The Mighty Kong is a 1998 American animated monster musical film. It is an adaptation of the classic King Kong story, produced by Lana Productions and is the seventh entry in the King Kong franchise.[1][2] Jodi Benson and Dudley Moore (in his final role before his death in 2002) headed its cast of voice actors. The film was animated overseas by the South Korean animation studios including Hahn Shin Corporation, and by Jade Animation in Hong Kong. It features original songs by the Sherman Brothers. The film was initially given a limited theatrical release before being released on VHS on June 16, 1998 by Warner Home Video as a part of their 75th Anniversary promotion. It was released on DVD by Tri-Coast Entertainment in 2019 as a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release that is only available through online stores. The film is currently available on multiple streaming platforms such as Tubi and Vimeo.
| The Mighty Kong | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Art Scott |
| Written by | William J. Keenan |
| Based on | King Kong by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Tony Hayman |
| Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Legacy Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | English |
Plot
editThis article needs an improved plot summary. (August 2023) |
Ann Darrow, a down-on-her-luck actress looking for work, meets film director Carl Denham/C.B., who offers her a job in a new film. They board the Venture to leave for the film shoot. Ann meets a sailor boy named Rick and his Monkey Chips, she later meets Jack Driscoll after he saved her from almost being crushed by cargo. They arrive at Skull island and after a run-in with the natives, they have Ann sacrificed to the giant gorilla-like being King Kong, who makes off with her into the jungle. Together, they fight a Tyrannosaurus, a Pteranodon and a Gigantophis garstini. Jack rescues Ann and Kong becomes unconscious by a gas bomb.
The film then follows Kong's escape from C.B.'s theater and rampage of New York City. Kong takes Ann up on top of the Empire State Building with Jack in pursuit. The biplanes come and attack Kong with guns, but miss most of the time. When all the planes have been knocked down, the army sends two blimps with a net in between them to catch Kong. They catch him successfully. Kong tries to get out of the net, but the net rips and when Kong reaches for Ann, he falls from the net and plummets to the streets of New York. However, Kong survives the fall.
After surviving the fall, Kong was either allowed to roam free in a thousand acres of land in southern New Jersey, or released on a private island.
Cast
edit- Dudley Moore as Carl Denham, King Kong (uncredited)
- Jodi Benson as Ann Darrow
- Randy Hamilton as Jack Driscoll
- [William Hampden Sage, IV] as Roscoe
- Jason Gray-Stanford as Ricky
- Richard Newman as Captain Englehorn
Additional voices are: William H. Sage IV, Don Brown, Ian James Corlett, Michael Dobson, Paul Dobson
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-8160-6600-1.
- ^ Korkis, Jim (March 20, 2020). "More Kong: Behind the 1998 Warner Bros. Animated Musical Feature". Cartoon Research.
External links
edit