A (Very) Brief History of Godzilla and King Kong
Do your homework before their latest matchup.
In just under one week, Godzilla v. Kong will finally be released in theaters (and simultaneously HBO Max) after many COVID-related delays. After years of waiting, their latest bout in finally here.
Not ready? Haven’t seen any of the dozens of films that led to this great international crossover? Here’s a (very) brief history of the two monsters, with some homework assigned for some essential viewing before you can appreciate their latest matchup.
King Kong (1933)
A film crew discovers the “eighth wonder of the world,” a giant prehistoric ape, and brings him back to New York, where he wreaks havoc.
“It’s kind of wonderful to be known for a picture that is well loved.”
Fay Wray, the original Ann Darrow and the original Scream Queen
The original King Kong is arguably the grandest and most epic black and white film ever made. A stunning adventure film, it’s speckled with romance, horror, science fiction, and early animation, (maybe the best stop motion ever put to film — at the very least the most influential. )
To work, the film needs to be as extravagant as the titular beast and it delivers in every possible way. Considering that movies had only had sound for about five years, the filmmaking achievement here is legendary.
If you haven’t seen the original Kong, make sure you do before seeing the latest installment. You owe it to yourself. It will be like nothing you see in the theater next week — in the best possible way.
Is this assigned for homework? Mandatory.
Son of Kong (1933)
Beleaguered adventurer Carl Denham returns to the island where he found King Kong.
Quick to cash in on the multi-million dollar success that easily won the box office, the sequel got fast-tracked and was released in the same year. But how do you have sequels if Kong is dead? Well, Son of Kong!
The movie’s measly 70 minute run time is a good metaphor for the film itself. It’s shorter than the original, Kong is smaller, the thrills are little and few, and the entire film is dwarfed by its predecessor.
That is not to say, however, that it is completely devoid of character. With a charm only a 30’s film can provide coupled with the quick runtime, it does breeze by without much concern.
Is this assigned for homework? Get to it if you want to.
Godzilla (1954)
Japan is thrown into a panic after several ships explode and are sunk near Odo Island. An expedition to the island led by paleontologist Professor Kyohei Yemani soon discover something more devastating than imagined in the form of a 50 meter tall monster whom the natives call Gojira. Now the monster begins a rampage that threatens to destroy not only Japan, but the rest of the world as well.
“While it might be tempting to dismiss Godzilla as merely another ‘giant monster destroys a big city movie, it is a much more important film than that.”
Ben Mankiewicz, host of Turner Classic Movies
Those who like their giant monsters rock ’em, sock ’em should probably look elsewhere (see: Kong: Skull Island), but you may also be surprised to see the deft touch the film has when it comes to its social commentary.
Godzilla (or Gojira, as he was originally known) is used here as almost a backdrop, as a metaphor for the atomic bombs that had been dropped on Japan less than a decade before. But the conversations, moral dilemmas, and international ethics are the real star here — and the scariest part too. It’s a lot darker when the humans are way scarier than the giant monster. That’s why the ’33 and ’05 Kong films work. And this one does it so well. There’s a great balance here between monster rampage and human morality.
Is this assigned for homework? Another why-haven’t-you-seen-this-yet, you-can’t-possibly-see-the-new-film-without-seeing-this-first pick!
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
Eric Carter of United Nation News reports on the emergence of Godzilla just as a Japanese pharmaceutical company seeks publicity with a monster of their own. New footage with American actors was inserted along with several scenes deleted, altering the narrative structure and comedy of the original to center around a UN news report not present in the original.
Only watch this if you feel the need to compare the two creatures first fight to their latest, it unfortunately isn’t worth much more than that.
The titular fight is fun enough, but it’s also just them screaming at each for 15 minutes and it’s a wreck on the ears.
Is this assigned for homework? If you dare.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
A prophecy is discovered on the statue of an Okinawan guardian stating a monster will emerge to destroy the Earth. Godzilla soon appears, seeming to fulfill the prophecy. But not all is what it seems when a second Godzilla emerges to challenge this notorious doppelgänger.
The general consensus is that Mechagodzilla can be spotted in the Godzilla v. Kong trailer. Perhaps Godzilla will make amends with Kong to save the Earth from his mechanical counterpart? Well, we can only hope.
In the meantime, if you want to watch Mechagodzilla’s first movie, look no further. Lacking the skill of the previous installments in the Gojira franchise, this 14th film in the series is better known as an exercise in science fiction insanity. Complete with another creature, King Caesar, this movie finds its strengths in the fantastic and in the fun.
Separately, there have been over 30 Japanese entries into the Godzilla franchise and the history for that is deep and dense, so let this (begrudgingly) serve as a representative of that list. One film cannot replace over almost 70 years of movie making, but you can branch off as you see fit.
Is this assigned for homework? Make sure you watch some other Toho entries even if you skip this one.
King Kong (1976)
In this remake of the 1933 classic, an oil company expedition disturbs the peace of a giant ape and brings him back to New York to exploit him.
Despite being a remake of the ’33 film, the ’76 Kong has its own unique qualities. It’s almost completely disregarded in the modern day, but exciting cinematography, skillful performances (including Jessica Lange’s debut), and really playful special effects give this version its own unique flavor.
Producer Dino De Laurentiis is known for camp and he delivers in all the best ways here — giving Kong a playfulness that has been missing from recent installments, but seems to be back in the latest.
Is this assigned for homework? Yes! Give this underrated classic its due.
King Kong Encounter (1986–2008)
“For 32 years, the original 1986 figure shook tram after tram of Universal guests (though in later years, the admittedly aging animatronic left them more literally shook than emotionally.” Theme Park Tourist
Kong lived live and in the flesh at Universal Studios Hollywood (and later Florida) for over 20 years as a part of the iconic backlot tram tour. The animatronic impressed park-goers in the 80’s but that same robot monkey was less impressive into the 21st century, particularly after the ’05 remake.
A fire on the lot destroyed the Eighth Wonder of the World in 2008, but Kong continues to terrify guests in the park — now as a part of King Kong 3D 360, put together by the Peter Jackson crew after his version. It’s a favorite of mine.
Is this assigned for homework? No! It burned up in a fire. Watch it on YouTube if you want.
Godzilla (1998)
When a freighter is viciously attacked in the Pacific Ocean, a team of experts — including biologist Niko Tatopoulos and scientists Elsie Chapman and Mendel Craven — concludes that an oversized reptile is the culprit. Before long, the giant lizard is loose in Manhattan, destroying everything within its reach. The team chases the monster to Madison Square Garden, where a brutal battle ensues.
“That movie became the poster child for what was wrong with Hollywood. Excess in budget and marketing style over substance. You remember the billboards. Unfortunately for that movie the ad campaign was a lot better than the movie itself. It was one of those projects people jumped on hating.” Hank Azaria
Fresh off the heals of what was nearly a billion dollar success in 1996’s Independence Day, director Roland Emmerich took the reins on the first Hollywood Godzilla film — which had been bouncing around in pre-production for years. Knowing that Emmerich is not one for subtlety, I’m not exactly sure what audiences expected when it hit the big screen in the summer of ‘98.
Independence Day should have been indicative of what was to come. In fact, the two films are very similar — Independence Day could be a Godzilla film if he replaced the extraterrestrials. You follow scientists and politicians as they debate how best to tackle the never-before-seen monstrous threat before them. Structurally it’s very similar and obvious comparisons can be made, like blowing up the White House in one film and blowing up Madison Square Garden in another.
Gone are the days of Godzilla as a metaphor for atomic bombs — he is now literally a product of the bomb (remember, no subtlety allowed!) and with other inspirations clearly taken from Jurassic Park (with the uses of rain and shadows to create suspense while simultaneously covering up shortages in CGI — and don’t get me started on baby Godzillas basically being raptors), it seems as though Emmerich is trying to make a Best of the 90s mashup film instead of a Godzilla movie.
Is this assigned for homework? Absolutely not.
King Kong (2005)
In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with the leading lady.
Peter Jackson’s rendition of Kong is essentially the greatest fan film ever made. Jackson himself is quoted as saying:
“No film has captivated my imagination more than ‘King Kong.’ I’m making movies today because I saw this film when I was 9 years old.”
After the astronomical success of his Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson’s visual effects company Weta Digital boasted a massive infrastructure and reviving Kong seemed like the perfect way to show off their skills and their toys.
Add on Jackson’s love for the original and you get a great mix of old and new, classic and contemporary, that give this version its own unique life. One of my personal favorites, watch it if only for Andy Serkis’ motion capture performance.
Is this assigned for homework? Beware the three hour run time, but make it happen.
Godzilla (2014)
Ford Brody, a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe. Soon, both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when an ancient alpha predator arises from the sea to combat malevolent adversaries that threaten the survival of humanity. The creatures leave colossal destruction in their wake, as they make their way toward their final battleground: San Francisco.
The latest American rendition of Godzilla is serviceable, but essentially bland. I’m grateful for it opening the doors to the new MonsterVerse that will bring us Godzilla v. Kong next week. But unfortunately, both this film and the sequel, 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters, are both forgettable entries in this historic franchise.
Godzilla himself only appears in eight minutes of the bloated two hour runtime, and while I appreciate the effort to make him mysterious — the result is spending a lot of time with human characters without much to offer.
Is this assigned for homework? You can probably skip it and you’ll still be alright for the newest movie.
Shin Godzilla (2016)
When a massive, gilled monster emerges from the deep and tears through the city, the government scrambles to save its citizens. A rag-tag team of volunteers cuts through a web of red tape to uncover the monster’s weakness and its mysterious ties to a foreign superpower. But time is not on their side — the greatest catastrophe to ever befall the world is about to evolve right before their very eyes.
As is often the case, Japan’s Toho Studios released a Godzilla film right away that blew away the American effort. 29 films into their historic run and 60 years after the original, this reboot/remake starts over the continuity and sees Japan face Godzilla for the first time in the modern day.
This movie is largely about government red tape and it’s thrilling. While the monster destroys the city, we are (masterfully) stuck inside of conference rooms and offices as the politicians in charge of protecting us struggle with every move. The criticism of bureaucracy is harsh and steamy. They manage to make government inaction gripping. After watching the world’s governments deal with a global pandemic for the last year, it’s kind of interesting to see how the sausage gets made. Inside baseball for military strategies and financial collapse with a great dose of the title creature? What could get better than that?
Is this assigned for homework? Make it happen.
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Explore the mysterious and dangerous home of the king of the apes as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island.
The spirit of Kong: Skull Island is most likely to be the same spirit of Godzilla v. Kong: cheeky violence. And in this film, it’s so much fun!
What is better than B-movie schlock totally pulled off by A-listers? The skilled performances of Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, and John Goodman all give a credibility to the ridiculous world they find themselves in.
Stylish, fun, and totally nostalgic — don’t expect much more than an outrageous thrill ride.
Is this assigned for homework? To understand the MonsterVerse vibe the best, watch this one.
King Kong (2018–19)
“The epic modern myth comes alive on Broadway through an innovative mix of animatronics, puppetry, music and stagecraft! It’s 1931, the world is in the grip of the Great Depression, and New York City is a place of pressure, of desperation, but also of hope. King Kong is a gripping and spectacular story of unlikely friendship, unshakable courage, and breaking free from the cages others put us in.” King Kong on Broadway
If you missed live Kong in his brief Broadway run of only 323 performances, it looks as though you (and I) will never know. The show disappointingly never recorded a cast album of all the songs, and aside from the shameful bootleg recording and some B-roll, we don’t have much to go other than one song, the ballad “Full Moon Lullaby”, which seems to be the only song ever performed outside of the show.
Apparently we didn’t miss too much. Aside from the obvious praise for the 20-foot-high, 2,000-pound, puppeteer-operated gorilla, critics and audiences agreed Kong works better on the silver screen.
Is this assigned for homework? No. You can’t (legally) watch it anyway.
Must watch: King Kong (1933) and Godzilla (1954)
Make it happen: King Kong (1976), King Kong (2005), Shin Godzilla (2016), Kong: Skull Island (2017), and any other Toho film of your choosing.
Skip: Any other American installment and a majority of the Toho films — you don’t have the time!
Credit: Each plot synopsis comes from Letterboxd via TMDb.
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