Running down the very short list of reasons why reviewers on Rottentomatoes.com didn’t like King Kong, one reason sticks out like a sore thumb: the movie was too long. In almost every case that a reviewer didn’t give the movie glowing reviews, it was because of its three hour length.

But why not 3 hours of enjoyment instead of 2?

The length of the movie had only a small effect on me. A couple of scenes could probably be pared down a minute or two, but the fact is that they’re so good it’s debatable if they shouldn’t have gone on longer. In one scene, the mishmash group of moviemakers and sailors trying to rescue Ann Darrow (played by Naomi Watts) get caught up in a stampede of Brontosaurai. For several minutes, they run alongside the dinosaurs trying to keep from getting squashed. At the end of it, those who escape carry on their search, and you realize you can stop holding your breath. It’s every bit as wild as a roller coaster ride…