King Kong Tribute Thread (THE REAL KING KONG!)

[eabaker]

King Kong/King Kong vs. Godzilla (both masterpieces in their own unique ways, and too dissimilar for 1:1 comparison)
King Kong (1976)
Son of Kong/King Kong Escapes
Kong: Skull Island
King Kong (2005)

It's been a good 35 years since I last saw King Kong Lives, so I don't feel comfortable assigning it a spot.

[Terasawa]

King Kong/King Kong vs. Godzilla (both masterpieces in their own unique ways, and too dissimilar for 1:1 comparison)
King Kong (1976)
Son of Kong/King Kong Escapes
Kong: Skull Island
King Kong (2005)

Hated Godzilla vs. Kong so much you didn't even wanna rank it, huh?

[eabaker]

King Kong/King Kong vs. Godzilla (both masterpieces in their own unique ways, and too dissimilar for 1:1 comparison)
King Kong (1976)
Son of Kong/King Kong Escapes
Kong: Skull Island
King Kong (2005)

Hated Godzilla vs. Kong so much you didn't even wanna rank it, huh?

Forgot all about it! Revised list:

King Kong/King Kong vs. Godzilla (both masterpieces in their own unique ways, and too dissimilar for 1:1 comparison)
King Kong (1976)
Son of Kong/King Kong Escapes/Godzilla vs. Kong
Kong: Skull Island
King Kong (2005)

Basically, it slots in at the "I don't mind watching this" level.

[MaxRebo320]

1. King Kong
2. King vs. Godzilla (But I must agree with eabaker that two are too difficult to compare)
3. King Kong (1976)
4. Kong: Skull Island (The only Monsterverse movie I've revisited more than once)
5. King Kong (2005)
6. King Kong Escapes
7. Godzilla vs. Kong
8. Son of Kong
9. King Kong Lives

If we're counting Mighty Joe Young, I guess I'd put it between the 2005 movie and KKE. But where's the love for Bye Bye Monkey?

[eabaker]

If we're counting Mighty Joe Young, I guess I'd put it between the 2005 movie and KKE.

If we're counting MJY, then we also have to factor in the remake, and this all starts to stray farther and farther from King Kong...

[GodzillaFan1990's]

If we're counting MJY, then we also have to factor in the sequel, and this all starts to stray farther and farther from King Kong...

Mighty Joe Young had a sequel? You sure you ain't mistaking that for the 1998 remake?

[eabaker]

If we're counting MJY, then we also have to factor in the sequel, and this all starts to stray farther and farther from King Kong...

Mighty Joe Young had a sequel? You sure you ain't mistaking that for the 1998 remake?

Weird, the word "remake" was in my head, and yet somehow "sequel" came out when I was typing. Fixed!

[mikelcho]

If we're counting MJY, then we also have to factor in the sequel, and this all starts to stray farther and farther from King Kong...

Mighty Joe Young had a sequel? You sure you ain't mistaking that for the 1998 remake?

Weird, the word "remake" was in my head, and yet somehow "sequel" came out when I was typing. Fixed!

Actually, a sequel to the original version, which would've been called either Joe Meets Tarzan or Tarzan Meets Mighty Joe Young (I've seen both of these titles each in two different books), was planned, but when the original flopped at the box office, the sequel was scrapped. Another victim of the whims of Hollywood.

[Terasawa]

But where's the love for Bye Bye Monkey?

When the monkey die, people gonna cry.

[Spuro]

1. King Kong 2005
2. King Kong 1933
3. King Kong vs Godzilla / Godzilla vs Kong (The former is without doubt the better movie, but I personally enjoy the latter a lot too.)
4. Kong: Skull Island / King Kong Escapes (Both movies are pretty mediocre and not ones I'm often keen on revisiting.)
5. Son of Kong
6. King Kong 1977
7. King Kong Lives

[mikelcho]

1. King Kong 2005
2. King Kong 1933
3. King Kong vs Godzilla / Godzilla vs Kong (The former is without doubt the better movie, but I personally enjoy the latter a lot too.)
4. Kong: Skull Island / King Kong Escapes (Both movies are pretty mediocre and not ones I'm often keen on revisiting.)
5. Son of Kong
6. King Kong 1977
7. King Kong Lives

That's 1976, not 1977.

[Pkmatrix]

We doing our rankings? Here's mine, from favorite to least favorite:

1. Kong: Skull Island
2. Godzilla vs. Kong
3. King Kong (1933)
4. King Kong vs. Godzilla (Japanese Cut)
5. King Kong (2005)
6. Son of Kong
7. King Kong (1976)
8. King Kong vs. Godzilla (American Cut)
9. King Kong Escapes
10. King Kong Lives

I cannot emphasize how much dislike King Kong Lives, and no matter how many times I try I just cannot force myself to like King Kong Escapes.

Not ranked because I still haven't seen them: The Mighty Kong, Kong: King of Atlantis, and Kong: Return to the Jungle

[Major sssspielberg!]

Personal favorites from those I've seen:

King Kong vs Godzilla
King Kong Escapes
Kong: Skull Island
King Kong '33
Godzilla vs Kong
King Kong '05

The original definitely deserves big props for its technical achievements, cinematography, score, pacing, and the fact that it could have been a whole lot more racist than it turned out...
but there's no smoking kids or Gorosauruses.
The only reason GvK beats out '05 is because of the brisk runtime. As much merit as I believe '05 has as a meta-narrative about making movies and such, I don't think the runtime is entirely justified and have a hard time making the time to watch the damn thing.

[Terasawa]

Basically, it slots in at the "I don't mind watching this" level.

This is the level most of the Kong films occupy for me, lol. The only two I have any real passion for are KKvG and the '33 film (and to a much lesser degree, King Kong Escapes). And the very-Kong-adjacent Mighty Joe Young, because that's a lovely little movie.

Conversely, the only one I actively dislike is the Peter Jackson film, because it's so antithetical to my tastes. KSI and GvK are kinda like that too but I don't mind them because they're not three hours long.

[eabaker]

Basically, it slots in at the "I don't mind watching this" level.

This is the level most of the Kong films occupy for me, lol. The only two I have any real passion for are KKvG and the '33 film (and to a much lesser degree, King Kong Escapes). And the very-Kong-adjacent Mighty Joe Young, because that's a lovely little movie.

Conversely, the only one I actively dislike is the Peter Jackson film, because it's so antithetical to my tastes. KSI and GvK are kinda like that too but I don't mind them because they're not three hours long.

I'm with you on most of this, except that I have an appreciation for the '76 film partly rooted in nostalgia, partly in a respect for how irreverent it is, and partly in a fascination with the juxtaposition between the satirical screenplay and the largely humorless direction.

[Legion1979]

My.top three are the '33 movie and the two Toho films, in whatever order. Everything else is pretty far below.

[Mac Daddy MM]

On terms of personal enjoyment...

1. Godzilla vs. Kong
2. King Kong Escapes
3. Kong: Skull Island
4. King Kong (1933)
5. King Kong vs. Godzilla
6. King Kong (2005)
7. Son of Kong
8. King Kong (1976)
9. King Kong Lives

[edgaguirus]

The original will always be the top Kong movie for me.

Next in line...Kong: Skull Island
K vs G
PJ Kong
KKE

[LegendZilla]

Just thought I’d give you a break from all the talk regarding legal rights to the character and bring up when or if they’ll do another King Kong remake. What do you think should be done to make it work properly? I for one would not stretch it out to over 3 hours long and instead 2 hours sharp. I would also design Kong to not resemble a scaled-up gorilla and instead look like his own distinct species.

I look forward to hearing feedback from you guys.

[Spuro]

Just thought I’d give you a break from all the talk regarding legal rights to the character and bring up when or if they’ll do another King Kong remake. What do you think should be done to make it work properly? I for one would not stretch it out to over 3 hours long and instead 2 hours sharp. I would also design Kong to not resemble a scaled-up gorilla and instead look like his own distinct species.

I look forward to hearing feedback from you guys.

Honestly? I don't know what a new remake could offer that the previous two remakes haven't done already.