Godzilla Vs. King Kong

Godzilla vs. King Kong was... well, not quite the slam dunk I'd hoped, in that the characters felt less compelling than Raids Again, for me. However, the scope was vastly expanded- perhaps the largest-feeling Godzilla entry yet (or else, just beneath the original), and the monster fight was FAR more entertaining than anything Raids Again gave us. Thank goodness- I'd hate for a title match this big to be a letdown!

The plot is... honestly, a bit of a snooze up until the monsters show up. It's fairly thin throughout- more of a contrivance to link the set-pieces together. It's a shame, because I think this keeps the film from ascending to true classic status; it will be fondly remembered for its achievements... but it could have been counted among the very best if the story was as strong as the production.

I'm not kidding about the bland protagonists; two guys, two girlfriends, one of whom is a sister to the other guy... there's a hint of sweet romance after the train scene, and the occasional touches of distinguishing characteristics, but... they mostly serve an interchangeable role in the plot. The most interesting of all is the weaselly head of the advertising agency, and his comic buffoonery can at least be interesting to look at (I'm wondering if Mothra vs. Godzilla: Battle for Earth's evil executive was modeled on this guy), but he's so much of a cartoon character that he doesn't have any 'character' to speak of. Various islanders are... as islanders were, in 50s and 60s movies... and that's about it. Who cares? We're here for the kaiju- especially in this film!

For such a simple effect, the giant octopus is actually a fairly effective creature, and his size is well-portrayed. It's only when the natives throw things at him that cast shadows against the bluescreen, and when Kong wrestles with an obvious dummy, that the effect is less-than-special. But overall, as an introduction to the kaiju portion of the film, the octopus grounds things in a nice sense of verisimilitude... perhaps necessary, when the giant ape of the film is so unlike a real animal.

He looks like this...only worse.

'Cause let's face it, Kong looks like garbage. This is neither a new nor a controversial observation; the monkey suit just isn't great, and doesn't even approximate the look of the stop motion character, much less the real-life creatures. And, scaled up as he is, Kong has trouble finding something large enough to climb. Still, flaws aside, Kong is well-acted and a dynamic presence in the fights; it's less about appearance and more about personality. The performance is good, and that allows the audience the necessary amount of suspension of disbelief. And when Kong- bullied a bit and beat around by the atomic breath that really gives Godzilla an edge over pretty much all other kaiju that aren't similarly-equipped- gets his lightning charge and gains the ability to fight back, it's a genuinely exciting moment; the underdog, empowered to fight back against his oppressor at last!

Godzilla's return is a nice bit of continuity from Raids Again, but it is very protracted... and he is given very little to do other than fighting Kong, so in many ways, he is simply a 2-dimensional antagonist here; more an obstacle than a character. His signature glowing fins look great in animation, and his face is both better and worse (at least less goofy!) then the Raids Again suit.

There are a handful of other notable effects in the film. The iceberg, flashing and crumbling, is pretty

Kong cheers as Godzilla balances a boulder on his head....
 ohwait.

effective, and the submarine shots, while slightly less-so, are well done. (The English-speakers on the sub aren't even half-bad, for the most part). The melting tanks are probably the weakest of the bunch, but even so, not terrible. The scenes of construction, digging the pit, are fairly good. And the craggy cliffs of Pharaoh Island are very open and have a great sense of scope, a great-looking location complemented by large sets. (I do like that Kong's opening gambit against the octopus is to rip the gate meant to keep him out casually aside and throw it at the monster, without even a token display of difficulty. Yeah, that gate was really protecting you, guys...) The Mount Fuji set looked pretty good, and nicely expansive, while yet another crumbling castle was well-portrayed (if perhaps just a touch less successfully than Raids Again).

It includes intense scenes of fighting such as this, and is not to be
confused with ring around the rosie.

The music is recognizable and jazzy- not instantly classic, as Gojira and Mothra was, but enough to stick in your head. Nothing to write home about, exactly, but more memorable than mediocre.

Overall, King Kong vs. Godzilla was a fun film, particularly in its latter half, and a visual treat, but a little thin. It has the makings of one of the best kaiju films of all time- and certainly has one of the best battles.

The lack of effort in setting it up, in writing and characterization and plot, hold it back from being all that it could have been. Still, everything that is there is pretty darn impressive, and this is a memorable, fun spectacle. As long as you don't mind slogging past a slow opening, it's a great watch, and justly well-remembered.