Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

For discussions covering more than one Toho film or show that span across more than one “era.”

You have five (5) options...

Motoyoshi Oda (Godzilla Raids Again)
2
1%
Yoshimitsu Banno (Godzilla vs Hedorah)
27
17%
Koji Hashimoto (The Return of Godzilla)
25
16%
Kensho Yamashita (Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla)
2
1%
Roland Emmerich (Godzilla 1998)
3
2%
Shusuke Kaneko (GMK)
27
17%
Ryuhei Kitamura (Godzilla: Final Wars)
5
3%
Gareth Edwards (Godzilla 2014)
22
14%
Hideaki Anno/Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla)
28
18%
Michael Dougherty (Godzilla: King of the Monsters)
13
8%
Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs Kong)
5
3%
 
Total votes: 159

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tbeasley
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Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by tbeasley »

Since the majority of directors involved in the Godzilla series have only helmed a single entry I thought it'd be interesting to see, by TK standards at least, who is responsible for the best film, although you can judge them however you want (the best, your favorite, the most impressive, unique, memorable, etc.). For better or worse some directors definitely left their mark...

Your choices are -
Motoyoshi Oda (Godzilla Raids Again)
Yoshimitsu Banno (Godzilla vs Hedorah)
Koji Hashimoto (The Return of Godzilla)
Kensho Yamashita (Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla)
Roland Emmerich (Godzilla 1998)
Shusuke Kaneko (GMK)
Ryuhei Kitamura (Godzilla: Final Wars)
Gareth Edwards (Godzilla 2014)
Hideaki Anno/Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla)
Michael Dougherty (Godzilla: King of the Monsters)
Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs Kong)

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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by ShinGojira14 »

I’d definitely give it to Anno and Higuchi.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Jermobooka »

Anno takes this handily. Very handily.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Voyager »

For me, it was Kaneko of Gamera fame, and Anno of Evangelion (+ Shinji Higuchi!)
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Spuro »

Okay, I can forgive the Anno wank-fest, but which one of you nutjobs voted for Roland fucking Emmerich? :lol:
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by JAGzilla »

Ha, I thought I was going to be the only guy voting for Banno, and it turns out he's freaking tied with Kaneko. :lol: TK is showing its classy side, today. :Hedorah:
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Major sssspielberg! »

As a fan, I gotta give props to Banno. I think Smog Monster is the most unique Showa Godzilla film, which is quite the achievement.
Though I think the real answer is Hideaki Anno/Shinji Higuchi.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Cryptid_Liker »

Kaneko and Anno/Higuchi.

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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Terasawa »

I feel kinda bad that no one's going to vote for Motoyoshi Oda. Even Roland fuckin' Emmerich got an undeserved vote.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by edgaguirus »

Kaneko and Banno gave us interesting takes on Godzilla. One gives us a well crafted and mystical spin, and the other is like a pop culture piece of art. I'm also voting for Oda. GRA gives us an everyman view of what it would be like to see giant monsters invade our space.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Tyrant_Lizard_King »

Gotta give it to Anno and Higuchi. They made Godzilla interesting again. Not that there weren't decent films before but after Biollante the later Heisei films on into the Millennium era were largely pretty stale. Even something like GMK, while a step above most films of the era, was still largely held back by Toho and their strict mandates and rushed production schedules.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

Difficult. I feel that Shunsuke Kaneko was viewed as Anno before Shin Godzilla came along. He was a long term fan of the series and made a movie with his own creative spin, after having experience in the genre.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by tbeasley »

Anno/Higuchi, Banno, Kaneko, Hashimoto and Edwards seem to be leading the race.

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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Rando Yaguchi »

1. Anno/Higuchi
2. Kaneko
3. Edwards
4. Hashimoto
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Spuro »

Anyone but Anno and Emmerich.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Dv-218 »

I like them all save for Emmerich but I would love to see Kaneko again the most. I feel like now with less creative restrictions and perhaps with Higuchi working with him again he could really put out something on the level of the Gamers trilogy if not better. GMK had his style and approach through and through despite all of the changes he needed to make and was a very unique experience.

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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by UltramanGoji »

Banno, Hashimoto, Kaneko, Edwards, and Anno/Higuchi are my choices. They all directed some of my favorites in the entire franchise.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by Legion1979 »

Banno.

Out of that all the choices, there's only one director who made a film I truly LOVE.

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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by MaxRebo320 »

Banno's the only one with a unique vision that I like and wasn't especially hampered by higher-ups (as was the case with Kaneko in GMK). I like Return of Godzilla a lot, but Hashimoto's direction isn't anything worth writing home about; he was a "yes man" just doing what he was told by execs. But he did his job well.
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Re: Best of the one-time Godzilla directors

Post by tbeasley »

Banno, Kaneko and Anno/Higuchi in a three-way tie!

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