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— by Carl Davis
In 1933, RKO Pictures unleashed one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time, King Kong, creating in the process a monster-as-metaphor tale that has thrilled generations of moviemakers and filmgoers. Director Peter Jackson claims that, when he was 9 years old, a television broadcast of "King Kong" in his native New Zealand inspired him to pick up a camera and make movies of his own. Now, some 35 years later, his big-budget version of the film is poised to challenge box-office records around the world and, perhaps, spark a resurgence in the popularity of giant cinematic monsters of all nationalities and creeds.
Happily, and perhaps not coincidentally, along with the theatrical release of Jackson's "Kong" a number of notable "kaiju" films — a giant-monster genre from Japan — are making their way to DVD, including the 28th and (reportedly) final Godzilla picture, "Godzilla: Final Wars." Here's a look at some of the biggest, baddest and best.
 "Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004)
For Godzilla's 50th anniversary Toho Studios brought in director Ryuhei Kitamura ("Versus," "Azumi") to pit undisputed stars as well as second stringers of the vast kaiju ("giant monster") kingdom against one another, providing the Big G with a fitting farewell in the process. Kitamura draws inspiration from more than two dozen kaiju films, while this flick's plot — involving aliens using mind-control on the Earth's monsters — should be familiar to anyone who's spent a Saturday afternoon watching the green goliath do his stuff. In "Final Wars," the planet's got a big problem, as giant creatures run rampant across the globe until the mysterious Xilians arrive from deep space to save the day. But the Xilians not only subdue the prehistoric pests; they control them in a bid to enslave the planet. It's up to the unearthed Godzilla, the only creature not under Xilain control, to deliver a truly monumental beat-down on the aliens and save the Earth. Click here to watch the Big G in action from "Godzilla: Final Wars."
"Gamera Trilogy" ("Gamera: Guardian of the Universe," "Gamera: Attack of Legion," 'Gamera: Revenge of Iris") (1996-1999)
"Godzilla" had already been on the scene for a decade before Toho's rival, Daiei Studios, conceived the titanic, jet-propelled terrapin, Gamera. And while his debut was spectacular, he languished for years in relative obscurity (or as an occasional punch line on "Mystery Science Theater 3000"). However, in the '90s Toho acquired the rights to the creature and released a trilogy of big-budget, big-screen releases that gave Gamera a makeover and introduced him to a new legion of fans. In the decidedly retro "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe" — featuring Gamera's winged nemesis, the evil and destructive Gyaos — an awakened Gamera must once again head into battle to save the world. Things kick into high gear with "Gamera: Attack of Legion," an outrageously action-packed epic pitting a newly buff Gamera against a seemingly unstoppable interstellar enemy. Finally, "Gamera: Revenge of Iris" portrays the monumental Gamera and the huge, winged, tentacled Iris for what they are — living gods walking among us — and graphically illustrates the devastating psychological toll that their presence and their battles have on mere humans.
"Mighty Peking Man" (1977)
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If not for the untimely demise of Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder imprint, "Mighty Peking Man" would probably be a household name. After all, with QT's stamp of approval, what more does an obscure, hugely entertaining '70s monster movie need to enter the pop-culture subconscious? A knock-off of a remake produced by Hong Kong legends the Shaw Brothers, "Mighty Peking Man" unintentionally does for "King Kong" what "Airplane!" did for the "Airport" series of disaster films, as an earthquake forces a giant ape from his home high in the Himalayas into the jungles of India. Johnnie Fang (Danny Lee) sets out on an expedition to capture the elusive creature, but gets more than he bargained for when he meets Samantha (Evelyn Kraft), a beautiful jungle girl who is friendly with the ape. The trio head back to Hong Kong where, yes, all hell breaks loose, as the beast, a.k.a., Mighty Peking Man, escapes and climbs Connaught Centre, the tallest building in the city, with Samantha firmly in hand.
"King Kong" (1976)
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Legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis made no secret about trying to top the success of "Jaws" (1975) by updating the 1933 classic. But with a mediocre script by Lorenzo Semple Jr., a writer for the campy '60s "Batman" TV show, it was left to special-effects maestro Rick Baker to save the day. Fred Wilson (Charles Grodin) leads an expedition to find new oil deposits on a previously uncharted island. Jack Prescott (Jeff Bridges), a rogue paleontologist, and Dwan (Jessica Lange), a shipwrecked actress, tag along with the wildcatters. Wilson, of course, doesn't strike oil, but instead discovers King Kong. In true "Beauty and the Beast" fashion, Kong falls for the diminutive Dwan, taking her into the jungle, where he reveals his softer side. Eventually the crew rescues her and takes Kong back to New York, where things get really interesting.
"Daimajin Trilogy" ("Daimajin," "Wrath of Daimajin," "Return of Daimajin") (1966)
Following the success of "Gamera, the Invincible," Daiei studios launched another "kaiju" series to compete with Toho's burgeoning "Godzilla" franchise. The "Daimajin" ("giant demon") trilogy centers around an enormous statue that watches over a feudal Japanese town and comes to life to exact vengeance on the wicked. All three films were shot back-to-back by three different directors, with decidedly different results. "Daimajin" does a great job of setting up the premise for the series and shows in great detail the kind of wanton destruction a giant stone golem can cause. Director Kenji Misumi ("Zatoichi," "Lone Wolf and Cub") is well-known for his action epics and his "Wrath of Daimajin" doesn't disappoint, bringing to the screen the statue's destruction, a series of wild samurai battles and Daimajin's subsequent resurrection and revenge. Finally, "Return of Daimajin" focuses less on the havoc-wreaking monster and more on a group of children who befriend him — an element that many subsequent "kaiju" would, unfortunately, embrace and include.
"King Kong Vs. Godzilla" (1962)
Leave it to Toho Studios to pit its gigantic green creation, Godzilla, against the granddaddy of massive monsters, King Kong, in this epic battle (which also marks their first appearances in color). While director Ishiro Honda has some fun inserting lighter moments throughout the picture, including Kong and the big G horsing around on top of Mt. Fuji, this entry is more than a mere diversion. When an enormous corporation wants a larger-than-life mascot, they set out to capture Kong, setting him off on a rampage of destruction. Meanwhile, a submarine unwittingly unleashes the wrath of Godzilla by disturbing his undersea lair, setting in motion a chain of events that will lead the two behemoths duking it out in the heart of Tokyo. For years rumors persisted that two endings existed for this film, with Godzilla winning in the Japanese version and Kong the victor in the international release, but in actuality Kong triumphs in every iteration of this picture.
"Gojira" (1954)
Director Ishiro Honda's anti-war film, "Gojira" (later renamed "Godzilla"), employed an enormous radioactively resurrected dinosaur as a metaphor for the devastating power of the atomic bomb and in the process created a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon and one of the longest-running series in film history. At the close of WWII, American atomic bombs destroyed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a mere nine years prior to the film's release, adding a sense of gravity to the picture. Unfortunately, the dubbed and edited American version of the film cut large portions of the original and inserted new footage of actor Raymond Burr as newsman Steve Martin reporting on Godzilla's rampage. Still, "Godzilla" has enjoyed tremendous popularity around the world in the form of movies, comics, cartoons and even music, as Akira Ifukube's landmark score is instantly recognizable to this day. The film celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and (incredibly) received a proper theatrical release in the U.S. for the first time ever.
"King Kong" (1933)
"King Kong" is, indisputably, one of a handful of the most recognized Hollywood icons in history. And how could it be otherwise? The 50-foot ape at the center of this "beauty and the beast" tale got the girl and died tragically, capturing the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere while revealing the monstrous side of human nature. Inspiring a slew of sequels, knock-offs and remakes — the latest of which, of course, is the mega-budget release by longtime fan Peter Jackson — the story itself has become legend. Intrepid showman Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) leads an expedition, including actress Ann Darrow (the incomparable Fay Wray), into the uncharted jungles of Skull Island in search of fame and fortune. What he finds is bigger than even he could have hoped for or expected, namely, the gentle giant, King Kong. Kong develops an unnatural attraction to Darrow which Denham uses to his own advantage, capturing the beast and bringing him back to New York City as "The 8th Wonder of the World." Of course, once in the urban jungles of New York, modern man is revealed as the true savage as Kong breaks loose from his fetters and searches for his one love, ultimately carrying her to the top of the Empire State Building and into film immortality.
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Photos: Universal Pictures
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