King Kong (1933)

King Kong (1933) is a fast-paced, larger-than-life adventure that mixes thrills, horror and bittersweet romance. Filmmaker Carl Denham assembles a crew and a desperate young actress, Ann Darrow, and sails to the mysterious Skull Island to shoot an exotic picture. What they find is a lost world of prehistoric beasts and a colossal ape — Kong — who becomes both guardian and captor of Ann. Adventurer Jack Driscoll joins the dangerous jungle rescue, leading to spectacular clashes with dinosaurs and other primeval threats. The film moves from jungle peril to urban spectacle: Denham’s decision to drug and transport Kong to New York for public exhibition culminates in one of cinema’s most famous set pieces, as the bewildered giant escapes and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building while planes close in. Expect a roller-coaster of suspense and action, moments of pathos as Kong’s surprising tenderness toward Ann complicates his role as monster, and a mounting sense of tragedy as the creature faces exploitation and violence. Watching King Kong is an experience of old-Hollywood showmanship and pioneering visual effects — black-and-white, atmospheric camerawork and groundbreaking stop-motion/model techniques — that still deliver awe and tension. You’ll feel excitement and fear during the jungle confrontations, empathy for the misunderstood Kong, and the full dramatic weight of its tragic finale.

Actors: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot

Directors: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack

Runtime: 100 min

Genres: Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi

7.3 /10 92 /100 7.9 /10 8.1 /10