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7.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. King Kong remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like a fever dream from the 1930s, then yeah, put it on. It’s definitely for people who get a kick out of practical effects and stop-motion magic. If you need your movies to be sleek, fast, or even remotely logical, you’re gonna have a bad time. Seriously, the pacing is all over the place.
Fay Wray is basically just screaming for the entire second half of the runtime. It’s intense, sure, but it gets a little repetitive after the third or fourth time she hits a high C.
The whole trek onto the island has this weirdly adventurous energy. It reminded me a bit of the frantic vibe in Ghost of the Rancho, though obviously on a much larger scale. The way the jungle set looks like a bunch of painted plywood and heavy shadows? I kind of love it.
That scene with the giant spider and the pit is still genuinely creepy, even if you can tell exactly how they did the model work. It’s tactile. You can tell they put real work into those puppets.
Once they get to New York, the movie turns into a different beast entirely. Seeing the big guy break chains in a theater is still the high point. The reactions of the audience members in the back rows look so fake it’s actually kind of charming. They’re just waving their arms in slow motion.
I couldn't help but think about how far cinema has come since films like The Thoroughbred. This is obviously way bigger, but there's a similar 'let's just make it happen' energy to the production.
It’s not a perfect movie. Sometimes it’s barely a coherent one. But it’s got a weird heart to it that most modern blockbusters completely lack. You can feel the people behind the camera trying to do something that had never been done before. That counts for a lot, even if the seams are showing everywhere. 🦍