Re: Top 10 Godzilla Films
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 10:47 am
My elite 8 are:
1) Gojira (1954) = Godzilla at his most pure. The definitive Godzilla film and my personal favorite monster movie of all time.
2) Godzilla Vs. Destroyah (1995) = Love the ticking time bomb aspect, the callbacks to the original film, and the finale is one of the finest moments in the series. Oh and Destroyah is pretty sweet.
3) Mothra Vs. Godzilla (1964) = Pretty much what King Kong Vs. Godzilla should have been like. It represents the high mark in quality for all of Godzilla's original creators.
4) Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991) = Wacky, off the wall, and completely insane, this is the definitive Sci-Fi camp Godzilla film while also managing to offer a shades of grey approach to Godzilla where he is neither hero nor villain. He is whatever he needs to be in the moment. It also has a nice emotional thread with Shindo and Godzilla, and also serves as an amazing reintroduction for his arch-nemesis.
5) Destroy All Monsters (1968) = Even with Final Wars, I still consider this the ultimate multi-kaiju showcase. It is just a wild free for all that feels like everything Toho had done up to that point all spliced together to make the most entertaining experience possible. The 4 Monster attack on Tokyo and the Battle near Mt Fuji are two of my favorite scenes in the entire franchise.
6) Terror of Mechagodzilla (1978) = A swan song in many respects, this movie gave us a classier and darker hero Godzilla, while also weaving a human dramatic element with tragic consequences. Dr. Mafune and Katsura are two of the most memorable non-kaiju characters in the genre.
7) Godzilla Vs. Biollante (1989) = It is amazing that this movie works as well as it does with so many different elements thrown in. Psychics, Espionage, Fictional countries, Genetic engineering, and wacky gadgets like The Super X-2, Anti-Nuclear Bacteria, and Artificial lightning fields. It is wild, but works towards making for a fun ride that gave the Heisei era its identity with its more comic book style approach, as well as the continuity that would carry on throughout the series. Also the practical effects are marvelous as this is the best Godzilla has ever looked and Biollante's final form is a sight to behold.
and 8) Shin Godzilla (2016) = The political satire on display gives this film its charm and its heart, and at the center we have probably the most horrific Godzilla ever put on film. The constant evolving and continuing displays of destructive power make him almost hellish this time around. It is the best Monster Vs. Military centric film since the original Gojira, and I love it.
Those are my absolute favorites.
Two more picks? Lets just say any two of the next step down for me:
- Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster (1964) = The first big monster mash worked out with great results. It gave us our first taste of Hero Godzilla, Godzilla and Rodan in the same film for the first time, anthropomorphized the monsters to a degree that was unexpected, but cute and fun at the same time, and we get introduced to Godzilla's arch enemy and Toho's big monster baddy in Ghidorah. All good things here. Oh, I also love the alien prophetess/lost princess subplot. Its absurdity on paper, but in line with the other films by Honda, it is played earnestly and strangely believably because of it.
- Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero (1965) = The definitive alien invader centric Godzilla flick. It started all of the traditions that go along with that. Aliens control bad monsters, the aliens are dressed in wacky outfits, the humans have to break the aliens' control over the monsters...all that good stuff. And the Planet X denizens are far and away my favorite alien race in the franchise. So delightfully campy! And finally, how can you not love Nick Adams in this? I actually prefer the English language version just so I can get the full experience of his performance.
- Godzilla Vs. Hedorah (1971) = This one is just straight up bonkers, and for all its weirdness, it stands out as one of the most unique entries in the series. Whether or not that's a good thing, I'll leave up to you, but personally, I loved. Amidst the silliness, there are some legitimate moments of horror in the damage Hedorah does, and I credit this movie for helping to ease me into the horror genre at a young age. Baby steps!
- Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) = Godzilla and a Lion-Poodle God fight the Big G's robot clone that is being controlled by green apes. I mean, what's not to love? This is also my personal favorite showcase for Mechagodzilla's abilities in any of his appearances, and the sheer level of blood and gore is actually quite shocking, at least when compared to all the other entries in the franchise.
- Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1993) = You want monster action? This one has you covered. You get Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla, Godzilla Vs. Rodan, and Mechagodzilla Vs. Rodan, with all of them getting powerups and upgrades inbetween fights, and all with a baby Godzilla and the Garuda Warship thrown in for good measure. I also really liked that this movie really didn't have a villainous force. There was no "bad monster" and everything kind of has shades of grey.
- Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack (2001) = My favorite of the Millennium films for sure. I don't think director Kaneko quite matched the level of quality he achieved with the Gamera Trilogy, but he delivered one heck of a movie with more focus on fantasy elements and a spookier atmosphere.
- Godzilla (2014) = I never thought I'd live to see the day where Godzilla would get represented well in an American film, but we finally got it in 2014. Criticisms aside, I liked the atmosphere and pacing of the film, and while he wasn't on screen much, they made every second with Godzilla count.
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) = If I never thought I'd ever see Godzilla get treated with respect in an American film, then I definitely never expected to see a Showa era style kaiju brawl in an American film. The critics can say what they want, but I loved this movie and had a blast with it.
1) Gojira (1954) = Godzilla at his most pure. The definitive Godzilla film and my personal favorite monster movie of all time.
2) Godzilla Vs. Destroyah (1995) = Love the ticking time bomb aspect, the callbacks to the original film, and the finale is one of the finest moments in the series. Oh and Destroyah is pretty sweet.
3) Mothra Vs. Godzilla (1964) = Pretty much what King Kong Vs. Godzilla should have been like. It represents the high mark in quality for all of Godzilla's original creators.
4) Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991) = Wacky, off the wall, and completely insane, this is the definitive Sci-Fi camp Godzilla film while also managing to offer a shades of grey approach to Godzilla where he is neither hero nor villain. He is whatever he needs to be in the moment. It also has a nice emotional thread with Shindo and Godzilla, and also serves as an amazing reintroduction for his arch-nemesis.
5) Destroy All Monsters (1968) = Even with Final Wars, I still consider this the ultimate multi-kaiju showcase. It is just a wild free for all that feels like everything Toho had done up to that point all spliced together to make the most entertaining experience possible. The 4 Monster attack on Tokyo and the Battle near Mt Fuji are two of my favorite scenes in the entire franchise.
6) Terror of Mechagodzilla (1978) = A swan song in many respects, this movie gave us a classier and darker hero Godzilla, while also weaving a human dramatic element with tragic consequences. Dr. Mafune and Katsura are two of the most memorable non-kaiju characters in the genre.
7) Godzilla Vs. Biollante (1989) = It is amazing that this movie works as well as it does with so many different elements thrown in. Psychics, Espionage, Fictional countries, Genetic engineering, and wacky gadgets like The Super X-2, Anti-Nuclear Bacteria, and Artificial lightning fields. It is wild, but works towards making for a fun ride that gave the Heisei era its identity with its more comic book style approach, as well as the continuity that would carry on throughout the series. Also the practical effects are marvelous as this is the best Godzilla has ever looked and Biollante's final form is a sight to behold.
and 8) Shin Godzilla (2016) = The political satire on display gives this film its charm and its heart, and at the center we have probably the most horrific Godzilla ever put on film. The constant evolving and continuing displays of destructive power make him almost hellish this time around. It is the best Monster Vs. Military centric film since the original Gojira, and I love it.
Those are my absolute favorites.
Two more picks? Lets just say any two of the next step down for me:
- Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster (1964) = The first big monster mash worked out with great results. It gave us our first taste of Hero Godzilla, Godzilla and Rodan in the same film for the first time, anthropomorphized the monsters to a degree that was unexpected, but cute and fun at the same time, and we get introduced to Godzilla's arch enemy and Toho's big monster baddy in Ghidorah. All good things here. Oh, I also love the alien prophetess/lost princess subplot. Its absurdity on paper, but in line with the other films by Honda, it is played earnestly and strangely believably because of it.
- Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero (1965) = The definitive alien invader centric Godzilla flick. It started all of the traditions that go along with that. Aliens control bad monsters, the aliens are dressed in wacky outfits, the humans have to break the aliens' control over the monsters...all that good stuff. And the Planet X denizens are far and away my favorite alien race in the franchise. So delightfully campy! And finally, how can you not love Nick Adams in this? I actually prefer the English language version just so I can get the full experience of his performance.
- Godzilla Vs. Hedorah (1971) = This one is just straight up bonkers, and for all its weirdness, it stands out as one of the most unique entries in the series. Whether or not that's a good thing, I'll leave up to you, but personally, I loved. Amidst the silliness, there are some legitimate moments of horror in the damage Hedorah does, and I credit this movie for helping to ease me into the horror genre at a young age. Baby steps!
- Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) = Godzilla and a Lion-Poodle God fight the Big G's robot clone that is being controlled by green apes. I mean, what's not to love? This is also my personal favorite showcase for Mechagodzilla's abilities in any of his appearances, and the sheer level of blood and gore is actually quite shocking, at least when compared to all the other entries in the franchise.
- Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1993) = You want monster action? This one has you covered. You get Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla, Godzilla Vs. Rodan, and Mechagodzilla Vs. Rodan, with all of them getting powerups and upgrades inbetween fights, and all with a baby Godzilla and the Garuda Warship thrown in for good measure. I also really liked that this movie really didn't have a villainous force. There was no "bad monster" and everything kind of has shades of grey.
- Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack (2001) = My favorite of the Millennium films for sure. I don't think director Kaneko quite matched the level of quality he achieved with the Gamera Trilogy, but he delivered one heck of a movie with more focus on fantasy elements and a spookier atmosphere.
- Godzilla (2014) = I never thought I'd live to see the day where Godzilla would get represented well in an American film, but we finally got it in 2014. Criticisms aside, I liked the atmosphere and pacing of the film, and while he wasn't on screen much, they made every second with Godzilla count.
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) = If I never thought I'd ever see Godzilla get treated with respect in an American film, then I definitely never expected to see a Showa era style kaiju brawl in an American film. The critics can say what they want, but I loved this movie and had a blast with it.