Review of Congo (1972) by Justin O — 31 Oct 2012

Entertaining, never boring, mostly cheesy performances, and at times very violent. Altogether, "Congo" is a fun adventure through the man-in-ape-suit studio backlots of Africa.

Give me all the grief you want, but I've seen this movie over a dozen times and it's no less ridiculous as it was the first time I saw it. Everything about this movie is corny and shouldn't work (the gorilla suits, Peter's strange relationship with Amy), and also misunderstood and misguided in theme (the insistence of the writers to prove that gorillas are harmless, yet at the same time show them as murderous, rampaging death machines of gruesome, tribalistic horror).

What the film lacks in logic it makes up for with its ability to be entertaining and watchable, especially with Ernie Hudson in the one believably-good performance of the movie. Delroy Lindo also has a very small part in a scene that is one of my all-time favorite to quote.

Upon watching scenes of this film, you will get the sense that, much like "The Lost World: Jurassic Park", the many good parts do not quite equal a whole. Yet amidst the mold, there is a good hunk of tasty cheese.