King Kong 1933

Mark Chalon Smith, Los Angeles Times: The story, like Frankenstein and Dracula, has taken on the significance of a modern folk tale, layered with obvious moralizing and as familiar as personal history. Read more

Mordaunt Hall, New York Times: Through multiple exposures, processed 'shots' and a variety of angles of camera wizardry the producers set forth an adequate story and furnish enough thrills for any devotee of such tales. Read more

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader: Willis O'Brien did the stop-action animation for this 1933 feature, which is richer in character than most of the human cast. Read more

Irene Thirer, New York Daily News: "King Kong," as spectacular a bolt of celluloid as has thrilled audiences in a couple of sophisticated seasons, is the product of a number of vivid imaginations. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: In many ways, Kong is still king. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Even allowing for its slow start, wooden acting and wall-to-wall screaming, there is something ageless and primeval about King Kong that still somehow works. Read more

TIME Magazine: It might seem that any creature answering the description of Kong would be despicable and terrifying. Such is not the case. Kong is an exaggeration ad absurdum, too vast to be plausible. This makes his actions wholly enjoyable. Read more

Wally Hammond, Time Out: The throbbing heart of the film lies in the creation of the semi-human simian himself, an immortal tribute to the Hollywood dream factory... Read more

Joe Bigelow, Variety: Kong mystifies as well as it horrifies, and may open up a new medium for scaring babies via the screen. Read more