This movie won the Oscar for best visual effects, but the film's main CGI effect was Kong. The 25 foot tall mountain gorilla is played by 5'8 British stage star Andy Serkis, who had worked with Weta Digital before as Gullom in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and most recently as an other ape, Caesar the chimp in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. To Peter Jackson and crew were suprised when that "little buger" had went to study the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, without insurance! Andy got the character well, Kong to some people is a giant, souless monster, but to Andy, me, and other people he's an animal driven to aggression because of being solitary for his whole life. The movie and character of Kong couldn't have been without the work of Andy Serkis.

Put Jurassic Park 1 and 2 together, add some depth, and you’ve got King Kong. The special effects are so realistic that kids may believe there is actually an island somewhere with dinosaurs on it. The special effects also make the movie more scary; Kong is so lifelike that you don’t question that he is real. Be aware that at three hours, the film is too long for most kids. Additionally, the boring first hour will have them squirming in their seats although the anticipation to see Kong might cure that. One character drinks from a flask but is never drunk. For kids 11+ who are not bothered by scary monsters.