King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). 1h 37m

“The original 1962 King Kong vs. Godzilla is a bit of a different beast from its 1963 American re-edit. It has rarely been seen outside of Japan and the way to view it (legally) is through the bonus disc on the Criterion set. It goes without say that this original version is superior but Iu0026#39;d wager that it has more wit than at first glance.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film deliberately sets out to satirize the corporate nature of Japanese TV industry and the ridiculous lengths theyu0026#39;d go to get good ratings. In this case, bring over an gigantic ape as a publicity stunt, which is accentuated by the character of Tako who goes out of his way to u0026quot;sponsoru0026quot; Kong. Even when the two monsters are brawling, Tako views it as an opportunity to make a profit as characters argue over who can beat who. They ask, u0026quot;Who is stronger, King Kong or Godzillau0026quot;, only to be refuted u0026quot;This isnu0026#39;t a wrestling match!u0026quot; Except it is. Indeed for anyone who has only seen the American version of the film, it will probably be a surprise just how self aware and humorous the original version is. Itu0026#39;s a blend of monster movie and comedy, through which Honda and Sekizawa have crafted a story that is an entertaining takedown of both commercialism and itu0026#39;s own premise.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe only thing that dampers this aspect of the film is how the satire isnu0026#39;t fully carried throughout the entire film. There isnu0026#39;t any severe consequences the characteru0026#39;s actions unlike those from the first Mothra, or Mothra vs. Godzilla. Further exploration into Takou0026#39;s desire to exploit Kong would have also made the satire stronger. Still, the elements found in Sekizawau0026#39;s script and Hondau0026#39;s direction gives the film a bit more depth and is a step up over itu0026#39;s Americanized version. The cast is also wonderfully comedic, with Ichiro Arishima as Tako giving a stand out comedic performance. His quirk and gestures are really entertaining and he is definitely one of the funniest characters in the franchise. Tadao Takashima and Yu Fujiki also work great off each other with their antics and even Kenji Sahara is given some funny moments.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWith that said, the battle between King Kong and Godzilla is one hell of a fight, the choreography between the two being very entertaining and creative. Speaking of Godzilla, the scenes with him are especially well done, still keeping sense of menace to him with people having genuine fear, even if the film implies some are cashing in on the frenzy. Overall the effects are nicely done with the film having some good miniature work. One of my personal favorite shots is that of Godzilla approaching the high tension wires. There are so many small details such as the houses illuminated from within, cars moving on the bridge, and a helicopter following close behind. Still there are some downsides in the effects, such as a few puppets and compositing shots along with Kong himself. To put it simply, Kong isnu0026#39;t his usual handsome self this time around and has got quite and ugly mug. However, given his state of inebriation by drinking berry juice, Kongu0026#39;s unattractive look works in giving him a distinct personality as the scrappy underdog constantly being bullied by Godzilla.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut if there is one thing that makes this the superior version is the musical score from Akira Ifukube. From the opening cues to Godzillau0026#39;s iconic theme, it really brings it all together. Iu0026#39;d place Ifukubeu0026#39;s Kong theme alongside Max Steineru0026#39;s score for the original. King Kong vs. Godzilla may not have the adventurous wonder of the original King Kong or the thematic potency of the original Godzilla, but it ultimately succeeds in being an all around entertaining film in its own right. Itu0026#39;s just too much fun not to enjoy.”