My favorites (in reverse chronological order):
- Godzilla (2014) - This is no surprise, I think, and many of us would've been furious had they disappointed on this front. Godzilla's fury, his intelligence, and even his exhaustion were expressed very well, and IMO this is probably the performance to beat from now on.
GMK - The last great suit performance, IMO. As the only film in the Millennium series to utilize animatronics, the movie makes great use and Godzilla gives a performance that just drips villainy.
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus - The movie may be silly and over-the-top, but the performance from Godzilla here is great fun: he smart, he's creative, his energetic. This is a movie that truly is saved by Godzilla.
Godzilla vs. Destroyah - A good performance, the filmmakers manage to get across Godzilla's pain (both physical and emotional) really well. Godzilla'snear the end is heartbreaking. (Yeah, I put it in spoiler tags. What'cha gonna do 'bout it?)Spoiler:
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah - For a movie where Godzilla doesn't show up until past the half-way point and has a whole host of problems (for me, at least), Godzilla's performance here is fantastic. The movie took the lessons learned from RoG and GvB, then applied emotions beyond confusion or anger to Godzilla. The scene where Shindo confronts Godzilla has no words, yet is one of the most emotional scenes Godzilla ever got the chance to participate in. Wonderful, just wonderful.
The Return of Godzilla - That sneer! This was the first movie where I ever felt Godzilla was truly ANGRY, and knowing that made his battle with Super X that much more suspenseful. Godzilla was awake, he was pissed, and he was coming for YOU. O_O Also, the scream at the volcano (at least in the US version)! Wonderful touch.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) - One of the biggest strengths of the '70s films was that they all had strong performances from Godzilla, it was a period where he was a bit more humanlike in his behavior and, as a result, had a ton of personality. Of these, my favorite was the performance in GvMG, where he gives us a fun and well-rounded show. We don't get a whole lot of Godzilla here, but when he's around he is an absolute delight.
Son of Godzilla - I don't care at all for the suit, but I really enjoyed the performance here. Godzilla as lazy, stern, but ultimately caring father was a side we hadn't seen before and haven't seen much of since, but here it was done really well.
:mechagodzilla: 
