King Kong Lives (1986) Peter Elliott, George Antoni, Brian Kerwin, Linda Hamilton, John Ashton, Peter Michael Goetz, Frank Maraden Movie Review

King Kong Lives (1986)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Brian Kerwin and Linda Hamilton in King Kong Lives (1986)

Ding Dong for King Kong

It's been 10 years since King Kong fell from the World Trade Center after being shot but he has been kept alive in a coma as scientists, including Dr. Amy Franklin (Linda Hamilton), try to find a way to solve his heart problems. They want to replace it with a gigantic artificial heart but know they firstly need a gigantic supply of compatibly ape blood to do a transfusion. Fortunately for the scientists, explorer Hank Mitchell (Brian Kerwin) has come across another giant ape in the jungle and for a price is able to bring her back to the States to provide blood for the transplant. But after King Kong recovers from his operation he senses that there is a female gigantic ape not too far away and breaks out to find her. As Amy and Hank work together to try and protect the primates the military set about hunting them down.

Firstly, I have to admit that I never realised they had made a sequel to the 1976 version of "King Kong" and I can't deny that it brought a smile to may face when I saw the old footage of Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange at the start of "King Kong Lives". That smile got even bigger when I spotted Linda Hamilton in the cast as the good hearted doctor who puts the safety of both apes first. But that is nothing to the smile which broke out on my face when it came to the operation scene which is glorious, well glorious in being laughable. And that is where "King Kong Lives" hits the sweet spot as this is a movie which is simply bad but also simply entertaining for being simply bad.

King Kong Lives (1986)

Now there isn't a lot more to be said about "King Kong Lives" although let me say that the escaped King Kong and his sweetheart make there way to Honeymoon Ridge where Kong discovers that pleasing a female ape is not easy as his attempts to find food only cause her to moan at him. But beyond that there is the entertainment of Linda Hamilton and Brian Kerwin who play their parts in a way that you can bet they were trying their hardest not to laugh whilst delivering their lines and shooting their scenes. Although credit where it is due as some of the action scenes are surprisingly effective from seeing soldiers bowled over like pins when Hank drives into them to a rapid drive through a forest as Amy tries to lose the military following them.

What this all boils down to is that "King Kong Lives" is simply one of those wonderful movies which every part of you knows is bad yet you find it to be so much fun to watch.


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