Let's face it they were never going to top the original; the makers, given only around a third of the budget and instructed to produce a cash-in quickie opted to make a mildly comedic adventure story rather than the full-on fantasy horror of King Kong.
To be fair, the movie isn't trying to be a masterpiece but provide 70 minutes of entertainment, and for the most part it succeeds. The opening 40 minutes or so, following the further adventures of Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), are quite well developed and engaging. It plays like one of those South Sea Clark Gable or Spencer Tracey movies and is certainly lively.
Through a series of plot devices Dehnam and a small party end up marooned on Skull Island, and discover that Kong had a son - namely a twelve-foot friendly gorilla who beats off a cave bear and various other reptiles and leads his new companions to a treasure.
Whereas Kong himself is a terrifying creation, the Son is more of a comic buffoon, crossing his eyes when stunned during a fight and generally acting like a b-movie comic relief. The effects are again fine, but there aren't enough of them and the spectacular ending, with the whole island destroyed by an earthquake, feels rather arbitrary.
Still, it's not a bad film, perhaps undeserving of the tonne of brickbats heaped on it's simple minded head.
To be fair, the movie isn't trying to be a masterpiece but provide 70 minutes of entertainment, and for the most part it succeeds. The opening 40 minutes or so, following the further adventures of Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), are quite well developed and engaging. It plays like one of those South Sea Clark Gable or Spencer Tracey movies and is certainly lively.
Through a series of plot devices Dehnam and a small party end up marooned on Skull Island, and discover that Kong had a son - namely a twelve-foot friendly gorilla who beats off a cave bear and various other reptiles and leads his new companions to a treasure.
Whereas Kong himself is a terrifying creation, the Son is more of a comic buffoon, crossing his eyes when stunned during a fight and generally acting like a b-movie comic relief. The effects are again fine, but there aren't enough of them and the spectacular ending, with the whole island destroyed by an earthquake, feels rather arbitrary.
Still, it's not a bad film, perhaps undeserving of the tonne of brickbats heaped on it's simple minded head.