"Save 8" of the 29 original Godzilla films

[Andrew the Gojifan]

1. Gojira - It`s the original
2. Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster - introduces Ghidorah, Godzilla becomes a good guy.
3. Destroy All Monsters - Finishes Ghidorah off, also has many kaiju
4. The Return of Godzilla - Good movie, start of the Heisei series
5. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2 - Helps set up vs. Destoroyah, introduces Godzilla Jr.
6. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah - end of the Heisei series
7. GMK - one of the best entries of the Milennium series.
8. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla - also one of the better entries of the Milennium series.
btw, could King Kong vs. Godzilla find a loophole, since it is also a King Kong film? Are there also any chances for remakes of some of the original films?

[LegendZilla]

Godilla 1954
King Kong Vs Godilla
Monster Zero
Destroy All Monsters
Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla 1974
Terror of MechaGodzilla
Godzilla 1984
Godzilla Vs Biollante

[GodzillaFreak99]

Hypothetical situation - The existence of all 29 of the 1954-2004 Godzilla films is in jeopardy. The "why" doesn't matter. Evil reality altering bandits, the original prints are going to fall off of a clip, every print/DVD/Blu Ray will be burned, you take your pick.

But the situation is that you can save 8 films of your choosing. 8 Godzilla films to live on, be remembered, continue the legacy. You can have ANY REASONING you want for the 8 you want to save. It doesn't have to be 'most important' or 'your favorite', just the 8 you would choose to save if faced with the destruction of all of the first 29 films.

NOTE - For the purposes of this game, Japanese and US versions are not different films, they are a package deal. Saving Godzilla 1954 would also mean that you are saving Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

I'll just go the selfish route and pick most of my personal favorites.

1. Godzilla 2000
2. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.
3. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
4. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
5. Godzilla vs. Biollante
6. Godzilla vs. Hedorah/the Smog Monster
7. Son of Godzilla
8. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

[Gojira18]

-Gojira
-Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster
-Godzilla 2014
-Godzilla vs Biollante
-Terror of Mechagodzilla
-Godzilla vs Destoroyah
-GMK
-Shin Godzilla

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

Godzilla
KKvG
MvG 64
Ghidrah
Monster Zero
SoG
Hedorah
Biollante

Whoa it's all of the objectively good Godzilla films.

Almost a year later and I still stand by this.

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

Godzilla
KKvG
MvG 64
Ghidrah
Monster Zero
SoG
Hedorah
Biollante

Whoa it's all of the objectively good Godzilla films.

Almost a year later and I still stand by this.

I love seeing vs Hedorah on that list. I really do, it deserves more appreciation.

[KaijuCanuck]

Man this is tough... do I save my personal favourite 8, or do I save the 8 that best represents the development of the franchise, thus saving civilization in the process?

Hmm... personal preference... saving civilization...

I am at an impass here.

[Zarm]

Clearly you can just focus on your favorites, because so many people have saved sets of 8s already that the representative entries have almost assuredly been spoken for.

[KaijuCanuck]

Clearly you can just focus on your favorites, because so many people have saved sets of 8s already that the representative entries have almost assuredly been spoken for.

Very good sir, my conscience is clear.

1. Gojira
2. Mothra vs. Godzilla
3. Destroy all Monsters
4. Terror of Mechagodzilla
5. Godzilla 1985
6. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
7. Godzilla vs. Destroyah
8. Godzilla 2000

I really need a spot 9 and 10 here to save Biollante and GMK

[SoggyNoodles2016]

This is hard. I'd personally save all of them. But if I had to pick 8?

Gojira.
Mothra vs Godzilla.
Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster.
Godzilla vs Hedorah.
Terror of Mechagodzilla.
Godzilla 2000
Godzilla 2014
Shin Godzilla.

Good mix between good, artistic films and the history of the character.

[Mecha-SpaceGhidorah]

1) Gojira/Godzilla, King of the Monstetrs!
2) Godzilla Raids Again
3) Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
4) Godzilla vs. Megalon
5) Return of Godzilla/Godzilla 1985
6) Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
7) Godzilla Millennium/Godzilla 2000
8) Godzilla '98

1) Kind of obvious. The cornerstone of the franchise; but even beyond that, it shows both unequivocally that, how, and why a message and allegory can be delivered with even such an off-the-wall premise.

2) The first sequel, the first introduction of a new kaiju, the first monster fight, etc. For all its flaws, it does some very interesting things and, with its flaws, it shows some of the things that you either shouldn't do or should be very careful attempting.

3) The first monster team-up. A fairly important concept in the franchise, nearly as much so as monsters fighting is monsters fighting together.

4) Near the height of the camp, while still be pretty good all-in-all. It can show both that there is/was/should be camp for time to time and how to do it right.

5) Again, kind of obvious. Shows how to update the franchise for the times, and will remind future generations that a total or near total reboot of the timeline is as much a part of Godzilla as it ever was for Marvel or DC.

6) The death of Godzilla. Only the second time they ever did it. Strong emotional presence, with a decent if kind of middle tier story.

7) Not too much about this one other than I think its a pretty good movie and well put together. Also, since I didn't have the room for Invasion of Astro-Monster (which would absolutely be my #9 for this very reason), it shows us the alien invasion concept that is common to the franchise.

8) Originally this was to going to be Shin Godzilla, as that is one of the most radical departures from the standard template while still adhering to the necessary core elements (at least as far as most are concerned, there will always be decent and disagreement). Given that that is explicitly safe from destruction then '98 comes in to show how to take it too far. As much as it hurts to have to cut something else, knowing where the limits are (or at least, something past the limits) is important I think.

Hopefully, such a swath would give a full sampling of the best and the worst while sparking the powers that be into making more to help fill the gap.

[Gojira1604]

54
Mothra Vs
against MechaG
Monster 0
Battle for Earth
vs Des
2000
final wars

[Kaeyas]

(In no particular order)

1. Gojira (Japanese version with subtitles)
2. Return Of Godzilla
3. Godzilla VS. Hedorah
4. Godzilla VS. The Cosmic Monster(MG)
5. Godzilla VS. Biollante
6. Godzilla VS. Destoroyah
7. Ghidrah The Three Headed Monster
8. Godzilla VS. King Ghidorah

I make no apologies for any of my choices. I'm sure many will ask why on Earth would I put VS. Destoroyah on my top 8..well I do actually enjoy the movie plus it was the end of the Heisei era and in my opinion, the movie most strongly tied with the events of the original.

[KaijuCanuck]

(In no particular order)

1. Gojira (Japanese version with subtitles)
2. Return Of Godzilla
3. Godzilla VS. Hedorah
4. Godzilla VS. The Cosmic Monster(MG)
5. Godzilla VS. Biollante
6. Godzilla VS. Destoroyah
7. Ghidrah The Three Headed Monster
8. Godzilla VS. King Ghidorah

I make no apologies for any of my choices. I'm sure many will ask why on Earth would I put VS. Destoroyah on my top 8..well I do actually enjoy the movie plus it was the end of the Heisei era and in my opinion, the movie most strongly tied with the events of the original.

Destoroyah is relatively popular, I think.

[Kaeyas]

(In no particular order)

1. Gojira (Japanese version with subtitles)
2. Return Of Godzilla
3. Godzilla VS. Hedorah
4. Godzilla VS. The Cosmic Monster(MG)
5. Godzilla VS. Biollante
6. Godzilla VS. Destoroyah
7. Ghidrah The Three Headed Monster
8. Godzilla VS. King Ghidorah

I make no apologies for any of my choices. I'm sure many will ask why on Earth would I put VS. Destoroyah on my top 8..well I do actually enjoy the movie plus it was the end of the Heisei era and in my opinion, the movie most strongly tied with the events of the original.

Destoroyah is relatively popular, I think.

No doubt but he's more popular with "casual" fans and less so with the die hard fans. That's what I see anyway for the most part. Would seem a lot of other die harder's aren't very fond of it (or At least not enough to have it in their top picks) so I figure I might be in the minority of them that do enjoy the movie. Perhaps I am mistaken but it sure seems that way.

Added in 2 minutes 52 seconds:
The complete reverse seems to be true for Hedorah who now seems to have somewhat of a cult following, while I myself have always enjoyed the film and the opposing kaiju(Hedorah) in it.

[Grievous]

Okay...

1). Gojira
2). Mothra vs. Godzilla
3). Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 74
4). Godzilla vs. Biollante
5). Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
6). GMK
7). Godzilla (2014)
8). Shin Gojira

I think that's a pretty good spread across the franchise.

[miguelnuva]

1. Gojira/Kotm
2. Mothra vs Godzilla
3. GTTHM
4. DAM
5. Son if Godzilla
6. Godzilla vs Destroyah
7. Kotm 2019(G14 if kotm doesn't count)
8. Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla 74

This was hard.

[godzilla98rules]

Hmm, this is kinda tough. I tend to enjoy the more silly Godzilla films, but from a time capsule perspective, they wouldn't be appropriate for this list........

1. Gojira - Instant no-brainer.
2. Mothra vs Godzilla - With fantastic special effects, score, story and characters, this is another no-brainer.
3. Shin Godzilla - Great special effects, story, and a haunting score. Definitely one of the more interesting Godzilla films.
4. Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974) - One of the more fun entrees with a detective/spy feel when watching it.
5. Godzilla vs Biollante - If I had to pick at least one Heisei film, then this is the one. A fantastic example of updating practical effects.
6. Terror of Mechagodzilla - It feels best to have the second part to Mechagodzilla 74, also it's another great addition to the series.
7. Destroy All Monsters - I feel that this one would be important for being the first to put so many monsters in one film.
8. GMK - Of all the Millennium films, this one just has a great story, score, and character/design for Godzilla.

[GojiDog]

Ya know I tried to answer this question, I really did, but I just couldn't narrow it down to 8.

What I'll do instead is have a Top 3 of must haves and then have 5 groups of threes that would be decided by a standard six sided die.

The Three Musts:
1) Gojira = Duh, it is Godzilla at its most pure, his grand introduction, and one of my favorite films of all time.
2) Mothra Vs. Godzilla = Not only the best of the Showa sequels, but also best represents the quality of work from Godzilla's key creators. It is arguably Honda's best work as director, Tsuburaya's best work as special effects director, Ifukube's best musical score, and Nakajima's best performance as Godzilla.
3) Godzilla Vs. Destroyah = Godzilla's death, one of the finest moments in the entire series, needs to be preserved.

And now the five groups of threes whose fate will be decided by a roll of the die:

1) Mechagodzilla Movie: Terror of Mechagodzilla, Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla 93, or Godzilla Tokyo SOS = As one of Godzilla's greatest foes, at least one Mechagodzilla movie should be preserved, so the choice comes down to my picks for the best showcase for each of the three main versions of Mechagodzilla.

2) Monster Party: Destroy All Monsters, GMK: Giant Monsters All Out Attack, or Godzilla Final Wars = Monsters, monsters everywhere! There should be at least one movie preserved that showcases Toho's amazing monster family and these three films are arguably the best showcases for that.

3) The Best of the Heisei Series: Godzilla 1984, Godzilla Vs. Biollante, and Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah = The best of Godzilla's rebooted series in the 90s deserves some showcasing and these are the best three to showcase what the Heisei series was all about.

4) Historically Significant Films: King Kong Vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster, and Godzilla 2000 = These are films that are significant to Godzilla's history for one reason or another. King Kong Vs. Godzilla was not only a successful crossover, but was the film that proved Godzilla can work as a franchise player. Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster was Toho's first true blue monster mash and combined all their biggest stars in one film for the first time while also introducing Godzilla's arch nemesis, and making him a hero for the first time. Godzilla 2000 signified his return following the failure of the Tristar film and kicked off the Millennium series.

5) Best of the 70s: Godzilla Vs. Hedorah, Godzilla Vs. Gigan, and Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla = While not everyone's cup of tea, the 70s were a very unique period in Godzilla's history and at least one film deserves to survive to preserve the era. Godzilla Vs. Hedorah is a personal favorite of mine for all its weirdness and off the wall insanity. While I don't think that highly of Godzilla Vs. Gigan, it does showcase one of Godzilla's greatest foes and the ending fight is a bloody spectacle, and Mechagodzilla's introductory film is too wild to not give a chance of survival too.

[Zarm]

I notice that for a lot of people, there is a single Heisei, and single Millennium, Shin, and the rest are Showa. And fair enough- based on the popularity rankings, that is pretty proportionally accurate.

But as an experiment, if anyone's up for the challenge, I think it would be very interesting to re-jigger this a bit, to change the eight to two from every era; namely, 2 Showa, 2 Heisei, 2 Millennium, and 2 2014-and-beyond (a.k.a. Shin, and your other pick. ). Which would force people to be a lot more choosy between their Showa options.

For me, that would break down to:
Showa: Mothra vs. Godzilla and Son of Godzilla (and yes, there are at least two that it is painful to leave off of here)
Heisei: vs. Biollante and 1985 (and yeah- that is actually a more altruistic choice than personal preference, because I'm going to be more selfish later)
Millenium: 2000 and Against MechaGodzilla
2014-and-beyond: Godzilla (2014) and City on the Edge of Battle