Absolutely brilliant

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Sequel to the 1976 remake of King Kong. Turns out the giant ape survived, here he is given an artificial heart and falls in love with the recently captured Lady Kong. Things go wrong for the couple when they escape captivity & are pursued by the military. Much of the movie is played with tongue firmly in cheek but it also centres on human - and ape - emotions, i.e. the romance not only between leads Linda Hamilton & Brian Kerwin but also between the male & female Kongs. Special effects vary from reasonable to rubbish - check out the rubber Caiman crocs - but that only adds to the so bad it's fun aspect. Yes, it's an insult to the original 1933 movie but it's also quite easy to watch, just put your brain into neutral first!

This is almost bad enough to make the 1976 Kong remake bearable. Taking up after where that one ended, the mighty ape is fading fast, so an attempt is made to save his heart. This results in a silly and comical love story with dumb dialogue and scenes with male and female apes 'oohing' and 'aahing' at each other. Naturally there is a poor script, and most of the footage is shot outdoors to presumably save some money. At least Linda "Terminator" Hamilton looks pretty good in it. I actually watched this with a female friend who said it was one of her all-time favorite movies, and actually balled with tears like a baby by the end of it, no kidding. *1/2 out of ****

It shouldn't have been made. King Kong Lives opens up with a recap of the ending of the 1976 movie with a man in a gorilla suit falling to his doom from the World Trade Center eating up the first 2 minutes with scenes, people always saw. By 'doom' I meant sequel without most of the main cast of the first movie returning. Instead the audience get groom for a new cast of people. King Kong is being treated up and kept in a coma for the last 10 years for some odd reason despite him killing people and damaging parts of New York in the last movie. Surgeon Dr. Amy Franklin (Linda Hamilton) for a science reason not explains wants King Kong alive so she must perform a heart transplant and give Kong a computer-monitored artificial heart. However, she needs Kong blood to pump it. Adventurer Dr. Livingston Rip off Hank Mitchell (Brian Kerwin), just capture a giant female gorilla for plot calls for it and brings her to the Atlantic Institute where King Kong is kept. The transfusion and the heart transplant are a success, but Kong escapes along with the female with Hank's help. Hank is willing to kill US soldiers to protect two beasts from getting killed and risking normal Americans live with allowing two giants apes to go loose in the country side is stupid. The two apes escape to Honey Moon Ridge as the film really trying too hard to get the audience interested in disturbing animal love making. Those close ups on the two big apes falling in love was painfully to watch and cheesy. Kong destroys the natural habitation of the swamp by feeding on the whole alligator population. Somehow, baby alligators are able to turn into crocodiles when close up on him holding their in his hand. Archie Nevitt (John Ashton), an insane army lieutenant colonel, is called in with his men to hunt down and kill the two apes. He's very stereotype Pattonism. Stupid redneck hunters are sent to kill him as well in stereotype fashion. While the redneck fail, Lady Kong is captured alive by Nevitt's troops and imprisoned; Kong falls from a cliff and is presumed dead in the water, but soon returns to rescue his mate. After being attacked, and shot by the military. Kong kills the military colonel and dies slowly at a military base. After this event, Lady Kong is back on Kong Island for unknown reason with her newborn son whom King Kong was able to see and touch before his death. However, the film rarely points out that Lady Kong was even pregnant leaving the question when did Baby Kong came to conception during the short period of time spent together. If Kong had sex with Female Kong in Honey Moon Ridge, how was them able to live out on their own for nine months. If Kong had sex with her in Skull Island, how come it took her 10 years to give birth? However, these questions will never be answer as a trilogy of movies were supposed to answer these questions was canceled due to budget restriction. Plus half the cast was either unable to return, or they simply didn't want to. The movie was bad. The men in the Kong suits were different in shape, color and size with each different frame of movie. People repeat the same mistakes in the last movie in this movie. The plot is predictable like all the Kong's movies. Stop making King Kong movies! The 1933 King Kong should be the only Kong movie out there. That's the only one that's OK.

I am surprised that even many kong fans didn't like this movie. It may not be in the same league as King Kong and Godzilla. But it is an entertaining flick all through. It is also the most moving and touching of all kong movies. I watched it in a theater when i was a kid and have fond memories so I may be biased. But it is not as bad as most of the reviews are saying. If you are looking for a Godzilla like stomp city monster destruction flick or Kong climbing a empire state type of monster classic then this is not the film for you. This is just a simple monster movie with fun action and campy acting with some emotional punches thrown in. So overall a good adventure film that makes you nostalgic of your childhood days.