**1/2 Two Classics Return for Battle!

King Kong hasn’t been around for almost thirty years, Godzilla took an eight year break. Neither have ever been in color. Then somebody got a bright idea to pit these two classic monster fighters together. Through screwed up permission, Toho got the go to make a Japanese form of Kong, so he could fight their Godzilla.

Godzilla pops out of the iceberg he was frozen in for the past 8 years or so. King Kong returns in a berry-enhanced larger form. For some reason they are attracted to each other, wanting to fight. They come together, and Godzilla scares Kong off(don’t ask me how that’s possible). Kong goes to Tokyo, and obviously captures the main female character. She is saved, and Kong is transported to Mt. Fugi to face Godzilla. Because lightning came right on time, and Kong is strengthened by electricity but Godzilla is weak against it, King Kong beats up Godzilla and traps him underground(through a very convenient earthquake, don’t ask me how that’s possible either).

The main problem with this movie(other than an excessive amount of unexplainable stuff), is how they made it. The people who made King Kong got tricked into allowing them the use of the King Kong character, because Frankenstein wasn’t available at the time. Instead of doing the movie in classic stop motion, they made King Kong into just a guy in a gorilla suit. Obviously, it doesn’t look as good, in fact, it looks pathetic. He is at least in color for the first time, but seeing how he is obviously a dark brown, and Godzilla is still dark gray, the movie isn’t very colorful. On top of that, the special effects are again worse than the original "King Kong". The exeption is the octopus. It looks like the used a real octopus to do that part, which looks a lot more real than the one in "It Came from Beneath the Sea". The rest of it rather pathetic, expetialy the part were the natives are throwing spears against a movie screen.

The plot itself is full of holes. The American version tried to fill in the gaps, but the movie was already long gone. Then again, a bad explanation is better than no explanation. The American parts themselves tried to resemble a news program. It didn’t work, and it doesn’t look like any news show I ever watched. I’m not exactly sure if the sub part is American or not, but it has a lot of bad acting in it, plus a stupid part were the sub somehow hit a giant iceberg by "accident". There are parts in the Japanese segments that come off as just plain weird, especially in the part were they are on Faro island. It might be a generation gap, or just a bad plot, but they are some of the oddest scenes I have ever seen. You have to see it to understand.

However, the main fight between King Kong and Godzilla is spectacular. It remains one of the best fights in the series. It set a example for future movies. It is a true classic. Plus, if you like to laugh at a pathetic old movie, this is the most pathetic of them all. Some scenes, especially the satellite, are laugh out load hysterical. The real funny part comes from the fact that it wasn’t meant to be funny. If you love silly old movies, this one is the one for you. If you just like Godzilla, buy it anyways. You will be satisfied.

Good Parts

Terrific battle at end

It’s a classic

Hysterical(unless your a severe fan of Godzilla)

King Kong wins(if you were rooting for Kong)

Poor special effects

Bad politics

That is not King Kong(sound a little familiar)

Bad acting

Plot holes that Godzilla could fit in

Godzilla looses(if you were rooting for Godzilla)

Credits