In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with the leading lady.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Ann Darrow: Naomi Watts
• Carl Denham: Jack Black
• Jack Driscoll: Adrien Brody
• Captain Englehorn: Thomas Kretschmann
• Preston: Colin Hanks
• Jimmy: Jamie Bell
• Kong / Lumpy: Andy Serkis
• Bruce Baxter: Kyle Chandler
• Hayes: Evan Parke
• Choy: Lobo Chan
• Herb: John Sumner
• Mike: Craig Hall
• Venture Crew: Peter McKenzie
• Manny: William Johnson
• Weston: David Pittu
• Harry: Mark Hadlow
• Maude: Geraldine Brophy
• Taps: David Dennis
• Zelman: Pip Mushin
• Thuggish Executive: Jim Knobeloch
• Sleazy Executive: Ric Herbert
• Studio Guy’s Assistant: Lee Donahue
• Young Assistant: Tom Hobbs
• Fruit Vendor: Tiriel Mora
• Venture Crew: Jed Brophy
• Venture Crew: John Wraight
• Venture Crew: William Wallace
• Venture Crew: Frank Edwards
• Venture Crew: Crawford Thomson
• Venture Crew: Richard Kavanagh
• Venture Crew: Stephen Hall
• Venture Crew: Joe Folau
• Old Security Guard: Chic Littlewood
• Hooverville Child: Samuel Taylor
• Theatre Actor: Lorraine Ashbourne
• New York Theatre Goer: Laura Surrich
• NY Child: Katie Jackson
• Venture Crew: Michael Lawrence
• Venture Crew – Helmsman: Ray Woolf
• Venture Crew – Crewman: Eddie Campbell
• Venture Crew: Greg Smith
• Laughing Man: Phil Grieve
• Photographer: Matt Wilson
• Photographer: Jim McLarty
• Photographer: Latham Gaines
• New York Citizen (uncredited): Camille Keenan
• Biplane gunner: Peter Jackson

Film Crew:

• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Christopher Boyes
• Original Music Composer: James Newton Howard
• Writer: Peter Jackson
• Writer: Fran Walsh
• Co-Producer: Philippa Boyens
• Director of Photography: Andrew Lesnie
• Production Design: Grant Major
• Art Direction: Joe Bleakley
• Conceptual Design: Alan Lee
• Casting: Victoria Burrows
• Casting: John Hubbard
• Casting: Liz Mullane
• Supervising Art Director: Dan Hennah
• Additional Editing: Jabez Olssen
• Editor: Jamie Selkirk
• Original Music Composer: David Long
• Original Music Composer: Mel Wesson
• Casting: Daniel Hubbard
• Costume Design: Terry Ryan
• Sound Designer: Brent Burge
• Sound Designer: David Farmer
• Producer: Jan Blenkin
• First Assistant Director: Carolynne Cunningham
• Dialogue Editor: Ray Beentjes
• Stand In: Peter Russell
• Construction Coordinator: Ed Mulholand
• Supervising Music Editor: Jim Weidman
• Set Decoration: Simon Bright
• Makeup Designer: Peter Swords King
• Hair Supervisor: Rick Findlater
• Animation Director: Eric Leighton
• ADR Recordist: Rick Canelli
• Set Dresser: Andy McLaren
• Property Master: Nick Weir
• Armorer: Gunner Ashford
• Dolly Grip: Kayne Asher
• Rigging Gaffer: David Brown
• Lighting Technician: Taipua Adams
• Color Timer: Lynne Reed
• Animation: Patrick Kalyn
• Casting Assistant: Kelly Valentine Hendry
• Extras Casting Coordinator: Miranda Rivers
• Utility Stunts: Peter Dillon
• Unit Production Manager: Anne Bruning
• Production Coordinator: Hannah Clarke
• Dolby Consultant: Bruce Emery
• First Assistant Sound Editor: Martin Kwok
• Music Consultant: Stuart Michael Thomas
• Post Production Supervisor: Pippa Anderson
• Costume Supervisor: Carolyn M. Fenton
• ADR Supervisor: Nigel Stone
• Animation: Randy Link
• Camera Operator: Rhys Duncan
• Sound Editor: Matthew Lambourn
• Transportation Coordinator: Collin Butrum
• First Assistant Camera: Sally Eccleston
• Supervising Sound Editor: Ethan van der Ryn
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Semanick
• Associate Producer: Annette Wullems
• Gaffer: Reg Garside
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Rebecca Downes
• Digital Effects Supervisor: Dan Lemmon
• VFX Director of Photography: Alex Funke
• Unit Publicist: Guy Adan
• ADR Editor: Polly McKinnon
• Special Effects Supervisor: Steve Ingram
• Digital Effects Producer: Cyndi Ochs
• 3D Supervisor: Guy Williams
• Aerial Director of Photography: David B. Nowell
• Music Editor: Tim Starnes
• Visual Effects Producer: Vicki Galloway-Weimer
• Supervising Sound Editor: Mike Hopkins
• Foley Recordist: Robyn McFarlane
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Hedges
• CG Supervisor: Matt Aitken
• Electrician: Tim Stratton
• Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Joe Letteri
• Stunt Coordinator: Chris Anderson
• Animation Director: Christian Rivers
• Telecine Colorist: David Hollingsworth
• Sound Effects Editor: Hayden Collow
• Music Coordinator: Nigel Scott
• Script Supervisor: Merrin Ruck
• Makeup Artist: Corinne Bossu
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Scott E. Anderson
• Assistant Makeup Artist: Hayley Atherton
• Sound Engineer: Derek Casari
• Assistant Script: Aria Harrison
• Stunts: Sean Button
• Visual Effects: Hugo Dominguez
• Co-Producer: Eileen Moran
• Costumer: Lucy McLay
• Second Unit Director: Randall William Cook
• Digital Compositor: Ed Hawkins
• Animation: Joel Fletcher
• Dialect Coach: Julie Adams
• Assistant Dialogue Editor: Neil Aldridge
• Projection: Aaron Cubis
• Steadicam Operator: Simon Harding
• Location Assistant: Mathew Gordon
• Location Manager: Jared Connon
• Key Grip: Tony Keddy
• Thanks: Peter Cobbin
• Researcher: Sarah Milnes
• Lead Animator: Jamie Beard
• Script Supervisor: Victoria Sullivan
• CGI Supervisor: Greg Butler
• Art Department Manager: Chris Hennah
• Visual Effects Editor: Matt Holmes
• Conductor: Pete Anthony
• Set Costumer: Simon Ward
• Dialogue Coach: Tanya Blumstein
• Art Department Coordinator: Kristie Breslin
• Assistant Costume Designer: Eliza Godman
• Choreographer: Shona McCullagh
• Still Photographer: Pierre Vinet
• Animation Supervisor: Atsushi Sato
• Production Manager: Belindalee Hope
• Special Effects Coordinator: Karl Chisholm
• Script Supervisor: Veronique Lawrence
• Sequence Leads: Colin Alway
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Brian Van’t Hul
• Software Engineer: Shane Cooper
• Grip: Darren Bradnock
• Set Medic: Andy Buckley
• Boom Operator: Corrin Ellingford
• Set Decoration: Greg Cockerill
• Construction Foreman: Colin Davidson
• First Assistant Camera: Colin Deane
• Digital Compositors: Dan Akers
• Publicist: Philippa Wood
• Unit Manager: Emily Ireland
• Assistant Grip: Noor Razzak
• Best Boy Grip: Dion Hartley
• Assistant Art Director: Jacqui Allen
• Conceptual Design: Jeremy Bennett
• Greensman: Daniel Aird
• Lead Painter: Genevieve Cooper
• Location Scout: Carl Bellavia
• Painter: Stephen Crene
• Sculptor: Christopher Aitken
• Set Designer: Miriam Bellard
• Standby Painter: Ben Milsom
• Hairstylist: Susie Glass
• Carpenter: Kevin Anderton
• Craft Service: Chris Walker
• Clapper Loader: Alexandra Bishop
• Propmaker: Pete Butters
• Sound Recordist: Hammond Peek
• Systems Administrators & Support: Ben Hall
• Color Grading: Nadia Diggins
• First Assistant Editor: David Birrell
• Best Boy Electric: Huw Griffiths
• Production Sound Mixer: Chris Hiles
• Creature Design: Robert Baldwin
• Machinist: Julie Zavala Ron
• Motion Capture Artist: James Van Der Reyden
• Stunt Double: Ryan Carey
• Digital Intermediate Assistant: Jayne Herrmann
• Graphic Designer: Mark Cameron Williams
• Senior Animator: Keith Huggins
• Creature Technical Director: Richard Taylor
• Creature Design: Daniel Falconer
• Stunts: Dayna Grant
• Production Assistant: Emily Griffiths
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Richard Matthews
• Second Assistant Director: Stephanie Weststrate
• Third Assistant Director: Del Chatterton
• Extras Dresser: Paul Hambleton
• Draughtsman: Darryl Longstaffe
• Assistant Editor: Mark Hawthorne
• Costume Coordinator: Cilla Leckie
• Special Effects Assistant: Jonathan Roy Grindlay
• VFX Artist: Mario de Dios
• Vocals: Karen Harper
• Assistant Accountant: Jessica A. Gihon
• Animation Technical Director: William Dwelly
• Production Executive: Jeff Barnes
• Matte Painter: Peter Baustaedter
• Costume Assistant: Lucy Adams
• Second Second Assistant Director: Skot Thomas
• Title Designer: Chris Guise
• ADR Mixer: Brian Kahanek
• Special Effects Technician: Ross Anderson
• Additional Visual Effects: Heather Clarke
• Visual Effects Production Assistant: Juliette Davis
• Visual Effects Production Manager: Marion Davey
• Camera Trainee: Alys Rowe
• Data Wrangler: Andrew Lambert
• Focus Puller: Mike Knudson
• Helicopter Camera: Tony Monk
• Second Assistant Camera: Steve Allanson
• Digital Colorist: Jan Kruse
• Digital Intermediate Editor: Holger Spill
• Post Production Coordinator: Shara Hudson
• Accountant: Linda Klein-Nixon
• Assistant Production Coordinator: Aimee Aspinall
• CG Artist: Leigh van der Byl
• Creature Technical Director: Christine Arboit
• Extras Casting: Sarah Valentine
• Production Runner: Jonny Doig
• Rotoscoping Artist: Evan Christie
• Animation: Graham Binding
• Foley Artist: Carrie McLaughlin

Movie Reviews:

• John Chard: They just couldn’t leave him on his island could they…

  King Kong is directed by Peter Jackson and Jackson co-writes the screenplay with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. It’s based on a story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace. It stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Andy Serkis, Evan Parke, Jamie Bell and Kyle Chandler. Music is by James Newton Howard and cinematography by Andrew Lesnie.

  After completing the hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson turned his attentions to a reimaging of that daddy of classic creature features, King Kong. With all the new tools of the trade to hand, Jackson set about making a Kong film full of love and respect the original from 1933, whilst obviously making his own beast as it were. Story remains the same, mankind sets off to a fabled place known as Skull Island, there they find beasties not of this world, not least a gigantic mountain of a gorilla. They stupidly bring him back to America for money making exercises and things go really bad. The End.

  I have personally found it most interesting re-watching the film nearly 15 years since its release, especially given we have not long had a different Kong reboot with “Kong: Skull Island” in 2017. For the differences, for better or worse depending on your proclivities in Kongdom, are enormous. Kong: Skull Island is a no brain adventure yarn, high on action but low on intelligence, but it does know it. Jackson’s Kong aspired to be much more cerebral, and for the most part it achieves it. Sadly it takes a whopping 3 hours to reveal its intentions, which was a problem to many back in 2005, and is still a hindrance sitting down to watch it these days – this even knowing and preparing once again for how long it is. Frustratingly there’s a great film in the mix just crying out for an hour of extraneous filler and clunky dialogue to be jettisoned.

  Once set up has been achieved in the first hour, we finally get to Skull Island and it’s an absolute technical treat. The look is fantastic, the turn of events as Kong and his acolytes have been introduced is terrific. From here it’s creature feature mayhem, the beauty and the beast aspect kicks into gear, and it’s all very comforting, thrilling even – with one exception. A dinosaur stampede looks ridiculous, the blend of human actors and CGI is so poor it belies the money spent on the effects for this production. That aside, though, the action sequences are electric, particularly the monster mash ups. Yet the quite reflective periods on Skull Island really strike a chord as well, just sections where Kong and Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) are chilling out together, taking in the landscape that money mad men want to take Kong away from…

  Then it’s back to The States and carnage ensues, culminating in a brilliantly staged last quarter of film, where all that superb period detail gets obliterated during the battle between man and beast, and where even now I’m rooting for Kong to win! As the tenderness of the Beauty and the Beast arc subsides – and it is beautiful – it’s then that you once again know that Jackson was too indulgent. His cast were on form, Serkis as Kong a revelation, this is a great picture at times, a real treat in High Definition, if only someone had fronted him up to not over indulge. For then we might have a 9/10 movie as opposed to a bloated 7/10 one.