King Kong

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King Kong

PG-13

2005

2h 59m

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

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

May 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

Nov 1, 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

Sep 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, 2025

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

Sep 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

May 7, 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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Nicolas A

@RT03894649 1 day ago

You have everything in this movie! Action Adventure Love Monsters The way this movie followed the classic King Kong of 1933 is just so good. The visual effects is incredibly... The music orchestra is phenomenal... What else could you ask more. It's a classic!

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Josiah-Micahias M

@Manche 2 days ago

This film captures the depth and action of King kongs story. Its way better than most films I've seen. Just filled with the most heart breaking and action filled music. Truly worth watching. And personally I love long movies, so I don't have a problem with the 3 hour screen time, every second of it is worth watching. I will never get tired of watching this film even after watching it more than 5 times. Its another masterpiece by Peter Jackson.

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Richard L

@KaneLives 5 days ago

The story of King Kong has always been one act too long, and the same is true for this adaptation, aggravated further by Jackson's indulgent nature. Though not a single part of the film is unengaging, about an hour or so could've easily been cut out of the non-stop spectacle, with the end product being stronger for it. Even so, the scenes between Watts and Kong are wonderful, and key setpieces offer spectacle on a scale we haven't quite seen since, making this a truly impressive movie-going experience.

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Shaylah G

@shaylahmae Sep 23, 2026

Grew up watching this movie and playing the subsequent game that released for Xbox. Left a deep impression on me at the time. The ending always tugged on my heartstrings.

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Gunner I

@RT64755212 Sep 17, 2026

King Kong is just a fantastic tale and movie. I am actually honored to get to watch this movie. I enjoyed the 1933 version and love the 2005 jack black movie. What I thoroughly enjoy are the dinosaurs and the humongous bugs that they go to war against.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 16, 2026

King Kong = a *3* star Movie!

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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

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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)

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