King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) (Movie Review)

  Godzilla and King Kong are arguably the two most iconic giant movie monsters to ever grace the silver screen, so naturally it only makes sense to pit them against one another. 1962’s “King Kong vs. Godzilla” marked their first, and it also marked the first time that either would appear in color. However, this also marked the transition for both monsters to enter cheesy, campy territory. The two original movies that first introduced these mighty titans were both very serious in tone, staples of the horror genera, and stood head and shoulder above typical B monster movies. This crossover movie by contrast wears its B movie badge with pride, and goes full throttle with its goofy nature, and rubber suited monster mayhem. It’s a film the needs to be viewed through a different lens then other Hollywood classics. Nothing about “King Kong vs. Godzilla” comes close to high art, or genuine suspense, yet there is an audience for campy old-school monster films of this sort. It’s definitely something to laugh at, and speaking personally, when I first saw this movie as a kid, it was both one of my first real Godzilla movies, and the very first King Kong movie I ever saw. So, I’ve always had a little bit of nostalgia reserved for this one, and while it’s obviously not a great film, it’s still something that just puts a big, dumb smile on my face, and leaves me satisfied … lets take a look. 

  One important thing to note is that the American distributed cut of the film was heavily altered, with a number of sequences re-arranged, other scenes dropped all together, and new footage added in. However, the American cut is the more accessible version, as well as the version I grew-up with on home media ever sense I was a kid. As such, I'll mostly be reviewing the American cut, while addressing differences along the way. For instance, the American cut begins with a slow panning shot on Earth, which is accompanied by a non-descript narrator quoting Shakespeare, or more specifically the famous “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio” from “Hamlet”. Now doesn’t that just fit right in with the tone of a silly film starring rubber suited monsters or what? 

Anyway, this film picks up several years after the ending of the 1955 sequel “Godzilla Raids Again”, in which Godzilla was frozen in a block of ice. As this new venture begins, an American Sub crashes into an ice burg, and unleashes Godzilla from his frozen prison. Now freed, Godzilla follows some kind of imaginary road that’s leading him into the heart of Tokyo, and he doesn’t mind destroying everything along his path to get there. For whatever reason, the American cut ignores the established continuity, and suggests that Godzilla was frozen in ice sense the days of the dinosaurs, which was as odd alteration to say the least. Meanwhile, a failing TV executive sends two bumbling goofs to an island where a mysterious monster is supposed to dwell, and if captured it can be used to increase their TV ratings and publicity. Surprise, surprise, the island monster is none other then King Kong, who’s apparently sensing the dismay caused by Godzilla, and has an instinctive urge to face and concur this menace. Upon their first encounter, Kong is driven away by Godzilla’s fiery breath, and flees in terror. Kong’s cowardliness in the face of an imposing adversary drives him made, and he lets loose his rage on Tokyo. Now it’s up to the three TV show guys to somehow win over Kong, and use him as a means to concur Godzilla once and for all. In a nutshell, this film functions as both a third movie in the Godzilla franchise, and also a soft remake of King Kong, just set in Japan.

   Just like the original, we have people landing on a mysterious island, which is inhabited by natives who worship Kong as a God. The adventure on the island is played-down in this version, and is full of goofy scenes, like when the visitors convince the natives that a music box is magic. These natives by the way look ridiculous, but they make up for it with this awesome musical chant that’s used to hypnotize Kong. There’s also an exciting encounter with a giant Octopus, which was brought to life through a combination of stop-motion, and a real Octopus. Specking personally, I’ve always loved the concept of Giant Squid monsters, and seeing this thing rising from the depths to attack the island villagers evokes a sense of excitement that’s on par with the Giant Squid from “20 000 Leagues Under the Sea”. The creature effects during this attack would later be an influence for the animators of The Kraken in the 2006 film “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest”. The ensuing battle between Kong and the Octopus is yet another cheesy highlight and sets the tone for what we’ll be getting through the film. The most surreal moment of all happens just after Kong’s victory over the beast, and he celebrates by getting drunk … yeah, Kong has a drinking addiction in this film.  

  While the King Kong featured in past films had always been stop-motion, this marked the first time Kong was presented as a guy in a rubber suit. He’s also taller then the original King Kong, thus able to stand against other giant monsters. The Kong costume however looks terrible, like something that’s been run over by a car multiple times, and Kong’s face looks like he’s got cocaine eyes. He’s also got a silly grin, and I never understood why his ape fur is a dark orange in this film. 

King Kong basically hijacks this movie from Godzilla, becomes the center of attention for a long time, and even reenacts the climax from the original film. I have to say, it’s cool to see an American monster out of his element, and stomping his way through a foreign land like Tokyo. However, I wish he had more buildings to destroy, as he’s mostly just seen stomping down on these cheap little models. In typical Kong fashion, he picks up a random girl, and climbs a tall building. Unfortunately, the girl is just a random damsel stereotype, with no connection made between the two, and thus there’s no substance behind this recreation of an iconic scene. Now instead of gunning him down, the military put him to sleep by way of the same hypnotic music from his home island. Just to make sure that Kong loses all dignity in this film, we get a scene in which he’s strung up like a marionette, and flown away on balloons ... it’s easily the most ridiculous part of the film.

  Now, let’s take a moment to talk about Godzilla, as he’s personally my all-time favorite giant movie monster. The costume fares better then Kong’s, but it’s still fairly basic when compared to the monster suits in other Godzilla films. This Godzilla also has a lot more personality, as he’s always bouncing his body, and flapping his arms around like he’s ready for a party. This makes him come off more like a bully who causes destruction for his own amusement. I wish the film could have given him more scenes to unleash destruction, but after his thrilling re-awakening, he just doesn’t get the chance to do much. The combat scenes are also very laughable, as all the tanks, and plains are clearly remote-controlled toys. I’ll admit, it adds to the cheesy appeal of the film, but with such high-profile monsters, I still can’t help but want something more spectacular on display in terms of destructive action.  

  The human characters are barely worth mentioning, as every girl present in the film is just there to be a damsel, and the three main TV showman are over the top goofballs. Although, they do at least compliment the films goofy tone, so their never out of place, just hard to connect with. Surprisingly, I find myself connecting to the news reporters more than our actual heroes. A good chunk of this film is told from the perspective of a live news broadcast in the United Nations building, who are following the events like some kind of global phenomenon. What makes this sub-plot so hilarious is that the tone, and presentation of this news coverage is on par with the feel of a children’s after school program, and no-one even seems phased by the cataclysmic events unfolding. The majority of these scenes were added in for Universals American version of the film, and it’s hilarious to cut from scenes of actors speaking perfect English, only to be followed by an Asian cast with really goofy dubbing.

  All that’s left to talk about is the climactic showdown on the slopes of Mount Fuji between the two titans, and in my view, it’s a thing of beauty to behold. Again, I can respect how a fight between two rubber suited monsters can come off as just plain stupid or boring to some viewers, but there is still a charm and appeal to the campy-ness of it that can entertain a certain audience. For me, I know it’s not quality entertainment, but I absolutely love it on the grounds of campy fun, and this final showdown between Godzilla and King Kong is about as goofy, yet as epic as they get. 

My favorite moment is actually at the very start of the fight, in which Kong is dropped in the mighty lizards path, he slides down the mountain slope like a kid on a bob-sled, and crashes right into Godzilla, sending him rolling backward like a bolder. I really love seeing their distinct fighting styles on display, like Kong throwing boulders, which Godzilla reflects with his tail. The two actors in the monster suits pull off some credible stunts, although there are some amusing moments in which the two look like their trying to hug each other to death. There’s a sudden piece of stop motion added in for Godzilla to perform a drop-kick, which is great. Then there’s a hilarious establishing shot with both monsters fighting off in the distance, and it looks like a kid playing with his toy action figures. There’re also some brutal moments, like Kong getting his face smashed into a rock, and Godzilla getting a tree shoved down his throat. Now, Godzilla has the advantage that he can breathe fire, so the writers had to come up with new things for Kong to do in order to stand a chance. Thus, in this film, King Kong gains strength through lightning bolts, and can store the electricity in his fists. It’s a bit outlandish for a giant gorilla, but I’ll except it. This is also when the battle gets the most exciting, as the surroundings are engulfed in flames, and the two get more aggressive. Of course, the most iconic image of the whole fight is seeing the two monsters demolish a Pagoda that’s caught in-between them.

  In the end, the two crash into the ocean, Kong resurfaces triumphant, and begins his long journey back home. It’s really one of those movies you just have to except for what it is, and that’s a cheesy, fun monster movie, which is something for viewers with personal tastes. I can imagine most common viewers writing this film off as a stupid waist of time, but if your someone with reserved fondness for goofy forms of entertainment, then do yourself a favor and check this out, because it’s campy fun at it’s most iconic. In fact, this movie did set the templet for all Godzilla movies moving forward, and thus, the longevity of the character can be attributed to this film ... so for better or worse, it really shaped the franchise. While the potential of a modern remake has the potential to be superior, this is still the campy monster mash to beat them all, and one that I still find a delight, but only on its own set terms.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1962 film “King Kong vs. Godzilla” … and continue to enjoy the movies you love.