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Followup: King Kong vs Godzilla
I was not left disappointed. This movie is fun and good. Not emotionally gripping, but very good fun.
This movie is absurd and funny, especially in a good couple of the dialogues. The film being (in part) kickstarted by a pharma executive frustrated with the company's poor advertising is honestly incredible. And it's even funnier how he keeps on rooting for King Kong even after having lost any kind of control over the situation.
The fights are kinda fun, but obviously a bit underwhelming because of the technical limitations. And while the larger practical setpieces are pretty well done, I find some of the greenscreen effects very janky. The octopus was a very neat setpiece, however, and kind of an exception almost.
I generally do like the designs of the kaiju. They're pretty brutish overall and can be a bit silly sometimes. Godzilla himself looks very dinosaurian with his head and fat body (another example of his versatility as a basic design), and I fw how Kong has this sort of orangutan-macaque-like build moreso than that of a gorilla.
The Bernard Heuvelmans/cryptid deal with the kaiju's general background as unkown strange kinds of otherwise real animals is pretty charming. Not surprising since this was fairly popular or sensational in contemporary sci comm iirc?
I have seen a bit of similarish things with some older science books at my grandparents'. On the topic of cryptids, I strongly suggest getting Cryptozoologicon, btw.
The film also has some cool shots.
And the score, by none other than Akira Ifukube, is brilliant. Here's an anniversary concert rendition of it.
Anyways, a pretty fun watch, and I suggest watching it.
THE MEG (Dir: Jon Turteltaub, 2018).
Bigger isn’t always better, as this mega Jaws clone proves.
Jason Statham stars as Jonas Taylor, a washed up, alcoholic rescue diver held responsible for the death of two submarine crew in a botched rescue attempt. Called upon once again to rescue the crew of a stranded submersible, Taylor finds himself up against the Megalodon, a 75 foot shark thought to be extinct and soon heading for the coast of China! Is he up to the task? Will he end up as a Megalodon's dinner? Does anybody really care?
For those who have dreamed of a movie where Jason Statham battles a prehistoric beast, your wishes have come true. There is little more to The Meg than Statham vs Shark, although for some that will be enough.
Director Turteltaub’s movies rarely take themselves too seriously and The Meg benefits from his light touch. Once it gets going, the action barely sags and it never gets bogged down by the sort of fist clenching emoting that these movies have a tendency to. However, the flipside of this is that The Meg is populated by a few too many underwritten, cardboard cut-out characters and relies a little heavily on concepts and situations familiar from many other, much better, movies.
The computer generated special effects are impressive and while the audience has little investment in the characters to care one way or another if they end up as sharkbait, it is fun to see them get chomped on, one by one, by the massive Megalodon.
If it’s thrills you want, there are plenty, but it’s a shame that filmmakers tend to forget that movies like this don’t necessarily have to be the empty-headed entertainments they so often are. The original Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) is testament to that. It's not a bad film but the formulaic, cookie cutter approach to filmmaking fails to lift it above any other number of forgettable action flicks.
Still, if rampaging monster movies are your thing it is certainly worth a look. If, like me, you have a soft spot for Jaws 3 (Joe Alves, 1983), you might enjoy this equally silly shark saga.
Check out my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Meg! Link below.
THE SON OF KONG (Dir: Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933).
How would the makers of Son of Kong manage to top the groundbreaking, blockbuster original King Kong (Merian C Cooper & Ernest Schoedsack, 1933)? Short answer: they wouldn’t. But neither did they try. Ernest Schoedsack returns as producer/director but Merian C Cooper, his collaborator on the first movie, bowed out when RKO slashed the budget. Scriptwriter Ruth Rose also returns, as do cast members Robert Armstrong as Denham and Victor Wong as Charlie the Cook.
A month after the disastrous events of the first movie, beleaguered showman and moviemaker Carl Denham escapes his creditors by chartering a ship to Kong's Skull Island, in search of mythical hidden treasure. Joined by an animal trainer cum singer (Helen Mack) and shady ships' captain (Frank Reicher) and faithful cook Charlie, the gang are cast overboard by a mutinous crew and arrive on the island via rowboat. After a hostile encounter with the native islanders they encounter the ape sinking into quicksand. Denham and the singer rescue pint-sized Kong who then befriends the pair as they battle a cave bear and brave a massive earthquake in their search for riches.
Although this movie lacks the grandiose special effects set pieces of the original King Kong, Kong Jr is still an impressive beast. Smaller than his pa at 12 foot, as opposed to Kong’s 20ish foot, Kong Jr is also more anthropomorphised than his father. The stop motion ape is, once again, beautifully animated by special effects genius Willis O’Brien. Yet with more human like expressions he is less menacing than his dad, but likewise less sympathetic.
Son of Kong adopts a much lighter, more comic tone than its predecessor and a result the movie is, sadly, less impressive, less poignant and less engaging than the original King Kong. But it is by no means the disaster it was initially perceived to be. Its special effects are still superlative; the performances are strong and at barely 70 minutes it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Lower your expectations (slightly) and you will find The Son of Kong a highly entertaining time waster.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of Son of Kong! Link below.
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (Dir: Ernest B Schoedsack, 1949).
16 years after scoring a massive hit with fantasy epic King Kong (Merian C Cooper & Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933), RKO Radio Pictures resurrected the mega-ape genre with Mighty Joe Young. Returning are Kong producers and directors Ernest B Schoedsack and Merian C Cooper and star Robert Armstrong. However, this is not a sequel to King Kong and its follow-up Son of Kong (Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933).
Joe is a massive gorilla (not as big as Kong, but still pretty hefty) raised by young Jill Young (Terry Moore) in his African home since a baby. Persuaded by showman Max O’Hara (Robert Armstrong) and his buddy Gregg (Ben Johnson) to accompany them to the US, Max employs Jill and Joe as star attraction at his California nightclub. As is often the case with exhibiting giant gorillas (or, indeed, dinosaurs), things do not go to plan. Otherwise gentle Joe is taunted by drunks to the point where he wrecks the joint. With Joe subsequently imprisoned, Jill, Gregg and Max plot a daring rescue attempt to free the gorilla and return him to Africa.
Shot in black and white with dramatic use of colour filters, Mighty Joe Young is a visual treat. King Kong’s Willis O’Brien and assistant Ray Harryhausen handle the outstanding special effects which elaborate upon the techniques perfected in Kong. Joe is brought to life by beautiful stop motion animation and the interaction between him and his human counterparts is astonishing! A scene where Joe wrestles live action/animated lions is particularly impressive as is the dramatic climax in which Joe rescues children from a burning orphanage.
While it did not have the same impact as the original King Kong, Mighty Joe Young is an impressive movie in its own right with much to recommend it. It is undoubtedly more sentimental than Kong but it is still a thoroughly entertaining feature; well paced, with plenty of humour amidst the thrills and some of the most spectacular visual effects committed to celluloid. Fans of King Kong not familiar with Mighty Joe Young would do well to check out this fantasy classic!
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of Mighty Joe Young! Link below.
IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (Jack Arnold, 1953).
Famous for their influential horror movies of the 1930, by the 1950s Universal Studios focus had shifted to a different kind of monster movie, informed by increasing fear of nuclear war and the threat of Communism. The template for these serious minded, paranoia soaked sci-fi features was set with the first and most influential of the series, It Came from Outer Space.
Amateur astronomer John Putnam (Richard Carlson) is the only witness to a spacecraft crash on the outskirts of the small desert town of Sand Rock, Arizona. When his fellow townsfolk start acting suspiciously he expects alien influence. Convincing his girl Ellen (Barbara Rush) and cynical local sheriff (Charles Drake), a posse is assembled to flush out the intruders. Certain that the intelligent aliens are benign and pose no threat, John must keep the angry mob at bay while essential repairs are made to the damaged craft. Failure to do so risks the life of his captured pals.
Based on an unpublished story by sci-fi maestro Ray Bradbury, It Came from Outer Space is, on the surface, a film about alien invasion. Yet, as with much of the sci-fi of its era, the movie serves as an analogy for the very real post-War fear of Communist infiltration.
Shot and originally exhibited in 3D, the movie is surprisingly light on things being lobbed at the screen, so works just fine when viewed flat. Clifford Stine's beautiful black and white cinematography perfectly captures the eerie isolation of the desert surrounds, giving the impression of a barren alien landscape.
Director Jack Arnold delivers an intelligent comment on the political and social mores of 1950's America; at its heart a plea for the acceptance of others. He elicits fine performances from a not exactly starry cast, as the drama unfolds with tension mounting pace, drenched in an innovative and influential theremin rich soundtrack.
If it seems a little cliched at time, this is only because it spawned so many imitations. In its own right It Came from Outer Space is a 50's monster masterpiece and a groundbreaking, original piece of popular cinema.
For a longer, more in-depth review of IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below:
SHOCKTOBER! Day 1: THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (Dir: Eugène Lourié, 1953).
This sci-fi classic from the heyday of the monster movies marked the cinematic pairing of fantasy titans and lifelong friends, author Ray Bradbury and stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen.
Based upon Bradbury's short story The Fog Horn, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms tells of the mighty Rhedosaurus, a 200 foot, disease-ridden, carnivorous dinosaur frozen in suspended animation for millions of years and unwittingly thawed by an experimental Arctic atomic explosion, Awakened from his frosty slumber, old Rhed proceeds south to North America's east coast and the warmer waters of the Atlantic. En route to New York he overturns a fishing boat and destroys an innocent lighthouse, before rocking up in the Big Apple to wreck havoc in the city, culminating in an awesome Coney Island showdown between monster and military.
Read the full review on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME. Link below.
THE GIANT BEHEMOTH aka BEHEMOTH THE SEA MONSTER (Dir: Eugène Lourié, 1959).
Taking inspiration from The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (Eugène Lourié, 1953) and Godzilla (Ishiro Honda, 1954), The Giant Behemoth is 1950s monster movie mayhem on a minuscule budget.
In a classic 'when atomic testing turns bad' scenario, a pre-historic Palaeosaurus comes ashore on the Cornish coast, threatening the lives of marine life and crusty old fishermen. Not content with terrorising townsfolk in the West Country, the rampaging radioactive reptile heads to London. What is a bored behemoth to do in the big city but riot? If only the meddling military don't stand in his way...
Read the full review on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME. Link below.
An additional point, both showed blatant contempt for their source material and were followed up by much more respectful, if flawed, American reboots after the turn of the century.
King Kong (1976)/Godzilla (1998) parallels
- Both update famous movie monsters who made their debuts 43-plus years prior. - Both feature an actor best known for starring in a legendary comedy and an up-and-coming actress. - Both manage to have less exciting set pieces than the source material despite gargantuan budgets. - Both have absolutely no idea what tone they’re going for. - Both are over two hours long for no reason. - Both let us hear the final heartbeats of the title characters.
One thing that’s always confused me is that its almost always the specific quadrupedal bat stanced wyvern bodyplan that Vermithrax originated. Which is odd considering bats are A. tiny by comparison and don’t need to support a lot of weight, and B. aren’t particularly good at walking around anyway. You’d think if they were really concerned with realism they’d go with a design that was better suited to handle weight and locomotion, like the more upright quadrupedal stances seen in Pterosaurs or the bipedal stance seen in birds as well as some wyverns in Japanese media. I kind of wonder if part of its constant use may be down to it being less time consuming in CGI to use the same basic animation rigs that have been present since the controls for Vermithrax’s Go Motion model.
A Thought About Pop Culture Dragons
When I was a kid, in the ‘90s, I remember dragons were always depicted one of two ways: either as a standard European Dragon (you know, four legs and two wings, breathes fire, etc.) or as a standard serpent-like Asian Dragon. While Asian Dragons still pop up from time to time, at what point did the traditional European Dragon drop off and get replaced with Wyverns (two legs, two wings)?
Like, it definitely predates Game of Thrones becoming a popular TV show though I think it definitely has helped solidify it (I remember they changed the design for Smaug in the Hobbit films to a Wyvern to try and cash in), but it was already a trend in the years leading up to it.
I don’t remember Wyverns being a thing at all in media prior to, say, Reign of Fire. Like, I know there were Wyverns in movies before that, but it’s like that movie serves as some sort of border - prior to that Wyverns were rare, after they seem to be the most common. Why? It couldn’t have been THAT movie, of all things, to do it, could it?
I suspect @tyrantisterror might know, being the resident dragon expert. :p
hey, which horror subgenre are you?
New York City; City of Ruin
Can you imagine how New York City must feel? Obliterated by asteroids. Swarmed by zombies. Vaporized by aliens. Infested by humanoid cockroaches. Ground Zero for the New World Order and Capital of the Kingdom of Earth. Devastated by giant monsters. Plagued with pterosaurs roosting at the Statue of Liberty. Frozen by flash ice ages. Crumbled by colossal tsunamis.
The toughest thing to kill on Earth is truly the New Yorker.