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King Kong vs. Godzilla

Original title: Kingu Kongu tai Gojira
  • 19621962
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
837
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
23,881
3,877
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
Emerging from the iceberg where he was buried in the last adventure, Godzilla heads for Tokyo, while a drug company discovers Kong on a remote South Pacific island, where he battles a giant octopus. Soon these two terrible titans are on a collision course, as the authorities realize that the only way to defeat them is to pit them against each other in a spectacular final showdown on top of Mount Fuji.
Play trailer2:32
1 Video
99+ Photos
AdventureComedyFantasy
The advertising director of a pharmaceutical company seeks to boost the ratings of their sponsored TV program by capturing a legendary monster in a marketing scheme as Godzilla re-emerges. (... Read allThe advertising director of a pharmaceutical company seeks to boost the ratings of their sponsored TV program by capturing a legendary monster in a marketing scheme as Godzilla re-emerges. (Japanese Version)The advertising director of a pharmaceutical company seeks to boost the ratings of their sponsored TV program by capturing a legendary monster in a marketing scheme as Godzilla re-emerges. (Japanese Version)
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
837
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
23,881
3,877
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Ishirô Honda
    • Writers
      • Willis H. O'Brien(story "King Kong vs. Prometheus")
      • Shin'ichi Sekizawa
    • Stars
      • Tadao Takashima
      • Yû Fujiki
      • Kenji Sahara
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Ishirô Honda
    • Writers
      • Willis H. O'Brien(story "King Kong vs. Prometheus")
      • Shin'ichi Sekizawa
    • Stars
      • Tadao Takashima
      • Yû Fujiki
      • Kenji Sahara
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:32
    Trailer

    Photos137

    King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Tadao Takashima in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Kenji Sahara in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Mie Hama, Kenji Sahara, and Tadao Takashima in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Yû Fujiki and Tadao Takashima in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Ichirô Arishima in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Mie Hama and Akiko Wakabayashi in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Tadao Takashima in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Tadao Takashima in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Kenji Sahara and Tadao Takashima in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
    Kenji Sahara and Tadao Takashima in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tadao Takashima
    Tadao Takashima
    • Osamu Sakurai
    Yû Fujiki
    • Kinsaburo Furue
    Kenji Sahara
    Kenji Sahara
    • Kazuo Fujita
    Ichirô Arishima
    Ichirô Arishima
    • Tako
    Mie Hama
    Mie Hama
    • Fumiko Sakurai
    Akiko Wakabayashi
    Akiko Wakabayashi
    • Tamiye
    Akihiko Hirata
    Akihiko Hirata
    • Dr. Shigesawa
    Senkichi Ômura
    • Interpreter Konno
    Someshô Matsumoto
    Someshô Matsumoto
    • Dr. Onuki
    Jun Tazaki
    Jun Tazaki
    • Commanding General of the JSDF Eastern Army
    Sachio Sakai
    • Obayashi
    Haruya Katô
    • Pacific Pharmaceuticals advertising department employee
    Nadao Kirino
    • Eastern Army Second Chief of Staff
    Yoshio Kosugi
    • Chief of Faro Island
    Haruo Hirano
    • Chikiro
    Akemi Negishi
    Akemi Negishi
    • Chikiro's mother
    Ikio Sawamura
    Ikio Sawamura
    • Praying Faro Islander
    Yasuhisa Tsutsumi
    • Eastern Army First Chief of Staff
    • Director
      • Ishirô Honda
    • Writers
      • Willis H. O'Brien(story "King Kong vs. Prometheus") (uncredited)
      • Shin'ichi Sekizawa
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film was released outside of Japan in a heavily reedited version, King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963). Producer John Beck had Tom Montgomery direct new scenes with American actors in a news report subplot that was never in the original film. Editor Peter Zinner changed the narrative structure and replaced much of the original soundtrack with stock music. Universal has never released the original Japanese version and because of this it was the last Godzilla film to have its original Japanese version be made available in the United Sates. It was included in the 2019 Criterion release of Godzilla: The Showa Era films. However, it was included in the supplements and not on the main disc, which includes the heavily re-edited American version. It's speculated that it's inclusion was a last minute decision which is why it was placed in the supplements.
    • Quotes

      Osamu Sakurai: Lightning makes him a hundred times stronger. Watch!

      Kazuo Fujita: Like Popeye's spinach?

    • Alternate versions
      A version created for the Champion festival re-edited and shorten the film's run-time, supervised by Honda
    • Connections
      Edited into King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963)
    • Soundtracks
      The Giant Demon God - Main Title
      Composed by Akira Ifukube

    User reviews5

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    Clunker film vs Good ideas
    The original Japanese Toho cut of 'King Kong Vs Godzilla' has a much more developed sense of comedy imbued throughout its runtime: the entire film is satirical and scatty; it just isn't really any better than the heavily altered American/International cut that features truly dreadful added United Nations scenes alongside necessarily dubbed and re-edited scenes.

    I find this version needs significant further attention from an editor to improve its pacing and the construction of action scenes: the American film does slightly improve in this area despite it causing terrible damage to the satirical comedy of the original.

    In the comedic premise of the story 'King Kong Vs Godzilla' has its best strength. There is a great degree of poking fun at television and corporate cultures and some of this is well put across.

    The action part of the film is less ably done and the narrative pace is off by a considerable degree.

    The same failings of really poor and unconvincing monsters that afflict the American version are naturally in this film also.

    They look, sound, and move badly, individually, and even moreso, in tandem together.

    The film score is better in this version as is the overall sound design.

    I rate a 5/10 for a version that has more brains but less pruning than the more often seen English language cut.
    helpful•0
    0
    • daniewhite-1
    • Jan 31, 2022

    FAQ4

    • Is this the original Japanese Version and where can it be found?
    • In the film's Criterion release, why does the video quality appear to drop in certain scenes?
    • How do I know the version of the subtitle translations of the film are accurate?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 11, 1962 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Official site
      • Japanese Movie Database
    • Languages
      • Japanese
      • English
    • Also known as
      • King Kong vs. Godzilla Japanese-Release Version
    • Production company
      • Toho
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 37 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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