Rank the King Kong Movies

[klen7]

Based on something MekaG3k said in another thread i thought i'd start this one up.. Here's a list of the live action films

King Kong (1933)
Son of Kong (1933)
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
King Kong Escapes (1967)
King Kong (1976)
King Kong Lives! (1986)
King Kong (2005)

[eabaker]

Hmmm... I guess my list would go something like...

1.) King Kong (1933) - Because, well, duh.

2.) King Kong vs. Godzilla - Honestly, if I were gonna be on a desert island with only one Kong movie, I might take this over the original, because, well, Godzilla. I dunno. They're such wildly different types of movies. I can't compare these. This is hard. Can I stop now? Oh, well, I guess the hard part's over, right.

3.) King Kong (1976) - Really? This is my third choice? I mean, yes, it is, absolutely, but... God, this is weird. No, but, yeah, I really like this movie. It's... it's its own thing. It's in some ways very true to the themes of exploitation (of people and natural wonders) as the original, though in some ways perhaps too self-consciously so. Except, too? No. Because that's what it's doing. It's a "OH GODZILLA! WHAT TERRIBLE LANGUAGE!" Lorenzo Semple Jr. script, and has to be viewed as such, you know? I dunno. It is what it is, and I kinda like it.

4.) King Kong Escapes - I dunno, does this go here? I really thought I was past the hard part of this list, but apparently not. There's stuff I really like in this movie, but I always lose interest by the end. But... there's stuff I really like.

5.) Son of Kong - What the Hell?! I mean, I totally think this is a better movie than either of the two that I placed above it... I think. Do I? I just don't like how much the ending bums me out, because it doesn't do it for any good, narrative reason. It's just like, "Hey, everybody like this little guy now? Okay, let's make you HURT!!! It's kinda mean.

6.) King Kong (2005) - A perefeclty okay remake. I have some problems with it - mostly with the third act working way to hard to try to force me to feel things that I could have totally ended up feeling, anyway. Stuff that the original made me feel with a much leass heavy-handed approach. It's not a bad movie - in some respects it's a pretty good one - but I just don't care if I never see it again.

7.) King Kong Lives! - I saw this once, when it was first released on VHS. I barely remember it. I don't think it was very good. I dunno, maybe I should watch it again and re-post. I might do that someday.

[jellydonut25]

1.) King Kong 33

2.) King Kong Escapes

3.) King Kong vs. Godzilla

4.) Son of Kong

5.) King Kong Lives

6.) King Kong '05

7.) King Kong '76

4-7 are more or less interchangeably crap to me. I suppose Son of Kong stands slightly above the others but it has one of the worst climaxes and finales in any movie...

[lhb412]

1. King Kong 1933
2. King Kong Escapes
3. King Kong vs. Godzilla
4. King Kong 2005
5. Son of Kong
6. King Kong Lives
7. King Kong 1976

Honestly, it's really a tie in '05 and Son of's case. They're both flawed movies I like elements of.

[klen7]

[DannyBeane]

KK 33
KKvsG
KKE
SoK
KK05
KK76
KKLIVES!

[Hybrid Gojira]

KK 33
KK vs G
KK Escapes
King Kong 05
KK 76
KK Lives


I'm leaving SoK off my list because it's been ages since I've seen it and I can't really place it. I actually don't mind KK 76 or Lives... They're not good movies but as a kid I found enjoyment in them.

[Psycho Soldier]

[kiryugoji04]

1. King Kong Escapes

Then everything else. Nothing else really matters by comparison.

[MekaGojira3k]

1. King Kong (2005)
2. King Kong Escapes
3. King Kong vs. Godzilla
4. King Kong (1933)
5. Son of Kong
6. King Kong Lives
7. King Kong (1976)

[metal_bryan]

1. King Kong vs. Godzilla
2. King Kong (1933)
3. King Kong (2005)
4. Son of Kong
5. King Kong Lives
6. King Kong (1976)

KKE is one of the few classic kaiju movies I have not seen. Going to be picking up the new release.

[MekaGojira3k]

[metal_bryan]

[klen7]

Its a fun movie. Also, Linda Miller ::swoon::

[H-Man]

I like eabaker's list, although I'd probably put Escapes just above the De Laurentiis movie. I could live without watching the Peter Jackson version or King Kong Lives ever again. In fact, I probably will. I only own Lives on video because it was a present from my dad when I was a little kid. As much as I loathe the movie, I just can't throw that tape out.

Edit: I forgot about Mighty Joe Young. Although it's not really a Kong movie, it's close enough that I feel like I need to include it. I'd put it fourth, between Escapes and King Kong (1976). I'm not including the remake, however, as I haven't seen that since the late '90s.

King Kong (33)
King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong Escapes
Mighty Joe Young
King Kong (1976)
Son of Kong
King Kong (2005)
King Kong Lives

[MouthForWar]

1933
King Kong vs. Godzilla (Japanese cut)
King Kong Escapes
Mighty Joe Young (taking a cue from Cody to mention this spiritual cousin of the original film)
Kong 2005
King Kong vs. Godzilla (US cut)
Son of Kong
Mighty Joe Young 98 (might as well)
Kong 1976
*long pause*
King Kong Lives
The Mighty Kong (lets see how many of you remembered this one!)

[metal_bryan]

[tbeasley]

King Kong | Son of Kong
King Kong 2005
King Kong vs. Godzilla | King Kong Escapes
King Kong 1976 | King Kong Lives

I usually watch them together like that, although I really don't care about the last pair.

[klen7]

[king_ghidorah]

King Kong (33)
King Kong Escapes
King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong (05)-Tied with King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong (76)
Son of Kong
King Kong Lives

[KaijuZoo]

[kiryugoji04]

Ugh, F•CK that movie. It's got some great miniature work but I can't get over the animal abuse.

[klen7]

You've mentioned that before, but i wasn't able to find anything on it? What's the story?

[kiryugoji04]

[Mac]

I for one love animal abuse, but hate sexism. My rankings reflect that.

King Kong Escapes
The Mighty Peking Man
King Kong vs Godzilla
King Kong (1933)

The two remakes aren't worth ranking.