King Kong
Seen it?1933 | 100 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (96% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences rate it highly (7.6 out of 10), it made about 15 times its budget and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for horror fans, fantasy fans and adventure fans. If you loved Kong: Skull Island or Creature from the Black Lagoon, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Scary.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 40 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1933: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Adventurous filmmaker Carl Denham sets out to produce a motion picture unlike anything the world has seen before. Alongside his leading lady Ann Darrow and his first mate Jack Driscoll, they arrive on an island and discover a legendary creature said to be neither beast nor man. Denham captures the monster to be displayed on Broadway as King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92 on Metacritic
- AudiencesStrong
7.6 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$10 million worldwide on a $672K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 301K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
- Robert ArmstrongCarl Denham
- Fay WrayAnn Darrow
- Bruce CabotJack Driscoll
- Frank ReicherCaptain Englehorn
- Victor WongShip's Cook Charlie
- James FlavinMate Briggs
- Sam HardyCharles Weston
- Noble JohnsonSkull Island Native Chief
- Steve ClementeSkull Island Witch Doctor
- Roscoe AtesPress Photographer (uncredited)