"King Kong Escapes" looks like Toho Studios attempt to make a James Bond/Kong hybrid. First, there's an evil bad guy named Dr. Who. You know he's bad because he's wearing a black cape with a goofy collar (and he's got a really bad row of bottom teeth...poor guy). There is a beautiful but evil henchman named Madame X and a hero, Commander Carl Nelson, who is a Sean Connery lookalike.

Dr. Who creates a big robot gorilla to dig for 'Element X' which is easily converted to nuclear weapons, I guess. Commander Nelson is accompanied by a pretty officer named Susan Watson. Nelson and crew check out King Kong's island in the name of science or something. Kong sees Susan and promptly falls in love. Susan shockingly escapes Kong's clutches.

Dr. Who's Kong-bot shorts out digging for Element X. Dr. Who captures Kong and hypnotizes him to dig for Element X. Kong escapes and Dr. Who rebuilds the Kong-bot who naturally attacks Tokyo. The real Kong hooks back up with Susan in Tokyo and fights Kong-bot on Tokyo Tower. Hilarity ensues.

This movie is seriously nutty but it's actually a pretty good time. There's lots of action and the Kong-bot is pretty cool. King Kong looks even more stupid than he did in "King Kong Vs. Godzilla" (if that's possible). This movie is made even wackier as it's co-produced by Rankin/Bass. The most obvious impact of this relationship to me was with the dubbed voices of the characters. I noticed right off that the voice of Dr. Who was the same guy who voiced Burgermeister Meisterburger in the Rankin/Bass produced "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" TV Christmas special. Funny, funny stuff.

I have to add that I really love the look of the miniatures and sets. It's really what geeks me out about Toho studio productions.

It's very easy for us to understand. You see, as ridiculous as it may sound, Kong is a male and, uh, Miss Watson is... Well, see for yourselves, gentlemen.

King Kong Escapes is directed by Ishirô Honda and written by Takeshi Kimura. It stars Rhodes Reason, Mie Hama, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada and Hideyo Amamoto. Music is by Akira Ifukube and cinematography by Hajime Koizumi.

King Kong Escapes' actual Japanese title is King Kong's Counterattack and it was a live action tie-in to the 1966 animated series simply called King Kong (AKA: The King Kong Show). Knowing this really helps to set you up for what to expect from King Kong Escapes, for it is in essence a live action cartoon!

Pic on a plot basis is as you would expect all very silly. It features an evil genius who has invented a mechanical robot King Kong, an Asian babe intent on boosting her nuclear arsenal for world domination, a UN submarine crew complete with pretty lady to melt the real Kong's heart, and naturally some creature smack-downs.

Naturally the effects work is dicey, but fun with it, though Kong looks too daft for menace value, in fact he looks like he has been on the Columbian Ciggies! There's a cool fight with Gorosauras, a leaping dinosaur whose fight tactic is to repeatedly drop kick its enemy with both feet! While it all builds to the inevitable big face-off finale as the two Kong's tear it up. Who wins? Will Tokyo be obliterated? Well you wont really care but you will have fun getting there!

Characterisations are wonderfully cheese laden, none more so than evil Dr Who (Amamoto), resplendent in black cape and with deadly pointed eyebrows. He sets the tone early on, with a devilish glint in his eye as he sets about aiding the sultry Madame X (Hama) with bonkers science fiction pumped machinations. Rhodes Reason sticks his chest out for American heroics, likewise Takarada for the Japanese front, and Miller (appallingly and strangely dubbed) potters about looking pretty and keeping Kong in check. Hooray! 5/10