King Kong

Name: King Kong
Director: John Guillermin
Released: 1976

Synopsis

An oil company expedition disturbs the peace of a giant ape and brings him back to New York to exploit him.

90
Time
The special effects are marvelous, the good-humored script is comic-bookish without being excessively campy, and there are two excellent performances.
83
The A.V. Club
I’m still deeply fond of De Laurentiis’ King Kong now, no doubt in part because we’ll never see its likes again. Whatever the failings of its ape effects, they have a tangible quality that even Jackson’s great CGI work couldn’t fake.
80
Variety
Faithful in substantial degree not only to the letter but also the spirit of the 1933 classic for RKO, this $22 million-plus version neatly balances superb special effects with solid dramatic credibility.
80
The New Yorker
The movie is a romantic adventure fantasy--colossal, silly, touching, a marvelous Classics Comics movie (and for the whole family).
75
ReelViews
De Laurentiis' Kong may not be a grand, glorious modernization of a classic tale, but it's two-plus hours of big-scale, occasionally-foolish entertainment.
60
Empire
The lamest of the three versions but the performances are bearable.
60
Time Out
The results of this technological bonanza are pretty mixed.
50
Chicago Reader
Reducing one of the most compelling cultural icons of the century to a comic book character, this $22 million project makes a passable kiddie show, and not much else.