S.W.’s Scores
Continuity
+3
Entertainment
+4
Rewatchability
+3
CastFay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot
StreamingMax, Prime Video (rent)
S.W.’s Verdict
A giant ape falls in love with a woman and climbs a building. In 1933 this was the most ambitious thing cinema had attempted. The stop-motion holds up not because it looks real but because it moves with personality. Kong has more emotional range than most of the human cast. The pacing drags on the island, but once Kong hits New York, the film becomes something permanent.