El hijo de Kong

This was a pretty decent sequel to one of the greatest films of all time. Of course, when it first came out it was pretty much a flop. This was due to the fact that it had a lot to live up to, especially since it was released just a relatively short time after the original Kong was released. However, taken alone this film does hold up well as a nice little adventure film and for a change of pace the big ape is not a vicious and destructive creature, but rather a cute and gentle imp who when pushed is a fighter. Also, what is nice about this film is the fact that Denham gets the girl for a change. In the original he was too driven to have a relationship, but at least in this film you are allowed to see his softer side. This film, though not a classic like its predecessor, is still a great film.

If I hazarded a guess, I would say that Son Of Kong came about because David O. Selznick had a lot of leftover footage from the first film and that footage from King Kong did not go to waste when King Kong became the enormous hit it was. This was a sequel that almost demanded to be made.

Labor Day back in New York during my childhood could have been nicknamed Ape Day because inevitably WOR television which was the RKO station ran King Kong, Son Of Kong and Mighty Joe Young. The King, his offspring and Terry Moore's pet entertained a whole new generation of kids for years on that day.

After all the damage that King Kong wreaked upon New York and with everybody and his mother suing Robert Armstrong all the poor guy wants to do is get away from everything, especially process servers. He boards a tramp steamer back to the South Seas from whence he got King Kong. Along with him is Helen Mack who also has reasons to skip out of civilization.

They come upon Frank Reicher the captain who took them to King Kong's island along with John Marston. Interestingly enough the best part of the film is the mutiny led by Ed Brady and John Marston who understandably don't want any part of that island any more. Why this became such an issue for a proletarian uprising is beyond me, still I always get a great sense of satisfaction when the proletariat seaman decide they don't want a captain whether its Reicher or Marston and cast him adrift with the rest of the stranded castaways. It's one of the best examples of defending anarchism I've ever seen on the screen.

Of course on the island Armstrong, Mack and the rest meet up with a discontented native population who say things have gone to pot since their deity King Kong was taken away. Armstrong meets up with a 12 foot offspring of the 50 foot father and he bonds with the baby Kong. I've often wondered where Mama Kong was in all of this.

Anyway RKO made sure there would be no future Kong sequels, but for those who have never seen this film I'm not saying how. Even after over 70 years, King Kong and The Son Of Kong still have the power to entertain. These films will never date.

Brought out within the same year, the quickly handled sequel "The Son of Kong" would pale in comparison to its milestone original, but would remain enjoyably lightweight with a more prominent comic tone and consisting of a mildly robustness to the action. Too bad it just goes on to rush things, then actually thinking it out because the story isn't as compelling as it could have been. Little creativity shows, despite its stringy sub-plots. The story follows on from "King Kong", as promoter/producer Carl Denham finds himself in a lot of hot water for introducing Kong to New York. So to escape the lawsuits and reporters, he and the sea captain end heading out to sea. Although things change when they're told there's treasure on Skull Island, and before coming across this they encounter a miniature Kong.

After an amusing opening (Denham hiding out) it only goes on to feel like its slogging it out in an stretched out manner, until the lively nature picks up (when they reach Skull island --- which takes them quite awhile) and then it breezes by in no time. Kong's son doesn't have that menace and uncontrollable aggression like father… instead it has a child's temperament; curious, lovable and friendly. Due to that there's little in the way of dark moments and the suspense is faintly structured, with a more playful style winning out and these three stooges antics is even played up to the camera. *Shrug*. Nonetheless the interactions especially between Denham and baby Kong remains charming, if goofy. Even the wrestlemania between Kong and prehistoric beasties can be diverting, if lacking the punch. The likable Robert Armstrong, Frank Reicher and Victor Wong effortlessly reprise their roles. Helen Mack is okay as the female siren. Ernest B. Schoedsack's steadfast direction is measurably controlled due to obvious time/budget constrictions, but decent animation FX is used for Kong.

Son of Kong certainly is NOT in the same class as its predecessor King Kong. It lacks that film's inventiveness, creativity, dark mood, and overall horror, yet it is a fine film in its own right. Where King Kong was horrific, Son is charming. It never really takes itself quite as serious as Carl Denham and the captain from the first film leave New York for fear of lawsuits. They end up back on Skull Island with a cute stowaway(played convincingly by Helen Mack), the ship's cook(Victor Wong) and an unscrupulous captain. The better part of the film is the interaction with Robert Armstrong(as Denham again) and Mack with the pint-sized(in comparison to his daddy) Kong. Again we are given natives(briefly) and prehistoric creatures. Baby Kong is adorable and shows how he and his father were thinking creatures as opposed to the mechanical killing of giant reptiles. A nice little film!

I suspect it may have been started before KONG went into release, as even less than a year seems a short time between script and premiere.

Hounded by lawsuits after the destruction caused by Kong, Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) sets sail with his old captain in search of trade. Stopping off at a small island they drop in to watch a rather feeble show which presents the talents of Helen Mack. Following her father's killing in a drunken scrap, and the burning down of their show tent, she stows away on board the ship. Of course, the father's killer has been taken on also as he is the fellow who supplied the original chart for Skull Island and persuades the others of a fantastic treasure.

All this may sound like utter tripe, and to a certain extent it is. However, it is still quite an entertaining hour or so, with rather more comedy than before. There is the odd cheap-looking set and one or two rather bad spots of back-projection, but there is compensation in the trick work and a generous helping of monsters. Helen Mack, too was a decent, lively choice for the heroine, her good looks being unusual rather than conventionally attractive. Frank Reicher and Victor Wong repeat their roles in KONG, and Clarence Wilson has an effective few minutes as Mack's father.