Top 20 Godzilla Movies
#20: “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019)
Top 10 Smart Decisions in Godzilla Movies
Director Michael Doughterty’s kaiju film amplified everything about the MonsterVerse iteration of Godzilla. This “King of the Monsters” was finally being showcased in all of his glory, he had some formidable allies and enemies featured, and the human stories were made more interesting. “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” nearly overstuffed its titanic story by featuring legends like King Ghidorah, Rodan and Mothra in a single film. But this Godzilla-sized monster mash made up for it with stunning action and brilliant special effects. “King of the Monsters” went a long way towards building good will for Big G fans that were tentatively entering the MonsterVerse.
#19: “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah” (1991)
Top 10 Things To Remember Before Seeing Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Let’s face it: any Godzilla movie that features King Ghidorah is going to be a good time. What made this one stand out is how it combined different sci-fi concepts. Outside of the kaiju, the modern heroes have to accept visitors from the future. We also get a Godzillasaurus that saved Japanese soldiers during World War II. While all those elements might sound too random to work together well, the movie expertly blends all the plotlines. A scene where a solider who was saved by the Big G in the past reunites with Godzilla in the present is particularly effective. It’s a monster movie where the human conflicts are just as interesting as the kaiju battles.
#18: “Terror of Mechagodzilla” (1975)
Top 10 Momentos MÁS PAUSADOS en Películas de TERROR
While this film may not have been a financial success when it was released back in 1975, it has since been largely reappraised by Godzilla fans. In the aftermath of the Big G’s battle with his mecha counterpart, humans try to use the wrecked robot’s remains to their advantage. But the quest for knowledge that might benefit the world ends up endangering it all over again. Outside of the great moral questions, there's also some heft to the monster battles here. It certainly helps that we get more Mechagodzilla action. We also welcomed a new monster named Titanosaurus whose big personality fit his hulking body well. Combining new thrills with sobering old lessons, this underrated flick definitely deserves a little more shine.
#17: “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II” (1993)
Top 10 Godzilla Movies
Serving as a direct sequel to 1991’s “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah,” this film doubles down on the mecha monster mayhem while introducing original elements. During this film, Godzilla gets a new son that’s fittingly named “Godzilla Jr.”. Humanity attempts to use the kid kaiju to lure his parent into a fight against their mechanical creations. Unfortunately, for them Rodan flies in and crashes the party in the worst way. Not only is the action here totally satisfying, but the cinematography feels energetic and fitting to all of the monster mashing at play. Overall, “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II” is a fine entry from the underrated Heisei Era that definitely deserves your time.
#16: “Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack” (2001)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters Explained!
Yes, the title is a mouthful! But that shouldn’t keep you from enjoying one of the most eminently watchable films from Big G’s entire catalogue. Nicknamed “GMK” by fans, the movie reframes Godzilla as an earth-destroying threat. The only beings capable of stopping him are the world’s Guardian Monsters. “GMK” is one of the few films to feature King Ghidorah as a protagonist. During the adventure, the hateful hydra collaborated with Mothra and Baragon against Godzilla’s marauding rampage. The creature effects are outstanding in this one, particularly Baragon, whose demise has to be one of the saddest scenes in Godzilla’s entire filmography. Additionally, Big G has rarely felt this dangerous and downright evil.
#15: “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla” (1974)
Top 10 Genuinely Terrifying Godzilla Moments
While it may be bold to say this movie contains some of the most entertaining kaiju action of the entire franchise, anyone who sees it will understand the hype. The action really kicks into gear when Godzilla turns on his old friend Angurius. After it’s revealed that this rampaging monster is actually an alien made robot in disguise, the original Big G has to fight to break the machine. The movie does a good job introducing one of Godzilla’s greatest and most troublesome enemies. Although the build-up and prophecy regarding the debut of King Caesar may have been at odds with the alien story, the sight of those two duking it out against Mecha G still fills us with joy.
#14: “Invasion of Astro-Monster” (1965)
Top 10 Home Invasion Movies
This 1965 entry hits all the beats of an entertaining Godzilla film from the Shōwa Era. Aliens that arrive in order to make fools out of earthlings? Check. At some point in the movie, do the aliens betray humanity and utilize mind control on giant monsters? Double check. Underneath the familiar setup, fans will find a complex tale with some surprising twists. There’s also tons of amazing kaiju footage to keep the action hungry fans well fed. But most importantly, “Invasion of Astro-Monster” is also the Godzilla film that features Big G’s legendary victory dance. That alone is enough to put this franchise film into the hall of fame.
#13: “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021)
Top 10 Things to Remember Before Godzilla vs Kong
The beef between King Kong and Godzilla goes back decades. [xref] After spending time apart, the 2021 movie brought the pair’s rivalry into the modern age. Admittedly, the plot isn’t half as deep as the hollow earth. Godzilla essentially senses something is off in the world at the same time that Kong coincidentally leaves his island. And just as the main clash is winding down, MechaGodzilla roars its way into the picture. But the big coincidences and small gripes are forgotten whenever the monsters fight. Thanks to glorious CGI, we get a few of the greatest kaiju clashes ever put on screen. The title fight in particular definitely lives up to the hype. “Godzilla vs. Kong” was the giant-sized dose of dopamine we needed in 2021.
#12: “Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster” (1964)
The Origins of King Ghidorah Explained
The status of King Ghidorah as an apex-level baddie for Godzilla all started with this film. At first, the Big G is purely concerned with beating up Rodan. However, Mothra swoops in and convinces both of them that there’s a bigger threat on the way. Seeing the queen of the monsters team up with Rodan and Godzilla to face off against Ghidorah was great. Additionally, it certified that the hydra was too intimidating to take on solo. The kaiju battles in the film are creative and fantastic. And while the movie’s tone is lighter than other films, it’s more accessible for younger audiences. That last part is especially fitting since it’s team-up films like these that bring out the kid in all of us.
#11: “Godzilla vs. Hedorah” (1971)
Top 10 Most Overpowered Godzilla Moments
Every franchise filmography needs an outlier, and for Big G, that role is fulfilled by 1971’s “Godzilla vs. Hedorah.” The film is unapologetically dark in places as it delivers an undeniable environmental message. Director Yoshimitsu Banno also inserts plenty of hallucinogenic weirdness into the visual style of “Godzilla vs. Hedorah”. His stylistic choice gave the story an atmosphere unlike any other film in Big G’s franchise. The titular Smog Monster, in the meantime, possesses a nightmarish design that serves as a dark mirror of humanity’s toxic choices. “Godzilla vs. Hedorah” also includes a heavy, psychedelic rock soundtrack and an overall haziness that makes us question whether the whole thing was a fun and freaky dream.
#10: “Godzilla” (2014)
Top 10 Biggest Godzilla Kill Counts
Almost two decades after Hollywood was ridiculed for making a silly Godzilla film, redemption came in the form of this 2014 epic. The grounded tale painted a world like our own that just so happened to have terrifying monsters brewing just under the surface. After a pair of kaiju became major threats, an awe-inspiring Godzilla stomped onto the scene to bring balance. The grim story was admittedly knocked for its dark cinematography and limited monster mayhem. But it did make each kaiju feel like a god. Additionally, the 2014 film deserves lots of credit for inspiring an entire Monsterverse of stories. Despite its dark edges, most audience members left wanting more. To borrow a legendary quote from Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, viewers were ready to “insert broll here”
#9: “The Return of Godzilla” (1984)
Top 10 Most Destructive Godzilla Rampages
Although the survivors of the kaiju’s first attack thought the terror had ended, their fear returned when Godzilla did. This 1984 film showed how effective these franchise films could be as thrillers that included elements of realistic and fantastical horror. During the story, Japanese citizens have to prevent a potential nuclear incident between nations and keep Godzilla at bay. The grounded conflict allowed a lot of room to explore humanity’s contemporary and historic issues in a new lens. At the same time, we never lost focus on Godzilla’s strength. It doesn’t matter whether you watch the 1984 version of the film or the American cut titled “Godzilla 1985”. Either way, you’ll be drawn into an engaging and sobering story.
#8: “Godzilla: Final Wars” (2004)
Top 10 Brutal Godzilla Kills
While a 125 minute runtime may seem excessive, the film’s length allows for plenty of awesome action and memorable monster cameos. The straightforward setup of “Godzilla: Final Wars” has the Big G facing off many of his old foes. And while they all put up a good fight, the king refused to be dethroned. That’s not to say he’s without friends, as Mothra and Rodan show up too. We also get an unexpected but not unwelcome performance from Former UFC fighter Don Frye in a lead role. While the stakes don’t feel particularly high for humanity or the overpowered Godzilla, they don’t need to be here. Fans are just here to have fun and watch a kaiju sized love letter to the franchise.
#7: “Mothra vs. Godzilla” (1964)
One could argue that it wasn’t until 1964’s “Mothra vs. Godzilla” that fans witnessed the Big G fight against a proper foil. Sure, he had already battled both Anguirus and King Kong at this point in his filmography, but the queen was his best match yet. The two came to blows after Godzilla threatened Mothra’s eggs. While she battles to save her offspring, humanity struggles to find their place in the world between these titans. The human drama behind the discovery of Mothra eggs is compelling. At the same time, the actual kaiju battles are some of the best from this early stage. This crossover film should be essential viewing for franchise fans.
#6: “Destroy All Monsters” (1968)
“Godzilla: Final Wars” wasn’t the first Big G film to gather up all of his friends and foes. 1968’s “Destroy All Monsters” has the distinction of being the first to gather all our faves in one place. Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Manda, Baragon, Kumonga and more all showed up to the party. Each of these monsters take villainous turns thanks to some malicious aliens. But once the kaiju regain their senses, they become an unstoppable alliance. This is another monster mash that doesn’t need to worry about subtle metaphors and allegories. Destroy All Monsters” is focused on collecting your favorite kaiju and setting them loose to do what they do best: mess stuff up.
#5: “Godzilla vs. Biollante” (1989)
Top 20 Best Godzilla Monsters
We’re glad that 1989’s “Godzilla vs. Biollante” seems to be finally receiving the praise it deserves from Big G fans. There’s a level of tragedy at play to Biollante’s origin story that stands in stark contrast to so many other kaiju. After Erika Shiragami shockingly dies at the hands of rogue villains, her DNA is combined with genetically modified plants. The fusion of genetic material eventually leads to Biollante’s birth. It isn’t long before this tragic creature gets revenge against those who cut her life short. Unfortunately, Biollante’s actions put her on Godzilla’s radar. The resulting battle pushes the Big G to his limit. While we won’t spoil the ending, we can’t hide our desire to see the tragic tale of Biollante continue one day.
#4: “Shin Godzilla” (2016)
The decision to make Godzilla an unstable and continually evolving creature was deemed controversial back when “Shin Godzilla” was released in 2016. Thankfully, the end results of this film were so impressive that the new character design won over most of Big G’s rabid fanbase. We can totally see why, too, since the creature design is tremendously frightening and unsettling. It truly feels like a destructive deity who will never yield to humanity willingly. And we’ll never forget the unhinged and terrifying way it unleashed an atomic breath attack. While we’re used to seeing Godzilla brought to the brink, the humans are pushed to the very edge in this epic. We can’t look away as they rally against this ever growing threat to their existence.
#3: “Godzilla vs. Destoroyah” (1995)
Top 10 Godzilla Fights
Moviegoers don’t historically visit Godzilla films for emotional pathos. Yet, there probably wasn’t a dry eye in the house when it was revealed that, yes, Toho did, in fact, kill off Godzilla in 1995. The movie made headlines during this time for being the tale where Godzilla’s heart went into full nuclear meltdown mode. Although the franchise used his son to build a path forward for the franchise, saying goodbye to an old friend was hard. The emotional story doesn’t make Godzilla’s farewell tour any easier on us.“Godzilla vs. Destoroyah” made moviegoers realize how much we loved Godzilla and what he truly meant to us.
#2: “Godzilla Minus One” (2023)
Top 10 Epic Godzilla Team Ups
The human tales within Godzilla movies can often be hit or miss. But the main story presented in “Godzilla Minus One” was unquestionably compelling. In the last days of World War 2, Kōichi Skikishima becomes one of the few soldiers to survive an encounter with Godzilla. After spending years being haunted by guilt and fear, the kaiju returns to wreak havoc. We legitimately care about Kōichi’s journey and chances of survival. Meanwhile, Godzilla always feels like he’s waiting in the wings, a harbinger of death lurking just around the corner. The way “Godzilla Minus One” effortlessly balances the human and monster elements should be studied. It’s a modern masterpiece that feels destined to become an enduring example of the genre at its finest.
#1: “Godzilla” (1954)
Top 10 Most Powerful Versions of Godzilla
One of the reasons why “Godzilla” is rightfully lauded as a cinematic classic today is because repeated viewings of this film always seem to reveal something new. For some, it might be the choice bits of dialogue that underline the gravity of each monster attack. For others, it may be the seriousness with which Godzilla is presented. Each appearance feels like the end of the world. At the heart of the film, there’s an allegory for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that still feels relevant. When Director Ishirō Hondo and special effects coordinator Eiji Tsuburaya collaborated on this landmark film, they used techniques that would change the entire industry. The first Godzilla movie is a thrilling adventure that continues to influence legions of stories.
