Son of Kong

 

 

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In this yet another of my retro-reviews,I turn my attention to the immediate sequel to the 1933 smash hit King Kong,the Son Of Kong.
King Kong was released in April of 1933 while this one was rushed for release to capitilize on the first just a scant eight months later...and it shows.
Robert Armstrong as Carl Denham,Frank Reicher as the ship Captain Englehorn and Victor Wong as the cook,return to reprise their former roles.The story here involves Denham just three months after the disastrous end of King Kong in New York,hiding away in a small apartment house.He's flat broke and everyone and their mothers uncle is after him with damage suits and process servers hound him night and day.Englehorn sends Wong to find and locate Denham who surprises him with an offer to go in as partners and to get out of New York as soon as possible.Denham gratefully agress and off they sail for the south western Pacific.
While in a far away port they run across a small time performing group consisting of an ex circus performer(with trained animals) and his singing daughter.That night his daughter is forced to rescue her father from a fire which destroys all their belongings but proves fatal to him.It was started as a result of an argument that broke out between her father and a down and out Capt.Helstrom.The daughter Helene(Helen Mack)accuses Helstrom of his death and vows revenge when a magistrate is set to come by in a few days.Before that can happen however Helstrom bumps into Denham and we learn it was Helstrom who gave Denham the original map to Skull Island in the first place.In order to get away Helstrom then makes up a story about a treasure still on the island and before you know it it's "skull island here we come",again.Helene stows away on the ship but is eventually discovered and is forced to follow the fleet,as it were.They arrive at the island to a hostile reception from the native chief and are forced to flee and land elsewhere in a remoter section.Climbing their way Denham and Helene eventually come upon the 12 foot lighter-furred son of King Kong,seemingly in a bit of a spot in a pool of quick sand.With Denhams' help he gets free.When a giant bear(!)attacks,little Kong uses the tree Denham gave to free him of the quicksand, to fend off the raging rug.In the process little K gets a cut which Denham bandages up.It seems they have made a friend and the "little" guy sticks around from then on.In the meantime Denham discovers there is actually a real treasure on the island in a hidden cave.Inside Denham is able to purloin a bejewelled necklace off an ancient idol just as a giant lizard enters the cave.The inevitable fight breaks out between the lizard and little K with the lovable furball winning with a TKO.At this time the island starts to shake and all but Denham head back to the boat.By the time they reach it the island is coming apart and literally sinking into the sea.Denham and little K climb out of the cave and onto its roof as it is all that is left of the island.Little K gets his foot caught in the rocks and cannot get free as the water laps around him.With just his hand sticking out of the water with Denham in it,little K holds him up until the boat arrives,then lets go.The party drifts in the ocean for days until they are rescued and Denham and Helene settle down for a happily ever after.
Up to the point of the discovery of the treasure,the movie had been reasonably well paced but suddenly it is as if someone at RKO said"Hey,we're running out film let's get this thing finished",and within about five minutes they go from:the cave,the island tearing apart and the related storm,little K's death,their drifting,their rescue,a return to New York and the end of the picture....phew!!The effect,in point of fact, severely erodes that which came before and you get the feeling you were robbed.You had expected the picture to continue on for much longer but when the "whirlwind" starts you are left shaking your head and wondering "why?".
The saving grace of this picture however is of course Willis O'Briens' groundbreaking stop-action animation.It is here in all its' glory(as in King Kong) and it really holds up well.Along with little K with whom he imbues with plenty of emotion and even a child like whimsy,there are other beasts like the aforementioned giant bear and lizard,such as an underwater monster and a triceratops.And don't forget to watch little K's fur and see the constant matting of his hair,which was O'Briens' finger marks as he moved him into his various positions!
As a piece of trivia this film has a Harold Lloyd connection.Amongst the ships crew is the actor who portrayed Lloyd's nemesis from the travelling medicine show in The Kid Brother(they have a showdown on board an old boat).Also Helen Mack would go on to star as Lloyd's sister in The Milky Way,about three years later.
Technically this print does have quite a few grainy areas in it but all in all(especially considering its' age)it is not a bad transfer and is generally quite clear.
All in all Son of Kong is a disappointment.So much more could have been done with this film to make it a more credible successor and up to about five minutes before its' end it looked like it would be,but its' whirlwind ending leaves one with a palpable sour taste.However O'Briens'wonderful stop motion animatronics are the highlights of this film,as they were in the original,and they are always worth viewing in spite of RKOs less than stellar story and editing decisions.

This film is only 70 minutes long and is shot mostly in some Hollywood Studio. We don't even get back to Skull Island until 40 minutes of this slapstick melodrama has elapsed.
Even when the crew arrive at Skull Island, it lacks the realism of the original Kong movie made earlier the same year of 1933.
Son of Kong is only 12 feet high (King Kong is 50 ft), and is more cute, than a terror. Some of the other creatures on the island (a giant bear) do not seem pre-historic. So it's a rush job, probably one of the earlier Hollywood film seqeuls.
It's difficult to watch, I begin at chapter 12, the arrival to Skull Island. Even then, the action does not compare to the original Skull island scenery.
One Star. For Kong Freaks only.

Well Son of Kong was made on a lower budget and as a result the film tended to be more light hearted in it's story. But it's a still a good movie. Robert Armstrong returns as Carl Denham, this time looking for redemption after his capture of Kong resulted in thousands of dollars in damage and the deaths of innocent people. However he finds a new life and new love in the form of Helda (played by Helen Mack), and a return to Skull island where they find more dinosaurs and the Son of Kong.
It is actually a very touching film in many places. The romance between Denham and Helda is an honnest one and never goes over the top. Wills O'Brien's effects work is still good and Max Steiner again scored good music for the movie. All in all, a worthy sequal to King Kong, and better then all the cheap ape monster movies that followed.

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4.0 out of 5 stars A FUN SECOND TRIP TO SKULL ISLAND!
"Son of Kong" was a hurried sequel to "King Kong" made the same year. While it cannot dramatically compete with "Kong" it certainly has alot to like... Read more

Published on April 5 2002 by Darryl M. Haase

4.0 out of 5 stars A fine sequel to King Kong
The Son of Kong is no King Kong. But it tries to be just as good. The film does not feature as many dinosaurs. Read more

Published on Mar 10 2001 by weirdo_87

2.0 out of 5 stars Geeeez.....
Well, the first hour is completely meaningless subplot followed by 20 minutes of almost nonstop stop motion action. Read more

Published on Jan 5 2001 by Tuco

4.0 out of 5 stars A sweet heart-tugger ties up loose ends
Maybe we've forgotten that sequels were originally designed, not only to capitalize on a movie's success, but also to continue storylines and tie up loose ends in a plausible... Read more

Published on Sep 4 2000 by S. H. Towsley

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing really happens in it.
Haven't these people ever heard of "No plot, no script, no service (box office service, that is)." But still has a very touching ending.

Published on Sep 1 2000 by David Rogers

3.0 out of 5 stars A sweet little movie, but not much to watch for an hour
Perhaps I was spoiled by "King Kong" -- but then, who wasn't? The greatest monster movie ever made, with the most elaborate stop-motion animation of its day, "King... Read more

Published on July 27 2000 by Robert James

4.0 out of 5 stars SON OF KONG
The sequel to KING KONG, while is by no means a fantastic film like its predecessor, is still mainly a kid's movie. Read more

Published on July 8 2000 by Anthony

3.0 out of 5 stars Is this a sequal to "King Kong"?
"King Kong" was one of the greatest cinema experiences of all time. After seeing Kong, I heard that there was a sequal to it called "Son of Kong". Read more

Published on May 11 2000 by Nigel D.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good in its own right.
People who give this film bad reviews don't seem to rate it for what it is. Alright, so it isn't 'King Kong', but I doubt it was ever meant to be. Read more

Published on Mar 21 2000 by G.Spider

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable sequal
There was a certain logic to making this movie. mostly following the story of Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) after Kong is killed and various business in New york are sueing... Read more

Published on Nov 5 1999 by Joe Mac Guy

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