KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1962) *** ½
Some purists were pissed at this movie because King Kong was played by a man in a suit, but if you’re a die hard Godzilla fan, you won’t care. It’s his first movie in color and it’s one of Godzilla’s best.
The movie opens up with a random ass quote from Hamlet (!) then the story begins. Godzilla busts out of an iceberg and sets his sights on Japan. King Kong on the other hand is living it up on “Pharaoh Island” and fights it out with a giant octopus. He gets shanghaied by two scheming publicity men, but wakes up aboard their boat and goes storming off to Japan where he derails a train. The army dopes him up with some berries and airlifts him over to Mt. Fiji to battle Godzilla apeo y reptilo.
Universal released this here in the states and added scenes with American actors, put in their usual Creature from the Black Lagoon music and changed the ending so that Kong wins. (Of course Godzilla wins in the Japanese version.) Godzilla specialist Inoshiro Honda directed. Toho Studios later gave Kong his own semi-sequel, King Kong Escapes.
The movie opens up with a random ass quote from Hamlet (!) then the story begins. Godzilla busts out of an iceberg and sets his sights on Japan. King Kong on the other hand is living it up on “Pharaoh Island” and fights it out with a giant octopus. He gets shanghaied by two scheming publicity men, but wakes up aboard their boat and goes storming off to Japan where he derails a train. The army dopes him up with some berries and airlifts him over to Mt. Fiji to battle Godzilla apeo y reptilo.
Universal released this here in the states and added scenes with American actors, put in their usual Creature from the Black Lagoon music and changed the ending so that Kong wins. (Of course Godzilla wins in the Japanese version.) Godzilla specialist Inoshiro Honda directed. Toho Studios later gave Kong his own semi-sequel, King Kong Escapes.