Having seen the Japanese version, I've really grown to love this movie - the US version used to drive my batty!

SPOILER

One scene stands out in the Japanese version as comic gold and, naturally, it's not in the US version. Mie Hama's boyfriend's OTT cursing of Kong involves much waving of the arms, which in turn reminds the heroes of the natives's dance and prompts them to break out the berry juice and bongos. Brilliant!

I still don't get why the Kong costume isn't as good as it could have been. It needs more moveable features in the face I think - that fixed expression is kind of creepy in a clown sort of way but when one considers how much more versatile the likes of George Barrow's costume was, it's kind of a missed opportunity. The actor inside the suit is pretty good for the most part, getting the character of Kong across well but sometimes he forgets himself and starts becoming more human in his movements - apparently due to the actor not bothering to take Eji Tsurabaya's advice on studying actual gorillas

The "actors" in the submarine scenes are hilariously awful but I must say the guy in the helicopter does a fantastic "IT'S GOJIRA!!!", which was so good they put it on the compilation album
And Akira Ifukube's music is fantasic!