Son of Kong, The |
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USA • 1933 • 70m •
  • Directed by: Ernest B. Schoedsack. • Starring: Robert Armstrong, Helen Mack, Frank Reicher, John Marston, Victor Wong, Ed Brady, Cy Clegg, Steve Clemente, Harry Cornbleth, Nathan Curry, F. Garrety, J. Goff, Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian. • Music by: Max Steiner.      After the disastrous results of his last expedition, Carl Denham leaves New York aboard a ship to escape all the trouble. After a mutiny, he and a few companions are left behind on Skull island, where they meet a smaller relative of King Kong and make friends with him.
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Review:
Fast forward to today, as I casually perused the titles at my local library, imagine my shock when I noticed a DVD release of "Son of Kong". There was never even a question about it, that was the title I'd be watching today. Curiously, I couldn't remember anything about the picture other than Robert Armstrong's reprise of his Captain Denham role from the original, and that climactic ending that always had me shedding a tear as a youngster, even when I knew it was coming.
Oddly, the picture had more of a camp feel to it than I would ever have picked up on back in the day, owing to the fact that I'm a lot older now, and recognize that the picture, released in the same year!!! as "King Kong", was essentially a sure fire way to cash in on the success of the original. Little Kong was played to almost caricature effect, and what added to that atmosphere was the presentation of his pseudo-prehistoric counterparts - the hulking cave bear, the goofy looking brontosaur type lizard, and the sea monster of the finale. Only the triceratops that appeared early to challenge the Denham party seemed to have the kind of stop motion professionalism that appeared throughout the original 'Kong'. Certainly the politics and finances of this sequel required more with less, so on balance, I guess the finished product is worth a viewing. However you'll have to make amends for the rushed feel of the picture, and the contrived ending that managed to produce an earthquake and a typhoon, literally out of the clear blue sky.
It's too bad Fay Wray wasn't on hand for Kong II, as Armstrong was joined by the returning Captain Englehorn (Frank Reicher) for this excursion. Helen Mack was generally OK in her role as the female lead and erstwhile romantic interest for Denham. But gee, wouldn't you think Denham would get to kiss her at least once in the picture? All he could muster in the closing scene was a romantic gaze and a little bit of a clinch with his girl before fade out. I think Little Kong would have been disappointed.
Which brings me around full circle to the actual origin of "The Son of Kong". For that, you'll have to search out a copy of the 1986 picture, "King Kong Lives", produced as something of a sequel to the 1976 re-make of "King Kong". There you'll find out how the King met the Mrs., complete with honeymoon retreat. You might think I'm kidding about this, but chances are if you get to see it, you'll shake your head in complete disbelief.
Review by classicsoncall from the Internet Movie Database.
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