Son of Kong: A Weird Little Afterthought

Is this thing worth watching?

If you loved the original King Kong for the sheer scale and the tragedy, you might find this one a bit of a letdown. It’s definitely not a masterpiece. But if you’re the kind of person who enjoys watching old-school practical effects and doesn't mind a movie that feels like it was put together in a total panic, you’ll probably get a kick out of it.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Son of Kong (1933) through its definitive frames.

People who want a serious adventure flick should probably skip this. It's too light, too rushed, and frankly, a little bit silly.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Son of Kong (1933) through its definitive frames.

The 'Oops' Sequel

It’s funny how fast they cranked this out after the first one. You can feel the studio sweat in every frame. Carl Denham is back, and he's basically just a guy who ruined everything and is now trying to dodge his creditors.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Son of Kong (1933) through its definitive frames.

The dialogue is often just people yelling exposition at each other while running away from things. It doesn't have that sense of wonder anymore. Instead, it has a white gorilla that acts like a puppy.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Son of Kong (1933) through its definitive frames.

The little Kong is actually kind of sweet, which is a weird pivot. He’s 12 feet tall, but he has the personality of a golden retriever. There’s this one scene where he’s trying to help out and just ends up making a mess, and it’s surprisingly charming. 🐒

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Son of Kong (1933) through its definitive frames.

• The stop-motion is still cool, even when the monsters look a bit rubbery.
• The pacing is frantic, like the filmmakers were afraid we'd leave the theater if there wasn't a dinosaur fight every five minutes.
• The ending is actually kind of sad, even if the movie didn't quite earn the emotional weight.

Watching this made me think about The Jazz Fool, mostly because both movies have that specific 'early sound era' chaos. They feel like they were made by people who were just figuring out how to handle a camera and a microphone at the same time.

There's a moment where a bear—I think it's a bear?—attacks, and the fight choreography is so clumsy it’s endearing. It feels human, you know? Not like the polished, computer-generated stuff we see today where everything is perfect and boring. Sometimes, you just want to see a guy in a suit interact with a puppet.

It's not a great film. It’s barely even a 'good' film by normal standards. But it’s got a weird heart. If you catch it on a lazy Sunday, it’s exactly the kind of dusty relic that deserves a bit of your time. Just don't expect it to change your life.