Not much has changed. The players have slightly different names and roles, such as an obnoxious oil executive in search of petroleum deposits, an anthropologist who is looking for Kong and a starlet looking for love and improved luck. The plot: a diverse group lands on an island in search of oil, and instead, finds King Kong. The finale in New York takes place not at the Empire State Building, but atop the World Trade Center, where Kong battles not only helicopters, but men armed with flamethrowers.

A more developed romance as well as the relationship between the anthropomorphized Kong and the starlet. Dwan tries to save him and sheds tears when he dies. There’s a well placed and much needed transition segue between the island and New York.