Click to read the article
King Kong (2005)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:239
Fresh:199
Rotten:40
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: Peter Jackson’s dream project is as good as event movies get; King Kong is visually spectacular and emotionally resonant.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] For frightening adventure violence and some disturbing images
Runtime: 6 hrs 28 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:15-12-2005
Synopsis: It is 1933, and vaudeville actress Ann Darrow (Oscar® nominee for 21 Grams, NAOMI WATTS) has found herself—like so many other New Yorkers during the Great Depression—without the means to earn a... It is 1933, and vaudeville actress Ann Darrow (Oscar® nominee for 21 Grams, NAOMI WATTS) has found herself—like so many other New Yorkers during the Great Depression—without the means to earn a living. Unwilling to compromise and allow herself to sink into a career in burlesque, she considers her limited options while aimlessly wandering the streets of Manhattan. When her hunger drives her to unsuccessfully try to steal an apple from a fruit vendor's stall, she is rescued—literally— by filmmaker and multiple hyphenate Carl Denham (JACK BLACK of The School of Rock). It seems that the entrepreneur-raconteur-adventurer is no stranger to theft, having that day lifted the only existing print of his most recent and unfinished film from under his studio executives' noses when they threatened to pull his completion funds. Carl has until the end of the day to get his crew onboard the Singapore-bound tramp steamer, the S.S. Venture, in hopes of completing his travelogue/action film. With that, the showman is certain he will finally achieve the personal greatness he knows awaits him around the corner…and although the crew believe that corner to be Singapore, Denham actually hopes to find and capture on film the mysterious place of legend: Skull Island. Unfortunately for Carl, his headlining actress has pulled out of his project, but his search for a size-four leading lady (the costumes have all been made) has, fatefully, led him to Ann. The struggling actress is reluctant to sign on with Denham, until she learns that the up-and-coming, socially relevant playwright Jack Driscoll (Oscar® winner for The Pianist, ADRIEN BRODY) is penning the screenplay—the fees his friend Carl pays for potboiling adventure are a welcome supplement to Driscoll's nominal income from his stage plays. With his newly discovered star and coerced screenwriter reluctantly onboard, Denham's "moving picture ship" heads out of New York Harbor…and toward a destiny that none aboard could possibly foresee. Joining Watts, Black and Brody is an accomplished ensemble cast from around the globe. German star THOMAS KRETSCHMANN (U-571) portrays Captain Englehorn, commander of the Venture, who allows Denham and his ever-increasing bribes to persuade him to endanger the lives of his crew by searching for Skull Island. COLIN HANKS (Orange County) is Preston, Denham's put-upon assistant and unwitting moral compass, who attempts to keep his boss in check and the production from spiraling out of control. Young actor JAMIE BELL (Billy Elliot) plays Jimmy, the youngest crew member, whose experiences onboard the Venture prove more fantastical than any old salt's seafaring yarn. EVAN PARKE lends his talents to the role of first mate Hayes, keeping a watchful eye on young Jimmy and serving as Englehorn's conscience. KYLE CHANDLER takes on the character of Bruce Baxter, a "B"-movie-level leading man cast opposite Ann Darrow in Denham's adventure movie. ANDY SERKIS (who performed the role of the CGI character Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy) provides both on-set performance reference and motion-capture performance for the "Eighth Wonder of the World"…the title character of King Kong; he also appears onscreen as the eccentric sailor in charge of the Venture's galley, Lumpy the Cook. To create the widely diverging worlds of two disparate settings—the urban jungle of 1930s Manhattan and the primordial environs of Skull Island, home to a lost race and a myriad of formidable, not-extinct creatures—Peter Jackson gathers an unparalleled team of film artisans, the majority with whom he enjoys longstanding collaborative relationships. These include: director of photography ANDREW LESNIE, who received the Academy Award® for his cinematography in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; production designer GRANT MAJOR, Oscar® winner for the third in the trilogy, The Return of the King; and film editor JAMIE SELKIRK, who likewise collected an Academy Award® for his artistry on the final installment of Jackson's epic. Visual effects are again accomplished by New Zealand-based companies Weta Digital Ltd., under the direction of Oscar® winner JOE LETTERI (The Return of the King), and Weta Workshop Ltd., under the direction of Oscar® winner RICHARD TAYLOR (The Return of the King). The film is scored by six-time Academy Award® nominee JAMES NEWTON HOWARD (Batman Begins). --© Universal Pictures [More]
Starring: Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, Colin Hanks
Starring: Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, Colin Hanks, Kyle Chandler, Thomas Kretschmann, Andy Serkis, Mark Hadlow, Jamie Bell
Director: Peter Jackson
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh
Story: Merian C. Cooper, Edgar Wallace
Producer: Ernest B. Schoedsack, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Composer: James Newton Howard
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for King Kong
With a superb cast, terrific special effects and stunning action sequences, this is one of the best films of the year - thrilling, awe-inspiring and genuinely moving.
Spectacular, clumsy, hilarious, ludicrously self-indulgent, terrifying and far too long, Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic is a monster in every sense.
This remake is thrilling on every level. Even if it's also rather self-indulgent.
A hugely enjoyable, eye-popping movie that pushes all the right buttons.
That Jackson’s King Kong upgrades the now hammy original with wit, heart and humour is a pleasant surprise. That it does so by reinventing the action blockbuster, in form and emotional impact, is nothing less than an act of cinematic alchemy.
Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic is a loving homage that recreates and updates many of the familiar sequences... Unfortunately, the recreation leaves one wondering what, exactly, the point of the film is, other than indulging the director...
Overlong by half, hedonistically animated and decadently self-indulgent King Kong is beastly to be sure, but there is little beauty here.
Latest News for King Kong
July 31, 2009:
Weekly Ketchup: The Story of Kong Before He Was King
This Week's Ketchup sees an unusual number of pairs: two remakes, two prequels to beloved sci-fi movies, two movies based on recent video games and two movies based on 1971... More...
January 08, 2009:
RT Interview: Jamie Bell talks Defiance and Dance
Jamie Bell tap-danced his way into the national consciousness with his breakthrough performance in Billy Elliot nine years ago. Since then he has worked with heavyweight screen... More...
December 02, 2008:
RT Interview: Richard Taylor on the Weta Workshop and Prince Caspian
RT chats to Richard Taylor about what goes into creating a world, the importance of good weaponry and how his six year-old son became a king. More...
August 27, 2007:
Video Exclusive: Jamie Bell talks Hallam Foe, accents and Equus with RT
Rotten Tomatoes sits down with one of Britain's finest young talents to find out about his latest turn. More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 67% 67% | Public Enemies |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 95% 95% | The Cove |
| 85% 85% | World's Greatest Dad |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

