King Kong Vs. Godzilla: 10 Reasons You Should Be Excited
10. The Historical Relevance
One of the many reasons King Kong and Godzilla work so well together as a concept is the real world history that has informed both characters. The original King Kong is the giant monster movie that arguably birthed the entire genre. That film was revolutionary for its time; wowing audiences with its mind-blowing stop-motion effects. Kong felt like a real character, and in combination with a story full of action, adventure, and romance, the film became an instant classic. King Kong was so influential that it inspired the creation of the original Gojira. Essentially, without King Kong, Godzilla would likely not exist. This relationship ended up creating a friendly rivalry between the two as Godzilla became an icon in his own right. King Kong and Godzilla became sort of unofficial mascots for their respective nations. It soon became apparent that the match wasnt just about pairing up a giant gorilla with a giant radioactive dinosaur; it became more equivalent to a sporting event. Asking whether Godzilla or King Kong would win in a fight was another way of asking, Who has the better giant monster? Japan or the US? A silly question for sure, but all in good fun in a post-WWII era world. It was this real world context that helped build King Kong vs. Godzilla up as more than just another monster fight, and what makes the rumored rematch via Warner Bros. so enticing. While maybe not quite as politically charged as in the 60s, this rivalry will always contain this contextual foundation no matter how much time passes. King Kong vs. Godzilla isnt just any old monster fight; it is THE monster fight, and not necessarily because Kong and Godzilla are equals, but because they are both cinematic legends. Seeing these two fight it out in the 21st century is incredibly exciting because of their legendary statuses within the medium of film.
