Original title: Kingu Kongu no gyakushû

This second-tier kaiju eiga is a silly but quite affable mix of James Bond spy tropes and giant monsters. It’s not a sequel to Toho’s Kingu Kongu tai Gojira/King Kong versus Godzilla (1962) but rather a spin-off from the animated television series King Kong/The King Kong Show (1966) produced by Arthur Rankin Jr and Jules Bass’ Videocraft International and the Japanese Toei Animation. Like the film, the television series is set on Mondo Island and a villain by the name of Dr Who (nothing to do with the far more famous Gallifreyan time traveller in Doctor Who (1963-1989; 2005-, though this Who does seem to have inherited William Hartnell’s hat).

The plot is as sketchy as any other kaiju eiga of the period, and you have to either take a lot on trust or work to fill in some of the back story for yourself. The basics follow the machination of evil genius Dr Who (Hideyo Amamoto) who’s lust for global domination can only be sated if he can lay hands on enough supply on the mysterious (and really never explained) radioactive Element X which can only be found at the North Pole.  To get at it, he’s built a 60-foot-tall robot replica of King Kong (why and how are two of the questions you’ll need to find answers for yourself) named Mechani-Kong which malfunctions in an ice cave, its electronic brain shorted out by the high levels of radiation. Who is being financed by an unnamed Asian country whose representative Madame Piranha (Mie Hama, from King Kong versus Godzilla and more recently the Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967)) and expects results. Who kidnaps the real Kong from his home on Mondo Island, hypnotises him using flashes lights.

Also on the island are the crew of a submarine led by Carl Nelson (Rhodes Reason) who have also tracked down Kong. After watching him fight the giant dinosaur Gorosaurus and a sea serpent, they also witness Kong fall in love with Lt. Susan Watson (Linda Jo Miller). With Kong now a slave of Who, the submarine crew race to the North Pole to put a stop to his insane plans. Kong escapes and heads for Tokyo with Mechani-Kong in hot pursuit.

King Kong Escapes is a children’s film and as such it probably provided its target audience with all the kicks they needed for a boisterous matinee screening. The Gerry Anderson style miniatures (Anderson’s television series have long been popular in Japan) are crude and never convincing but have bags of charm and are often used inventively by Toho’s resident kaiju director Ishiro Honda and special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya.

Though the Kong suit is marginally better than the one used in King Kong versus Godzilla (it could scarcely be any worse) but it’s still laughable. The inexpressive, perpetually sad eyes, the oversized head and the mangy body suit make the once might king look like a down on his luck hobo in desperate need of a shower and a bit of a spruce up. If you can get part the question of why anyone would go to the trouble of building a giant robot in the shape of an ape, Mechani-Kong is a decent enough effort

Like all Japanese monster films, King Kong Escapes can get a bit dull when the monsters aren’t on screen, but the kaiju scenes are a lot of fun, from Gorosaurus drop-kicking Kong, to Kong and Mechani-Kong scaling the Tokyo Tower at the climax, a ridiculous scene that’s also an absolute riot. And thankfully, there’s plenty of monster action with all manner of giant beasts popping up on a regular basis to give Kong something to do (the footage of Gorosaurus mooching about on Mondo Island was later recycled for Kaijû sôshingeki/Destroy All Monsters (1968)).

The human cast are a mixed bag – the imported Americans, Rhodes (brother of Rex) Reason is stoic enough as the commander of the submarine but Linda Miller is awful, her performance sabotaged by having been dubbed by an uncredited Julie Bennett in a less that successful manner. Hideyo Amamoto is great as the villainous Dr Who (dubbed by perennial voice acting favourite Paul Frees) and Mie Hama gives a spirited turn as his sidekick, the splendidly named Madame Piranha. Like any good Bond villain, Who likes the sound of his own voice and seems happier thinking up elaborate ways  to torture his enemies to death rather than just killing them and getting on with the task at hand.

Rather shamefully, on the American prints, Rankin awarded himself a director credit though the entire film was shot by Honda. It was first seen in the States on a double bill with the Alan Rafkin comedy western The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968) and in the UK as part of a bizarre pairing with the 16th Carry On film, Carry on Up the Khyber (1968).