King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

- Kingu Kongu tai Gojira
"You two are going to Farro Island and find me a genuine monster whether he exists or not!", 4 January 2006

Godzilla has escaped his icy prison and is making a beeline for Japan. No one seems to be capable of stopping his progress. In comes an enterprising businessman, Mr. Tako, who has heard rumors of a large monster on a nearby island. His plan is to have a couple of his men go to the island to get this giant beast and use it against Godzilla. The two men find the Farro Island and King Kong. Can Kong stop Godzilla, or will he also become a threat to Japan much like Godzilla?

Please note that my rating is based on the American version of the film. I would really like to see the original Japanese version and may seek it out. From what I've read, the American version cuts a lot of the comedy, especially from Mr. Tako, and inserts the U.N. television reports. Mr. Tako is the highlight of the movie for me, and more Mr. Tako would seem to only make things better. He's hilarious. The U.N. news reports are totally unnecessary. The announcers do little other than describe the upcoming action which the viewer is about to see. There's no real point in much of it.

Growing up in the late 60s / early 70s, King Kong vs. Godzilla was standard afternoon television viewing on one of the local channels. I seem to remember it playing a few times each year. And each time I couldn't wait to get home from school to see these two behemoths square off. While I no longer find the final fight scene the most enjoyable part of the movie, it's still one of the best encounters Toho filmed. But the fight scene no longer works for me the way it once did and I no longer consider King Kong vs. Godzilla the best film Toho ever made (for the record, I now go with either Matanga or Rodan).

6/10