It clocks in at over three hours, but Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic is gripping nonetheless.

Kong is a showy, state-of-the-art popcorn movie, faithful to the spirit of the 1933 original but generously adrenalized with the best effects money can buy.

Despite admirable chest thumping and Watts' wonderfully enhanced scream, there is still only one true king.

Gleefully reveling in the three hour runtime, the 2005 King Kong builds up its human cast, giving each of them backstories and arcs that each of us get invested in, however unwilling we are in some cases.