Power Rangers Review

     Expectations for this movie were probably pretty low or average for most people going in, and I can't necessarily blame them. On Paper it did seem that Power Rangers was getting the same reboot treatment as Transformers or Ninja Turtles. It also did not help that some of the art and leaks revealed before the movie received mostly mixed reactions. With all of this in mind, I started avoiding anything relating to the new Power Rangers movie roughly a month before it came out to avoid any spoilers or alter my expectations beyond hesitant but hopeful. I went in with that mind set and I came out pleasantly surprised. The movie wasn't just okay, it was legitimately good.
     The story, took the premise of the American show and put it into movie form. Five teenagers with attitude uncover the coins and become Power Rangers. It is up to them to learn to work together, use their powers and stop Rita Repulsa from Destroying the world. The movie's main strength is how simple it is. More time can be devoted to things like characters, action and even fan-service. Arguably even more important than that, the movie was fun. I enjoyed watching the movie pretty much all the way through.
     None of that is to say the movie is without flaws. There are some pretty obvious flaws with the film that keep it from being truly great but, in my opinion, don't lessen the experience as much as others would have you believe. There are many things that people have been complaining about that I would say are not really a problem. The main complaints/flaws are as follow:

1) The opening scene - The movie opens to a prologue explaining why Zordon and Rita are on earth in a pretty intense scene that even shows an Aquitian, as fans of the show will recognize. The movie then cuts to Jason pulling a prank by putting a cow in a locker room. This scene is quickly gaining infamy for a pretty weird milking joke. It is the kind of dirty humor that you are going to love or hate but the problem is it doesn't fit that well in the movie, and for some does not set a good precedent for what they are about to see. While I didn't mind it as much as others, it was a clear problem

2) Rita's acting - This is generally viewed as a point against the movie as people are either going to love her brand of crazy or hate it. I was among the ones that loved watching her be psychotic and murderous. The main argument against her is that she was too out there for a movie that was trying to be a bit more mature. While I see where people who say that are coming from, I would propose that it would be a lot stranger to see Rita as a subdued tactful villainous. Rita was always crazy, and this movie did pretty darn good with what they had, in my opinion.
     The personal problem I had with Rita is that in this movie she is established to have been the green ranger before. I personally don't like the idea of Rita being a Ranger, but I am willing to forgive it for a few reasons. Her "transformation", the green armor, is incomplete and it can be inferred that her corruption has started to sever her connection to the morphing grid. The other reason is she doesn't really rely on the power of the armor at all, but rather her own spells and fighting prowess. It took some getting used to but was ultimately tolerable.

3) Forced references - I have only heard a few people mention this. References to many power rangers series are littered throughout the movie. How certain items, street names and powers are named and used will probably only bug you if you are expecting a one-to-one copy of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which the creators made clear is not what this is.  If you let this movie be its own thing, I swear the references will not bother you at all.

4) Rangers screen time - I hear this one a lot. Many people are saying that the Rangers were not in their suits for enough of the movie and many people wanted to see the Power Rangers be the Power Rangers and beat up evil. Many people wanted a lot of action, and if you are expecting action from beginning to end this may bug you. The Rangers are only suited up for about 15-25 minutes towards the end of the movie. This is seen as a problem by those expecting a nonstop explosion fest but it is not that kind of movie. While many claim it is a problem, I think this leads into a great strength for the film. The movie is not a beat-em-up thriller. This movie is about the rangers becoming a team and earning their powers. We have the luxury of getting to know the characters and story before they morph for a very well done action scene, and this is somehow a bad thing. people are weird.

5)Krispy Kreme - I honestly can't defend this one that much. The product placement in this movie was ridiculous. there was too much dialogue towards the end regarding the Krispy Kreme. It got too a point that it seemed like a self-fulfilling joke in the movie, but that doesn't excuse that it is pretty sloppy in regards to film-making. There is even a scene where Rita eats a donut like shes in a commercial. It was stupid, it was needless, I thought it was funny, but it is still a problem.

     Those are the main 5 that people seem to point out as problems, and most of them boil down to personal preference. There are also some sprinkled plot holes but they are few and far between and can be explained pretty easily with just the phrase "morphing grid". Beyond these problems though the film has a lot of strength to it that drew fans in and earned it some well deserved praise.
     This movie was a character driven film from beginning to end. The main 5 were fantastic actors that got tons of laughs out of me and even got me bit teary eyed during the now infamous campfire scene. Each of the Rangers show off their unique personalities and enough time was put into getting to know each one. These characters knew their role very well and 100% captured the idea of "teenagers with attitude" in a realistic and engaging way.
     The good character writing was not limited to the Rangers of course. Much to the surprise of many, Zordon was even given a slight character ark. Zordon was prideful and somewhat resentful that he failed to stop Rita before and begins to take his frustration out on the Rangers before realizing that this is not his team anymore, and he must be there as a guiding hand instead of barking orders. Bryan Cranston did wonderful and gave us, at least close to, the best portrayal of Zordon fans could ask for. Even Alpha 5, though annoying at times, had plenty of character and was a little more engaging and fun to watch than previous incarnations of the character.
     This movie also has a great sense of Humor. I mentioned that the opening scene will be hit or miss and seems out of place, but the rest of the movie is very fun. Billy, for instance, is established as being on the autism spectrum. He has trouble identifying sarcasm and this leads to him taking certain things literally. This is portrayed with enough care that it is never offensive or demeaning to those with autism. The audience is just given some funny and realistic exchanges between Billy and other Rangers. The Humor also comes from Rita and how much Elizabeth Banks just loves her role. As one of the people who enjoyed her performance, I loved how crazy and out there she was. It put a huge smile on my face when she said "Make my monster grow!". As much as the film is trying to be something different, It clearly knows where it came from and is not afraid to poke fun at it while lovingly embracing its roots.
      The Power Rangers film is not without problems but it is still a very loving tribute to the show and a worthy reboot of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I do recommend that everyone give this movie a try. I am confident that most people will see this movie as at least pretty good. I can understand people being hesitant to see it or not being drawn into the movie as much as others as many elements are, of course, love em or hate em. If I were to rate this movie, I would give it a solid 8 out of 10 but I can understand others giving it a 7.5 or even a 7. I will likely be seeing this movie again while I await potential future installments of these new Power Rangers.

Kaiju Grab Bag Vol. 3: Super Power Sentai Rangers Edition

     With the new Power Rangers movie coming up. as well as Kamen Rider Ex-Aid and Uuchuu Sentai KyuuRanger gaining momentum both here and in Japan, The world is starting to be abuzz with everyone's favorite color-coded costumed heroes. Instead of going into great detail about one topic before I review the New Power Rangers movie, I thought I would briefly discuss and provide my own answers to some questions about Super Sentai and Power Rangers. These are questions I have either read on social media, heard asked directly to somebody or thought up myself. I will try to keep from droning on any particular topic as many of these I have strong feelings about. Today I am just dipping my toes into these topics but I am more than willing to discuss almost all of them in detail at a later date. So here we go!

Q: Why do the shows stick with live action effects?

A: The shows use a mix but generally stick with traditional suits for a majority. This live-action spell effects style is known as tokusatsu and it is what made Super Sentai/Power Rangers famous. In many ways this style still works for what it needs, and as the saying goes; "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Q: Isn't Super Sentai/Power Rangers meant to be watched by little kids?

A: the short answer is yes, but there are important things to note. In Japan, Children and Teens are introduced to more mature content earlier in life compared to most other countries. While Super Sentai is very much a Japanese Kids show, there are often themes regarding death, loss, personal responsibility and a related themes. The show can also be more fast and loose with profanity making it more akin to a show for American Teens and young adults oddly enough. As for power Rangers, that is meant for American kids without a doubt. The show has, however, become aware of the age of it's audience and some later seasons have shown signs of maturity such as RPM to name one example.


Q: Can't Super Sentai/Power Rangers be way too silly at times?

A: unfortunately yes, as much as I like defending how shockingly mature either show can be, there are many moments where how bizarre or silly something is only serves to be distracting. While I do understand, this is to cater to the younger demographic, I sometimes wish the shows would take themselves an iota more seriously.

Q: Does there have to be a movie to go with EVERY series of Super Sentai and Kamen Rider?

A: Yes.....yes there does. To the person who asked that; you know who you are and you should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking of denying these series awesome adventures and great world building......not to mention the profits from airing those movies in theaters and doing road shows are a good chunk of why those shows are still even airing.

Q: Why is the red one always considered the leader?

A: Tradition. Red is a very prominent color in Japan just as Blue is a prominent color here in America. It is interesting to note, though, that despite red often being identified as the leader, it isn't uncommon for other rangers to take on the actual leadership role. MegaBlack in MegaRanger is a great example of a team leader who isn't the red ranger.

Q: Isn't Power Rangers just a rip-off of Super Sentai? They just recycle scenes after all.

A: Scenes are recycled because it is an adaptation of foreign media. A LOT of time, money and frustration needs to be put into getting props and costumes over seas and fitted to the American actors, who often don't fit into those suits, so new ones need to be tailored which costs even more money. Especially early on, there was not enough resources available for such things so they had to be careful with what they had and recycle a lot of footage. Because the creators took their time to make it look decent (or at least as decent as an early 90's show can look), and from their sales and profits went up and they could afford more original footage and content. Power Rangers is an adaption. It is not a ripoff because they didn't have enough resources or backing to make their own suits and effects during the early years of power rangers. Besides they had the permission and blessing of the creators of Super Sentai so meh.

Q: Are any plot lines or characters changed as it is translated into an American show?

A: This, unfortunately, depends on who is writing and directing the series. Each season of Power Rangers is different. Some seasons, Like MMPR and RPM focus on original material whereas Wild Force and Time Force borrow many plot lines and ideas to the point that they can be considered a plagiarism if not for the support from Bandai and Toei when writing and pitching each season. Some seasons choose to copy main ideas but build upon them differently. Power Rangers in Space did this really well.

Q: Which is better, Super Sentai or Power Rangers

A: This question can only be answered out of preference. I personally have liked more Sentai Series than Power Ranger series so I am inclined to say Sentai is better, but I have not seen EVERY season of either and can't make a proper judgement. It all comes down to preference

Q: Are there any Power Rangers Series you prefer over their original Sentai?

A: Wild Force is about as good and possibly better than GaoRanger. RPM has generally better writing and less plot convenience than Go-Onger....Fight me.

Q: Do you think Super Sentai/Power Rangers will end any time soon?

A: I Think Super Sentai has a few more years in her, Especially with how good KyuuRanger is. Unfortunately Power Rangers may or may not be on their last hurrah. The hype around the new movie and Ninja Steele will determine if there is truth to this. If Power Rangers ends soon, the creators have nobody to blame but themselves. Too many weird decisions for the show as of late.

Q: What theme would you want to see in a future season of Super Sentai/Power Rangers

A: I want a team to harness the power of mythic beasts again! Dragons, Gryphons, etc. I could live with a team, whose powers are based entirely on dragons! Better yet....KAIJU RANGERS!!!

Q: Is the upcoming reboot good or bad for Super Sentai/Power Rangers?

A: Time will tell, but I would say it is more of a good thing for both series. This movie will probably have a reference or two but seems to want to establish itself as it's own thing that isn't tied to Super Sentai or related shows. Last I checked many people see Power Rangers as a ripoff so why wouldn't they want the show to separate itself from Super Sentai?

Kong: Skull Island review

Dear Billy, 

     I hope everything is going well. It seems some people thought that another film about an angry Australian man would top Skull Island this weekend. Man were they wrong. I must say it fills me with pride to see Skull Island doing so well even after the opening weekend. I fear Beauty will trounce the beast this weekend, but that does not lessen the spectacle or mean that Skull Island is a bad film. Skull Island Truly met expectations and even exceeded some. 

Sincerely,
Kaiju Kidd


Okay, but seriously though....

     For this Kidd, the hype for this movie was great. I am a long time monster movie buff and I thoroughly enjoyed the 2014 Godzilla film. One of my greatest wishes is to bear witness to another great age in monster movies and this Legendary monsterverse is leading the charge into, what could be, a whole new frontier for Kaiju films or monster movies in general. That being said, there were still some reservations before going to see this one. The intent of this movie is to introduce Kong into this universe, not necessarily retell the original Kong story. Usually movies that try and change the story of the big ape end up falling short in one regard or another so I tried to mentally prepare myself for that scenario if even just a little bit. Suffice it to say, I was surprised by how good the movie turned out in almost every aspect.

     The human cast all did their jobs wonderfully and by the end of the movie I found all of the main human characters likeable. I emphasize, by the end, as before they actually reached the island there were characters that didn't really hit the mark with me personally. At first, I found Brie Larson's character, Mason Weaver, to be, for lack of a better term, kind of a cunt. Literally everyone saw through her BS and fortunately I feel that helped transition her to being more open to the team and forthcoming when it came to heavy decision. Mason did what all good characters do, change as it is needed to help drive the story. Other than her, I don't feel that Houston Brooks, played by Corey Hawkins, and San, played by Tian Jing, had many great character moments. Sure, I liked them well enough and they were certainly key players to the story, but I don't feel as connected to them as I do other characters.
     As for the other main characters, I have to simply praise. John C. Reilly stole the show as Hank Marlow, a downed survivor from a WW2 plane crash. Mr. Reilly knows how to portray crazy. Tom Hiddleston and Samuel L. Jackson both kept this very commanding presence as the "leaders" of the group. Samuel L. Jackson's character, Lieutenant Colonel Packard, had wonderful scenes showing his descent into this hazy war-fueled madness as his men are slaughtered one by one. Bill Randa, played by John Goodman, was a representative of Monarch that set this excursion to Skull Island in motion. I love how clever he was. Whenever you see him you know he is planning something. To be honest, this movie made me wish I could've seen him as Carl Denham in the Kong reboot a few years back. No hate on Jack Black, but John Goodman showed everything Jack's character was missing. In, Short, every character was at least good.
     The story, is honestly pretty basic. People go to Skull Island on a research expedition, find Kong and have to escape the island as they encounter all the nasty creatures that inhabit the island. This simplicity, though, is honestly how it probably should be. On paper the basics of past Kong stories are there, and there is some great monster action all throughout the film. Keeping the film as basic as it is does have it's down-sides though. Since exploring Skull Island and establishing major facts about this universe are also primary goals, not as much time can go towards Kong. As such, we don't get the whole of Kong's story or have as much time with Kong as some would want. To me, the filmmakers worked around this as best they could. While not as expressive as the Peter Jackson's Kong, This Kong is still very expressive and as we watch him interact with the world around him, the audience begins to understand Kong without having to be with him throughout the whole of the movie. Much like the 2014 Godzilla movie, even when Kong is not on screen, his presence is felt along with pretty much any other creature. After the spider scene, you feel that Kong or some other monster can come out at any time. That tension only gets ramped up to unsettling at times when the Skull Crawlers begin to make their move. As far as Kong is concerned, his goal is to keep his home safe from threats, including the helicopters and the skull crawlers, so Kong is pretty much always fighting or watching over the island all film long.
     The human side of things has a pretty natural progression but I feel that some things came by to easily, or were just there for the sake of one scene and nothing else. One example is the lighter that James Conrad, played by Tom Hiddleston had. While the introduction of the lighter came out of a nice character moment between James and Mason, it seems the lighter was only there to establish a source of flame so they could blow up a skull crawler shortly after that scene. The lighter also belonged to James' father, as he explains, but I fail to see the greater necessity in establishing a special lighter when it is not exactly farfetched for a soldier to have a match, or just some random zippo as we see other soldiers have. There are other examples but there are items that are established to be relevant for the characters to some degree, but not as much to the plot. Enough griping about minor things that bug me for stupid reasons though!

     The major conflicts the humans face in this movie are threefold. The first and obvious is the various creatures that may or may not want to eat them. The second, which is the first to be resolved, is that after crashing on the island everyone is pretty scattered and must find a way to regroup as safely as possible. Finally Packard is becoming obsessed with taking down Kong in the name of revenge for his men. This drives him to insanity. The group mus find a way to a rendezvous point on the other end of the island all while dealing with the above problems. The job is made a slight easier when they run into Hank Marlow who has been stranded there for years. Because of this, Hank knows much about the island and has even been working on a makeshift boat of of plane parts, we'll call it a ploat, to help them go up the main waterway quicker so all can escape the island. Things progress just as they should in this movie and no scene is there too long, though a few scenes weren't there long enough. I would have liked to see more scenes of Kong fighting the smaller skull crawlers, and maybe another scene showing the groups of humans dealing with the creatures or natives of the island. Heck, I want to see those ants that John C Reilly warned me about!
     Any negative marks I can give this movie honestly relate to each other. I know I have been praising the movie, but it is not perfect. The characters are really good and fun to watch, but none of them give of an Oscar winning performance....except maybe John C. Reilly. The action is good and there's plenty of it, but aside from how Kong beats the big skull crawler, I don't see anything truly inventive or new. Truthfully the flaws of this movie all relate to that so many elements are good, but just miss the mark from being great.
     I shouldn't have to tell anybody, that if the worst thing I can say about a movie is that it's really good, but not great, then it truly is a good movie. I would recommend this to eve



ryone who likes giant monsters, to anybody who likes army movies and anybody who likes action in general. I had a lot of fun watching this movie and I hope that many more people go out and see it. This is the Kaiju Kidd signing off from skull Island!




     almost forgot the most important thing! That end credits scene! what else can I say...but..

LET THEM FIGHT!!!!

The King of the Kongs: Rating the movies from worst to best

     With the release of Kong: Skull Island in a few days, everybody is in an uproar about the big ape. With so many decent reviews and retrospectives out there, such as the ones done by my friend at The Gryphon's Lair, I don't feel it necessary to do any major reviews or retrospective pieces. Instead I just want to give my two cents one how the Kong movies stack up to each other. I will be including the original movie, all of its American remakes and the two Japanese films by TOHO. Without further ado, Let's get right to the fun!

#7 King Kong Lives

     It is to nobodies surprise that this is usually considered the worst Kong movie to date. Between a plot that can be overly confusing at times and generally forgettable characters, this isn't just a bad Kong movie, it's a pretty bad movie. That is not to say it has nothing going for it. Despite any warranted criticism of the Dino De Laurentiis films, The Kong suits and animatronics used in them were pretty decent. While, in my opinion, not the best Kong has ever looked, I cannot say it is the worst the big ape has ever looked either. That honor goes to another Kong film that I, ironically, like a lot more. TBH I don't have much to say in this film in particular. It's a pretty bad film with decent effects. I would watch it if you are a monster movie buff, like myself, but beyond that I don't think I can muster it in me to recommend this film.







#6 King Kong Escapes

     Toho has an interesting Film history when it comes to King Kong. Two movies, yet neither of them are canon with the other, at least arguably not. Truth be told I cannot bring myself to hate this movie but I'm hard pressed to say its a great Kong movie either. The movie is entertaining, The suit looks better than the film that came before, and it introduces some new Kaiju to the TOHO monster-verse. The problem with this movie, it doesn't feel to be about Kong. The movie honestly feels like it is about the mad Scientist Doctor Who. Normally, that would be a huge minus for me, but two things put this well and above King Kong lives for me. The first is the human characters are a delight, especially that villain. Dr. Who seems like a parody of Dr. Hinelar from Megaranger before Megaranger existed and I love him for it. The other thing is the monster fights. I fear the day I ever grow tired of some good ol' suited monster rumbles. Basically, while not the most Kong-centric of the Kong movies, it is very enjoyable and worthy of a watch.





#5 King Kong versus Godzilla

     I can see the rage comments already. Full disclosure, I love this movie, but as I was thinking about where I would place this on the list a few things kept nagging at my mind that I can't ignore. Without a doubt, this is the worst-looking Kong has ever looked, and hopefully will ever look, on film. the lack of fluid movement is very odd. the other problem is, this movie is just as much about Godzilla as it is about Kong. This obviously means that Kong doesn't get as much focus as the other films, but admittedly this ends up being a fairly minor issue. The other problem is the strange shifting of styles in the middle of fights, while can be perceived as humorous, is also odd and kind of distracting. man-in-suit to puppet, to man-in-suit again, then to stop motion, etc. the changes away from suitmaion are brief but still stick out like a sore thumb.
     The biggest issue with this film that makes it not work as well as a Kong movie, is that Kong wasn't technically supposed to be in this movie. I won't go into details, but there is a whole mess involving King Kong, Frankenstein and Godzilla and about 2 or 3 movies that were suddenly changed to another monster at one point in production. Once you know that, you can tell that Kong feels like an afterthought at times, instead of the intended character. That being said, this is a very good monster mash that belongs in everybody's collection. This movie is a lot more fun to watch than a lot of movies on this list, but you just can't be crowned King of Kong without being entirely about Kong it seems.

#4 King Kong (1976)

     This is going to take some explaining. This list is not about seeing which is the best film overall. I am looking at these films as representations of King Kong, and seeing how they hold as a King Kong movie. Which movie portrayed the ape better? which one portrayed the story or told a new story the best? which one is enjoyable to watch? If I was seriously judging these movies based on overall film quality, this would not be as high as it is. That being said, This movie is still pretty okay and has many admiral qualities hiding in there.
     First of all, This is the best looking Kong suit hands down. Not the best looking Kong, but the best looking Kong suit. I feel the tension around his presence whenever he is on screen....at least at first. Much like another Kong film. there are some light hearted moments that detract from the seriousness of the whole thing. That is not to say the effects are not impressive. The Kong in this film is very expressive, a feature I believe to be absolutely necessary for Kong. Also many techniques honoring the original movie are used, such as giant animatronics, a giant model Kong hand many scaled miniatures for Kong to destroy.
      There are three things keeping this from being at least a good King Kong movie, in my opinion: First, the human characters are pretty bland. While the movie needs to focus on Kong, that focus will mean little if the humans aren't also engaging. it takes away from the drama and makes us feel less sympathetic with the humans when they make their moves. Second, aside from a giant snake, there are no dinosaurs or other creatures in this movie. King Kong has always been associated with dinosaurs and to not include them almost feels like sacrilege. At least King Kong versus Godzilla had the bonus of not being entirely about Kong, but still pitted him against a giant octopus and the greatest fire breathing dinosaur of them all. The final thing is how unnecessarily bloody this movie can get. The final scene when Kong gets shot down does not evoke as much emotion as the original and somewhat makes me uncomfortable instead of sad.
     There are a lot of flaws with this movie and it is very easy to call this film bad. I must give this film it's due respect, however. This movie was intended to be about Kong and the Kong we got was very well designed and was the catalyst for many decent effects. The reason I put this above King Kong versus Godzilla, (and I thought long and hard about this trust me) was because of what set each Kong movie above the other Kong films. This film had some very impressive practical effects including a giant animatronic. King Kong versus Godzilla had the appearance of Godzilla and some wonderfully campy monster fights. The problem there is, this is about Kong, not Godzilla. I do hold that King Kong versus Godzilla is a better movie, but the 1976 Dino De Laurentiis film just does a better job at being about Kong.

#3 Son of Kong

     I have heard people dislike this movie. While I can kind of see why, I feel that is it almost unfair to it. People dismiss this since it does not live up to the original film, but considering how good the original was, that almost seems like an unreasonable expectation. Is the movie bad? Absolutely not. Is the movie good? It has it's moments. This was the same creative team that made the original King Kong and there are many times where that shows. The cinematography is still great without living up to its predecessor, and it feels like a natural sequel. Anybody can believe that what is happening to Carl Denham and Captain Englehorn in this movie would happen after the events of King Kong.
     Some may be wondering, if I placed King Kong vs. Godzilla so low for not being entirely about Kong, why is this one so high, despite not being about Kong at all, but instead his son? The answer is right in the question. The movie is about Kong's son. I do not mind how Kong gets rebooted but the focus needs to be there for Kong to shine. This movie is just as much about the son of Kong as it is about Carl Denham. That is not to say the movie is perfect. The film can be a bit cartoony and awkward at times, but it weirdly fits if only to bring levity to the seriousness of some parts of the movie.
     I rank this movie high because of how much effort was put into this movie despite the disadvantage of time and resources. For having a low budget, compared to King Kong (1933), the spirit is still there and you feel like  you are always watching Kong when he is on screen. Stop motion is still in top form and the backdrops are still good. I can't see this movie as better than say, Mighty Joe Young, but is still one of the better King Kong movies to watch. I was satisfied the whole way through and recommend this to anybody who loves the original.

#2 Peter Jackson's King Kong

     I have heard a fair number of complaints that this movie is too long. While that is a strike against it, it is a very small strike due to how well the movie flows. As I mentioned above this isn't about how good or bad the movie is, this is about how I feel Kong was portrayed within the confines of his movie. I personally believe that this is the best looking Kong has ever looked in the cinema, at least until I can properly judge Skull Island. Much more so than the Dino De Laurentiis Kong and, arguably, any other Kong, this one is VERY expressive. Kong acts the most like a giant ape in this one but still carries some more human qualities.
     This version of Kong also seems to best a few of it's predecessors with a tirade of dinosaurs and larger than life creatures for Kong and the humans to deal with. This movie fully understands that the adventures on the Island are just as important, if not more so, than Kong running amok in New York. There is always something for everyone to do, be it fight a creature or further the plot on the ship/skull island. The Actors that interact with Kong do a very commendable job. Naomi Watts is, in my opinion, the best Anne Darrow ever put on screen. Jack Black is not Robert Armstrong but still plays a respectable Carl Denham. There really isn't a bad performance in this movie that I can think of on the top of my head.
     This is all not to say that the movie is flawless. While I, personally, am not bothered by the runtime, I can see some viewers growing weary as this is the longest Kong movie to date. There is also an abundance of CG. It is well done CG, but do not expect many practical effects or rubber suits if you are a fan such as myself. There are a few scenes that can be seen as unnecessary, but they do offer their own type of charm like with the "Kong on Ice" scene or the infamous bug pit, which I still find awesome. Finally while no actor gives a "bad" performance per se, some may come across as boring. Adrian "Chicken Nose" Brody is the biggest offender of this, but he still interacts well with Kong and even has some pretty intense scenes towards the end.
     In my opinion, most of the major flaws can honestly be notched down to personal preference. The film honors the source material it came from and is packed with action with one of the most badass Kongs on screen. Everyone remembers the fight against the three T-Rexes. Everyone remembers the climax on the empire state building and everyone remembers the bug pit. I was truly thinking of putting this as number one but there was one thing about the next Kong I just couldn't ignore. Either way I encourage everyone to go out and see this movie.

#1 King Kong (1933)

     Much like the one ranked at #7, this probably comes as a surprise to nobody. The truth is, as much as people like to go against the grain and challenge ideas, sometimes things are commonly regarded the way they are for a reason. Almost everybody agrees this is the best Kong Movie, because it really is the best Kong movie. Everything from the cinematography to the animatronic puppetry is masterfully done. The characters, especially Carl Denham, are a treat to watch. As much as I love Jack Black and think he did the performance justice, Robert Armstrong is just too good at playing a sly producer. You just love to watch him work.
     Honestly, what can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said. I admire pretty much everything about the effects, the backdrops, characters and Kong himself. I should mention though, There was one thing about this movie that persisted in the back of my mind that tempted me to place it at number two. Unfortunately, that is, Kong himself. Do not get me wrong, Kong is at the best he can be right here. The problem is, apes are very expressive creatures and whether we like it or not, Gorillas and other intelligent apes are capable of human-like emotion. There are times in the film where Kong doesn't appear to have any emotion, but also times where he shows off that he can be angry, inquisitive, sad or even happy. I just feel the Kong in Peter Jackson's film was more expressive and it ultimately helped the performance immensely.
     All of that aside though, This film is a masterpiece and I absolutely cannot bring myself to not revere this movie as it deserves. Labelling this movie as "second-best Kong" would be a grave disservice. Not only was this film groundbreaking for Monster movies, it was groundbreaking for all of cinema around the world. This film started a Legacy of greatness that can only be mimicked by pretenders and cheap foreign knock off films. This film truly was a once in a lifetime motion picture, and I doubt any movie can replicate the experience or the impact ever again. With all of this in mind, I am proud to declare the original RKO production as the King of the Kongs!

    So the only thing left is the new movie. Expect a review of Kong: Skull Island next week! I hope all of you Tokunuts are as excited to see the big ape on screen once again as I am! Till next time, I am the Kaiju Kidd and I will see you all on Skull Island.