King Kong contre Godzilla

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 I'd wager that it has more wit than at first glance.

The film deliberately sets out to satirize the corporate nature of Japanese TV industry and the ridiculous lengths they'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 "sponsor" 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, "Who is stronger, King Kong or Godzilla", only to be refuted "This isn't a wrestling match!" 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. It'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 it's own premise.

The only thing that dampers this aspect of the film is how the satire isn't fully carried throughout the entire film. There isn't any severe consequences the character's actions unlike those from the first Mothra, or Mothra vs. Godzilla. Further exploration into Tako's desire to exploit Kong would have also made the satire stronger. Still, the elements found in Sekizawa's script and Honda's direction gives the film a bit more depth and is a step up over it'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.

With 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 isn'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, Kong's unattractive look works in giving him a distinct personality as the scrappy underdog constantly being bullied by Godzilla.

But if there is one thing that makes this the superior version is the musical score from Akira Ifukube. From the opening cues to Godzilla's iconic theme, it really brings it all together. I'd place Ifukube's Kong theme alongside Max Steiner'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. It's just too much fun not to enjoy.

A pharmaceutical company head is not happy with the television ratings and wants to boost it with the help of a giant monster at Faro Island which is none other than King Kong. Meanwhile, an American submarine named Seahawk crashes into an iceberg freeing Godzilla. As Godzilla moves towards Japan, even King Kong is being brought to Japan. Circumstances make way for an unplanned wrestling match between King Kong and Godzilla. Who emerges as the winner and what new lesson Japanese learn out of this battle, forms rest of the story.

For all the hype, it's fascinating to see the makers pull this off back in 1962. The human characters especially the the pharmaceutical company head was cartoonish and over the top. It is when the monsters are introduced that film gets interesting and the gigantic octopus scene with Kong stood out. King Kong capturing a girl is again repeated here for a brief period, before setting him on the path of Godzilla. However the electricity powering Kong was not something I could get onboard with and it happens twice. Barring that, the film is all about the wrestling match and the humans picking their sides without betting. All in all, it delivers on the fun and is a decent watch.

Like Mothra, here also, Toho produces a movie that criticizes nuclear war and consumerism at the same time but on a whole another level. Bringing the most famous monsters together, one from Hollywood and one from Japan, it was really a huge event even back then. The first half of the story in the monster part is similar to both monsters' first outing but the human element is a pharmaceutical company using monsters for advertisement. Initially, I thought the humor element there was simply like a comic relief moment but the movie manages to be hilarious throughout. The King Kong suit design itself is very whacky. Then when the final battle ensues, it's just two people in rubber suits wrestling and throwing props at each other. The whole battle is just stupid and hilarious. The initial Island rituals and music were actually engrossing but with the cigarette gift to the blackface kids it is consistently funny. Even though there's so much stupidity in this movie, a lot of it is clearly intentional and they know what the audience wants. Even all the posters are hilarious. Still, better than the modern Hollywood version.

Let's get the bad news out of the way first, because this movie is not without weaknesses. One of those weaknesses, regrettably, is King Kong. It's not that the giant ape looks completely awful, but there are definitely some aspects of the design that are less than great: I understand the reason for having two different sets of arms for the suit, but the differences are glaringly apparent and look goofy; whenever we see close-ups of Kong's face, or the face requires some special movement or expression, it raises a skeptical eyebrow; the suit at large kind of looks patchy, as if the yak hair was applied and/or dyed unevenly. Some similar critiques apply to the Godzilla suit worn by Nakajima Haruo, but not to the same extent, and whenever Kong actor Hirose Shoichi is directed to run about waving his arms in the air, suffice to say that it doesn't come off well. Speaking of appearances, there is a lot of native exploitation going on with the indigenous people of Kong's home, Faro Island, and not of the sort that speaks to the major themes that informed 1933's 'King Kong,' nor the 1976 remake to come. There's also something extra icky about the brownface that the Japanese extras wear to portray said islanders. Of course that Pacific landmass is where we first meet Kong, and he's not alone; for all the inventiveness of the other megafauna, however, the fabricated practical effects that are employed to further represent it are bizarrely, gauchely subpar, and outdated by at least about ten years. And as one additional notable shortcoming, there are a few points where the writing very decidedly takes some shortcuts - declining sensible beats so that Movie Magic can move us toward the titular showdown. We know Toho's kaiju can do better, but here we are.

Yet while such matters come to our attention and absolutely merit discussion, none of them are so severe as to critically diminish the lasting value. Based on everything I had read of the film before watching I quite anticipated it to be a wholly preposterous romp, and at that probably a rather middling one; imagine my surprise when it turned out to be significantly better than I could have hoped! In fact, of any King Kong flicks that had been made from Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's essential progenitor, through to the tawdry 'King Kong lives' of 1986, this might be second only to the original; moreover, it surely is a surprisingly worthy entry in the enormous Godzilla franchise, too. There is some outright ridiculousness here, certainly, earning some laughs whether intentionally or not: the extra animated performance that Arishima Ichiro gives as Mr. Tako, the (literal) position Kong finds himself in before the climactic fight, some moments in the battles between the two colossi, and so on. There are also some creative choices made here and there which are just plain curious, provoking an unexpected reaction one way or another, and some less sure-footed contributions do occasionally rear their heads in most regards. Far more than not, however, 'King Kong vs. Godzilla' is astonishingly well made, and astonishingly earnest. This isn't merely some kooky, outlandish genre blast, but a carefully crafted kaiju picture that also happens to be marked with some imperfections. And I kind of love it.

I have to hand it to composer Ifukube Akira: he didn't need to go as hard as he did; all he had to do was compose a suitable complementary score that incorporated recognizable phrases. Well beyond that minimum, the main theme that first greets us over the opening credits is immediately grabbing, and he had my full attention before the story even began. That story, with exceptions, is gratifyingly well-written, from the undercurrents of satirizing contemporary television and marketing, to the silent nod to a prior Godzilla installment; from small character traits that are later woven back into the narrative in meaningful ways, to the broad strokes of the titans' respective entries into the saga, and where humans fit into the proceedings. The scene writing, too, is marvelously strong, and filmmaker Honda Ishiro demonstrates perfectly solid direction. To much the same end, Tsuburaya Eiji's oversight of the effects produced terrific results, and for that matter the visuals at large are outstanding. Yes, the kaiju suits bear faults, but the sets and miniatures are a wonderful sight for sore eyes, and all the practical effects are a joy; at their best Godzilla and King Kong do look pretty swell, the fight sequences are excellent, and even the consideration for lighting is quite welcome. Editor Kaneko Reiko is to be commended for some extra shrewd work, and Koizumi Hajime's cinematography is smart and vivid even through the slight variations in image quality that come with the most commonly available copies of the Japanese version. The human cast don't necessarily stand out all that much (Arishima aside), but all involved give fine performances to help bring the feature to life.

It has some flaws, and it sounds outwardly silly. Real skill and intelligence went into this production, however, and the final product reflects the care and passion of all who participated. Just as some moments are more questionable, some tidbits of rather brilliant - and regardless of how much we might scrutinize the whole affair, I don't think there's much arguing that it's roundly engaging, entertaining, and satisfying. I sat to watch with expectations that were mixed to low, and I for one am very pleased with just how good 'King Kong vs. Godzilla' actually is. It might not be a title one needs to go out of their way to see, but whether you're an especial fan of either monster or just looking for something fun it's well worth checking out, and I'm happy to give this (Japanese version) my enthusiastic recommendation!

The script is good and you can see a lot of events in the movie. After watching the film, I learned that Ishiro Honda is a amazing director. What I didn't like was working with this graphics and effect maybe it was good in a short time, but I've seen it now nor can I say that there are no badly done scenes in the film. In short, the film is better than I expected and good for its time!