This is a passable light weight remake at best. It just has too many problems to be great.

The Kong of my childhood and still love it today having a childhood crush on Jessica Lang made it a 10 out of 10 for me and nothing has changed.

Of course, this 1976 remake doesn't come close to the historical significance of "King Kong" from 1933. But as a light-hearted adventure movie, at least it's not a disaster. One of my bigger problems is Jessica Lange. Although she later proved to be an excellent actress, I don't think she was quite as good here in her film debut. But at least in terms of looks, she fits her role quite well. Other than that, the cast worked well enough for me. However, the movie would certainly have benefited from a thematic update.

As for Kong, I have to say that the effects are quite convincing, with a few exceptions. The costume is definitely well done; if you know that special make-up effects artist Rick Baker was involved, that explains a lot. The whole thing is complemented by the use of a number of practical effects, such as a giant hand. The special effects are not properly scaled, but this rarely bothered me.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, even though my expectations were admittedly rather low. Nevertheless, I still clearly prefer the 1933 film.

Remake of the fantastic classic.

An exceptional remake that reintroduces the King to a new generation, Dino De Laurentiis’ King Kong is a thrilling action/adventure film. While on an expedition to a mysterious island shrouding in cloud cover the Petrox Oil Company discovers Kong, a 40-foot ape worshiped as a god by the island inhabitants. Starring Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, and Rene Auberjonois, and introducing Jessica Lange in her film debut, the casting is rather impressive; Bridges in particular gives an extraordinary performance. And though the special effects have aged, they work well enough and create a captivating vision. The action sequences are also quite good, especially the climactic battle at the World Trade Center. Full of thrills and excitement, King Kong is wildly entertaining.

The WTC was just 3 years old then. Who would known that 25 years later many people would run the same fate as Kong...

This might have been one of the first movies I ever saw in the theater without my parents. I think I was 12 years old at the time. Even then, I recall thinking it was pretty underwhelming. In fact, Dwan was an airhead then, too. The two-second shot of the robotic Kong was just as lame then and I know I have memory of Fred Wilson's body twitching after Kong stomped him into the ground. Did they cut that out after the theatrical release?

Anyway, my reaction to my recent viewing is the same as it was as a child. A snake? Where the heck are all the dinosaurs?