King Kong vs. Godzilla


Starring: Ichiro Arishima, Yu Fujiki, Mie Hama
Directed by: Ishiro Honda
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Action, Horror, Science Fiction
1962

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A pharmaceutical company travels to a mysterious island, where they capture King Kong and bring him back to Japan. Meanwhile, a submarine accidentally runs into an iceberg, releasing Godzilla. As both monsters move on a collison course, the Japanese people hope the two deadly creatures destroy each other.

Review:

Tim: In theory, I love the idea of this movie. King Kong is definitely one of the all time classic movies, and Godzilla had definitely come into his own at this point in time. I typically enjoy these kinds of big, fantasy movies where huge cinematic stars are pitted against each other. Now, I said I love the idea of this movie- but only in theory. The fact of the matter is that this movie is the most disappointing of the first Godzilla trilogy. This is not a very good movie.

While the idea is sound, the film screw up the execution. First off, King Kong looks terrible in this movie. I know that Godzilla is just a guy in a rubber suit, but the rubber suit at least looks somewhat believable. The giant monkey suit simply doesn't work. While I can buy the slow moving, creaky giant lizard, the man in the monkey suit simply doesn't look like a gorilla. He looks silly. The movie also suffers because audiences expected a battle royale- after all, this is King Kong and Godzilla here. We should be treated to an all out slugfest. This never really happens. The first meeting between these two monster giants is forgettable and disappointing. The big climactic battle also leaves something to be desired. The big battle here is a bit underwhelming. Part of this comes from the absolutely stunningly stupid idea that King Kong is empowered and grows stronger with electricity. What? How did this idea ever make it into the movie? How could a giant mammal be energized by electricity? This is a major plot hole.

I also have to say that the cast of this film is disappointing as well. I didn't like the characters or their story nearly as much as those in Gojira or Godzilla Raids Again. The human actors here and actually quite boring.

Now, this is a deeply flawed film, but it is not all bad. Even though the movie is weak, this is still a film about King Kong battling Godzilla. That is cool, no matter what. I love the idea and I had to admit I took some cinematic pleasure from watching these two monsters fighting each other on the big screen. Plus, for no real reason besides added effect, we also get to see King Kong battle a gigantic octopus! I was actually a bit disturbed by the sounds the octopus makes (listen to it- it's freaky). Kong v. an octopus probably makes very little sense, but I had fun watching it regardless.

King Kong v. Godzilla is a guilty pleasure movie, but I wish there was less guilt and more pleasure. I honestly can't say I enjoyed this movie very much, save for a few impressive scenes. Most of the movie just feels cheap, rushed, and an effort to cash in on the franchise. This movie is a classic because of its subject, but falls short in every other aspect.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Gojira, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla vs. Mothra