RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / King Kong
King Kong

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

King Kong (1933)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
100 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Apr 11, 2006

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • King Kong
  • Seeking a backer for his movie, Merian C. Cooper approached a top Hollywood mogul. "You know what a 50-foot gorilla would see in a five-foot girl?" the mogul asked. "His breakfast!" The studio chief wasn't buying but the public was. King Kong saved RKO from bankruptcy and became an all-time classic, ranking 43rd on the American Film Institute's list of Top-100 American Movies.
  • King Kong teems with memorable moments: a moviemaking expedition on a fantastic isle filled with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures; the giant simian's lovestruck obsession with the film shoot's blonde starlet (scream queen Fay Wray); Kong's capture; his Manhattan rampage; and the fateful finale atop the Empire State Building, where Kong cradles his palm-sized beloved and swats at machine-gunning airplanes. "It was beauty killed the beast." But in these and other great scenes, Kong lives forever.
  • Source: Warner Home Video
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for King Kong

    • T-Meter Critics
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
    Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     

    Wholly enjoyable.

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

    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

    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
    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

    '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
    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

    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

    King Kong may seem outmoded, with its exaggerated histrionics, its stilted dialogue, and its wooden acting, but then there's Kong, and how can you not still love him?

    Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
    11/13/05
    John J. Puccio
    John J. Puccio
    DVDTown.com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    07/17/05
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
    all

    Latest News for King Kong

    October 21, 2009: Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
    Wes Anderson, arguably the godfather of the quirky American indie thanks to the likes of Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, takes his first steps into the world of stop-motion... More...

    July 27, 2009: King Kong Prequel in the Works Opens in new window
    King Kong is lumbering back to a theater near you: Spirit Pictures has acquired the film rights to "King Kong: King of Skull Island," a recent prequel book. More...

    June 22, 2007: AFI Announces Top 100 Movies of All Time ... Again
    Ten years ago the AFI gave us a list of the Top 100 American Films Ever Made -- and when that was done they churned out 15 other lists every few years. And then last night they... More...

    March 28, 2006: DVD Tuesday: Planet of the Ape
    Movie geeks love Tuesdays, and here's why: It's DVD Day! With each new Tuesday comes the promise of varying DVD goodness, so I thought it might be fun to do a reminder-piece... More...

    See All

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
    52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
    45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
    19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
    55% 55% Orphan

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    98% 98% Up
    88% 88% Ballast
    67% 67% The Merry Gentleman

    More New Releases…

    See All

    RT On Current TV

    The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

    DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

    Learn how you can be part of the show

    More...

    What’s Hot On RT

    60+ New Moon pics

    60+ New Moon pics

    You want Twilight images? We got 'em!

    What to Watch?

    What to Watch?

    Find out with RT's Holiday Movie Preview!

    John Cusack

    John Cusack

    We list his 10 top rated movies!

    Five Favorite Films

    Five Favorite Films

    2012 director Roland Emmerich reveals his!

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Rachel McAdams Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Mania.com
    142
    • Danny Elfman Leaves The Wolfman Source: Cinemusic.net
    26
    • Oldboy Remake Rumored Dead Source: Latino Review
    19
    • Francis Lawrence Directing a Futuristic Sgt. Rock Source: Hollywood Reporter
    3
    • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
    119
    • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
    36
    • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
    8
    • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
    1
    • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
    102
    • J.J. Abrams Producing Micronauts Movie? Source: Wall Street Journal
    11
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Total Recall: John Cusack's Best Movies
    70
    • Five Favorite Films with Roland Emmerich
    54
    • Critics Consensus: A Christmas Carol Dazzles But Disappoints
    43
    • RT on DVD: Up, the Ultimate Watchmen Cut, and More
    36
    • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
    34
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
    32
    • Friday Harvest: Prince of Persia, The Road, and more!
    26
    • 10 Movies That Changed The (End Of The) World
    12
    • RT's Holiday Movie Preview -- Find Out What's Hot This Season!
    0
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
    15
    • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
    15
    • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
    8
    • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
    28
    • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
    28
    • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
    14
    • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
    40
    • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
    139
    • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
    4
    • Neill Blomkamp talks District 9 - RT Interview
    51
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • King Kong at Rotten Tomatoes
    • King Kong at IGN

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    Best of Disaster Porn
    Best of Disaster Porn External Link

    Moviefone looks back at 7 films that have paved the way for movies like 2012.

    Actors with Famous Parents
    Actors with Famous Parents External Link

    BuzzSugar rattles off their 10 favorite current actors with celebrity pedigree.

    The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
    The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T External Link

    The AV Club looks back at a dance sequence from the only movie written by... Dr. Seuss?

    Top Cameron Crowe Moments
    Top Cameron Crowe Moments External Link

    TIME reminisces on the 10 most iconic moments from the films of Cameron Crowe.

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo

    IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


    By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
    IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.