When movie producer extraordinaire Carl Denham says that he will get a film in on time he means it. When his latest feature runs into a few problems with the leading actress, Denham gives her the boot and hires a virtual unknown in Ann Darrow. Darrow, a stunning beauty, will venture with Denham to Skull Island to finish shooting the movie. Once the natives see the beautiful Darrow they decide that she would be a great bride for their island god, Kong. Kong, a fifty foot tall gorilla takes her as a sacrifice and now it will be up to the conniving Denham and the heroic first mate Jack Driscoll to rescue the beautiful damsel. But since his movie is ruined Denham plans on bringing something else in to make up for his lost movie, Kong.

The 1933 black and white stop-motion animation masterpiece is perhaps the single greatest American monster movie of all time.

By saying this I mean that King Kong is the original American Bad-Ass. Yes, America released Dracula and we even let Godzilla get shown on our movie screens, but Kong is ours, all ours.

Don't get this version confused with the '76 remake, as yes they were similar, but at the same time very different. This is the original and more savage version of the beauty and the beast fable. A lot more of this film is spent in the truly wild jungles of Skull Island, which is inhabited by more than just a giant rattlesnake that the remake featured.

Along with the great scene of Driscoll and party crossing the log over the gorge and the truly iconic image of Kong scaling the Empire State Building and his following fall, this film features another classic movie image, Fay Wray. Wray who stars as the lovely Ann Darrow is a true Hollywood icon, along with her captivating beauty she brings an enormous amount of emotion to the role, the true beauty of the film.

Then there is the beast, Kong. Yes, by today's standards the effects are about as good as bad claymation, but imagine yourself in 1933 watching the huge ape come to life. Even if it is dated, some of the scenes between Kong and Darrow are great. Also the model used for Kong was only 18 inches high, keep that in mind as you watch some of the sets used, truly great craftsmanship.

King Kong is not only a film for fans of horror or sci-fi, but for a fan of movies in general. And believe it or not, King Kong is the American monster, a fact that I, for one, am quite proud of.

10/10