---
title: "King Kong"
year: 1933
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/king-kong"
fi1m_score: 88
critics_score: 81
critics_reviews: 14
published: "2026-09-17T20:12:10.789538+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-17T20:12:25.777655+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# King Kong (1933)

Directed by Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack · 1h 40m · Adventure, Fantasy, Horror

**Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 81 from 14 reviews

*In a sentence:* A giant ape with better reasons to be upset than anyone screaming at him

> Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s *King Kong* remains an exciting, unexpectedly touching adventure. The human performances can be stiff, but the creature work and music make the ape worth caring about.

## Synopsis

In New York, film-maker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) recruits Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) for a picture he plans to make overseas. She sails with Captain Englehorn (Frank Reicher) and Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot), who objects to having a woman aboard. Denham wants footage nobody else can offer, and keeps much of his plan to himself as the ship heads towards Skull Island. On deck, he rehearses Ann’s frightened reaction for the camera without explaining what she might actually face.

## Review

*King Kong* remains an exciting, surprisingly touching adventure, though some of its human acting needs patience. Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack make us wait for the giant ape, establishing the island adventure before the creature arrives. That wait is a useful part of the pleasure, even if a few early exchanges feel longer than they need to. The film wants us curious about the island before it asks us to be frightened of what lives there.

Robert Armstrong gives Carl Denham the brisk conviction of a man who expects other people to share his enthusiasm. It is an effective performance because his confidence remains persuasive even when we begin to question it. Fay Wray, as Ann Darrow, makes fear legible without much help from the writing, while Bruce Cabot’s Jack Driscoll is a less engaging presence. The screenplay by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman gives the humans plenty to react to, but their speech is sometimes too emphatic to sound like conversation.

The jungle gives the adventure somewhere convincing to happen, even when the creatures plainly belong to fantasy. Cinematographers J.O. Taylor, Vernon L. Walker and Edward Linden give these surroundings a density that makes the visitors look exposed. The sets contribute as much as the scale of the monsters: there is enough detail around the creatures to keep us looking beyond the mechanics of their movement. We can recognise the artificial surroundings and still feel uneasy about what might emerge from them.

The stop-motion movement has a visible jerkiness, and occasionally the workings of the illusion draw attention to themselves. But Kong’s eyes hold us, and the changes in his expression give the action a purpose beyond putting another obstacle in front of the visitors. We were moved by how alert he seems, because those eyes make him appear to be assessing the people around him. The animation gives the ape enough feeling that we begin watching for his response, as we would with an actor.

The score by Max Steiner is central to that response, supplying force without making every encounter feel emotionally identical. The music keeps excitement and apprehension close together, so that admiring the creature does not make him harmless. Editor Ted Cheesman keeps the action sequences pressing forward, and the cuts prevent the technical display from becoming a succession of exhibits. The occasional awkward movement is less troublesome when the next piece of action gives us something else to worry about.

For a monster adventure, keeping us interested in the creature between the big disturbances is a considerable achievement. At 100 minutes, the film deserves to be watched straight through, without a running commentary on how the effects were done. Its PG certificate should not be mistaken for a promise of gentleness; recognising a model does not necessarily stop us fearing it. Give it an evening without making allowances for its age.

*Fi1m score 88, published 17 September 2026.*

### Reviews we read (14)

- **Radio Times**, Andrew Collins (5/5): Arguably the monster movie of all time, this Beauty and the Beast tale has mythic power thanks to Willis O'Brien's pioneering animation and its tragic story. It offers an early eco-message as Kong is exploited for gain. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-rrckns/king-kong/)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a brilliantly structured adventure movie with a strong set-up on the island and effective rampage sequences in New York. They single out the stop-motion animation and character work on Kong as masterful. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/empire-essay-king-kong-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times** (90/100, inferred): The piece celebrates the restored 1933 film as the ultimate Beauty-and-the-Beast fable whose innocence and excitement still endure, praising the restored footage and the sheer fun of its serial-like pacing. It singles out the indelible Empire State Building climax. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-24-ca-24-story.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): Ebert calls the film a landmark adventure whose stop-motion effects remain impressive and whose story of greed unleashing the beast still resonates. He singles out the pioneering special effects work of Willis O’Brien for particular praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-king-kong-1933)
- **The AV Club**, Mike D'Angelo (90/100, inferred): The piece positions the film as arguably the first to synthesize cinematic spectacle into a sustained thrill-ride feature that influenced countless later blockbusters. It praises the strategic withholding of Kong, the exciting stop-motion action sequences, Max Steiner’s score, and the poignant climax atop the Empire State Building. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-original-king-kong-is-the-reigning-granddaddy-of-ho-1846515527)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, THR Staff (90/100, inferred): The review calls the film a great piece of imagination produced in grand style and good taste, most capably acted and directed. It highlights the beauty-and-the-beast story with much sympathy for the beast and praises the production values, sets, locations, and performances, especially Fay Wray. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/king-kong-review-1933-movie-1070365/)
- **The New York Times**, Mordaunt Hall (90/100, inferred): Hall describes the picture as a fantastic and compelling tale of a gigantic ape captured and brought to New York, praising its vivid jungle sequences and the performances of Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. He highlights the thrilling climax atop the Empire State Building. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1933/03/03/archives/a-fantastic-film-in-which-a-monstrous-ape-uses-automobiles-for.html)
- **Time Out**, WH (85/100, inferred): The film retains its power to move, excite and sadden thanks to Willis O'Brien's animation and Max Steiner's score. The masterstroke is delaying Kong's entrance so he emerges as the most fully realised character. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/king-kong)
- **Variety**, Bige. (70/100, inferred): The review hails the picture as a gripping technical achievement that surpasses earlier efforts like The Lost World, crediting the sound effects, score and stop-motion work. It notes that audiences will marvel at how it was done despite some mechanical flaws. [Read](https://variety.com/1933/film/reviews/king-kong-2-1200410783/)
- **The Guardian** (50/100, inferred): The film delivers more thrills than any since the advent of sound and caters successfully for tastes ranging from excitement to amusement. It begins strongly as an adventure but devolves into comedy amid excessive spectacle, though the technical achievements of the ape and monsters are impressive. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/apr/12/king-kong-review-film-caters-for-all-tastes-1933)
- **The New Yorker** (50/100, inferred): The review finds the film excessive and grotesque yet diverting, likening its prehistoric creatures to a nightmare come to life. It notes the Beauty-and-the-Beast theme and feels a touch of sympathy for the defeated monster. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1933/03/11/apes-and-journalists)
- **/Film**, Dalin Rowell (90/100, inferred): The critic ranks the film #1 and calls it a masterpiece that set the gold standard for monster movies. They single out its groundbreaking storytelling, flawless pacing, exploration of man's greed, and heart-wrenching finale for praise. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/624934/every-king-kong-movie-ranked-from-worst-to-best/)
- **Collider**, Andre Dellamorte (85/100, inferred): The 1933 King Kong is a charming production with spectacle that still holds up, particularly the stop-motion effects and the humanity in Kong's eyes. It remains a delightful kid fantasy adventure story more than seventy years later. [Read](https://collider.com/king-kong-1933-blu-ray-review-three-kings-blu-ray-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Gary Duncan (70/100, inferred): The critic calls the 1933 film still the big daddy of all monster movies despite its age and rough edges. They single out Willis O'Brien's special effects and the iconic set pieces involving Kong for praise, while noting hammy acting and slow early pacing. [Read](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/king-kong-film-review-by-gary-duncan)

## Details

- **Director:** Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
- **Director:** Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
- **Screenplay:** Ruth Rose, James Ashmore Creelman
- **Cinematography:** Vernon L. Walker, J.O. Taylor, Edward Linden
- **Editor:** Ted Cheesman
- **Music:** Max Steiner
- **Producer:** Ernest B. Schoedsack, Merian C. Cooper
- **Cast:** Robert Armstrong as Carl Denham; Fay Wray as Ann Darrow; Bruce Cabot as Jack Driscoll; Frank Reicher as Captain Englehorn; Victor Wong as Ship's Cook Charlie; James Flavin as Mate Briggs; Sam Hardy as Charles Weston; Noble Johnson as Skull Island Native Chief
- **Runtime:** 1h 40m
- **Release (the US):** 7 April 1933
- **Genres:** Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
- **Budget:** $672,000
- **Box office:** $10 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8P7RzqOU_M

## Where to watch in the US

Not streaming, renting or buying in the US at the last check.

## If you liked this

- *The Lost World* (1925): For prehistoric creatures whose handmade movements still make an expedition feel dangerous.
- *Godzilla* (1954), Fi1m 88: Another enormous creature whose destruction becomes harder to enjoy without thinking. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/godzilla.md)
- *Beauty and the Beast* (1946): A different beast, with equally persuasive feelings beneath the frightening exterior.
- *Jurassic Park* (1993), Fi1m 91: For another expedition undone by confidence in what humans can control. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/jurassic-park.md)
- *The Host* (2006): A family gives the monster chase people worth worrying about.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/king-kong