A UN reporter covers the appearance of a prehistoric monster that emerges from hibernation, while a pharmaceutical company seeks publicity with a monster of their own.A UN reporter covers the appearance of a prehistoric monster that emerges from hibernation, while a pharmaceutical company seeks publicity with a monster of their own.A UN reporter covers the appearance of a prehistoric monster that emerges from hibernation, while a pharmaceutical company seeks publicity with a monster of their own.
Kenji Sahara
- Kazuo Fujita
- (as Keji Sahaka)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe unedited original Japanese version of the film remains the highest attended Godzilla film in Japan. It is also one of the most attended films of all time at the Japanese box office as well as the most successful live-action science fantasy film with admission numbers surpassing Hollywood blockbusters such as Star Wars and Avatar. To this day it remains as the 13th most attended film of all time in Japan. The heavily re-edited US version that inserted new actors and deleted several scenes from the original was just as much of a success at the US box-office as well.
- GoofsWhen being hauled around by the balloons, Kong's right leg is twisted around painfully and sticks out of him at an odd angle. When it cuts to the suit with an actor inside it, the leg is back to its normal shape.
- Crazy creditsIn the credits for the U.S. version, actor Kenji Sahara is listed as "Keji Sahaka."
- Alternate versionsThis USA version is re-edited from the Japanese original, King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), and is vastly different. New scenes featuring Eric Carter as a United Nations reporter were inserted for the USA version, replacing some footage from the Japanese release. Most of the comedy bits featuring Shôichi Hirose and Ichirô Arishima are deleted in favor of bland action, screeching to a halt U.N. news reports which are completely dissociated from the story. In the USA version, Harry Holcombe recites a ludicrous idea that Godzilla is a cross of a tyrannosaurus (while pointing to an allosaurus in a children's book) and a stegosaurus. Most of Ifukube's magisterial score is deleted and replaced with themes from the score of Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954).
- ConnectionsEdited from The Mysterians (1957)
Featured review
Director Ishiro Honda, who first brought The Big G to the screen in the brilliant 1954 film GOJIRA (re-edited in the US as Godzilla King of the Monsters) decided to scrap the heavy messages and themes of the original film when he made King Kong vs. Godzilla, however he does appeared to have had a great deal of fun making this goofy rubber monster classic. Godzilla breaks out of an iceberg he was imprisoned in and heads to knock down Tokyo. Meanwhile, a pharmaceutical company discovers King Kong on an island full of Japanese actors in blackface playing the natives (!) and the flamboyant CEO decides to bring Kong to Japan as a publicity stunt. The government decides to pit the two titans against each other on the top of Mount Fuji in the climatic scene of the movie. Much of this film is film is intentionally goofy, particularly the island scenes. The screenwriters decided that electricity makes King Kong stronger, but it weakens Godzilla (to make sure it would be a fair fight). Honda also put in several homages (parodies) to the original 1933 King Kong. The final battle on Mount Fuji is similar to watching WWF wrestling, except better, because they're wearing monster suits. If you want a film with epic romance and sweeping drama, you should watch Gone With the Wind, but if you're in the mood for campy monsteriffic fun like only the Japanese can do, watch this.
- Brave Sir Robin
- Aug 6, 2004
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Die Rückkehr des King Kong
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $200,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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