All Godzilla Movies Ranked from Worst to Best
Believe it or not, it is quite the endeavor to independently create a list ranking 34 movies from worst to best. This is edited from a previous list that I created which I had to rearrange due to my opinions on movies changing. I hope you enjoy my analysis of 34 Godzilla movies!
The Bottom 5
#35: Godzilla's Revenge
Not a bad movie, if you fall under the appropriate age category. This movie
does not reveal whether Godzilla was intended to be a real character within the
universe or a fictional character that dwelt in the minds of kids. The real
plot of this movie revolves around overcoming bullies.
The main character is a little boy who is constantly harassed by a bigger kid known as Gabora. In the realm of the main character’s mind, Gabora is manifest as a monster that terrorizes Godzilla’s son on Monster Island.
For children, this movie is quite the treat. For adults…it’s nice to see that your children find it entertaining. Godzilla fights a slew of foes in this movie, but almost all of the fight scenes are
stock footage. If I were ten years old or younger, this movie would probably be
closer to the top of the list.
#34: Son of Godzilla
Oddly enough, this one would be closer to the middle of the list if not for one factor. The Godzilla suit in this movie is absolutely atrocious!!! This might seem like a petty complaint to justify putting this movie in the bottom 5, bu tif you have seen this movie, I think you would agree with me. Because Baby Godzilla, Minilla, hatches from an egg. The movie makers decided to make the Godzilla design more feminine…a feminine, motherly, Godzilla.
If you are wondering what a feminine Godzilla looks like, think of a fat Kermit the frog with childbearing hips. Minilla is not a celebrated character in the film franchise, but in this movie he fulfills his purpose and does so well. Godzilla does as well, but the viewer is left wondering, every time he steps on screen, “Why Toho? Why did you make him so painful to look at?”
#33: Godzilla vs. Megalon
AKA, Godzilla’s Big Time Wrestling Debut. This movie pits Godzilla and a giant robot friend, named Jet Jaguar, against an old foe, Gigan, and a new foe, Megalon (a giant demi-god cockroach that can spit out hand grenades, burrow, and shoot lasers from his horn) in what is like a hardcore tag team match from the golden era of Big Time Wrestling; complete with Godzilla dropkicking Megalon.
The cheesiness in this movie is overwhelming. Nonetheless, it is so well blended into the story that you really can't hold it against the movie itself. It was not meant to be taken seriously. Thus it is a fun movie to watch.
#32: Godzilla Raids Again
The first sequel to Gojira. The human parts are somewhat difficult to make it through. The characters are not that interesting. But the monster action is over the top amazing. Godzilla’s first monster battle in the series takes place in this movie as he takes on a future fan favorite known as Anguirus. The monster action is as good as any, and better than most. But that is in large part because the series was still seen as a Kaiju Horror Movie.
#31: Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla
Rounding off the bottom of the list is the first non-showa movie to appear in the countdown: Godzilla vs Spacegodzilla. Part of this film’s mediocrity is how much it disappointed fans upon its release. It took a new monster, with a sweet design, and an interesting origin story, and totally squandered everything. The complaint across Godzilla fandom can be summed up in the reality that it just did not seem like this film’s creators cared much when they put it together.
Elements of the story showed that the writers were making an effort to make this movie interesting, but how it was accomplished was nothing short of pathetic. The design and effects guys took every positive element of the movie and ran it through a blender.
The super-robot, M.O.G.U.E.R.A., was introduced, and totally botched. The worst part was an embarrassing outer space battle between Space Godzilla and M.O.G.U.E.R.
Furthermore, Space Godzilla had bizarre aspirations for world domination. Seriously, he came across as a cartoon villain. And, dare I say, Baby Godzilla sported his worst design yet with eyes bigger than the adult Godzilla’s and a personality more irritating than Minilla.
Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla isn't the worst Godzilla movie, but it definitely tried.
30-24
#30: Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster
As I was rating this movie, I was shocked that I ended uprating it 29 out of 34. It was this film that made me realize how solid the Godzilla film franchise really was. This movie is the first to feature King Ghidorah and Godzilla’s role as a hero (we actually get to see this transition happen right before our eyes!).
The plot is intriguing and the action is good. There are only a few reasons why it falls toward the bottom of the chart. This movie is definitely geared more toward children, but it lacks a key element that everyone anticipates throughout the movie: King Ghidorah. Ghidorah appears at the end of the movie and only fights the three hero monsters (Godzilla, Mothra,and Rodan) for a very short period of time. The plot development is good and the action at the end is solid, but when it’s all over you feel like you were robbed of something.
#29: Godzilla 98
Perhaps the most controversial of the movies on my list and perhaps even more so that I did not list it as #34. To tell the truth, this movie could have finished higher on the list had it remained true to the title character. Regardless of what anyone’s disappointment with this movie may have been, hear me out on what I liked.
For starters, it actually is a pretty good movie. I am saying that from a pure movie-goers perspective. The sets are enormous, the monster chase scenes are amazing. Most of the characters are interesting, and,if nothing else, the animated series that followed provided viewers with an idea of what direction its creators wanted to take.
This movie was an experiment. Albeit a stupid experiment, but an experiment nonetheless. They discovered what works and what does not work with a Godzilla movie. Chief among all other factors, the creators discovered that Godzilla is more than just a giant monster on the loose story.
But regarding positive lessons, future Godzilla movie-makers would take note that the special effects matter. In fact, this movie created a scene that would be duplicated in just about all of the Godzilla movies that would follow: Godzilla’s dorsal fin approach (or I guess you could call it his Jaws approach).
For as much as fans complained about this movie (again, not taking away from the justification), this movie was a whopper in the franchise. There are four prolonged Godzilla sequences…that’s actually a lot of Godzilla time compared to other movies. The baby Godzillas, although not a welcome addition to this movie, sported the hands-down best design of any baby-zilla in the franchise.
One of my personal favorite aspects of this movie is Hank Azaria’s character, Victor “Animal” Palotti, who I think is one of the best human roles in a Godzilla movie. Yes, this movie lacked the invincible, slow-moving, fire breathing monster we all intended on seeing, but it had a lot to offer, nonetheless.
#28: Godzilla 2000
The first of the Millennium series and the first Japanese Godzilla following the American ’98 version. The focus of 2000 was to create a Japanese Godzilla movie with excellent special effects, an unstoppable Godzilla, and a lot of Godzilla. One of its primary goals was to revive the traditional Godzilla that had been assassinated by G98.
Throughout the movie you will notice jabs at G98. But in some respects the jabs are self-defeating because the movie also attempts to recreate scenes from G98 using G2000.
Another bone the creators of this movie sought to pick was with G’s
box office rival Gamera. Gamera had just come off of an extremely successful
trilogy that concluded in 1999. Some might say that G2000 attempted to settle
too many scores to go down as a truly great Godzilla movie. Despite the fact that the effects failed in some respects, this was an entertaining Godzilla movie. He faces off against a giant
spacecraft and a new foe, Orga, who was created from Godzilla’s own cells.
G2000 is far from perfect, but it was a decent attempt to rekindle the fire of
the original Godzilla series.
#27: Godzilla vs. Mothra (Heisei)
I know that many people would rate this movie higher on the list, but I found it lacking in many respects. The fairies and Mothra did not bring the presence, the horror, or the weirdness that the original Mothra encapsulated.
The redeeming factors were definitely Battra and Godzilla. Battra is like Mothra’s evil twin and is a formidable opponent to Godzilla. But don’t worry, the special effects department in this movie were designed to take the wind out of every otherwise pretty cool moment. I particularly am a fan of Mothra’s extendo legs that appeared when she was either attacking Godzilla or trying to pick him up.
The Heisei series was certainly an era that Toho was not afraid to test their limits to the chagrin of Godzilla fans. I think they may have finally learned, if an effect does not appear convincing on camera, just don’t do it. It’s okay to use cheap camera tricks or to write certain scenes out of the story altogether if it improves the overall quality of the movie.
#26: Godzilla vs. Gigan
A former top 10 in my books. But then I grew up and noticed some of the not so charming aspects of this movie. Namely, the monsters speaking to each other is very difficult to endure, the human characters are a bunch of fruit loops, and I’m still scratching my head over the whole Monster Land thing. Any who, this movie has Godzilla, Anguirus, Ghidorah, and the first appearance of Gigan. The first three monsters were a cool enough feature to this movie, but Gigan would go on to become a fan favorite villain of the franchise. The action is intense and the movie ends with a signature-to-the-era cheesy kids song. All-in-all, goodzilla movie.
#25: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Also known as Ebirah: Horror of the Deep and not originally intended to be a Godzilla movie. The reason I mention this is because certain elements give it away. It was originally supposed to feature Toho’s version of King Kong. If you understand that, the enjoyment level of this movie significantly increases because certain elements, like Godzilla’s connection to the female character and being awakened by lightning, make a little more sense in scope of the rest of the film franchise.
One of the fun aspects of this movie is that the Godzilla action is pretty sweet. He fights a giant lobster, a giant vulture (or condor…I don’t know), an evil military regime, and even has a brief encounter with Mothra.
At the end of the movie, the humans are crying out to Godzilla to get off of the island which has been set to self-destruct. The scene is interesting because it harkens to the reality that Godzilla had become a hero.
#24: Godzilla vs. Hedorah
I owe this film a big apology. Originally, I rated it as second worst. But that was before I decided to sit through the whole thing.
There is a lot of weirdness that is off-putting. There are animated scenes, scenes that look like psychedelic dreams, and a crazy environmentalist message where the characters are literally yelling at the viewers. Oh yeah, it also starts off with a James Bond song...sorta. Do you see why someone would be weirded out by this? And Godzilla flies (cough cough).
Considering those factors, the plot is good, the special effects are good, and the action is great. When I watched it all the way through, I understood why this has been a fan favorite for many.
23-14
#23: Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla
Towards the end of the original Godzilla series, Toho thought it would do something special for their iconic character. They introduced a mechanical doppelganger known as Mechagodzilla. All in all, GvMG is a highly entertaining movie, in its own right. Aside from the monster action, featuring Godzilla, Anguirus, Mechagodzilla, and the first appearance of King Cesar, the scenes featuring humans is fast paced and exciting as well.
I would offer the opinion that GvMG featured the most interesting alien race
since Godzilla vs Monster Zero. My number one problem with this movie is it features one of
the cheesiest soundtracks in a Godzilla movie. Let me rephrase that: one of the cheesiest soundtracks for a serious Godzilla movie. Other movies got away with ridiculous soundtracks because of their light-hearted nature. GvMG doesn’t get that pass.
The plot and progression of the film is excellent, but the soundtrack makes it difficult to take it seriously at times. It’s not enough to ruin the movie, but it probably would have landed this one closer to the top of
the list had it been as serious as the tone of the movie.
#22: Godzilla vs Kong
Yes, I did it. I put Godzilla vs. Kong toward the middle of the pack. In fact, I'll be so bold toto note that I rated King Kong vs. Godzilla higher. If you've seen GVK, you'll know that Godzilla wins. This was one of the big complaints amongst Godzilla fans in KKVG. Fans hated the notion that Kong could defeat the King of the Monsters.
In GvK, Kong is so outmatched that it is actually announced that a meeting between Kong and Godzilla would be a death sentence for the 8th Wonder of the World. I loved the ending, but the movie was lacking in many departments.
The plot was a mess. I understand that they were under certain budget constraints and a time limit for the movie, and so forth, so a lot had to be edited out. For instance, Ren Serizawa's character was totally wasted. Why did they even include him in this one? Nothing made sense about hollow earth. Godzilla's hatred for Kong made no sense. There were so many plot holes it was ridiculous. However...
The effects were dazziling. The monsters were beautiful. Kong's story drew a significant amount of sympathy (as planned). And watching Kong and Godzilla team up for the final battle against MechaGodzilla was incredible. So, I loved the movie. I just had to turn my brain off and enjoy watching Godzilla stomp Kong.
#21: Godzilla x Megaguirus
I loved Megaguirus. The most positive aspect of the 2000 series was the creation of new monsters to take on Godzilla. Megaguirus is a prehistoric dragonfly that rivals Godzilla in power. The special effects are significantly better in this installment than its predecessor Godzilla 2000 (minus an embarrassing scene where Godzilla attempts to pounce on Megaguirus) and vastly improves in the music department as well. Although the monster action is quite impressive, it is just as fun watching the humans plot to get rid of Godzilla by inventing a new weapon that creates black holes. What surprises me about GxMegaguirus is that it ranks only at the middle of the Godzilla Countdown.
#20: Godzilla x MechaGodzilla
I almost ranked this movie toward the bottom of the list, but then I watched it again and wondered, “What was I thinking?” Godzilla x Mechagodzilla is hands down one of the best Godzilla movies. Notice the title, though. This is not Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla; rather, “X.”
Once again, the Godzilla franchise needed a boost and Toho made the decision to bring out one of Godzilla’s most popular foes to stimulate box office returns. Unfortunately, it could probably have been considered a financial failure, but it produced two of the best Godzilla films ever. This first installment of the MechaG movies developed the character of Mechagodzilla, known as Kiryu, in the2000 series.
Instead of MechaG merely being a giant robot that looked like Godzilla, humanity built a robot using the bones of the deceased first Godzilla as its frame. The premise is cool. The design of the monsters is cool. The music was very reminiscent of Godzilla x Megaguirus.
The biggest drawback to this movie is that no one knows if this was a sequel to Godzilla x Megaguirus or a stand-alone film (along with its sequel). I’m guessing it’s a stand-alone but certain elements do carry over.
For Toho, the biggest problem was that it didn’t rake in the sort of cash they desired. This can probably be attributed to the reality that even though the special effects were a cut above most of the other movies in the franchise, they paled in comparison to American movies.
#19: Destroy All Monsters
The most amazing Kaiju rumble of all time! There isn’t much not to like about DAM. Aliens come down from space and enslave all of the earth monsters that had been successfully rounded up by mankind and relocated to Monster Island, where the monsters lived in peace. There is not a lot of monster vs monster action in this movie, but it is a lot of fun watching mankind battling this colossal menace to no avail.
Ultimately, the humans break the control of the aliens, take control of the monsters, turn the monsters against the aliens, only to be interrupted by the space monster King Ghidorah; which the earth monsters basically curb stomp to death (almost literally…well, the "to death" part is literal).
Are there cons to this movie? There are, but they are all minor elements that permeate most of the movie. One of these elements that stuck out to me is the nature of the Japanese government. They seemed a little totalitarian to be playing the role of the good guys in this movie. The special effects aren’t perfect, but they work. Minilla appears in this movie, so that’s minus some points. Some of the monsters don’t join the final battle and some don’t join to the extent where they are used to their fullest capabilities. All in all, excellent.
#18: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Often times known as one of the most popular of the Heisei movies. King Ghidorah’s design in this movie is awesome and the overall plot, although complicated, provides a wonderful excuse for bringing the two monsters together for a colossal battle and renewal of their rivalry.
One of the most popular elements of GvKG is the creation of Mecha-King Ghidorah that defends Japan from Godzilla at the end of the movie. This movie could have strayed away from politics but decided to go down that route and really tarnished its name, in my sight at least.
Although GvKG is hailed for its special effects, it loses some points in my book for that very reason. Instead of avoiding embarrassing effects sequences (which there aren’t very many) they dared go where their believability prohibited them from going.
Nonetheless, it was fun to see the creation of Godzilla from his previous form, known as Godzillasaurus, and his reincarnationas a bigger and more powerful version of himself. Naturally, Ghidorah was created to destroy Japan and Godzilla temporarily assumes the role of the hero to defeat King Ghidorah and liberate Japan from the clutches of the futurians (did I mention there is time travel in this movie?).
#17: Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II
The real title of this movie is just Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla but many people have attached II to the end of its title to distinguish it from the original. GvMGII is hailed by many people as being the best of the Heisei Godzilla movies and is often said to have the best special effects. With the latter sentiment, I would attribute this claim to a spectacular opening sequence that makes use of CGI and one of the best monster themes in the series. The Mechagodzilla theme for this movie was so spectacular that fans who sat through the end credits of Shin Godzilla recognized that it was the last song in the movie (and it fit Shin Godzilla’s mood rather nicely).
The special effects, as a whole are overrated. So what makes this movie so good? Four monsters are featured in this film: Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Baby Godzilla (the first convincing portrayal of Baby Godzilla. Note that he is not called Minilla in this movie, but Baby), and Rodan. The story is both well-written but not without cheese (which in a Godzilla movie is not a bad element).
Mechagodzilla is clearly superior to Godzilla throughout the movie, minus a few malfunctions. Mechagodzilla gains the upper hand at the end of the movie, thanks to the new Super Mechagodzilla mode, and kills both Godzilla and Rodan. But Rodan dies on top of Godzilla and his essence fuses with Godzilla to give Godzilla a powered-up state that I can only call Super Godzilla (in other words, Godzilla is resurrected stronger than ever to finish Mechagodzilla). In Japan, this movie was intended to be the last of the Heisei Series but was far too successful to justify a terminal point of the series. Unfortunately this movie's success gave birth to Godzilla vs Spacegodzilla and the rest is history.
#16: Godzilla Final Wars
We all knew that this would be the last Godzilla movie for quite sometime. The American film was scoffed at by everyone and the 2000 series was not wowing anyone at the box office. Godzilla Final Wars was one last hurrah that seemed to mostly focus on satisfying fans before the Big G’s final departure into the sunset. And boy was this one a doozy!
Admittedly, you almost forget this is a Godzilla movie because in the opening scenes, the humans trap Godzilla in ice. What we are given from that point forward is a plot involving mutant humans battling it out with humanity and the Xillians (an alien race) for the fate of planet earth. The bad guys took control of all of the earth monsters and commenced destroying human civilization so they could herd up humans and steal…their…mitochondria…yeah.
But it created a good excuse for the humans to go find Godzilla, whom the aliens could not control, and use him to kick the daylights out of all of the other monsters and the aliens. Not much makes sense about this movie and the musical score was among the most mediocre of the entire series. But this movie wasn’t about majoring in the minors. It was about fans watching Godzilla dominate EVERYONE. Which he did and it was AWESOME.
#15: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
There is a lot to like about Godzilla vs Destoryah, but a lot to not like as well. This film was made famous for being the last of the Heisei Series and for its ending where Godzilla dies. In a word, this movie is intense.
Let’s start off with the elements that take away from this movie’s greatness. The special effects could have been a lot better. Certain scenes that could’ve been spellbinding became ho-hum because the creators did not capitalize with the effects. This movie introduces the third incarnation of the Super X battle plane known as the Super X3. Super X3 is pathetic. Instead of continuing with the traditional Super X look, Toho decided it would be better to make it an oversized fighter jet. But where this movie was lacking, it made up for with its positive elements.
Destoryah is a truly unique enemy that has multiple forms and can actually appear as a legion of human size creatures which results in a battle scene inspired by Aliens (butlacking in the effects department). He instantly became a classic Godzilla foe at the conclusion of this movie.
The Baby Godzilla from the previous two movies had grown into an adolescent form and became one of the most positive elements of this movie. They referred to him as Junior and he endeavors to take on Destoryah himself in a few sequences and appears to be killed by him before Big G engages in his climatic final battle.
This movie also introduces a form of Godzilla that has become known as Burning Godzilla because his core temperature had become so hot that his body has begun to melt from the inside out.
The most disappointing aspect of this movie was that it wrapped up the series so well, but left room for more sequels after revealing that Junior had been resurrected by Godzilla’s radioactivity. G2000 should have been Junior’s first solo adventure.
#14: Godzilla vs. Monster Zero
This movie used to be among the most recognized of the Godzilla movies. In some respects, the plot of the movie carries its own weight without the monsters. But, for your enjoyment, this movie features King Ghidorah (the most popular Godzilla villain), Rodan, and Godzilla. The most memorable scene in GV0 is the three way monster battle on Planet X. Afterwards, Godzilla does a victory dance, making use of the lower gravity of Planet X. One of the major downsides of this movie is that there is not as much monster action as one would desire, but the action it features is top notch.
13-8
#13: Godzilla x Mothra x MechaGodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S
Another Godzilla movie that I did a 180 on. In my opinion, this one is better than its prequel, Godzilla x Mechagodzilla. Kiryu was proven as an effective weapon against Godzilla and had been assigned to fend off any future Godzilla attacks. There’s a twist, Mothra doesn’t like it that the first Godzilla’s bones had not been laid to rest and requested that Kiryu retire and that she would take his place in defending Japan. A three way, and later, four way, monster battle breaks out in Tokyo, show-casing Toho’s new special effects, and a wonderfully choreographed battle. It is as good as its prequel with a few improvements.
#12: Godzilla vs. Biollante
An often overlooked installment in the Heisei Series but with one of the most popular villains, Biollante. Of course, villain might be overstating it, because Godzilla is the villain of this movie.
After wrecking Tokyo, the world scrambles to obtain samples of Godzilla’s cells. A grieved scientist, in hopes of preserving the life of his deceased daughter (or something like that), fuses a sample of Godzilla cells with a rose and his daughter’s cells. The result is an abominable plant monster named Biollante.
What fans love about Biollante is that she dwarfs Godzilla and even attempts to eat him in one scene. There are only a few drawbacks to this movie. I was not a fan of the JSDF theme in this movie (I’m not referring to the classic one by Ifukube, but the new one that sounded totally out of place when Super X2 first confronts Godzilla). The only other real complaint is that the story is somewhat slow moving and there is not a bunch of Godzilla action.
On the other hand, concerning a G movie with a rival monster, the only films that surpasses this one's special effects are 2014 onward. I enjoyed the plot and the inclusion of the G cells became somewhat of a foundational point for the rest of the series. Godzilla’s escape from Mt. Mihara is one of the most well-accomplished film sequences in the series.
All of the characters were inspired and this was the first film to include Miss Sagusa, the psychic (who becomes the main character of the Heisei Series).
Supposedly, Biollante was designed by a dentist. If you’ve seen the 80’s version of Little Shop of Horrors, you would find this fact quite ironic.
#11: Mothra vs. Godzilla
Not to be confused with the 90’s Godzilla vs Mothra. MothravG took full advantage of G’s early villain status and played it to the bone. This movie was a sequel to King Kong vs Godzilla and G’s entrance answers the question concerning his whereabouts at the conclusion of said movie.
Godzilla mercilessly rampages across Japan destroying everything in sight while the military desperately tries to put him down. The grim reality for Japan is that nothing can stop Godzilla and Godzilla will stop at nothing from wiping Japan off of the map. The only hope for Japan, and perhaps mankind, is the giant insect Mothra (a giant moth if you haven’t caught on).
Mothra is a beast in this movie. She dwarfs Godzilla, but is nearing the end of its life span. However, Mothra has an egg that has landed on the shore of Japan that could provide hope for mankind if it is allowed to hatch. A greedy corporate entity swoops in and claims ownership of the egg which results in a lesson about greed.
Downers about this movie? It’s one of the more preachy of the Godzilla movies, for sure. Also, I don’t like watching Godzilla be defeated by a couple of rollie polies, no matter how awesome of a battle it was leading up to the conclusion.
#10: King Kong vs. Godzilla
Fans will probably be outraged over this selection for #9 on my chart. First, I opted to not call Godzilla98 the worst GFilm ever, and now I am saying that KKvG is in the top 10? Why do fans have a tendency to underrate this installment?
I actually wrote a hub page article about this phenomenon where I boldly stated that King Kong defeated Godzilla. This fact infuriates Godzilla fans, but requires them also to wonder, why did G lose? It was not a matter of Kong being the stronger monster. It was because Kong was the underdog and G (this being his third film) was still considered a villain.
King Kong had always been more of an anti-hero who was intruded upon by mankind and lashed out in order to defend his territory. This is the same story for KKvG. Humans travel to Kong’s island, sedate him, and bring him back to Japan to do battle with Godzilla.The Americanized version is horribly butchered. "My guess is that Godzilla is a cross between a Tyrannosaurs Rex and the Stegosaurus; also known as the plated lizard" ...actual line from one of the American actors, as though Godzilla had no history in their universe.
Regardless, the action is incredible. Its monster battle is as intense as G Raids Again but pits two known movie monsters against one another. KKvG is one of my go-to movies. Whenever I don’t know what to turn on, it’s on my list of "Why not this one?"
#9: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
One of the things that made this movie so great was the timing of its release. Later in 2023, Godzilla Minus One was released worldwide and it took everyone, including critics, by surprise. It was an artistic masterpiece with a dark tone and serious themes. Then, we started seeing pictures of a Godzilla with pink spikes.
Everyone was terrified that the next monsterverse installment of Godzilla was going to be a disaster. Worse, that Godzilla was going to go woke. The movie was vastly different from Minus One, but was a masterpiece in its own right.
Godzilla x Kong officially revitalized the showa era of Godzilla movies. The tone was much more lighthearted, the monsters frequently acted like humans, and we even had a suplex, yes a suplex, from off of the top of a pyramid. GxK ran with the fears of Gfans of an over the top cheesy Godzilla movie by doubling down in that reality, and it paid off big.
But, here are some of the finer things to love about GxK. The plot is totally unique amongst Godzilla films but builds upon the themes of Godzilla keeping the surface Titans in check, while Kong searches for his family. Kong finds a child Kong (Suko) during his journey. His search turns perilous when he stumbles across a civilization of giant apes ruled by the infamous Skar King. And Skar King has another weapon at his disposal that makes up for Kong's strength advantage: An new Titan named Shimu.
This is one of my favorite elements about this movie is that it highlighted both new Titians and familiar Titians. It debuted Tiamat, Scylla, some weird swamp serpent, colossal hollow earth wild dogs, Skar King, and Shimu. It was refreshing to see Adam Wingard have the courage to stray from the fallback plan of relying on Ghidorah, Mecha Godzilla, and Mothra as main characters. By the way, Mothra is back in this movie and better than ever!
To cap it all off, yes, Godzilla does evolve to have pink spines about halfway through the movie and it is merely an indication that this is his most powerful form (outside of burning Godzilla from KOTM). I think that this is a good movie for people who are curious about Godzilla movies as it provides a good balance of action and levity while showcasing the monsters that everyone came to see.
#8: Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack
To really appreciate this movie you have to watch the original Gojira in Japanese. Elements of Godzilla’s existence in this movie do not make sense otherwise. Once you have that background, it is easy to admit that GMK is one of the most well-done G movies, and probably the best of the 2000 series(even though this film is a stand-alone and not really part of the actual 2000 series in the strictest sense).
As the name suggests, Mothra and King Ghidorah appear in this movie, but we are given the added bonus of Baragon, as well. One must wonder how Baragon did not make the final cut in the title, seeing how fans loved his battle with Big G.
The downside to this movie is it seemed like the creators really struggled with understanding who their audience was. Certain elements suggested they were marketing to kids. Other elements suggested they were marketing to adults. Given that they provided one of the fiercest looking Godzilla designs in the series, had him kill the other three featured monsters, they probably should have focused on adults for this movie. Also, King Ghidorah’s appearance was admittedly lacking and the ending was somewhat lame, but touching nonetheless.
Regardless, the music was pretty good. The special effects were great. The only portrayal of Mothra that was better in the series was that in Tokyo S.O.S. Overall, they nailed Godzilla’s screen presence in this movie.
One of the unexpected advantages GMK had over other Godzilla movies was a mystical/fantasy element that was probably inspired by the 90’s Gamera Trilogy. At the end of the movie, even though the humans prevail, it is learned that Godzilla is more or less immortal.
7-1
#7: Godzilla (2014)
2014 was the first time that audiences got to experience a purely American
Godzilla movie which was true to the title character. G2014 is set up like a
horror movie but unfolds like an action movie. It is not without its perceived
shortcomings but, in my opinion, lots of the perceived shortcomings were some
of the most powerful elements of this movie.
The most notable of these would be the limited screen time G
is allotted. A good number of fans complained that he was only on screen for
about 10 minutes. Honestly, had it not been pointed out, I would never have
noticed. G2014 is so well laid out that if you sit back and allow the plot to
unfold, there is enough monster action to keep your pallet wet.
Gareth Edwards, the director, made it clear that he wanted less Godzilla so that his presence
when he appeared would be overwhelming. I think this was an excellent strategy
that played out well overall. Before moving on to the negatives, I heard a lot
of positive talk concerning the M.U.T.O.s. One of the best things a Godzilla movie
can do is introduce a new monster. The M.U.T.O.s were a nice addition.
Having said all of this, the film team over did their effort
to limit Godzilla’s screen time. The most annoying element of this movie is how
a battle sequence would be ready to commence, only to cut out to another scene.
In a few of the battles, you only get to experience it in vague snippets.
My true #1 complaint about this movie, though, is how poorly the final battle
sequence appears on DVD. I remember seeing it at the theater and it was
awe-inspiring. When you watch it on DVD, you have to adjust the brightness and
the sharpness just to see the final battle. And I don’t mean a little; A LOT!
The most amazing scenes in this movie were when Godzilla
unleashed his atomic blast. During both scenes where he did this, I felt like a
kid again.
#6: The Return of Godzilla (1985)
This was the first attempt to erase Godzilla’s past all the way through until the first movie and create a sequel to the original story. A lot of fans hated this installment, but I feel like it is one of the most brilliant GFilms.
It restored the horror element of the original Gojira as well as the themes of atomic/nuclear doom by including the Cold War in the storyline. There is no rival monster in this movie, but Godzilla’s presence is enough to make you shudder and the Super X (the original Super X) is one of the most formidable weapons ever to face Godzilla.
Fans did not appreciate the original score to this movie. It abandoned all of the work Ifukube did in composing the score for the original series to go a new direction. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why fans were opposed to the new direction in the soundtrack. The soundtrack captures the menace Godzilla represents to humanity perfectly. The music and the action mesh up perfectly. The Super X theme is heroic. The theme for when Godzilla is dropped into Mt. Mihara is heart wrenching. The soundtrack to G85 is probably the most solid of the entire series.
Many fans also disliked the political element that came along with the inclusion of Cold War themes. I personally appreciated how well they took current events and molded their movie around them. On that note, I must make a confession. I actually like the Americanized Godzilla 1985 more than the Japanese original The Return of Godzilla. There are several elements that were different that I felt really enhanced G85. For one, in the Japanese version a Russian Sailor tries to prevent the launch of a nuclear missile. In the American version, the Russian Sailor intentionally launches a nuclear missile. The scenes that really enhanced the movie in G85, though, were those that included Raymond Burr who reprised his role as Steven Martin (a reporter who appeared in the Americanized version of Gojira titled, Godzilla King of the Monsters). Burr was an excellent actor who added a whole new dimension to the eeriness of this film that made it possible for Americans to fully grip the horror of Godzilla.
THE highlight from the Americanized version, however, is Burr’s monologue at the end of the movie with the backdrop of the erupting Mt. Mihara which had just swallowed up Godzilla. It will almost bring a tear to your eye.
#5: Gojira
Yes, the original masterpiece is #5 on my list. It could be easily argued that this is the best film in the franchise. I’m not going to exhaust myself giving all of the details. See it yourself, both versions (Godzilla King of the Monsters), and you’ll know why.
The musical score is downright creepy. The black and white filmography adds an element of horror that we struggle to capture in full color movies. The special effects were top notch for their day and have stood the test of time, for the most part. Godzilla’s first onscreen appearance is menacing as he peeks over the peak of a mountain to a bunch of villagers who were expecting to slay the beast until they saw his immense size.
Dr. Serizawa is an icon of Japanese film culture as he sacrificed himself to rid the world of two horrible threats. The love triangle that takes place and ends in tragedy adds yet another layer to the movie that cannot go unappreciated. Politics swirl around the existence of the prehistoric beast Godzilla as it is debated about what he is, how he came to be, whether he should be studied, or if he should be destroyed.
The reality is, I can go over all of the pros of this movie without telling you the whole movie. And, again, the Americanized version with Raymond Burr is really good too. See them both.
#4: Shin Godzilla
Shin Godzilla is Toho’s first attempt to scrap any history of their character Godzilla and give him a fresh new origin. Boy o boy did it work. The first time you see this movie, you will not know what to expect and I almost feel bad revealing that this movie does not include any previous Godzilla storyline. As I sat in the theater, I was trying to figure out if they knew anything about Godzilla or if they viewed him as the first of his kind.
This is the first of any of the Godzilla movies where his real name is actually Godzilla (which supposedly means God Incarnate) and that Gojira is the Japanese pronunciation (which is backwards from the original series).
This is probably the most terrifying Godzilla of the entire series. I will warn you, despite the fact that in his first appearance he is not fully evolved, it is one of the creepiest scenes involving Godzilla. As the first form of Godzilla strolls into the city, the theme Persecution of the Masses plays in the background. Persecution of the Masses is probably the best Godzilla song to date. The rest of the soundtrack is composed of classic Ifukube songs from the original movie (aside from Who Will Know, from the epic first atomic breath scene). All in all, the soundtrack is darn near perfect.
After Godzilla has fully evolved, he doesn’t appear as creepy as he did earlier in the movie. Thus, you let your guard down and say, “Good, the horror movie is over now.” Oh no, the horror movie is escalated when Godzilla unleashes his atomic blast for the first time. You watch helplessly as this unstoppable beast exposes the helplessness of those he is persecuting.
There is much more that I can say about this movie, but you must see it for yourself. Warning: Godzilla does not have a lot of screen time in this movie.
#3: Godzilla Minus One
I had a hard time deciding whether this, or Shin Godzilla should be ranked higher. There are just a few factors that I think make Minus One superior, even though I think Shin Godzilla has the edge on it in different departments.
What did I like about Godzilla Minus One? Right out of the gates, it is a dark mood. A Kamikaze pilot failed to fulfill his mission at the end of World War II, bringing shame upon his name, right at the start up. What's worse, he finds himself on Odo Island on his last day!
Upon his visit he encounters a familiar horror: Godzilla! But not just Godzilla; rather, Godzillasaurus! I was thrilled to see an updated installation of Godzilla's pre-nuclear self. It was epic.
Throughout the movie, Godzilla is more horrifying than ever. He's not completely invulnerable but displays radical regenerative capabilities. The scene where he takes out a destroyer is one of the best sea battles we've ever seen in a Godzilla movie.
This was possibily the first Godzilla movie where I actually wanted to see Godzilla killed at the hands of his human protagonist. Despite the sense of dread you get every time Godzilla appears on screen, the ending was satisfying and all was well in the world once again.
This leads to my grievances. On a minor note, it was the first Godzilla movie where I felt that the Akira Ifukube scores were unnecessary and, dare I say, damaging to the mood of the movie. This wasn't too bad, though. In fact, most fans loved the inclusion of Ifukube's music.
It felt like there should have been one more major Godzilla attack scene, involving Tokyo, before the movie was over. It didn't happen; although his attack on Tokyo was absolutely devastating (extinguishing the lives of 33,000 people!).
Finally, at the point of the movie where Godzilla is assumed to be dead, you find out he's not. And that was okay, but again, unnecessary. It was very reminiscent of the ending for GMK. BUT, I understand the inclusion of such a scene as the fanbase would've had a cow if the King of the Monsters was killed at the end of the movie.
All-in-all, a must see for both fans and non-fans alike.
#2: Terror of Mecha Godzilla
I am not kidding when I say that Terror of Mechagodzilla (particularly the original Japanese version) is almost the perfect Godzilla movie. After the first Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, Toho made some improvements, particularly with the music.
The soundtrack is epic and opens the movie with a sampling of its score. The opening sequence gives background concerning what happened in GvMG and does it in a manner that makes the opening sequence more enjoyable than watching GvMG at all. An incredible cast of characters featuring interesting human roles that go unrivaled in any of the other Godzilla movies (maybe with the exception of Godzilla ’98). You have scientists, aliens, military personnel, Interpol agents, and you feel like you get to know them all sufficiently in the short span in which this movie takes place.
Aside from Mothra vs Godzilla, this movie features the first scenario where Godzilla must single handedly take on two monsters at once. And the two monsters that he mustface are Mechagodzilla and a brand new monster known as Titanosaurus.
Now, there are some elements of this movie that are definitely cheesy. The special effects aren’t perfect and Titanosaurus has the ability to create extraordinary winds using a fan-shaped fin on the back of his tail. The winds are so extraordinary that they are able to knock Godzilla off of his feet. Such a feat is ridiculous. This movie also makes use of a trademark super kick that launches opponents miles away (maybe not miles) and defies the laws of physics. I am probably missing a few other cheesy elements, but with this movie, the cheese fits well.
Godzilla is more like a super hero in this movie, which allows for cheesy moments, but the bad guys are definitely sinister. In the original Japanese movie, elements of the original Gojira are captured in the mood as MG and Titanosaurus stomp through Tokyo, trampling people as they go.
The intention of TMG was to send Godzilla off into the sunset. It was supposed to be the last Godzilla movie (which it wasn’t) and his creators wanted to end the series on a positive note. The American version ends on a totally uplifting note, with Godzilla triumphantly wading into the sunset. The Japanese version, on the other hand, reveals some elements that , although you are happy for Godzilla, you see the cost of victory from the human standpoint.
#1: Godzilla King of the Monsters
Exactly as the name suggests. A friend of mine calls this a love letter to Godzilla fans. I agree. It has everything a Godzilla fan could possibly want crammed into one movie. Ignore the critical reviews. This is the ultimate Godzilla movie. It includes the best version, ever, of King Ghidorah. Likewise, we get updates of Rodan and Mothra that also put the designs of their predecessors to shame.
The downsides? Plot holes and a few annoying characters. Whatever. They get drowned out by the incredible monster action and the colossal rivalry between Godzilla and Ghidorah.
The musical score by Bear McCreary was awe-inspiring. When I first heard a sample of the music, I was blown away. And when I saw Godzilla's entrance to battle Ghidorah the first time, and heard the classical Godzilla theme playing, I just about lost it. It was overwhelmingly cool.
The creators of KOTM gave fans just about everything they wanted. Rodan had an air battle. G and Ghidorah battled under water. You had both larval and adult forms of Mothra. A four-way monster battle at the climax of the movie, the oxygen destroyer, and burning Godzilla. And if that wasn't enough the movie concludes with an ominous and inspiring scene that no other Godzilla film has dared to put together: the remaining Titans bowed to Godzilla King of the Monsters. Boom.
Best Godzilla movie ever.