Angles 10/21/10: Clash of the Titans

King Kong

By Andy Tupa

Godzilla can have his scared Japanese people, because nothing is more iconic than a giant ape.

We all know the most iconic image in movie history is King Kong climbing to the top of the Empire State Building (the tallest on Earth) and fighting off airplanes while trying to win over the affection of Ann.

No monster could possibly be scarier than an angry giant gorilla.

Normal size gorillas are scary enough. Think about a human-like figure who can run after you on all fours.

I say to hell with Godzilla.

What is he anyway? A fire breathing dragon? This is the movies, not World of Warcraft, people. But wait, he's kind of like a T-Rex right?

Well that makes him less scary because he can't fly. Any advantage a dragon would have on a giant monkey is now lost. Godzilla is

created by nuclear fallout, which makes him toxic.

Wouldn't he have serious health problems? He probably can't even really breath fire; it's most likely just a health defect created when he coughs.

Now I'm starting to pity this giant lizard. But to be fair, we can't just compare the old movies we have to look at the new movies.

First of all, we all know that Peter Jackson creates gold in every movie he makes. It's no wonder then that in 2005 we got a Peter Jackson version of King Kong featuring Naomi Watts (talk about a damsel in distress) and the comedic relief of the genius Jack Black.

As far as Godzilla is concerned, all we get is a rather sad excuse of

a movie in 1998, which hints at a sequel that is never delivered. Real impressive.

Let's face it, King Kong can do it all. He loves a woman. He climbs the tallest buildings and we are

descended from him. What does Godzilla have on that?

Nothing.

Godzilla

By Jake ShamaThere have been many debates regarding Godzilla and King Kong. The most common question

asked is: "Who would win in a fight?" But there is more to these creatures than their destructive ability.

Both monsters have made huge impacts on popular culture, but one stands above the other for many reasons, and his name is Godzilla.

The first Godzilla movie was produced in 1954. Godzilla is most well-known for crashing through

the city of Tokyo and causing unimaginable damage.

After this monster arrives, the largest city in the world is completely annihilated by his massive destructive force and atomic breath (often mistaken for fire).

Why would a Japanese writer create a giant monster with nuclear powers in 1954? World War II

ended in 1945, the same year that two atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and

Nagasaki.

Godzilla isn't just an entertaining monster; he is a metaphor, a symbol of the fears that the Japanese felt toward such power and the possibility of such destruction happening again.

There is historical background and deeper meaning to this story, which is very uncommon in the horror genre.

Yet this has not restricted Godzilla to the Japanese people alone; people all over the world know and love Godzilla, including millions in America.

This metaphor has stretched beyond the boundaries of the

local culture and has been able to touch the hearts of citizens of all places.