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.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Sep 27, 2023

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.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | May 7, 2023

... an old-fashioned monster movie/jungle thriller pushed to the limits with new technology by a filmmaker with both the skill and the heart to recapture the thrills of his adolescent moviehouse dreams.

| Jan 7, 2023

Does it improve on its landmark predecessor? Of course not. But on its own terms, this interpretation gets the job done in often spectacular fashion.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Mar 26, 2021

Some sequences are less convincing than others, but the technology has improved to such a degree that it's undeniably impressive to see Kong during his most famous routines.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Oct 9, 2020

In an era of reduced expectations, King Kong is one movie where everyone, studio and audience, gets their money's worth.

| Jan 8, 2020

Jackson takes a slow and methodical approach to the story, with Kong not appearing until over an hour into the film. But like that first climb on a rollercoaster, once the action picks up steam, it is nonstop.

| Original Score: B+ | Nov 19, 2019

From start to finish, this is an extravaganza, a classic and a love story that you will long hold in the palm of your hand as Kong holds us in his.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 6, 2019

Who would have thought a remake of one of the greatest films ever could rival, if not surpass, the original? In Jackson's capable hands, that's just what King Kong does.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Jun 5, 2019

From dinosaur stampedes to tooth-and-claw fights with Tyrannosaurs to the titular ape's inevitable, doomed climb up the Empire State Building, Kong Version 3.0 is the very definition of spectacle cinema.

| Feb 4, 2019

It's a pity that the film is such a miserable slog to start off, because the second that it arrives on Skull Island, it suddenly explodes into life.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 18, 2017

It clocks in at over three hours, but Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic is gripping nonetheless.

| May 29, 2011

As it is a remake, it doesn't have the shock Lord Of The Rings possessed upon its release, but this is a beautiful beast of a B-movie, thrilling and touching.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 29, 2011

The movie is a good cautionary example of what happens when its maker is too close to the material, who can't see the forest for the trees, the story for the ape.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 17, 2010

Fails to match the simple, handmade artistry of the original

| Aug 30, 2009

A solid action film and okay remake.

| Apr 29, 2009

Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic is a loving homage that recreates and updates many of the familiar sequences... Unfortunately, the recreation leaves one wondering what, exactly, the point of the film is, other than indulging the director...

| Jan 20, 2009

Every now and then, an undertaking like Kong comes around, and it underscores the truly extraordinary accomplishment of directing a film.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 20, 2008

It takes a while to get everybody to Skull Island, about 70 minutes, but it's time extremely well-spent.

| Oct 18, 2008

Kong is not without its flaws, but sometimes you just have to throw your hands up in the air, wave them like you just don't care, scream at the top of your lungs and just go with the rollercoaster ride, that's what this film is.

| Original Score: A | Oct 18, 2008