King Kong Escapes [DVD]

Great addition to my king Kong collection

King Kong Escapes was not, as you might expect, based on the original King Kong (1933) or the popular King Kong vs. Godzilla, which I think still ranks, adjusted for inflation, as the most profitable Godzilla movie in the franchise. No, this movie was based on the cartoon series The King Kong Show, which hit American small screens between 1966-1969. It, like the movie, was produced by Rankin/Bass, which is perhaps better remembered for the many stop-motion animated holiday TV specials they produced, including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and the movie Mad Monster Party. This was a co-production between the company and Toho Studios, much like The Green Slime and The Last Dinosaur.Most people look at King Kong Escapes as probably the worst Kong movie every made. And mainly they’re looking at that atrocious gorilla suit. Much like the aforementioned KK vs. G, there wasn’t a lot of money spent on the primate star of the movie. Even Bob Burns’ legendary and somewhat ratty suit would’ve looked better on screen then the plasticine-faced monstrosity we were shown. You can see seams a-plenty, flaccid lower arm extensions that often make it look like Kong has two elbow joints, and a flap on the back of the head that has a tendency to flutter when the hero gets tossed around too much.But if you discount that suit, this is actually not a bad movie. The special effects are really top notch for a G-rated movie, the sort directed at kids – it’s head-over-heels better then most of Daiei’s Gamera output of the same era. The miniatures, for the most part, are as good in any of the good Godzilla movies, and even the green screen work is exemplary.This film was the first appearance of the monster that would later become known as Gorosaurus. He’s pretty much just a dinosaur, though with a kangaroo-like predilection for jumping and kicking opponents. The suit is one of the best dinosaur presentations of the pre-CGI era, and looks really good.The acting is hammy and on a kids’ level. Dr. Who, played by Eisei Anamoto, is dubbed by the inimitable Paul Frees, star of many dubbed kaiju flicks over the century. Rhodes Reason stars as UN Commander Carl Nelson, and does a good job as the square-chinned male lead. He appeared in an episode of Star Trek and in a barn full of action oaters. He was the younger, nearly identical brother of Rex Reason, perhaps best remembered for This Island Earth. Linda Miller was a model who worked in Japan, and this was one of only two movies she appeared in (the other was The Green Slime). She’s pretty, but really dull as a performer. Akira Takarada portrays the other male lead, who appeared in loads of kaiju flicks for Toho. The sultry Madame X was Mie Hama, who appeared in numerous Japanese films and hit international shores in the James Bond vehicle You Only Live Twice and the dubbed Woody Allen film What’s Up, Tiger Lily?I know the film kept me rapt when I saw it on the CBS Late Night Movie back in the seventies. It’s just a fun little monster flick. The highlight of the movie was the Robot Kong that Who created from Nelson’s plans. When I first saw the movie, I was amazed at how cool the robot looked, and the opening sequence where Robot Kong attempts to uncover the Element X deposit was spellbinding on a 9-inch black-and-white set. Yeah, I was easy to please back then. Oh, and while every source seems to note this, the robot was never called MechaniKong, no matter how cool that name might sound.The Blu ray DVD of King Kong Escapes was put out by Universal Studios in 2014. The print they use of the film is pretty good – at least I didn’t notice a lot of film scratches, and I didn’t see any pixelation or any problems with the playback. The disc is barebones, having only a commercial for Ultraviolet (which, naturally, doesn’t cover THIS movie), and nothing else. No trailers, no behind-the-scenes…not even a menu. But with Amazon Prime, it only case me $8.99, so it wasn’t a big loss or expenditure either way.I love monster movies, and this one is no exception. Many people will grind it down for the Kong outfit, but any viewing that chooses to go beyond that will see a fun, kinda goofy movie, with some otherwise pretty good production values. Definitely something every kaiju fan should see.

total cheese film..the acting was great..the costumes where so bad they were good..well worth the small price for the blu ray.

BOTTOM LINE: If you're a fan of King Kong, dinosaurs or old school sci-fi and adventure, then this flick is an easy recommendation. Forget what you know of Kong from the '33 & '76 films and just go with the flow. This is grand silly fun in the classic Japanese giant monster tradition! An entertaining 5 STAR film, (but I subtracted 1 STAR due to this Blu-ray having no extras). >Boo!<THE STORY: A team of U.N. scientists head to remote Mondo Island via submarine to investigate the rumors of the colossal ape monster known as King Kong. They encounter Kong and witness his might as he battles the beastly dino-terror: Gorosaurus! (Watch out for that devastating kangaroo kick, Kong!) Shortly after the U.N sub departs, Kong is ape-napped by nefarious international criminal, Dr. Who, (No! not THAT Doctor Who, silly!!). Seems that Who constructed a full-size robotic replica of Kong in order to unearth an ultra-rare radioactive isotope known as Element X. When Element X unexpectedly shorts out Mechani-Kong's controls, the evil Who is forced to steal the real Kong from Mondo Island to finish the job. Our U.N. heroes race to stop Dr. Who and rescue Kong. Can King Kong survive exposure to deadly Element X? How will our heroes save him? When Kong is pitted against his mighty mechanical twin who will emerge victorious? And what can stop Who? I don't know. (Third base!) Don't think about all this too much folks, just pick up a copy of this colorful adventure and find out for yourself!THOUGHTS: One of Toho's more fun and interesting films. It certainly adds plenty of new wrinkles to the lore & legacy of King Kong. Although many don't know it, the plot of this film is based around the animated 1966 Kong TV show (available on DVD). There are some typically groovy Toho monsters (Gorosaurus and Mechani-Kong rule!), for our hairy hero to duke it out with, and a double dose of American star power, in the form of stiff leading man Rhodes Reason & go-go girl gorgeous Linda Miller. (Yes, Kong still has a weakness for blondes.) Sturdy supporting roles from several Toho regulars, with a special call out to Eisei Amamoto (in a wild zebra-striped wig & requisite black cape), as the villainous, skeleton-thin Dr. Who, (with a bizarre bass voice-over from legendary Paul Frees that, despite the visual/audio juxtaposition, somehow just works). KING KONG ESCAPES is a breezy 96 minute adventure that's suitable viewing for the entire family.THE BLU-RAY: When I saw that KKE was being remastered for Blu-ray and knew I had to upgrade. And it's worth it! The transfer is beautiful. Picture is rich, with vibrant colors & sharp focus. (Not as sharp as new movies, but pretty spiffy looking for a Japanese giant monster film that's 45+ years old.) Minimal artifacting, pixelation & crush, thankfully. Film's soundmix is equally clear & strong. (I usually have my TV volume set about halfway, but had to dial it down to 1/3 here to keep from being deafened! LOL.) Please note, this release only includes the American version of the film. Sadly, the original Japanese version w/English subtitles is NOT included. English dubtitles for the deaf or hearing impaired are included, and it also has subtitles in French. KING KONG ESCAPES comes highly recommended!

One of my favorite godzilla movies and impressive upgrade!

Arrived on time and in brand new condition working perfectly, very happy with my purchase and to own this Toho movie on Blu-ray!!

This is an upgrade from the DVD. There are no additional features from what you get on the DVD. I had no complaints about the DVD, but I really like the movie so I upgraded to Blu ray. Watching it on an LG 4K player it looks really nice. If they ever put out a 4K ultra HD release for this movie, I like it that much I will buy that too.

estoi satifecho por el producto en viado

Fantastic beasts punching eachother, crappy acting and a villain with severely rotten teeth!English language and region 2 Pal DVD. Simply amazing. This movie is an instant classic.

Film destinati agli appassionati e cultori del genere. Non possono mancare nelle collezioni. Imperdibili per chi li ama

I absolutely love these old Kingkong movies. They're both ludicrous and incredible - the most hilariously-terrible acting you will ever witness, special effects straight from Blue Peter/your dressing-up box and a giant monkey Vs giant monsters. You can't go wrong.This time round the main giant monster Kingkong is up against is a robot version of Kong. The robot version was created by an evil scientist/Dr (obviously) to harvest a super special rock called Element X, but when the robot Kong breaks down the evil Dr needs an alternative and the real Kong is his answer. Eventually this leads us to Kong Vs Kong all over Tokyo in endearing and comical fight sequences that aren't really comparable to anything else in the history of film (there is something really special about them), with plenty of other fun shenanigans along the way, including one of the first examples of Kong breaking open a T-Rex's jaw, which has since been used in every modern retelling I think.Kong has never looked more terrifying - not in an evil monster kind of way, but in a haunted vintage toy kind of way. You can guarantee you have more realistic soft toys kicking around the house but it's all part of the charm, which is what I found this to be from start to finish - a kitch, crazy, vintage charm of a film and one that will make you smile.

説明の通りです。日本語音声なし。日本語字幕なし。英語吹き替えアメリカ公開版です。画質はとても良い、鮮明です。綺麗な画質を楽しむには良い買い物だと思います。