Kingu Kongu no Gyakushû |
  • Japan / USA • 1967 • 104m •   • Directed by: Ishirô Honda. • Starring: Rhodes Reason, Mie Hama, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada, Hideyo Amamoto, Yoshifumi Tajima, Sachio Sakai, Susumu Kurobe, Nadao Kirino, Tôru Ibuki, Kazuo Suzuki, Ryûji Kita, Yasuhisa Tsutsumi. • Music by: Akira Ifukube.     When a mechanical replica of King Kong is unable to dig for the highly radioactive Element X at the North Pole, the evil Doctor Who and his sponsor Madame Piranha decide to kidnap the real Kong. As an insurance policy they kidnap Lt. Susan Miller as well as her boyfriend Lt. CommanderJiro Nomura and Cmdr. Carl Nelson (Kong developed a crush on Susan when she Nomura and Nelson visited the Kong at his home on Mondo Island). Kong later escapes and heads for Tokyo. Susan and the others also escape. Who and his minions follow him and activate Mechani-Kong in order to recapture him. Susan is then grabbed by the robot and is taken to the top of Tokyo Tower and a battle ensues.
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Review:
Finally, Rankin-Bass consented to this film, featuring Dr. No. No, not the Bond villain, but a character from the cartoon, here played by Hideyo "Eisei" Amamoto, who you may know as Dr. ShinigamiDeathgod from Kamen Rider. His voice is from Paul Frees, who listeners will recognize from many a RankinBass holiday special. Interestingly enough, the German distributor of Toho's movies often used Dr. Frankenstein's name to sell these new monsters, claiming that he was creating all of them. So in Deutschland, the doctor goes by Dr. Frankenstein to try and tie all of these together. What does this have to do with the Frankenstein monster in Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965) and his spawn in War of the Gargantuas (1966)? Absolutely nothing, thanks for asking!
Dr. Who's boss is Madame Piranha, who works for an undisclosed country that wants weapons. She's played by Mie Hama, who would go on to play Kissy Suzuki in You Only Live Twice (1967). Dr. No has invented a mechanical Kong that malfunctions just before getting that oh-so elusive Element X. Instead of rebuilding the robobeast, No decides he needs the real Kong. Again, you may ask why. You are permitted after all. However, I have no answer for you. These things just happen in these films and you shouldn't be watching a kaiju movie if you're looking for logic, dear reader.
Meanwhile, Carl Nelson — our hero — and his sub get to Mondo Island, where Kong lives. Almost instantly, Kong falls in love with Fay Wray analogue Lt. Susan Watson and prepares to fight Gorosaurus (who shows up again in the greatest of all Toho movies, 1968s Destroy All Monsters!). For some reason, this beast fights like a kangaroo, but Kong gives him a headlock takeover and demonstrates a kaiju form of MMA ground and pound, punching the rubbery dino again and again until a giant mutant Big John McCarthy moves him away. Just kidding. Kong beats his chest, picks up the girl and the humans just watch and wonder what to do next. They find a very Commander Scarlet mini-sub and Kong gives chase, finally being delayed by a sea monster.
Actually, come to think of it, Carl Nelson is thisclose to Admiral Nelson, commander of the mini-sub Seaview on the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-1968). Coincidence?
Here's why I love this movie. In this scene, Kong's head has grown to way larger than before proportion. Continuity be damned, by the next scene, as he catches up to the big sub, his head is back to normal and his eyes are not bugging out. Everyone finally figures out that Kong will listen to Susan and all is as well as it can be when you're dropping anchor off Mondo Island, which one assumes is relatively close to Monster Island.
Review by BandSAboutMovies from the Internet Movie Database.
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