King Kong

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King Kong

PG-13

2005

2h 59m

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

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Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

267 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

05/29/2011

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

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David Ansen

Newsweek

11/01/2007

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.

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Kim Newman

Sight & Sound

09/28/2006

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

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Andrea Thompson

Inverse

Dec 18

Gleefully reveling in the three hour runtime, the 2005 King Kong builds up its human cast, giving each of them backstories and arcs that each of us get invested in, however unwilling we are in some cases.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

09/27/2023

4.5/5

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.

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Arnold Wayne Jones

Texas Triangle/TXT

05/07/2023

3.5/4

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.

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pawpaw C

@RT67633552 Jul 9

Three hours of Jurassic Park gone bad and Naomi Watts in a nightgown . .. and Naomi never gets her slip muddy. So bad; I had to run it on Fast Fwd just to get through it.

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Movie G

@Movieguy565 Jul 4

Always has and always will be the best Kong movie.

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Muhammed U

@RT91286855 Jun 4

I really enjoyed King Kong (2005). It's more than just a giant monster movie—it tells an emotional story about connection, loyalty, and sacrifice. The action scenes are exciting, the visuals still hold up well, and the journey to Skull Island is unforgettable. What stood out most to me was how the film made me care about Kong as a character. The ending was powerful and heartbreaking, making this one of the most memorable adventure films I've watched.

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R T

@VermaRaj90 May 29

Honestly loved this movie. The action was amazing, Kong felt really emotional, and the ending still hits hard. A bit long in some parts, but overall one of the best monster movies ever made.

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D3Z 1

@RT51637195 Apr 25

Even though Peter Jackson's direction, the impressive visual effects and Namo Watts' performance were certainly the main highlights of the King Kong feature, unfortunately the other aspects from the long runtime made this film feel rather bloated especially within its first act that took quite a while for the story to cook.

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Frans B

@FransB Apr 20

Brilliant! One of those where the remake absolutely outshines everything else. Very well written and brought to screen. Mind boggling special effects, I love the fact that the CGI rendering of the Empire State building actually took four months longer to render than being physically built. Attention to detail and visually stunning cinematography makes for immersive experience. Whole cast excels in character. Loads of action, drama, suspense, emotion, intrigue and twists. Gripping and entertaining

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Peter Jackson

Director

Naomi Watts

Ann Darrow

Jack Black

Carl Denham

Adrien Brody

Jack Driscoll

Thomas Kretschmann

Cap. Englehorn

Colin Hanks

Preston

King Kong: Official Clip - Giant Bug Attack

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King Kong: Official Clip - Human Sacrifice

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King Kong: Official Clip - Dinosaur Stampede

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

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King Kong: Official Clip - Kong's Rampage

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King Kong: Official Clip - Climbing the Empire State Building

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King Kong: Official Clip - The Fall of Kong

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King Kong: Official Clip - Kong Rescues Ann

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King Kong: Official Clip - Ice Skating in Central Park

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King Kong: Official Clip - Kong Battles the Airplanes

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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, 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: 2h 59m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)