10 Good Movies That Could've Been Great (With One Simple Fix)

4. King Kong Shows Up Earlier - King Kong

The Movie

Whether or not you believe Peter Jackson's 2005 King Kong remake to be the definitive interpretation of the story, it's most certainly an impressive realisation of a passion project from the filmmaker - a visually stunning, suitably melodramatic blockbuster spectacle.

Between the first-rate visual effects, talented ensemble cast and sheer epic sweep, it's a film that, in spite of its excesses, endures as a rare remake that truly justifies its own existence.

The Simple Fix

But if there's any one thing holding Jackson's film back from being a true classic, it's the absolutely brutal 187-minute runtime. Jackson's not exactly been one for snappy, concise filmmaking over the last two decades, but his King Kong feels particularly bloated, especially during its opening act.

It's almost 70 minutes before the titular creature makes his first appearance, and though much of the first hour is loaded with solid character development and world-building, Jackson really should've been urged to "kill his darlings" and unveil Kong in a reasonable time-frame.

Trimming even just 20 minutes from the first act would make the overall result so much more manageable, because as good as the film is, it's a tough one to re-watch knowing how aggressively Jackson delays our gratification.

Plus, had the film clocked in a little shorter, Universal would've been able to cram a few extra screenings in per day, which may have boosted its slightly underwhelming - yet still rock solid - $550.5 million box office.