Search - King Kong vs. Godzilla [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

Mark D. from N DARTMOUTH, MA
Reviewed on 10/22/2014...

THIS REVIEW WAS REVISED ON JANUARY 16, 2015.
If there's anyone that wants to know what a classic Japanese monster movie looks like....then this is the one to watch. Cheesy looking monsters (did you ever notice how fat Godzilla's legs are in this movie?) to the King Kong costume (with arms that change length throughout the movie), this is your typical 1960's children's matinee fare. There is action galore, plot inconsistencies, a damsel in distress and island natives that are pissed when their gorilla god is kidnapped by unscrupulous adventurers. Total budget for this movie was probably $1.98 + tax LOL.
I had high hopes that this blu ray presentation would be completely upgraded from the previous DVD incarnation but the quality has only been bumped up a notch or two but it's better than nothing. The scenes that have been improved include Godzilla's attack on the passenger train. In the DVD version, this scene was way too dark and you could barely see what was going on. In the blu ray version it is much clearer and brighter but still retains that nighttime look. The climactic battle of the monster is also slightly improved. One question you may ask...what's with the overall gray look during the latter half of this blu ray? A result of improper remastering or extra contrast to disguise obvious video flaws? That is exactly what went through my mind on first viewing this BD version but a Toho fan solved the mystery for me. The end battle between Kong and Godzilla takes place on a cloudy day with an approaching thunderstorm which super charges Kong's strength with a bolt of lightning. After that, the scene brightens up considerably to reveal a sunny day at the conclusion of the movie.
Shout Factory should get their hands on this one and improve the video quality for sure much like they did with Halloween II (1981 version) and it would probably sell a gazillion copies (narrow that number down to a few dozen...but i would buy it and that's all that matters.)