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King Kong vs. Godzilla AKA Kingukongu tai Gojira (Blu-ray) (1962)
The most colossal conflict the screen has ever known!Director: Ishirô Honda
OVERALL: Draw-
OVERALL: Draw
The Japanese 2014 release contains the uncut original Japanese version and the shortened Championship Festival edit plus exclusive extras. Note the 2021 release has a 4K restoration transfer for the original version, but has fewer extras.
The UK and US Criterion sets contain the original Japanese version and the altered US version plus exclusive extras.
General Notes:
The US version is dubbed and re-edited from the original Japanese version and the US version is more radically different from the original Japanese version, than any other entries of the Godzilla series. The newsroom scenes of U.N. anchor Eric Carter (Michael Keith), Dr. Arnold Johnson (Harry Holcombe) and Japanese anchor Utaka Omora (James Yagi) are not part of the Japanese version but were added for the sake of Americanisation. To make room for this new footage, numerous scenes were removed from the Japanese version. Most of Akira Ifukube's score is deleted and replaced.
There is also a 74 minute reissue version made by Toho for domestic release in 1970; The Championship Festival version.
A comparison between the US Version and Japanese Version is available on Movie Censorship.
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CUTS:
- Blu-ray A Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films America- Criterion Collection - No cuts. Includes the Original Japanese Version (97:00) and the Dubbed and Re-Edited US Version (90:59)
- Blu-ray A Japan- Toho - No cuts. Original Japanese Version (97:01) and the cutdown Championship Festival version released in 1970 (73:36).
- Blu-ray A Japan- Toho - No cuts. Original Japanese Version (97:00) and the cutdown Championship Festival version released in 1970 (73:35).
- Blu-ray ALL America- Universal Pictures - No cuts. Dubbed and re-edited US Version (90:48).
- Blu-ray ALL United Kingdom- Universal Pictures - No cuts. Dubbed and re-edited US Version (90:48).
- Blu-ray B Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films United Kingdom- Criterion Collection - No cuts. Includes the Original Japanese Version (97:00) and the Dubbed and Re-Edited US Version (90:59)
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Comparison added by Anthony_DiPaola on 06/05/14
Comparison last updated by James-Masaki_Ryan on 21/01/24UPDATE LOG:
06/05/14: Initial Entry.
Please ensure you read our disclaimer.
08/03/17: Added UK disc.
14/03/17: Added the Japanese disc.
27/11/17: DVDBeaver.
02/10/19: Addition of the Criterion releases.
09/10/19: Updated Criterion sets.
29/10/19: Updated Criterion bonus discs.
21/11/22: Movie Censorship.
22/01/24: Added Japan 2021.
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