For Ernest Shoedsack's final feature as director (he directed a prologue uncredited for a film later on), he takes the King Kong concept, but makes it sweeter, more amiable for a family or small kids, and has the wisdom to put on Ray Harryhausen for Mighty Joe Young's special effects and stop motion. While Harryhausen will always be synonymous with Jason and the Argonauts, among other monster movies, this one shows so much care and energy on a first official go-around. It might not be as wild as the original Kong from 1933, but it's a little more polished, with lots of cool fights with lions, and freak-out in an auditorium, and a climax that involves (don't laugh) a burning orphanage. If for no other reason the movie has instant appeal for fans of the great Harryhausen as one of his quintessential efforts.
The film itself is a fun, heartwarming concoction where we see an ape that's smaller than Kong, and less obsessed with diddling the woman of the picture. In fact, the gorilla this time is in the form of a pet, and as such it's friendlier, funnier, but easy to provoke unless its girl is with him (the lovely Terry Moore as Jill). He's surrounded by some 'stock' characters, like the greedy show-biz-man Max O'Hara, and the kind-hearted 'cowboy' Gregg played by Ben Johnson. And the story has a somewhat predictable end. But what makes it enjoyable is that the attitude stays strong enough for its target audience to stay in tune, and there's even a rather amazing climax with the burning orphanage; Shoedsack puts a red tint on the entire sequence, and without much dialog (save for the obvious "JOE!" and screaming children) and thrilling music it's like a near perfect silent movie sequence done with some extra flair. It gives it just that little boost that makes it comparable (if not as iconic) as the building climax of Kong. 7.5/10
The film itself is a fun, heartwarming concoction where we see an ape that's smaller than Kong, and less obsessed with diddling the woman of the picture. In fact, the gorilla this time is in the form of a pet, and as such it's friendlier, funnier, but easy to provoke unless its girl is with him (the lovely Terry Moore as Jill). He's surrounded by some 'stock' characters, like the greedy show-biz-man Max O'Hara, and the kind-hearted 'cowboy' Gregg played by Ben Johnson. And the story has a somewhat predictable end. But what makes it enjoyable is that the attitude stays strong enough for its target audience to stay in tune, and there's even a rather amazing climax with the burning orphanage; Shoedsack puts a red tint on the entire sequence, and without much dialog (save for the obvious "JOE!" and screaming children) and thrilling music it's like a near perfect silent movie sequence done with some extra flair. It gives it just that little boost that makes it comparable (if not as iconic) as the building climax of Kong. 7.5/10