Top 10 Times King Kong Went Beast Mode
#10: Kong vs. Giant Squid
The Evolution of King Kong
“Kong: Skull Island” (2017) Watching King Kong utterly destroy other monsters is always good for a jolt. It was thrilling in 1933, and it was thrilling in 2017. In one of “Skull Island’s” most famous scenes, Major Chapman rinses off in a lake when he is suddenly interrupted by the massive Kong. Kong himself is suddenly assailed by a giant squid. The fight doesn’t last long. Following a very brief struggle, Kong stomps on the squid’s head and takes a limb before munching on some calamari. It’s a great scene for establishing Kong as the undisputed king of the jungle.
#9: Kong vs. Giant Snake
The Origins of King Kong
“King Kong” (1976) The 1976 remake starring Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges doesn’t get much attention. It received mixed reviews upon release, and it continues to be seen as an inferior product to both the 1933 original and the 2005 remake. But it contains a (literally) killer scene in the Kong vs. giant snake fight. The massive snake goes for Dwan, but the protective Kong is quick to step in and grab it by the neck. Kong initially struggles with the snake - until he sees Dwan with Jack. In a moment of rage, Kong grabs the snake by the mouth and wrecks its jaws in particularly gruesome fashion. It’s a pretty good fight for 1976, and the jaw snap serves as a loving callback to the 1933 original.
#8: Kong vs. Mechani-Kong
Things to Remember for Godzilla X Kong New Empire
“King Kong Escapes” (1967) Co-produced by Toho Studios and Rankin/Bass, “King Kong Escapes” is a very silly kaiju film featuring a remote-controlled version of King Kong named Mechani-Kong. Mechani-Kong comes equipped with a belt of explosives, great endurance, and a headlight that can blind and hypnotize foes. The plot of the film sees Dr. Who (not that Dr. Who) kidnapping Kong from Mondo Island and using him to mine a radioactive element in the North Pole. The ending sees Kong escaping to Japan and battling Mechani-Kong through the streets of Tokyo. They proceed to climb the Tokyo Tower, and when the controls to Mechani-Kong are destroyed, it falls and shatters on the ground below. It’s obviously ridiculous, but you can’t say it isn’t fun!
#7: Kong vs. Pteranodon
Top 10 Things to Remember Before Godzilla vs Kong
“King Kong” (1933) You know, for a movie approaching a hundred years of age, the original “King Kong” still looks pretty darned good. When Ann is abducted by a massive pteranodon, Kong goes absolutely ballistic, grabs the pteranodon’s wing, and drags it back down to the cave. The two engage in a brief fight before Kong pulls the old jaw-snapping trick. Just to spite his opponent even further, Kong seemingly bites into the pteranodon’s corpse before throwing it off the cliff in pissed-off triumph. If there’s one thing guaranteed to upset Kong, it’s Ann being put in danger.
#6: Kong vs. Helicopters
Top 10 Worst Things King Kong Has Done
“Kong: Skull Island” (2017) “Skull Island” increased Kong’s size massively, resulting in some amazing sequences like this. As the Army unit arrives on Skull Island, they are met by the towering Kong, who stands so tall that he blocks out the sun. Suffice to say, Kong doesn’t take too kindly to his new visitors. Once the Army begins shooting, Kong goes full beast mode and literally punches one of the helicopters out of the air. He also causes two helicopters to crash into each other, throws a downed helicopter into another, sends bodies hurling through the air, and uses one helicopter like a baseball bat. It’s absolutely brutal stuff, and it serves as a fantastic introduction to this new iteration of Kong.
#5: Kong vs. Skullcrawler
Godzilla x Kong: 5 Best and 5 Worst Things
“Kong: Skull Island” (2017) Serving as the film’s climactic battle, the Kong vs. Skullcrawler fight is what everyone was wanting from a new King Kong film. The battle is epic in scope and scale, and it’s filled with fantastic choreography and sound design. The fight also features some amazing and creative imagery, like the billowing red smoke pouring from the Skullcrawler’s face, and Kong using a swinging ship propeller as a weapon. It seemingly ends in spectacular fashion - not with Kong snapping the Skullcrawler’s jaw, but by using the propellor as a type of brass knuckle and hitting its neck with a devastating uppercut. Although it does briefly return, Kong is able to make quick work of this formidable foe.
#4: New York Rampage
Top 10 Times Godzilla Went Beast Mode
“King Kong” (2005) Kong certainly has a temper, but being kidnapped from Skull Island and put on Broadway proved the last straw. Kong snaps, breaking free from his chains and going on a destructive rampage through the streets of New York City. He destroys the Broadway theater, hurls cars through the air, knocks a streetcar off its track, and destroys various buildings while chasing Jack through the streets. It certainly looks cool from a filmmaking standpoint, but it makes you wonder - how many people died as a result of Kong’s violent actions? It’s scenes like this that make viewers realize the full destructive power of King Kong.
#3: Kong vs. Vastatosaurus Rexes
Top 10 Ways Godzilla vs Kong Sets Up Future MonsterVerse Movies
“King Kong” (2005) Kong has fought numerous dinosaurs throughout his movie career, including the Gorosaurus from “King Kong Escapes”. But when it comes to Kong fighting other animals, nothing will ever top the Vastatosaurus Rex fight from Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake. The entire sequence is mesmerizing, as it sees Kong taking on not one, not two, but three of the T-Rex-like creatures, all while protecting Ann. He manages to defeat them through sheer strength and endurance, crushing one’s head with a boulder, crushing another’s head against a rock face, and killing the last one through horrendous means. This is Kong at his absolute mightiest. If three V-Rexes can’t take him, nothing can.
#2: King Kong vs. Godzilla
Top 10 Things To Remember Before Seeing Godzilla: King of the Monsters
“King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1962) Toho Studios produced and distributed the incredibly popular “King Kong vs. Godzilla”. The movie was an enormous commercial success, and it is pretty much responsible for saving the then-dormant “Godzilla” franchise. The movie culminates in an extraordinary battle that spans the summit of Mount Fuji to Atami Castle to the Pacific Ocean, where the two protagonists engage in a brief underwater battle. Along the way, audiences are treated to Godzilla burning foliage, the two destroying Atami Castle, and Kong being regenerated by a bolt of lightning. In the end, Kong emerges victorious, being the only one to surface from their underwater brawl. Nothing beats Kong. Not even Godzilla himself.
#1: Kong vs. Airplanes
Best Godzilla vs Kong Callbacks
“King Kong” (1933) Serving as one of the most famous climaxes in movie history, Kong grabs Ann and carries her to the top of the Empire State Building - which at the time was the tallest building in the world. However, Kong only ends up cornering himself, as he is then attacked by four airplanes equipped with machine guns. A supremely ticked-off Kong tries fighting back amidst the hail of bullets, and when one plane gets a little too close, Kong manages to snag it by the wing and sends it hurling down to the ground below. This is perhaps the most iconic sequence in monster movie history, thanks in large part to the unique location, the then-groundbreaking visual effects, and Kong’s terrifying behavior.
