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Plot
The story takes place seven years after the events of Godzilla Raids Again (1955). A U.S. nuclear submarine known as the Seahawk spots a strange light emanating from a large iceberg in the Arctic. The crew discovers that something inside it is causing the light and goes in to investigate. While submerged, the sub ends up crashing into the iceberg, accidently releasing the dreaded King of the Monsters, Godzilla, from his icy tomb. The radiactive dinosaur quickly makes his way to his Japanese homeland and destroys an attacking army base with relative ease.
Meanwhile, the owner of the Pacific Pharmaceutical Company, displeased with his company's low ratings, sends two of his employees to the mysterious Faro Island which has gained public notice with berries on the island that contain chemicals that could be used for medical purposes, though the island's natives were initially reluctant to let them around. During the expedition, the workers discover the natives' local god: a gigantic ape known as King Kong. When a giant octopus (Oodako) arrives from the ocean and attacks the village, Kong arrives and quickly defeats it. The big ape then drinks large amounts of the berries' juice the natives made and falls asleep, providing the employees an opportunity to capture Kong and bring him to Japan by tying him to a gigantic raft and dragging him to the mainland.
Meanwhile, Godzilla continues his destructive march throughout Japan and smashes a train. During the incident, it is revealed that Godzilla is harmed by electricity as he breaks through the electrical wires. Elsewhere, King Kong breaks free from his bonds and manages to swim his way to Japan. Sensing each other's presence, the two mighty beasts finally meet, but Godzilla easily drives Kong away with his atomic fire breath. With two monsters now on the loose, the military make plans of how to destroy them.
The first plan was to build a massive pit to trap Godzilla and detonate explosives filled with poison gas. However, this plan fails as Godzilla emerges unharmed. The next plan was to surround Tokyo with large towers lined with electrical cables. The cables deter Godzilla from entering, but prove useless against King Kong as the great ape absorbs the electricity and grows stronger. Kong enters Tokyo and goes on a rampage, smashing buildings and eventually picking up a train and snatches a woman from it. The woman's brother convinces the military not to attack and instead he and his companions devise a plan: put Kong to sleep just as the natives who worshipped him did. This plan ultimately succeeds as Kong is put to sleep by the same chemicals from the red berries he loves and the woman is rescued.
With Kong asleep and Godzilla spotted near Mt. Fuji, the military comes up with a final plan of action: bring the two monsters together and hope that they will kill each other. They transport the great ape with enormous helium balloons by attaching him to them with unbreakable cables. By morning, they reach their destination and Kong is dropped near his reptilian foe just as he was waking up. The two monsters have an immense battle, but eventually Godzilla gains the upper hand with his superior strength and atomic fire breath. Things look grim for Kong until lightning from an incoming storm strikes and revitalizes him, evening the odds. The two beasts continue their epic battle from Mt. Fuji to the shoreline until they both finally fall into the ocean. After a sudden and massive earthquake hits the area, Kong rises to the surface. Godzilla has disappeared without a trace and King Kong heads off on his long journey back home.
Reception and Legacy
King Kong vs Godzilla was a huge box-office success and became a cult classic. It remains to this day one of the best known crossovers in history. Fans of the franchise praised the design of the Godzilla suit, but were not fond of Kong's overall silly look.
Willis O'Brien, who did the effects for the original King Kong film, first proposed the idea as King Kong vs Frankenstein in which the ape would battle a beast made from different animal parts by Dr. Frankenstein. Unfortunately for Willis, no American studio expressed interest, so producer John Beck went to Toho Studios, who would ultimately replace Frankenstein with their own monster Godzilla. Ishiro Honda originally intended to portay the monsters using stop-motion, but changed to men in suits to cut the cost. However, there were a few moments in the film that utilized stop-motion such as Godzilla's drop-kick on Kong. A direct sequel, Continuation: King Kong vs Godzilla, as well as a remake were intended, but were never produced. Even so, Godzilla continued on in his next film, Godzilla vs Mothra (1964), while Kong would later appear in another Toho project King Kong Escapes (1967). The giant octopus (portrayed in the film with four live octopuses and a puppet) would also make later appearances in other Toho films, one in the alternate ending to Frankenstein Conquers the World a.k.a Frankenstein vs Baragon (1965) and the other in that film's sequel War of the Gargantuas (1968).
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