Rules King Kong Has To Follow In Every Movie
King Kong has been around for the better part of a century. Since 1933, this gigantic ape has wowed audiences on both the big and small screens. In general, he is notorious for the original 1933 film bearing his name, as well as its subsequent remakes in 1976 and 2005. Most recently, King Kong has reached audiences yet again as a major part of Legendary Entertainment's MonsterVerse in movies like Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong.
Amazingly, after almost 90 years and a litany of sequels and spinoffs, the ape has remained stunningly consistent. No matter the interpretation, Kong is an easily relatable figure. His strength and prowess make him an exciting beast to behold, but his emotional depth makes him a great character. Here are just a few core concepts that Kong keeps across his filmography. Abide by these rules, and the on-screen Kong will seem completely faithful to his original portrayal.
King Kong has to love the ladies
In almost every version of King Kong, the eponymous ape forms some sort of attachment to a female character. The original film and its 2005 remake had him growing fond of American actress Ann Darrow, while the 1976 version saw him kidnap stunning stowaway Dwan. Regardless of the version, Kong's infatuation with these women inevitably proves his downfall as his desire to care for them motivates him to break free of his chains and begin rampaging across New York City. In every version, Kong brings his belle to the summit of a skyscraper before military aircraft shoot him down, killing the poor beast.
Even when Kong shows up in a film that departs from the original formula, he's always shown his soft side to core female characters. In Kong: Skull Island, Brie Larson's Mason Weaver is one of the few characters who see the calmer side of Kong. Likewise, the recent Godzilla vs. Kong heavily focuses on Kong's relationship with Jia, the last living child of Skull Island's native population. The little girl even carries around a small Kong doll and communicates with the Titan via sign language.
Kong is abused by humanity
Even the most recent adaptations of King Kong's character portray him as a creature that is constantly being manipulated for humanity's selfish desires. Usually, he is shipped off to New York to be marketed as "The Eighth Wonder of the World" in a half-baked sideshow act. Other times, human authorities use him as an anti-Godzilla weapon or a guide to Hollow Earth. On occasion, he is even outright hunted by humans who misunderstand him as nothing more than a monster.
Regardless, Kong is always a simple ape creature who would rather be left alone on his island than anything else. His misfortunes usually present themselves only when humanity interferes with his business. And only the humans who revere him as the god of Skull Island have ever found a way to truly live in harmony with him. Still, even the typically peaceful Kong's ideal life is fraught with danger.
In most cases, Kong is King
Only two things have ever been able to present a threat to Kong: the combined forces of the American military and a kaiju of roughly equal stature. Aside from that, he is a certified expert at dispatching anyone or anything that would dare challenge him. Skull Island's population of dinosaurs, giant snakes, and massive bugs have nothing on Kong, who regularly (and literally) eats these creatures for breakfast.
Sure, a coordinated attack from a strong human military can kill him. However, this is usually painted more as a tragedy and a mistake than anything else. The only times Kong has ever truly met his match is in the Godzilla films. Both the original bout between them in 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla and its more recent successor Godzilla vs. Kong sees the two kings of monsters facing off. The former film leaves the winner of the fight ambiguous, as both monsters seem to retreat before either is definitively killed. Meanwhile, the latter shows Godzilla gaining a healthy advantage over Kong. Kong might have even died if not for human interference. But once Kong is revived, the two are unable to finish their fight as the appearance of Mechagodzilla poses an even larger threat.
In the end, the two team up and develop a begrudging respect for each other before going their separate ways. Godzilla remains on the surface while Kong becomes king of Hollow Earth. As such, he is never truly dethroned.