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Movies / On DVD / King Kong
King Kong

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King Kong (1933)

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Reviews Counted:46

Fresh:46

Rotten:0

Average Rating:8.9/10

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.

Runtime: 5 hrs 9 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: While shooting a jungle movie on the remote Skull Island, filmmaker Denham and his crew stumble upon a prehistoric world populated by dinosaurs and giant snakes. The most dangerous and magnificent... While shooting a jungle movie on the remote Skull Island, filmmaker Denham and his crew stumble upon a prehistoric world populated by dinosaurs and giant snakes. The most dangerous and magnificent of all the unusual and exotic creatures is "King Kong," a fifty-foot gorilla. Using gas bombs, Denham subdues the beast and brings him to New York City, where Kong goes on a rampage, destroying everything in his past and kidnapping a beautiful young actress. [More]

Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher

Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher, Sam Hardy, Noble Johnson, James Flavin, Steve Clemento, Victor Long, Everett Brown

Director: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack

Director: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Screenwriter: Ruth Rose, James Creelman
Producer: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Shoedsack
Composer: Max Steiner

[See More Credits]

Reviews for King Kong

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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All these years on from its original release, King Kong still has a great claim to being the eighth wonder of the world.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment 1 Comment
09/19/07
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The throbbing heart of the film lies in the creation of the semi-human simian himself, an immortal tribute to the Hollywood dream factory...

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A brilliantly structured adventure movie.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/06/05
Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
03/22/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

King Kong was created to grip and thrill like no movie before, and these basic principles hold surprisingly true today.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
06/13/01
Almar Haflidason
Almar Haflidason
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Wholly enjoyable.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment 1 Comment
10/07/08
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Kong mystifies as well as it horrifies, and may open up a new medium for scaring babies via the screen.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/02/07
Joe Bigelow
Joe Bigelow
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Willis O'Brien did the stop-action animation for this 1933 feature, which is richer in character than most of the human cast.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
07/02/07
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader

'King Kong died for our sins.' It's a T-shirt seen recently in Seattle, worn by a teenager and illustrated with the original vintage image of the monster ape atop the Empire State Building.

Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com | comment Comment
04/04/06
Mark Bourne
Mark Bourne
DVDJournal.com

One of those mad movies, like Moulin Rouge! or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, that fully justifies and deserves all the best and worst that can be said for or against them.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
02/11/06
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

It's one of the rare, great works of art that stands up to endless repeated viewings, each time revealing something new.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
12/17/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

charming fantasy continues to hold up and is a treasure trove of special effects that continue to inspire

Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | comment Comment
12/10/05
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

This movie is part of why I'm so twisted today, and not just because of how that door and the hellish promise of what it hid teased its way into my kiddie brain.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
12/07/05
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

In many ways, Kong is still king.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
12/06/05
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Film is an agent of imagination, and King Kong demonstrates this with remarkable technical proficiency and innovation...

Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You | comment Comment
12/06/05
Rumsey Taylor
Rumsey Taylor
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

The beauty of this original King Kong is that there's more to it than the oversized gorilla.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
12/02/05
Forrest Hartman
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal

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

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
11/30/05
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

One of the finest adventure movies ever made and the true prototype for all monster movies to follow, KING KONG is, even after 83 years, still the one true ruler of high-end escapist cinema.

Full Review Source: DVD Clinic | comment Comment
11/30/05
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
DVD Clinic

Beat your chest for this one.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
11/24/05
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

No review available.

comment Comment
11/14/05
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for King Kong

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