John T. Ryan WE'VE LONG had a very skeptical view of the sequel. All too often we see what is not any true attempt to continue the spirit of the original, but more of an attempt to exploit the success that was generated by the critical acclaim and/or the boffo box office $ucce$$ of its popularity generated with the public.THIS WAS PARTICULARLY true in the era of the "Roman Numeral" Series. We really liked and enjoyed the heck out of JAWS and DEATH WISH; but firmly believed that there should never have been any extensions. ROCKY was a fine little picture with a small budget, but the follow-ups always left a little to be desired.* SOME NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS to this rule of ours are BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE GODFATHER, PART 2; both of which improved on the originals.THIS PRODUCTION OF a sequel to KING KONG is yet another story. It exists purely as a tool to make up for some co$t overruns of the original "DADDY" KONG. There was no other series pictures planned, with only this budgetary silver parachute being its only purpose.SIMPLY STATED, WE join up with a now broke and depressed Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), finding him sulking over the total flop on Broadway (pun) that his big gorilla show was. Bankrupt and dejected, he meets up with another lady, (Helen Mack); with whom he journeys back to Skull Island to recoup his losses.JOINED IN THIS new voyage we have Captain Engelhorn (Frank Reicher reprising his role), as the skipper of the ship. They go to the island, meet up with the native leadership team (Steve Clemente as Witch Doctor and Noble Johnson as Chief). Both Church and State are represented, but they are separate but equal.TRAVELING AROUND THE island (which seems much more docile by now), the pair meets up with a small fry version of KONG; who hasn't developed his appetite for female human sacrifice. He befriends the, protects them from some less than spectacular beastly foes and eventually manages to hand a bag of treasure to Carl as the island; as little KONGY sinks into the ocean with the island. (The End).THAT'S IT AND that's all. We know that the audiences of 1933 were surely disappointed, as we were in the 1950's EARLY SHOW on Channel 7, WBKB in Chicago.AND YOU NEVER have seen it being revived or featured in any of the great film magazines and journals.AND JUST WHY was this so? We can only surmise:"SMALL WONDER!" ISN'T THAT RIGHT, Schultz? NOTE: * The Stallone ROCKY Movies do manage to fall somewhere between the polar opposites that we've enumerated. Maybe that's why Sly is making yet another installment after nearly 30 years.

utgard14 Following the events of King Kong, director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) finds himself being sued right and left for all the damage Kong did. To add to his troubles, he discovers a grand jury is about to indict him so he sets sail with Captain Englehorn (Frank Reicher). These are the only two of the main cast members from the first film to return. Eventually the two run across the man who sold Denham the map to Skull Island and he tells Denham there is treasure on the island that they left behind when they captured Kong. So they all return to Skull Island, along with a pretty stowaway (Helen Mack). Once there, they find an albino "Little Kong," the son of Kong from the first picture.Obviously this was a rushed production. It was written, shot, and released the same year as King Kong. In many ways it feels like a B movie. It takes over forty minutes of this barely over an hour movie for Little Kong to show up. Out of those forty minutes, there's maybe ten or fifteen minutes of necessary story. The rest is filler. When Little Kong does show up, it's not that impressive. He's played mostly for laughs, at times resembling the Bumble from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! But he does have some nice fight scenes with dinosaurs and a giant bear.Robert Armstrong reportedly liked this movie more than King Kong. If that's true then it probably speaks to Mr. Armstrong's vanity since he got to be the romantic leading man and hero for this one. He's likable and his performance is fine but Carl Denham being made into the hero is one of the many problems with this movie. Denham's rough edges are what made him such a good character in the first film. Softened up, he's a rather bland character and a poor fit for leading man. Helen Mack is no Fay Wray but she's very attractive and does about as well as can be expected given the weak script. Willis O'Brien's special effects are not surprisingly the highlight of the picture. Ernest B. Schoedsack returns to direct, although noticeably without Merian C. Cooper, who is only an executive producer on this one.Doing sequels is tricky business, then and now. Even more so when you're following up one of the greatest films of all time. The truth is King Kong didn't need any sequels. But greed always wins out in Hollywood. Is Son of Kong a bad sequel? Yes, of course. I don't see how that could be disputed. Is it a bad movie? Not really. It's watchable and even entertaining in spots. But the specter of its predecessor is always looming over it.

Leofwine_draca SON OF KONG isn't a particularly bad film by any means, but it's fair to say that it pales in comparison to its monstrously good predecessor and thus is destined to remain forever in KING KONG's shadow. It's weaker than the first film in every respect, and yet despite the flaws I found it to be quite a watchable movie.The good news about SON OF KONG is that it's short and to the point, with little chance for the viewer to get bored by the on-screen proceedings. The plot is serviceable, utilising simple devices to get some recurring characters from the first movie back on Skull Island, where they inevitably encounter a young, cuter giant ape.Willis O'Brien's wondrous stop motion effects are once again in evidence here, although they're used quite sparingly and the actual scenes of monster mayhem are sparse, although the ending doesn't disappoint. The characters are one-dimensional and the script is straightforward, but there's the requisite amount of adventure and atmosphere for fans of this enjoyably dated genre to enjoy.

Jimmy L. The story of KING KONG (1933) does not demand a sequel, but that's never stopped Hollywood. Impossible to live up to its groundbreaking predecessor, SON OF KONG (1933) is a nice little adventure flick that serves as an epilogue to the earlier film.The movie picks up where KING KONG left off and focuses on ruined showman Carl Denham dealing with the fallout after his giant ape runs amok in New York City. He faces lawsuits and jail time and has boarded himself off from the public. He even feels remorse for his actions in the first film.Denham is reunited with Captain Englehorn and the two sail away from the scandal. Before long they learn about a treasure hidden on Kong's island and decide to return for it. Back on the savage island, the group encounters giant prehistoric monsters, dangerous jungle terrain, and a young white-haired Kong gorilla.Robert Armstrong returns as Carl Denham, with Frank Reicher reprising his role as Englehorn. They are joined this time around by Helen Mack, a cute brunette. The creative team behind KING KONG is back again, but limited by a smaller budget for this quick follow-up (released the same year as its predecessor). Willis O'Brien's stop-motion creature effects are back, but there's relatively little time spent in the jungle.The filmmakers take a more sympathetic approach to the beast this time. Kong Jr. is made to be more likable than his old man. He's given a childlike innocence and a pleasant disposition. (The sometimes comical touch given to the white-haired Kong reminded me of the bumble snow monster from RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER.) Spurred on by Helen Mack's character, whose father had a circus act with animals, Denham aids the giant gorilla. Feeling sorry for bringing about the elder Kong's demise, Denham figures he owes something to Junior. This kinder, gentler Kong proves to be a useful ally. The girl is not afraid of the giant ape and her understanding allows Denham to reform and possibly redeem himself.This sequel is short and sweet, only 70 minutes long. It's not at all essential to viewers of the original KONG, but it's a neat curiosity. A little-known follow-up that ultimately brings the Skull Island saga to a close. The character of Carl Denham gets a nice little resolution. Not in the same league as the earlier film, the movie is still rather enjoyable. Helen Mack sure is a cutie. I'll have to watch out for her other films.6+/10