5. King Kong vs Godzilla (1963)
Only the third movie in the series, King Kong vs. Godzilla is not only an incredibly fun movie, it’s also rich with interesting history with regards to its inception. Back-stabbings, false endings and a terrible Americanisation are just a few elements that make the behind-the-scenes production a fascinating read.
But looking at the film itself, King Kong vs. Godzilla is a brilliant ride. And not just because it’s The King of the Monsters facing off against The Eighth Wonder of the World.
If you can track down the Japanese language version of the movie (you’ll have to watch a bootleg as there is no subtitled release available), King Kong vs. Godzilla is a brilliant parody of the commercialisation that was sweeping Japan in the early 60s, as a pharmaceutical company kidnaps King Kong from his island and brings him back to Japan to be their mascot. But when Godzilla shows up, the head of the company is upset that The King of the Monsters is stealing all of his headlines. It all culminates in a brilliant fight between King Kong and Godzilla with some excellent suitmation work and miniature design. The King Kong suit isn’t much to look at and Tomoyuki Tanaka’s desires to appeal to a younger audience do hold the movie back somewhat, but King Kong vs. Godzilla is a lot of fun.
The American release of the movie is unintentionally hilarious, but still worth a watch. Even if it’s just to see a dinosaur expert get his evidence from a children’s book.
Originally published May 14, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
