Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 12/18/2022 I suppose it was bold of Shaw Brothers to try something new (for them), but THE MIGHTY PEKING MAN doesn't exactly play to their strengths. I don't think I've seen the 1933 version of King Kong, but I can't imagine the special effects are materially worse than they are here. Reviewer Score: 3

Reviewed by: ewaffle Date: 11/27/2007 Like Marc Antony, I come to bury “The Mighty Peking Man” not to praise it. But while it is as bad as everyone who has reviewed it here or anywhere else says it is, the movie is also an artifact that shows some of the strengths of the Hong Kong film business particularly in the 1970s and 1980s. To call the script derivative is to badly understate the case but many Hong Kong movies of that era were inspired by—or ripped off from, depending on your point of view—other successful films. The special effects weren’t very special but that is the case in a lot of low budget monster movies. The acting wasn’t very good but the actors probably did as well as they could with the material they were given. The cinematography and art direction were on the same low level as the rest of the movie and the scenes that stick in one’s memory do so because they are so unintentionally ridiculous. Much like the U.S. based production company American International Pictures, Shaw Brothers knew how to get a movie shot, edited, printed, publicized and on the screen quickly and profitably. Scriptwriter Ni Kuang wrote hundreds of movies—SIXTEEN of the films he wrote, including this one, were released in 1977. In 1978 he penned “Heroes of the East” and “The Five Venoms”. Action director Yuen Cheung-Yan, while not quite as prolific, did the fights and stunts for “Dreadnought” and “7 Grandmasters”—neither of which are universally loved but both are highly thought of in the action category. Given those involved in front of and behind the camera “The Mighty Peking Man” probably did what Runme Shaw expected: came in on time and on budget, filled a 90 minute slot in their distribution schedule, covered its overhead and was a small part of keeping the Shaw Brothers production, distribution and exhibition colossus clanking along. Most unbelievable scene in movie doesn't involve the gorilla. It occurs when Samantha, still wearing her abbreviated leather bikini, approaches a couple who are getting into their car. Using her few words of English she asks them to take her to Utam (her name for the gorilla), underling her request by pointing to a poster advertising the show. The woman of the couple just says "Oh, the Peking Man--sure let's go" and Samantha hops into the car and is whisked to the stadium by these complete but very cooperative strangers. Running it a close second is the reunion between the hunter Johnny and the former love of his life, listed only as “Johnny’s ex-girlfriend” in the credits. He had walked into the apartment he shared with the singer only to find her in bed with his brother. Having gone through hell for a few years—to the extent of signing on to lead the mission to find the giant ape—he forgives both of them with hardly a second thought. Clearly this movie wasn’t meant to plumb the depths of human emotion. Or to make sense on any level at all. A poor effort by everyone involved and not recommended. Reviewer Score: 1

Reviewed by: j.crawford Date: 05/14/2006 Summary: a bad idea One of the most ignoble moments of cinema history passed during the production meeting at Shaw Bros. Studios when this project got the green light. This bad idea spawned a film that is unintentionally laugh out loud funny in almost every sequence. The Mighty Peking Man is a bad film. It is not good on any level. It’s not even good kitsch or campy in any way. Director Ho Meng-Hua had been at Shaw Studios for about 20 years and had directed almost 50 films by the time he was assigned to this movie. I think he was punching the time clock and collecting a paycheck. I hope he had some enjoyment working with Evelyn Kraft who he keeps practically naked for the entire film. With all that experience at the helm, I imagine that producer Runme Shaw was expecting better results. Reviewer Score: 3

Reviewed by: mpongpun Date: 08/10/2003 Direct rip off of <i>King Kong</i>, Hong Kong style. A down-and-out hunter named Johnny Feng (Danny Lee) is hired to lead an expedition into the Himalayans to seek out the legendary beast, Peking Man. Johnny finds the 10 Story high beast and for good measure, a sexy, scantily clothed jungle girl (Evelyn Kraft), whom he brings both back to Hong Kong to show the world! The Peking Man is displayed in Hong Kong stadium as a freak show for the Hong Kong masses. When the Peking Man spots his favorite jungle girl being raped, he busts out of his cage and goes ape-shit all over Hong Kong until the Hong Kong military comes to the island’s rescue and puts the Giant Ape out of it’s misery.

Reviewed by: s**** Date: 05/20/2001 Yep, it's a so-bad-it's-good-but-not-really classic. Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder distribution studio has inexplicably released this film in the U.S., hoping it will garner some sort of cult following, I guess. I suspect this film is way too stupid and predictable to get any sort of ironic appreciation from anyone other than those deeply into fringe cinema. Still, if you're looking for a big monkey movie that will leave you feeling retarded, you've come to the right place. Danny Lee, I'm sure, is mortified about this one.

Reviewed by: battlemonkey Date: 12/21/1999 An adventurer goes in search of a giant monkey, and comes back withboth it and a blonde jungle woman. Back in Hong Kong, the giant monkey-man is degraded and forced to perform in a circus, until he goes ape and smashes the city. If it sounds like KING KONG that's only because it tries to be, with a blonde jungle woman (who is frequently falling out of her jungle outfit) thrown in for good measure. All cheesiness aside, the effects aren't too horrible for the time, well, sometimes they aren't too horrible. Hilariously bad, though.