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Title: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Michael Keith | ... | Eric Carter | |
| Harry Holcombe | ... | Dr. Johnson | |
| James Yagi | ... | Yutaka Omura | |
| Tadao Takashima | ... | Osamu Sakurai | |
| Kenji Sahara | ... | Kazuo Fujita (as Keji Sahaka) | |
| Ichirô Arishima | ... | Mr. Tako | |
 |
Yû Fujiki | ... | Kinsaburo Furue |
| Byron Morrow | ... | Dr. Arnold Johnson | |
|
|
Jun Tazaki | ... | General Masami Shinzo |
| Akihiko Hirata | ... | Dr. Shigezawa | |
| Mie Hama | ... | Fumiko Sakurai | |
|
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Yoshifumi Tajima | ... | Captain of Fujita's Ship - Japanese version only |
| Akiko Wakabayashi | ... | Tamiye | |
| Akemi Negishi | ... | Chikiro's Mother (Dancing Girl) | |
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Yoshio Kosugi | ... | Farou Island Chief |
(Re-edited US Version) Eric Cater, a reporter for the United Nations, reports on a submarine which collides with an iceberg and frees Godzilla. The news of this soon leads to Mr. Tako, the chairman of a pharmaceutical company, to seek a monster of his own to generate publicity. He sends out an expedition to Farou Island where they discover the god of the island in the form of King Kong. The giant ape is capture and returned to Japan, upon which it escapes and heads off on a collision course straight towards Godzilla. The two rivals soon clash in a giant climatic battle. Written by Scott Hutchins <scottandrewh@home.com>
Any insults and accusations hurled against this beloved movie will fall on deaf ears with me. Admittedly, I am somewhat biased in favor of this entertaining monster romp because it was a regular television staple all during my childhood while I was growing up. It's one of the most enjoyable giant monster movies Toho Studios ever made, and it's certainly one of the best Godzilla films of all. It can be silly, it can be jokey, and it's also a hell of a lot of fun.
I have seen both the U.S. Version and the Japanese Version, and I'll have to confess that while this review will be based on the proper Asian edition, I also have a nostalgic fondness for the American Cut, which actually benefits from some added jokes ("When you and the monster meet, be sure to tell him all about your corn problems!") and the exciting Universal stock music which compliments much of the action.
Godzilla was still a bad guy at this point in time, and I'm among the group who considers his costume here my personal favorite (it was very much like the Aurora model kit, or maybe it was the other way around). It's not very original to bash the obvious awful King Kong suit, so I'll say that while it's definitely kind of ragged, I actually think it's appealing in its unusual weirdness. Kong is more or less painted as the heroic one of these two, and I have to tell you that I absolutely love that native song of worship which is chanted at him by the island dwellers who dance and pray on his home turf. I appreciate it even more when it's used as the title credits music in the Toho version.
The story is silly and simple, but it works. Godzilla is back in town after awakening from the iceberg he froze in at the conclusion of GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN, and so a frustrated pharmaceutical advertiser decides to send a couple of his zany cronies to King Kong's Island to capture and bring back his own monster to give Godzilla some competition. Humor is very well used here, and it works well alongside the usual rampages and city stompings.
The touted "battle of the giants" has been unfairly maligned as looking too much like a "wrestling match," but I don't see how else these creatures are supposed to tangle with one another unless they opted to stare each other down for ten minutes. Not much fun there, I'm afraid! Their climactic fight is well worth the wait and fulfills all expectations. *** out of ****