Rating of
3/4
The one true King of Monster Movies
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/01/08
This is one of the best monster movies ever made. And, unlike more recent movies in the genre, one the entire family can watch where parents do not have to worry about scenes of graphic violence.
"Carl Denham" (Robert Armstrong) is a high-risk-taking motion picture director known for risking the lives of his cast and crew, but always brings them back with spectacular films that garner fair reviews. He was able to gain possession of a hand-drawn map which leads to an island unknown to civilzation.
"Denham" charters a boat with a tough crew under command of "Captain Englehorn" (Frank Reicher) and his First Mate "Jack Driscoll" (Bruce Cabot). "Denham" brings on board his latest star discovery, "Ann Darrow" (Fay Wray, in her most famous role), whom he found on a New York City street looking for food.
"Denham" takes the boat, her crew, and "Darrow" to the unknown island, which has a mountain with features that resemble a skull face. He then leads the ship's crew, commanding officers and his movie's star to shore, where they find a native village with an enormous wall that is said to be keeping something away from the village.
After the people from the ship goes back on board for the night, men from the island sneak on board and kidnap the lovely, young woman. The natives take her back to the island, where they offer her as an offering to something not seen by any one from the West -- an enormous gorilla the natives call "Kong."
After discovering "Darrow" is missing, the men on the ship return to the island to save her. They find the natives on top of the wall and go through the large door built into the structure. What they find is a dense tropical jungle which has living dinosaurs, as well as "Kong".
Most of the men from the ship are either killed by a dinosaur or "Kong." "Capt. Englehorn," "Driscoll", "Denham" and "Darrow" are the only ones who survive.
"Kong" is captured and brought to New York City, where he is put on display by "Denham" as part of a stage show to tell of their adventure to "Skull Island" and their discovery of the renamed "King Kong" and its capture.
Even if you haven't seen this movie, you know "Kong" escapes and eventually makes his famed climb to the top of the Empire State Building. Therefore, I won't go any further.
For 1933, this was THE movie you had to see if you wanted to see a special effects movie. Although the only effect that really does not work, in my opinion, is where the actors are interacting with "Kong," who obviously appears on a large screen in some scenes. Even the mechanical puppet head, built for close-ups of Kong's face, looks good -- even if it does look fake.
The acting is very good. You believe that "Kong" is in the scenes with his human co-stars. The dialog is also well written, with very few badly worded lines.
If you are looking for a good monster movie, but don't want graphic, bloody violent scenes, this is an excellent choice. This is one monster good for the entire family.
If you rent a movie video/DVD, or you buy your movies on video or DVD, I encourage you to make this a "First Choice" selection.
