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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Shaylah G

@shaylahmae 2 days ago

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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Danny 6

@Danny6002__ Sep 16, 2026

A masterpiece, masterful, moving. A film I grew up with and I watch it every time with great emotion. Thank you, Peter Jackson, for bringing back this great film, expressing gratitude to the film of 1933.

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Paige B

@Palan4 Sep 6, 2026

I grew up watching the original as a young kid. I felt like this movie captured the magic of the original and built up a cast and plot worth caring about. There were some silly and weird scenes that didn't age well, 20 years later, but I still love Adrien Brody.

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Nalindra F

@Nalindra Aug 16, 2026

I can’t understand how this has such a bad audience rating. This was such an epic 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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