TALKBACK #3: King Kong vs. Godzilla

[Jorzilla]

I just realized this today, but watching the Japanese version of King Kong vs. Godzilla was the last item on my Godzilla-movie bucket list. This is a strange feeling.

[jellydonut25]

[Jorzilla]

[tbeasley]

My Honda Godzilla marathon before the new movie continues with the US cut of King Kong vs. Godzilla. This is the only version of the film I've seen so whenever I do see the original I'm sure it'll be a jarring experience. Honestly I've never been big on this entry, I like the idea of Kong vs. Godzilla and I see how it influences later (and for me, better) films in the series but I imagine when I do see the original some things will still rub me the wrong way.

I think a lot of the Farou Island scenes are odd. Some are simply products of being made in the 1960s (dark skin paint for the natives, handing out cigarettes) but the treatment of animals real and fake has bothered me even as a kid. The poor lizard is swung around, thrown off a cliff and then shot. And then you have using a real octopus to bring a monster life, something I see as rather disappointing (and awful - don't get me started on slurpasaurs).

The train sequence involving Godzilla is a good one until Fumiko flops around like a dying salmon in a creek while Godzilla approaches, only to be rescued by her boyfriend. It's good to know women would be given better roles in further installments.

So that's about it. I do enjoy the movie, the final battle is very entertaining, I just don't find it as strong as other films in the 60s like Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah, Astro-Monster, etc. Or maybe I just need to see the Japanese version.

[Goji 84]

[GFan]

So, I finally got to see Jû jin yuki otoko (subtitled, no less!!!), and just happened to watch KKvsG right after...

Has anyone else noticed how similar MONSTER SNOWMAN's suit is to King Kong in KKvsG!? It looks to me as if they used the same costume, and just reworked the head. Maybe I'm just crazy, but that could explain why the KK suit looks so crappy and un-gorilla like. It kind of blew my mind.

[MekaGojira3k]

They look really similar, but I think the Kong is new. I'm guessing just because I doubt a suit made in 55' survived well enough into 1962 to be used.
I really love the Half-Human costume, though. Easily the best Ape-like costume they did.

[Geno]

I really love the comedic approach to this movie. Differentiates it well enough from the other Godzilla movies from the time.

[Hybrid Gojira]

I haven't seen the Japanese version of this film in a while, but I did watch the dubbed version tonight.

I like the voices in the dub - they suit all the characters well. The American cut offers some really frustrating - and unintentionally hilarious - additional scenes. The over-explanation of EVERYTHING in the film is really frustrating, but some of it is worth some laughs if you can run with it that way. Godzilla initial landfall scene feels neutered from what I remember about the Japanese version - Ifukube's score is greatly missed in that specific sequence. Godzilla's appearance, the scene where he falls into the pit, and Kong's short rampage in the city are well staged. And yes, the suits for both monsters are bad. Kong looks terrible and the Godzilla suit is a little too bulky at times - you can see the costume folds. I do like the G design from some angles, but from others he look kinda derpy. Still, there are some GREAT moments in this film, namely Kong stuffing a tree down Godzilla's throat and the destruction of the castle at the very end. It's still a middle of the road Godzilla movie for me.

[Dr Kain]

I don't mind the English version, but I feel it takes the movie down a few pegs thanks to the awful exposition news scenes and the music. Unfortunately, after getting the BD from Universal, the video quality is just so much better that I would rather watch that version over the Region 2 DVD I have, and deal with the news scenes.

Thankfully, Tako is awesome in both versions.

[Hybrid Gojira]

[lhb412]

I don't think the Americanization deserves the bad rap it's gotten. If anything, it often substitutes the Japanese version's intentional comedy for unintentional comedy. Your mileage may vary.

The worst thing they do is remove what is one of Ifukube's best scores.

[walshiam]

I'm a HUGE Ifukube fan, however, Universal's stock scores actually benefited the action scenes quite well.

[Hybrid Gojira]

I actually like a lot of the early Godzilla dubs - the stuff released in the 90's/00's is mostly terrible by comparison (at least when comparing the quality of the voice actors).

I'd agree with Walsh that Universal's music is fine here...actually I think it works pretty well.

[jellydonut25]

[Dr Kain]

My problem with the Universal music is not the music itself, but where it is used. The Creature from the Black Lagoon theme is NOT battle music. As such, it hampers the energy from the fight between Kong and Godzilla.

The 85 cut is atrocious. They completely ****ed up the scenes with the Russian commander as it is an insult to hi's sacrifice and to the writers of the movie. Toho did the right thing by keeping both parties neutral and then the dumbasses at New World had to go and be funny, thinking changing this to make the Russians evil was a good thing. **** YOU NEW WORLD!!!!!!

2000 is the only movie that was done properly.

[walshiam]

It wasn't the battle that was the focus of the scenes. It was the monsters themselves. That's what makes the Universal music so fitting for tis film. They were masters of thrill through their music long before Ifukube was. The monster music from the 40's and 50's was as much a spookfest as the monsters themselves and was every bit as mood setting.

[jellydonut25]

[Dr Kain]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Dr Kain]

[Benjamin Haines]

[Psycho Soldier]

[kiryugoji04]

I'm not sure how often the art forum is frequented or not these days but I wanted to cross-post this commissioned painting of 1962 Kong I just finished the other day because I'm pretty proud of it.

[Jared]