Despite their billing order in the film's title, King Kong is actually older (in movie-appearance terms — their actual birthdays are a bit hazy).

"Godzilla vs. Kong," released this year, delivers exactly what it says on the label: a clash between the two classic movie monsters. It makes sense to not beat around the bush with the title — both characters have been mainstays of science-fiction cinema since its earliest days, and so have excellent name recognition.

It started with the great 1933 film "King Kong," in which the oversized ape carries Fay Wray to the top of the Empire State Building. (Other things happen, too, but that's what everybody remembers.)

Godzilla took another 21 years to arrive on the scene, making his debut in 1954's also-cleverly titled "Godzilla," a film that did a lot for the global profile of Japanese cinema.

This year's monster mashup isn't the first time the two have gone head to fire-breathing head. That honor goes to the 1962 film "King Kong vs. Godzilla," whose title at least gets the chronology right. 

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