The US version features clunky news segments that spell out the spectacle, but when the two kaijus are pitted like pro-wrestlers with comical moves, the movie somewhat works on a childlike level with its reliance on rear projection and miniature toys.
Review #3,028
Dir. Ishiro Honda & Thomas Montgomery
1963 | Japan, USA | Action, Adventure, Fantasy | 91min | 2.35:1 | English & Japanese
Not rated – likely to be PG
Cast: Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yu Fujiki, Ichiro Arishima, Jun Tazaki
Plot: The advertising director of a pharmaceutical company seeks to boost the ratings of their sponsored TV program by capturing the legendary monster King Kong just as Godzilla re-emerges.
Awards: –
Distributor: Toho / Universal
Accessibility Index
Subject Matter: Moderate – Monsters Battle; Sensationalism & Spectacle
Narrative Style: Straightforward
Pace: Normal
Audience Type: Mainstream
Viewed: Criterion Blu-ray
Spoilers: No
It was a matter of time before Godzilla took on King Kong. Pitted like a wrestling match between two old foes and televised with unapologetic sensationalism, King Kong vs. Godzilla was wildly popular on both continents and presented in two different versions.
It is the English-dubbed version from Universal that this review is based on—well, apparently, that is the version featured on Disc Two of the Criterion Showa-Era set. (I later learnt that the Japanese original was featured on the disc with supplements.)
Professional wrestling was a cultural phenomenon in Japan during the ‘50s and ‘60s. As such, the film treats Godzilla more comically with moves that you’ll be surprised to see a kaiju do. King Kong similarly has moves to show, though he prefers tormenting his opponent with rocks.
King Kong vs. Godzilla is quite well set up for its kind of film. I love those scenes on Farou Island, where Kong lives, as the busy natives find that the best way to tame the giant ape is to get him drunk on some red berry juice, accompanied by tribal drums that lull him into a deep sleep.
“Find me a genuine monster, if it exists or not!”
With a generous use of miniatures (those toy tanks, trucks, and even people are shoddily hilarious…) and rear projection, the filmmakers combine a myriad of techniques and special optical effects to create a sense of scale and tension.
It’s not always successful, of course, but it’s not difficult to go along with it. Those 1v1 monster battles, while amusing, should satisfy the child in you. It was also the first time a Godzilla movie was in colour, so they just got to have some matte shots of Mount Fuji.
The US version features television news segments, often inserted jarringly, that inform audiences about what’s happening and where these creatures are located. Talk about eagerly dumbing down to American viewers.
Grade: B–
Trailer:
Music:
Eternality Tan 