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King Kong

Play trailer Poster for King Kong PG 1976 2h 14m Adventure Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
55% Tomatometer 51 Reviews 32% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
When a research ship is sent to explore an island thought to be rich in oil, paleontologist Jack Prescott sneaks aboard, having heard strange rumors about the island. En route, the crew rescues Dwan, the sole survivor of a shipwreck. When they arrive, they find native people living in fear of a monster called Kong. The natives kidnap Dwan and sacrifice her to what turns out to be an enormous ape. Dwan is eventually rescued, and the ape captured for a gala exhibit.

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King Kong

King Kong

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Critics Consensus

King Kong represents a significant visual upgrade over the original, but falls short of its classic predecessor in virtually every other respect.

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Critics Reviews

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Rocco T. Thompson Slant Magazine 07/17/2024
4/5
The Dino De Laurentiis-produced remake of King Kong is a beautifully aged 1970s gem, uniting old-fashioned spectacle and contemporary concerns. Go to Full Review
Pauline Kael The New Yorker 01/22/2024
It's a romantic adventure fantasy -- colossal, silly, touching, a marvelous classics-comics movie. Go to Full Review
Anton Bitel Little White Lies 12/13/2022
Kong is attacked with flame throwers and military helicopters, evoking Vietnam War imagery that had been playing out on America’s small screens till its end in 1975 – and that had divided audiences in their sympathies for ‘our side’ and ‘the Other’. Go to Full Review
Steve Warren The Barb (Atlanta) 05/09/2023
The funny thing is, the love story works! What isn't funny is that all the horror has gone out of it; to make Kong lovable, they've made him too human, the most three-dimensional character in the story. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 07/24/2022
2/4
...an excessively erratic blockbuster... Go to Full Review
David Reddish Queerty 03/13/2022
1/4
Lange shouting Good monkey and Chauvinist ape will have viewers in stitches. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jacob B @JB3.0 9h The OTHER King Kong remake that gets nowhere near the attention the 2005 film had, to the point it can be surprising to learn that this was the 3rd highest-grossing films of 1976. Despite its obscurity nowadays, this isn't a bad watch. It's flawed: Skull Island's lack of unique flora and fauna was an ill-advised choice, some of Jack Prescott's actions are questionable and the film clearly took some cues from Jaws. Prescott's introduction to the crew feels similar to Robert Shaw's in that film, for example. Plus, the producer's declarations make it clear whose coattails this flick was riding. What makes it worth a watch if you’re curious are the well-done VFX for Kong himself, good performances, sets that really sold Kong's scale and memorable moments. Most of the film was passable but the ending succeeded in its task. The producer put his money where his mouth was there. TL;DR: I admire this film for doing something different with this IP but the 2005 film is the superior remake. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Feb 4 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Forat A @DKCountryYT67 Dec 28 Boring, monki is gud thi See more Ilyas Z @Zellai Dec 13 It's A Pretty Fun Adaptation Of The Original One From 1933, But There Are A Few Problems With The Story, But Still, It's Not Bad But Not My Favorite. See more Shawn O. @keefur57 Dec 10 8 year old me loved this movie when it came out 1976. Not gonna lie. I still love it! See more Kevin D @Kevinizon Dec 5 I remember seeing it as a little kid, and feeling "eh'. I recently rewatched and was struck but how amazing the compositions, the lighting, the camera work. Fantastic! But the story... the length... all of that? Pretty weak. Drags on and on. Not as horrible as the Peter Jackson mess, but unfortunately a lost opportunity. See more Read all reviews
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King Kong

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Movie Info

Synopsis When a research ship is sent to explore an island thought to be rich in oil, paleontologist Jack Prescott sneaks aboard, having heard strange rumors about the island. En route, the crew rescues Dwan, the sole survivor of a shipwreck. When they arrive, they find native people living in fear of a monster called Kong. The natives kidnap Dwan and sacrifice her to what turns out to be an enormous ape. Dwan is eventually rescued, and the ape captured for a gala exhibit.
Director
John Guillermin
Producer
Dino De Laurentiis
Screenwriter
Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures, De Laurentiis
Rating
PG
Genre
Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 17, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 20, 2007
Runtime
2h 14m