King Kong Escapes

"The electronic monster Mechani-Kong boldly challenges the ruler of the South Seas, King Kong!!"

1967 1h 44m JA

😐

6.1

MID

🍅

63%

FRESH

⭐

5.5

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 116🍅63%Rotten Tomatoes★5.5IMDB · 3,310

ActionFantasyHorrorScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An adaptation of the Rankin/Bass cartoon, "The King Kong Show". King Kong is brought in by the evil Dr. Who to dig for Element X in a mine when the robot Mechani-Kong is unable to do the task. This leads to the machine and the real Kong engaging in a tremendous battle atop Tokyo Tower.

“The electronic monster Mechani-Kong boldly challenges the ruler of the South Seas, King Kong!!”

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Cast

Akira Takarada
Lt. Commander Jiro Nomura
Mie Hama
Madame Piranha
Rhodes Reason
Commander Carl Nelson
Linda Miller
Lieutenant Susan Watson
Hideyo Amamoto
Dr. Who
Yoshibumi Tajima
Henchman
Sachio Sakai
Henchman
Ryuji Kita
SDF General

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ishirō Honda
Writers: Takeshi Kimura
Languages: English, Japanese
Countries: Japan, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

59 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Japan, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ishirō Honda, shot by Hajime Koizumi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ryôhei Fujii shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Akira Takarada and Mie Hama and Rhodes Reason carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The electronic monster Mechani-Kong boldly challenges the ruler of the South Seas, King Kong!!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ishirō Honda directs. Hajime Koizumi behind the camera. Akira Ifukube scores. Ryôhei Fujii cuts. Produced in Japan, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

159 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Japanese.
3International production across 2 countries: Japan, United States of America.
4Directed by Ishirō Honda, shot by Hajime Koizumi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Ryôhei Fujii shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Akira Takarada and Mie Hama and Rhodes Reason carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The electronic monster Mechani-Kong boldly challenges the ruler of the South Seas, King Kong!!".
9IMDB entry: tt0061868 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 14 themes, including "japan", "giant monster", "mad scientist", "giant robot".
11Released under 19 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Hajime Koizumi
Original score: Akira Ifukube
Editing: Ryôhei Fujii
Production design: Takeo Kita
Costume design: Teizô Toshimitsu
Runtime: 104 min · 1h 44m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.78:1 (16:9)
Status: Released
Box office: $2,800,000
Original language: JA
Certification (US): G
IMDB: King Kong Escapes (1967)
Rotten Tomatoes: 63% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 5.5/10 · 3,310 votes
MPAA: G

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Ishirō Honda

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-06-26
★ 5/10
It's very easy for us to understand. You see, as ridiculous as it may sound, Kong is a male and, uh, Miss Watson is... Well, see for yourselves, gentlemen. King Kong Escapes is directed by Ishirô Honda and written by Takeshi Kimura. It stars Rhodes Reason, Mie Hama, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada and Hideyo Amamoto. Music is by Akira Ifukube and cinematography by Hajime Koizumi. King Kong Escapes' actual Japanese title is King Kong's Counterattack and it was a live action tie-in to the 1966 animated series simply called King Kong (AKA: The King Kong Show). Knowing this really helps to set you up for what to expect from King Kong Escapes, for it is in essence a live action cartoon! Pic on a plot basis is as you would expect all very silly. It features an evil genius who has invented a mechanical robot King Kong, an Asian babe intent on boosting her nuclear arsenal for world domination, a UN submarine crew complete with pretty lady to melt the real Kong's heart, and naturally some creature smack-downs. Naturally the effects work is dicey, but fun with it, though Kong looks too daft for menace value, in fact he looks like he has been on the Columbian Ciggies! There's a cool fight with Gorosauras, a leaping dinosaur whose fight tactic is to repeatedly drop kick its enemy with both feet! While it all builds to the inevitable big face-off finale as the two Kong's tear it up. Who wins? Will Tokyo be obliterated? Well you wont really care but you will have fun getting there! Characterisations are wonderfully cheese laden, none more so than evil Dr Who (Amamoto), resplendent in black cape and with deadly pointed eyebrows. He sets the tone early on, with a devilish glint in his eye as he sets about aiding the sultry Madame X (Hama) with bonkers science fiction pumped machinations. Rhodes Reason sticks his chest out for American heroics, likewise Takarada for the Japanese front, and Miller (appallingly and strangely dubbed) potters about looking pretty and keeping Kong in check. Hooray! 5/10

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