Complete review of a deathless masterpiece......
Good old Michael Gough, first seen carrying a chimp unhindered through customs, he soon departs for his house, in which every room seems to be painted green. Gough then accidentally smashes his growth serum on the floor of his lab, proceding to shoot his cat when he licks it up. "We can't have a cat the size of a leopard roaming around London!" After a few injections the tiny chimp Konga turns into a bloke in a gorilla suit, aided by a "wavy line" screen effect, and is promptly hypnotised by The Goughster, looking extremely stoned when the process is finished. "Nobody in the world suspects how close we are!"
Gough then has Konga off the Dean of his college, probably for being a baldy annoyance. His ultimate goal is to "Change the shape of human beings",and to this aim he has a greenhouse full of rubber carnivorous plants. Some bloke with a tea towel on his head turns up as a rival to Gough's scientific theories, and Konga kills him on his master's orders, too. The Great Gough also takes his students on field trips to study mosses and ferns, which is extremely interesting. Cue a blink and you'll miss it jazz radio sequence in the back of the van with the students, who all look about 35. Of course it being Britain it p**ses down.
Despite offering to marry his secretary, who is fully aware he's a murderer, Gough also puts the moves on one of his students; "He's old enough to be your father!" His love rival, a truly terrible actor in a natty blue pullover chins The Goughmeister, which is probably a bad idea when he's got a gorilla for a bessie mate. "You'll probably have me expelled for this." Nah, not when gooney-eyed Konga can unconvincingly choke you as you're trying to start your Vespa! "Here, Konga!"
Of course the law is useless as usual. The big revelation is when we see Gough having his breakfast in a purple-painted kitchen - it's not all green! "It's shocking" says his sec/lover, presumably referring to the multiple murders rather than the decor, although I could be wrong. "Destroy Konga? But why?" Er, he's a homicidal gorilla, responsible for 3 killings luv.
70 mins gone. Still no giant Konga in sight. Gough decides to ditch his secretary for the 30 year old teenage student he's got the hots for. The sec rebels, sticking about 45 pints of serum into Konga. And at last the Gough starts overacting. Konga chucks a plastic doll that looks nothing like the woman around and then bursts out of the house, picking up the Gough on the way - Yaaaay! The local Trumpton fire bobbies arrive about 15 seconds later. Konga goes on a non-rampage, carrying an Action Man. "There's a huge monster gorilla thats constantly growing loose in the streets" says the inspector. A1 for observation, then. Konga, still looking stoned, refuses to lower the Gough. Lots of extras run into the camera, desperately trying to get away. Shock horror, Konga makes for Big Ben, the only part of the UK most Americans recognise.....
Having spent 10 minutes going "Urgh, arrgh," while stuck in Konga's grasp, Gough struggles to no avail. The army, deploying outside the "Famous for Shoes" store, arrive in what looks like 2 diddymen trucks and promptly open fire, missing completely from a distance of about 10 yards. Poor Gough gets chucked at them. Konga dies, even though every tracer bullet has gone wide of the mark, falls over next to Gough, and reverts back to chimp size, arrrh! The final shot has Gough lying next to his tragic creation. What a classic! 4 stars for the sheer cheek of the thing!
Good old Michael Gough, first seen carrying a chimp unhindered through customs, he soon departs for his house, in which every room seems to be painted green. Gough then accidentally smashes his growth serum on the floor of his lab, proceding to shoot his cat when he licks it up. "We can't have a cat the size of a leopard roaming around London!" After a few injections the tiny chimp Konga turns into a bloke in a gorilla suit, aided by a "wavy line" screen effect, and is promptly hypnotised by The Goughster, looking extremely stoned when the process is finished. "Nobody in the world suspects how close we are!"
Gough then has Konga off the Dean of his college, probably for being a baldy annoyance. His ultimate goal is to "Change the shape of human beings",and to this aim he has a greenhouse full of rubber carnivorous plants. Some bloke with a tea towel on his head turns up as a rival to Gough's scientific theories, and Konga kills him on his master's orders, too. The Great Gough also takes his students on field trips to study mosses and ferns, which is extremely interesting. Cue a blink and you'll miss it jazz radio sequence in the back of the van with the students, who all look about 35. Of course it being Britain it p**ses down.
Despite offering to marry his secretary, who is fully aware he's a murderer, Gough also puts the moves on one of his students; "He's old enough to be your father!" His love rival, a truly terrible actor in a natty blue pullover chins The Goughmeister, which is probably a bad idea when he's got a gorilla for a bessie mate. "You'll probably have me expelled for this." Nah, not when gooney-eyed Konga can unconvincingly choke you as you're trying to start your Vespa! "Here, Konga!"
Of course the law is useless as usual. The big revelation is when we see Gough having his breakfast in a purple-painted kitchen - it's not all green! "It's shocking" says his sec/lover, presumably referring to the multiple murders rather than the decor, although I could be wrong. "Destroy Konga? But why?" Er, he's a homicidal gorilla, responsible for 3 killings luv.
70 mins gone. Still no giant Konga in sight. Gough decides to ditch his secretary for the 30 year old teenage student he's got the hots for. The sec rebels, sticking about 45 pints of serum into Konga. And at last the Gough starts overacting. Konga chucks a plastic doll that looks nothing like the woman around and then bursts out of the house, picking up the Gough on the way - Yaaaay! The local Trumpton fire bobbies arrive about 15 seconds later. Konga goes on a non-rampage, carrying an Action Man. "There's a huge monster gorilla thats constantly growing loose in the streets" says the inspector. A1 for observation, then. Konga, still looking stoned, refuses to lower the Gough. Lots of extras run into the camera, desperately trying to get away. Shock horror, Konga makes for Big Ben, the only part of the UK most Americans recognise.....
Having spent 10 minutes going "Urgh, arrgh," while stuck in Konga's grasp, Gough struggles to no avail. The army, deploying outside the "Famous for Shoes" store, arrive in what looks like 2 diddymen trucks and promptly open fire, missing completely from a distance of about 10 yards. Poor Gough gets chucked at them. Konga dies, even though every tracer bullet has gone wide of the mark, falls over next to Gough, and reverts back to chimp size, arrrh! The final shot has Gough lying next to his tragic creation. What a classic! 4 stars for the sheer cheek of the thing!