The Mighty Kong

The Mighty Kong
File:Mighty Kong Video.jpg The cover of the 1998 animated feature film.
Directed by	Art Scott
Produced by	Denis deVallance Lyn Henderson
Written by	William J. Keenan
Based on	King Kong by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace
Starring	Dudley Moore Jodi Benson Randy Hamilton William Sage Jason Gray-Stanford Richard Newman Don Brown Ian James Corlett Michael Dobson Paul Dobson
Narrated by	Rolf Saxon
Music by	David Siebels Robert B. Sherman Richard M. Sherman
Cinematography	John Powell
Edited by	John Carnochan
Production company	L.A. Animation Lana Productions Hahn Shin Corporation (Animation Production)
Distributed by	Warner Home Video
Release dates	June 16, 1998
Running time	78 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

The Mighty Kong is a 1998 American direct-to-video animated, musical adaptation of the classic King Kong story. Jodi Benson and Dudley Moore (in his last role before his death in 2002) headed its cast of voice actors. It features original songs by the Sherman Brothers. It was released on VHS on June 16, 1998 by Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment in honor of the 75th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studios.

Plot summary

The film begins with Ann Darrow, a down-on-her-luck actress looking for work, meeting film director Carl Denham, who offers her a job in a new movie. They board the Venture to leave for the film shoot. The monkey that lives on board causes trouble throughout the trip. They arrive on the island and the natives, who are friendly to the crew, ask that the crew leave Ann so they can sacrifice her. Ann is then sacrificed to the giant ape King Kong who makes off with her into the jungle. Together they fight a dinosaur and are off the island in five minutes.

The film then follows Kong's rampage of New York City. Kong takes Anne up on top of the Empire State Building. 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. He bangs into a balcony and plummets to the ground. During his fall he is shown crying. Kong's "mightyness" ends when he slams into the streets of New York. However, Kong survives the fall to make a more family-friendly ending.

Cast

• Dudley Moore as Carl Denham
• Jodi Benson as Ann Darrow
• Randy Hamilton as Jack Driscoll
• William Sage III as Roscoe
• Jason Gray-Stanford as Ricky
• Richard Newman as Captain
• Rolf Saxon as Narrator

Additional voices are: William Sage III, Don Brown, Ian James Corlett, Michael Dobson, Paul Dobson

Similarities and differences

• The film features the waterfall shower scene which was in the 1976 remake of King Kong.
• The film also features a Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and a Pteranodon which was in the 1933 original of King Kong and a giant snake from the 1976 remake of King Kong.
• Kong survives the fall from the Empire State Building to provide a more family friendly ending.

External links

• The Mighty Kong at IMDb
• The Mighty Kong at Rotten Tomatoes