Favorite Aspect of Every Godzilla Film

[Irish Gfan]

Well I did the negative version of the thread, but now it is time for some positivity.

What is your favorite aspect of every Godzilla film!

Godzilla (1954)

The tone. This movie is dark, horrific, and perfectly indicative of a real disaster that is taking place. It feels real and emotionally charged.

Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

Anguiras was pretty cool, right? It doesn't seem like much now, but in the end, giving Godzilla an opponent was a brilliant idea that Toho soared with in future films.

King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962)

The title. Just having these two names on the marquee together for the same movie. Wow! That's awesome. Does the movie have its flaws? Yes, but just having two of the most iconic movie monsters of all time in the same movie together is really cool.

Godzilla Vs. Mothra (1964)

There are so many things to like about this one. What I really like about this one is how the characters have to learn to forgive and accept each other in order to stop a greater threat. I think that is a nice lesson to have in any story.

Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster (1964)

Godzilla Vs. Rodan. Nuff said. This film was the first time we got to see these two fight each other and it was the highlight of the movie for me. Sure the final battle was a great spectacle and the monster talk was so surreal and hilarious that I have to love it, but seeing Godzilla & Rodan beat the hell out of each other was just pure delight.

Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero (1966)

The Planet X Aliens get my vote as the best race of invading aliens in Godzilla history. I mean MY GOD! Just look at them! They aren't just weirdos in jumpsuits. They are coolest weirdos in jumpsuits to ever invade us! Everything from the way they speak to the way they dress to the way they act, or even just the way they stand still. Its just awesome.

Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster (1966)

Once again I have to give the nod to the bad guys here. The Red Bamboo, a terrorist organization plotting world domination? (I have the urge to shout COBRA right now, lolz). And their leader has an eye patch!!! Genius! Besides all of that though, they are menacing villains (if a bit stupid with their decision making). They enslaving Mothra's people just people them over the top.

Son of Godzilla (1967)

The ending. I have to say it. Godzilla holding up Minya in the snow, a moment that I felt the big guy finally accepted him as his son, really tugs at the heart strings. It was a softer side to Godzilla that many fans don't want to see, but the good guy change had been in the works since Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster, and I felt it fit quite well in this movie and really ended the film on a high note.

Destroy All Monsters (1968)

MONSTERS! MONSTERS! MONSTERS EVERYWHERE!!! Final Wars never quite achieved what this film was able to do and that was to give us an abundance of awesome monster action. With the exceptions of Varan and Baragon, every Kaiju in the film gets their moment in the sun, and it is glorious. The attack on Tokyo and the battle on Mt Fuji are two of the most wild monster spectacles Toho has ever given us, in addition to other great moments here and there that really showcase the monsters at their best. It is glorious.

Godzilla's Revenge (1969)

Oh wow. Something to like about this movie. OK, I'll say this. The fight at the end between Minya & Gabara is nothing short of hilarious.

Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster (1971)

I'll be honest. I love this one because of how uniquely weird it is, but the thing that really stood out to be was Godzilla's opponent, Hedorah. This was the first time we really got to see an evolving monster take on Godzilla and they really got creative with it. I almost feel like they envisioned Hedorah as an amorphous solid blob that could transform into anything it wanted (think The Blob meets T-1000), but they didn't quite have the technical skill to quite do that (again, I am just speculating). But with what they did do, they really went all out with this monster. I also loved the idea that all Hedorahs start out as tiny little creatures and then they find each other and merge to form a bigger creature. It was really fun to see how Hedorah had changed from scene to scene whether it be his size, shape, or a new ability. Plus he was gross...that was pretty cool, lol.

Godzilla Vs. Gigan (1972)

Honestly, had production values been higher and they cut out some of the stupid (Godzilla & Anguiras talk? Really?), I think I would like this one a lot more because there is alot to appreciate. I could easily say my favorite part of the movie is Gigan himself as this is BY FAR his best appearance in the series. But what really stood out to me in the monster fights in this one was how violent it got. Sure we had seen blood in other Godzilla films (most notably DAM) but as a kid, this one shocked me at how bloodied up Godzilla got. Combine that with the Godzilla Tower, and I was legit worried that Godzilla was going to die the first time I saw it (keep in mind I was 4). Had they not used so much damn stock footage, this might be hailed as one of the better Godzilla battles.

Godzilla Vs. Megalon (1973)

I always go back and forth. Which one is the worst Godzilla movie: This or Godzilla's Revenge? It is a tough call as both are horrendous. I will give Godzilla Vs. Megalon this much though. If I can think outside the box too, it was the only Godzilla movie to be featured on MST3K, one of my favorite shows of all time, and yes, their riffing makes the movie 10 times better.

Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

Once again, there is a lot to appreciate with this one so I am not really sure where to start. My number one favorite aspect though would have to be Mechagodzilla itself. I know that is a boring answer to just keep saying that Godzilla's opponent was my favorite part, but that just shows how strong the Godzilla/Toho monster cast really is. But it was a PERFECT adversary for a 20th anniversary film and created a lot of awesome imagery, especially when the robot duplicate has his showdowns with the real mccoy. I especially love it when Mechagodzilla just open fires and lets all his weapons fly. It is a great visual, and to me, no Mechagodzilla in the future quite lived up to the original. He was the siwss army knife of Godzilla monsters. He could fly. He could shoot missiles & lasers from all different parts of his body. He could twist his body parts around, and I loved that more industrialized look. And unlike future Mechagodzillas, this one was clearly the bad guy, so we get to see him be mean and nasty all through out. Great stuff.

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

This is another one I really like. What I really liked was the classical feel it had to it. Mr. Hondo returned as director and Mr. Ifukube returned as composer and their collective presence was certainly felt. Everything about this movie seemed to fit more in like with the earlier Godzilla films rather than the wackier 70s ones, and it was definitely an appropriate way to close out the series....the first time, ha ha.

The Return of Godzilla (1984)

For Legendary Pictures' attempt at a Godzilla reboot, I hope they borrow a couple of elements from this film, that being the political ramifications of something like Godzilla. If something like this were to actually happen, the other governments of the world would definitely step in and throw their two cents in on how it should be dealt with. I mean Godzilla would be an international incident in our reality, and they treated him like one in this film, and it was perfect to do that with the Cold War still going. It is easy to watch these movies and think of Godzilla as more of a localized threat because typically, he only attacks Japan. But here, we at least get to see other reactions from around the globe, and I felt that was a very realistic take that the Legendary Pictures film should definitely borrow from.

Godzilla Vs. Biollante (1989)

The Special Effects. I know that is a weird thing to praise in a Godzilla film, but truthfully, I think visually, this is the best film in the entire series. Biollante, to me, is an achievement in practical effects with tendrils moving all over the place and just the sheer ambitious nature of bringing that thing to the screen. And truthfully, I don't Godzilla has ever looked better than he does here. I would love to see a Making Of documentary for this movie because watching Biollante's scenes being filmed would be a treat.

Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

There are a lot of cool twists in the story that were very interesting. It starts off Godzilla = Bad, so they have to get rid of him. But then King Ghidorah is around, so they need Godzilla back to kill him so Godzilla = Good. But then once he does that "Whoops, Godzilla is going to kills us all" and Godzilla goes right back to being Bad. And then they bring back Ghidorah, now good, to fight Godzilla. There are so many role reversals & turns, and they all feel natural to the story too. I also love Mr. Shindo's own character arc of building a business following WWII and owing it all to a dinosaur that saved his life only to watch that same dinosaur come back as Godzilla and destroyed everything he had built. It was actually pretty tragic.

Godzilla & Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992)

This is the first time we ever really got a three way monster fight as Godzilla, Mothra, & Battra are all at odds with each other and that is an interesting dynamic we have not seen before or since this movie. And the fights themselves are actually pretty dag gum good too, so that helps.

Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1993)

The action. This one is probably the most action packed movie in the Heisei series and it delivers quite well. We get Godzilla Vs. Rodan in my personal favorite fight scene in the Heisei Series. We get Rodan Vs. Mechagodzilla, and we get two Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla showdowns, including an awesome climactic battle. It is fun to watch, and the strategy they use to kill Godzilla this time is actually brilliant, if a bit cold hearted to Baby Godzilla, ha ha. And when Mechagodzilla did appear to kill Godzilla, my jaw dropped the first time I saw it. I was like "They....they won?! They actually won!?". Of course Rodan had to deus ex machina us and prevent that ending, lol.

Godzilla Vs. Spacegodzilla (1994)

Yuki's quest for revenge against Godzilla is actually a very interesting story to me. He has to struggle with his hatred and learn to decide what is best for the world as a whole when Spacegodzilla shows up and threatens everything. For all the weirdness this movie has, that part of it felt human & real.

Godzilla Vs. Destroyah (1995)

Godzilla's Death is without a doubt one of the greatest scenes in any Godzilla movie. It is treated with the right amount of emotion & gravity that such a powerful moment deserves and a definite high note to end the series on.

Godzilla 2000 (1999)

My favorite part about this movie is that I got to see it in theaters here in the US. Just two years after the US Godzilla debacle, I got to see a classic Godzilla flick on the big screen and everything was OK. It wasn't the larger than life epic & dark Godzilla movie I wanted the US version to be, but it did have an air of familiarity & warmth to it that just made for a pleasant viewing experience. When Godzilla's theme hit as he rose out of the water for the climactic battle, I went nuts. It is one of those fun theater experiences I will never forget.

Godzilla X Megaguiras (2000)

The Dimension Tide might the single wackiest idea to ever get rid of Godzilla ever (and that includes trying to control him with telepathy). A Black Hole gun. That is basically what it is. A giant gun that shoots black holes. That pretty much serves at the litmus test for the film. If you are willing to swallow THAT, then enjoy the rest of the ride because you are in for a weird time. It is certainly creative and I will never forget it.

Godzilla, Mothra, & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack (2001)

Godzilla is EVIL in this movie and it is awesome. After years of being either a good guy or the lesser of two evils, it was great to see him go back to being just an unstoppable force for destruction. I also loved the design to. It is a definite stand out among the Godzilla suits.

Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002)

I did like some of the little touches they did with Mechagodzilla to make him different this time around. Having to use planes to carry him around because his power is limited was a great idea to add a more realistic quality to this creation.

Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003)

Honestly, I feel this one is underrated and is probably my second favorite of the Millennium films behind GMK. I liked that they actually tied in the original Mothra movie into the timeline as that gave them some established events to toy with and actually insert Mothra into the story a bit more easily. Also, after a long string of reboots, it was nice to actually have a sequel in the third series that didn't just kick everything to the curb and start from scratch.

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

We got Angurias & Gigan back into the series FINALLY!!! You want to talk about two monsters that were LONG overdue for a reboot, there you go, and they got their chance here.

[MekaGojira3k]

[MekaGojira3k]

[MekaGojira3k]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Giganfan]

Based on the two most recent Goji-flicks that I've watched, my first post (but undoubtedly not the last) will be brief.

Godzilla vs. Megalon - I love how Jet Jaguar can hold his own against Megalon by himself, but then when Gigan shows up, they just beat his a** all over the Kanto Plain. And when Godzilla comes hopping along, looking all cute and cuddly, and striking a menacing battle stance, Gigan and Megalon try to rush him the same way, only to endure the most embarassing a**-whooping of their lives! I mean, Godzilla just DROPS the both of them with a flurry of hay-makers, and then for good measure, clocks Megalon over the head with a tree!! If you don't love that, you have no soul.

Godzilla vs. Biollante - On the whole, the special effects in this movie are phoenomenal. In truth, I'd say they're the best effects of ANY Godzilla film, before or since. But my favorite part about this movie is Godzilla's initial battle with the navy and the Super X-2. It's almost as if Kawakita went out to the Toho lot, took one look at that huge pool that Tsuburaya built, and said "I'm gonna bring Godzilla back with a BANG!" It really is one of the most beautifully-staged sequences in the entire series, and easily Kawakita's finest work.

Excellent DVD transfers on these movies, by the way. They have really never looked or especially sounded better to my eyes and ears.

[MekaGojira3k]

[heroforhirerob]

[Psycho Soldier]

G54: The somber, documentary-like tone really sells this one.

GRA: The softened tone is welcomed, IMO. Plus, Angilas and his cool fights with Godzilla.

KKvG: Ifukube's soundtrack, especially the stellar main theme.

MvG: A really menacing Godzilla, especially in contrast to the Mothras.

GTTHM: 3 monsters teaming up to fight a foe who outmatches them individually, and winning.

MZ: The fight on Planet X, in concept and execution.

Sea Monster: The light-hearted tone, which works best for any island adventure movie.

SOG: The Godzilla-Minya dynamic is genuinely funny and interesting.

DAM: What else, except for the big fight scene with Ghidorah?

G's Revenge: A genuine moral at the heart of the story.

GvH: I can't name anything in particular. The whole movie is comic gold.

Gigan: Gigan's design and execution are great, especially for the budget.

Megalon: "Robots that get dizzy?"

GvMG: Too many good things, but I like the idea of another monster disguised as Godzilla.

TOMG: Ifukube's score, plus Titanosaurus.

G85: The score? (It's been a long time since I last watched this one.)

GvB: The execution of Biollante's final form. Nothing short of amazing.

GvKG: I liked seeing a new take on Godzilla's origin.

G&M: Battra. And basically nothing else.

GvMG2: Solid special effects, and I actually like the new MG design.

GvSG: SpaceGodzilla himself. I've also warmed up to Moguera over the years.

GvD: Really good design work where the monsters are concerned.

G2K: The new Godzilla design, as well as the soundtrack (as synthetic as it sounds).

GxM: The idea of monsters inhabiting a flooded city is really cool.

GMK: I think it was a nice change of pace to focus on the mythological side of things.

GxMG: I've never met a MechaGodzilla I didn't like.

Tokyo SOS: I guess the adult Mothra is well-done.

GFW: The sheer madness of it all, but especially the 3-on-1 battle.

[Giganfan]

Godzilla X Mechagodzilla - Tezuka's enthusiasm. Perhaps not always in the execution, but in the overall spirit, and wholly reverence for the classic Toho mystique.

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah - ditto, but on a much more profound level. Godzilla and King Ghidorah are elevated to national symbols of Japan's own economic might in the world. Boldly ambitious for a kaiju flick, and not always perfect, but I get the picture. If you don't believe me, watch Yoshio Tsuchiya's performance, another hilight.

[MekaGojira3k]

[Giganfan]

Tokyo SOS has without question the finest-realized Mothra, both in physical execution and story construction, since Godzilla vs. The Thing. My favorite part of that film is when the kid takes all the desks from his classroom and arranges them on the roof of his school in the shape of the Mothra symbol. The moment is beautifully punctuated by Ooshima's appropriate music, and a great cgi shot of Mothra against the blazing horizon. The other thing I liked about this movie is Hiroshi Koizumi, my perennial favorite of all the classic Godzilla actors. It's good to see him again.

Godzilla vs. Mothra has the really good skeleton of a story. One of the criticisms always leveled against this movie is that Godzilla is merely a supporting character, but I've always felt that the King of the Monsters is such a bigger-than-life movie star presence, it's virtually impossible for him to not dominate every scene he's in, no matter how limited his role in the story may be. I actually like it when the filmmakers consciously work to down-play his significance to the plot. They struck a good balance, I believe, in this film as well as Godzilla X Mechagodzilla.

[MekaGojira3k]

[Giganfan]

Godzilla Raids Again - I've often wondered how much better this movie might have been had Ishiro Honda been given the chance to direct it. When you think about it, the basic plot is right up his alley, because it takes place entirely from the point of view of the common folk characters. It deals with how a small community of fishermen and their family are affected, and forced to circumvent the epic tragedy of having giant monsters lay waste to their every-day lives. I particularly like the idea of having the entire city of Osaka engage in a total black-out in an effort to repel Godzilla from making landfall. Perhaps very reminiscent of the air raids of World War II. I like the story and the mood of this film, no thanks to Motoyoshi Oda's hack-work, of course.

Son of Godzilla - My favorite part of the movie is when "Papa-Goji" comes to the rescue just as Kumonga is about to stick Minya with his little poison spike-thingy. All to the beat of Masaru Sato's unusually appropriate Godzilla theme music. I mean, who doesn't love it when all Godzilla has to do is chuck a boulder at his enemy lol!!

Godzilla Final Wars - I like fast-forwarding through all the garbage, Matrix rip-off, Star Wars-plagarized, ID4 wannabe action sequences, and focusing on the monster scenes. And some of the monster designs are especiallt nifty, particularly the Godzilla suit, which i think is one of the absolute best ever.

[Giganfan]

Gojira/Godzilla King of the Monsters! - If you go by conventional wisdom, this film should not have been as good as it turned out to be. With Ishiro Honda's relative inexperience as a director at the time, and the fact that such a sensational action/fantasy of this scope had never before been even attempted by any Japanese filmmaker up until that point, Gojira could have very easily fallen flat on its face. It's kind of like how The Beatles when they first hit it big in the U.S. ; it hit with the force of an atom bomb (pun shamelessly intended). And as far as the American version is concerned, it exists entirely as a wonderful oddity of its time. These days, it's almost unheard of to completely re-cut a movie in the manner that Joseph Levine did here, by re-shuffling scenes, omitting others, and adding English-speaking actors for posterity and clarity. In the long-run, Raymond Burr is one of the best things that ever happened to Godzilla. Hitchcock's Rear Window may be my absolute favorite film of all time (a film in which Burr plays the villian), but just on the strength of Godzilla King of the Monsters! alone, Raymond Burr is one of my favorite actors.

[Giganfan]

Ghidrah The Three-Headed Monster - everything, warts and all.