ape and his blond girlfriend.
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