SummaryA film crew travels to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal ape who falls for their blonde starlet. He is then captured and transported back to New York City for public exhibition.
Directed By:Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Written By:James Ashmore Creelman, Ruth Rose, Merian C. Cooper, Edgar Wallace, Leon Gordon
King Kong
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
92
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
93% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
King Kong was a film that was way ahead of its time, and it remains one of the greatest films of all time.
100
Granddaddy of beast-on-the-loose movies.
User score
Generally Favorable
81% Positive
88 Ratings
88 Ratings
13% Mixed
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
6% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
Jul 8, 2024
10
To this day, the original 1933 King Kong remains the greatest giant monster movie ever made. Its timeless story holds up wonderfully, and even if its then state-of-the-art special effects don't, it still manages to be a far more exciting action/ adventure film than any of Warner Bros. and Legendary's modern day attempts.
100
None of the humans not even scream queen Wray can compete with Kong. But the film remains a perfect star vehicle. It prepares for its hero's entrance with hints of mystery, violence, eroticism and fantasy, then cuts loose with all the action, adventure.
100
But King Kong is more than a technical achievement. It is also a curiously touching fable in which the beast is seen, not as a monster of destruction, but as a creature that in its own way wants to do the right thing.
88
Despite its various deficiencies and occasionally antiquated style, King Kong remains not only a milestone of movie-making, but a magical experience.
80
Highly imaginative and super-goofy yarn.
60
If this glorious pile of horror-fantasy hokum has lost none of its power to move, excite and sadden, it is in no small measure due to the remarkable technical achievements of Willis O'Brien's animation work, and the superbly matched score of Max Steiner.
Mar 17, 2022
10
This version of King Kong is a classic, it may be a monster movie but it has something that most of the other versions of the story don't have- heart. The story is basically a take on the timeless story of Beauty and the Beast but it is a powerful, beautiful, tragic and beguiling one. The cinematography is beautiful and crisp, and the scenery is convincing enough, plus the score is a gem. In terms of acting, Faye Wray is stunning as Ann Darrow and Robert Armstrong does well with a role that is admittedly on the corny side but hey I can live with that. But what made the film was King Kong himself, he is absolutely amazing to look at, he looks and acts very convincingly. Maybe scary to start with but as the film progresses (like the Beast in the fairytale Beauty and the Beast) you feel for him. The climax on top of the Empire State Building is one of cinema's greatest climaxes, and this is the only film version of King Kong where I had to stop the video to go and sort myself out from crying at the end. Overall, a beautiful timeless film. As said already, while essentially a monster movie, it is that with a lot of heart. 10/10 Bethany Cox
May 15, 2023
9
A beginning of a amazing franchise AND probably had the best effect back then.
Feb 2, 2025
8
Creí que iba a ser una película buena, pero hasta ahí, y me equivoqué, porque realmente sobresale. El despliegue para lograr las tomas, tanto en la ciudad como en la selva, no solo con uno, sino con varios animales enormes en pantalla, es, sin duda, para admirar. Además, aporta un montón al género y, posteriormente, muchas películas están claramente inspiradas en esta cinta. Por nombrar solo las que se me vienen a la mente: Jurassic Park, Rampage y el mismo Godzilla. De hecho, se pelea King Kong con un T-Rex, ¡solo faltaba que lanzara fuego! Y para terminar, creo que el mensaje más claro es con respecto a cómo el humano se siente el centro del universo y no piensa en ningún tipo de especie más. Eso trae consigo que tanto animales como personas "diferentes" las saquen de sus lugares de origen y los lleven a la ciudad como trofeo y luego ser cínicos al culpar a la persona o especie por no "adaptarse", quedando los culpables absueltos incluso de su nula conciencia moral.
Apr 13, 2025
6
I saw this at the cinema when I was 5 years old - it was scary! Nowadays it's still good, but pretty dated. Considering it's age though, well worth a watch to see how things used to be made!
Jul 31, 2025
2
Первый голливудский блокбастер. Обезьяна мочит людей пачками, со скоростью 10 кадров в секунду, строя при этом забавные рожи. Фэй Рэй прекрасна в своём порванном платье, но от её постоянного ора и дурацкой музыки, пухнет голова. От скуки этот постоянный экшон не спасает.
Production Company:
- RKO Radio Pictures
Release Date:Apr 7, 1933
Duration:1 h 40 m
Rating:TV-Y7
Tagline:A Monster of Creation's Dawn Breaks Loose in Our World Today!
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 3 Nominations
DVD Exclusive Awards
• 3 Nominations
Satellite Awards
• 2 Nominations
