Rank the Godzilla Films

[king_ghidorah]

[MekaGojira3k]

No matter how many times I rank them, Godzilla X Megaguirus will always be at the bottom.

[jellydonut25]

[Mac]

[jellydonut25]

[Mac]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Mac]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Giganfan]

Screw it, I'm doing this again This time, however, I fell is pretty definitive, as I have a fresh perspective on all 28 movies in the series. This is the Godzilla movies, as it pertains to my own personal preference. Basically, that means the emphasis is a mixture of favoritism, and what I perceive to be "quality", so don't be surprised to see a "bottom-feeder" rubbing elbows with some of the more honored entries in the series. This list is me, and how I feel about the Godzilla movies.

Ghidrah The Three-Headed Monster
Gojira/Godzilla King of the Monsters!
Godzilla vs. The Thing
Godzilla On Monster Island
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla Versus The Sea Monster
Destroy All Monsters
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Godzilla vs. The Cosmic Monster
Monster Zero
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Godzilla's Revenge
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1993)
Son of Godzilla
Godzilla X Mechagodzilla
Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla 2000
Godzilla X Megaguirus
Godzilla 1985
Tokyo SOS
Godzilla vs. Destroyah
Godzilla vs. Mothra
Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla
Godzilla Raids Again
Godzilla Final Wars

[Giganfan]

Just for sh*ts 'n giggles, I decided to watch Ghidrah The Three-Headed Monster again, which would make it two times in the last month that I have done so. Either version will suffice, but this time, I opted for the original Japanese version, and I am happy to report that of all twenty-eight Godzilla movies, this one stands head-and-shoulders above them all as my absolute favorite. The things I love about it are varied, but chief among them is the fact that it is this big, sprawling story with many different plot-elements which director Honda handles with great economy. Eventually, it all comes together for what is, to my taste, the most exciting monster brawl that Eiji Tsuburaya had ever staged, or atleast it is neck-and-neck with those in King Kong vs. Godzilla, Godzilla vs. The Thing, Frankenstein Conquers The World, War of the Gargantuas and Destroy All Monsters. I always get chills when Godzilla and Rodan finally decide to join in the fight against King Ghidorah; how Rodan leads Ghidorah off into the sky, while Godzilla assists Mothra in climbing back up the hill via using his tail as a tow-line, and how Rodan abruptly doubles back and plows into Ghidorah, kamikazee-style, knocking him out of the sky. I LOVE how it literally takes all three monsters at once to ultimately put King Ghidorah in his place. I LOVE how the Peanut sisters are integrated into the story in such a way that not only to they end up saving the lives of the Princess, Naoko and Shindo but they ultimately provide everyone with the ultimate strategy for combating the threat of the invading space monster. Everything about this movie works for me. Godzilla and friends are not just characters in a story, they are, effectively "movie stars" in their own right, and they are treated as such. To me, Ghidrah The Three-Headed Monster is the "peak of prominense" for the Godzilla series, flanked by Godzilla vs. The Thing and Monster Zero and equaled by them in posterity.

On any given day, I would consider Ghidrah The Three-Headed Monster to be the best Godzilla movie, PERIOD. However, I could never fully commit to that line of thinking. In truth, Godzilla King of the Monsters!, Godzilla vs. The Thing and maybe Godzilla Versus The Sea Monster are technically better films, but Ghidrah is certainly no slouch either. In proper perspective...I'd say it's number four or five overall, in terms of quality. But, these days, I look at everything, Godzilla or not, from a very general, subjective point-of-view. I don't particularly like to "set things in stone", because in the world of movie-rankings, nothing ever is. Comparing something like Casablanca to something like The Godfather, and saying one is a better film than the other is, to my mind, utterly ridiculous. Both films are masterpieces in their own right, so why can't we live in a world that plays them up as such?

Anyway, with that in mind, if I had to pick one Godzilla movie to live with for the rest of my life, quality-wise or otherwise, then there is certainly no discussion or hesitation on the matter: Ghidrah The Three-Headed Monster beats them all, for me.

[MouthForWar]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Irish Gfan]

From Worst to Best:

* This goes without saying, but the TriStar Godzilla doesn't count. While it might be a better made movie than some of this list, it isn't Godzilla. Calling it Zilla or GINO or a simple Jurassic Park knock off is more appropriate. It isn't Godzilla though, and shouldn't be mentioned in a list ranking the Godzilla films.

The Bad Ones = These are the films I honestly don't like, and I own them purely for the sake of collection completion purposes.

28) Godzilla Vs. Megalon (1973) = This film is just the low point of Godzilla's film series. The decreased production values really kicked this one below the belt. They gave Megalon Ghidorah's lightning beams just so they could use stock footage. They included Gigan just so they could use a ton of stock footage from the previous film. As cheaply made as it is, that isn't even the main reason why I dislike it so much. The film is unbearably slow paced & boring. The villains, despite looking like an underground KKK group (thanks MST3K) are probably the most dull of Godzilla's invading enemies throughout the series. The characters themselves leave no impression (by the way, I always assumed Goro & Hiroshi were a gay couple raising the kid. Nothing wrong with that, just saying that I thought it, even as a kid). Megalon himself has got to be one of Godzilla's wimpiest foes. Why does he need a robot to point him in the right direction to destroy a city? How can that robot break control from his inventors but not from the Seatopians? It is all just really mind boggling and it just leaves me uninterested. Godzilla himself doesn't really do anything until the end of the movie, and up until that point, it feels like it is more Jet Jaguar's movie than Godzilla's.

The saving grace is some of the material in the final fight. Jet Jaguar is hilariously weird and helps this movie stand out, and Godzilla's flying dropkick is one of the biggest "WTF?" moments in the entire series. That fun goodness aside though, it doesn't make up for what a poorly & cheaply put together bore this film is.

27) Godzilla's Revenge (1969) = This one avoids being called the worst for one simple reason: It isn't canon. You can skip this film entirely and not miss anything. The flip side of that though is that it is why it is such a bad film. The whole movie takes place in the mind of a warped little boy that escapes from the harshness of reality by visiting Monster Island in his mind where he learns how to beat up bullies from Godzilla. That premise alone is a huge pill to swallow, but the fact that almost all of the monster footage is stock footage is just extremely disappointing. They probably could have made this like an "Alice & Wonderland" type of movie and make it all weird and stuff to where even if the whole thing is a dream, at least it could have been creative & messed up. I think this is the movie that sparks a lot of the hate for Minilla too, and with good reason. I actually like "Son of Godzilla" and he didn't bother me in "Destroy All Monsters" but the fact that he talks here is just ungodly, and more than I can take.

26) Godzilla Raids Again (1955) = Following (unsuccessfully) in the footsteps of the original film, this sequel offers up nothing. Aside from the debut of Anguiras, this film leaves little to no impression on me. The original film, to me, is a pure classic, and this one lacks everything that made that film special: The dark tone, the scope of Godzilla's destructive power, the tragedy of Serasawa. None of it is there. Now obviously not every film is going to mimic the first one, but this one had a tough act to follow and while the first film was a game changer, this one felt like little more than a typical monster movie that anybody else would have made at the time. Also, the sped up action on the monster battles is very annoying and takes away from the enjoyment in that area. And before anyone asks, Yes, I do own the original Japanese version, and no, I do not think it is that much better than the US. It isn't good enough to change my overall opinions anyway.

The OK Ones = These are the films that are heavily flawed and I recognize that, but there is enough enjoyment in them to keep me from completely hating them.

25) Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster (1966) = I used to hate this movie when I was a kid, but I have come to appreciate it more as an adult. I actually really like the set up of a Terrorist organization (which I always joke is Cobra from GI Joe. Oh Destro & Cobra Commander in a Godzilla movie. One can dream, can't he?) taking control of an island, enslaving Mothra's people, and keeping them trapped there with a monster they can control. That is all pretty interesting. And I like Godzilla's role in all of this. He isn't really the good guy here to save the day (yet) but he is just a gigantic monkey wrench thrown into their plans. All of that said, the film does drag in places, really bad. Also, I have to say, it is kind of a step down for Godzilla to go from facing King Kong, Mothra, & King Ghidorah the three headed space dragon that shoots lighting from his mouths to fighting a giant lobster that he can handle pretty easily. It doesn't feel like much of a challenge for the Big Guy. Also, the fact that this was originally supposed to be a King Kong film definitely shows in some areas, and that is a bit distracting.

24) Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002) = This is easily the weakest of the Mechagodzilla films, though to be honest, I do think better of it now that I've seen "Tokyo SOS" and we get a payoff to alot of the aspects in this film. Unfortunately, this film feels incomplete in a lot of ways. So Mechagodzilla goes berserk and starts to terrorize Japan due to it having Godzilla's DNA encoded in its computer system (which is a really bad idea for a government to implement in the first place & I still don't understand how that technology works), yet it is just the one scene. There's no payoff to it. I would have liked it more if Mechagodzila (Kiryu in this film) went crazy while fighting Godzilla and Japan was left with two Giant Monsters wrecking up the place. Also, the final fight ends inconclusively which is a little annoying, and the main character Akane's story is way too similar to Kiriko's in "Godzilla X Megaguirus". All those annoyances aside, the film does have some great action pieces and "Tokyo SOS" wrapping up all the loose ends does make it better in a way.

23) Godzilla Vs. Gigan (1972) = This is actually the opposite of "Sea Monster" in that as a kid, it was easily one of my favorites, but I have come to think less of it over time. The low production values are a huge reason as the heavy use of stock footage becomes very annoying after a while. Godzilla talking was nothing short of surreal, and not in a good way, and it doesn't help that the suit is just completely falling apart in this film. It was almost disgraceful to present Godzilla that way. All of that said, what did I like about it? Well I actually like the Scooby Doo gang of characters. Sure its cheesy, but they are pretty colorful as far as Godzilla characters go. Also, I loved that the aliens actually though "You know, lets just kill Godzilla. He's kind of a nuisance" so they worked their plan around doing that. Also, Gigan is easily one of Godzilla's most visually impressive foes, and his inclusion led to some of the most violence featured in a Godzilla film up to that point. This is the first time Godzilla actually bleeds, which was a huge deal to me as a kid. The movie also gives us the best use for Anguiras as this movie basically labelled him as Godzilla's sidekick. In the end, it suffers from a lot of the same problems as "Megalon", but there is enough fun here to override that at least a little bit.

22) Godzilla Vs. Spacegodzilla (1994) = The real appeal of this film for me is Spacegodzilla. One of the reasons I like Mechagodzilla so much is that I love the idea of Godzilla having a doppleganger. This movie takes it to another level by having Godzilla fight a space demon version of himself with telekinetic powers. That is pretty awesome. I also like that there is a character, Yuki, that is motivated by getting revenge on Godzilla. For all the hate he gets (and sure he is no Mechagodzilla), but MOGUERA being a transformer was kind of cool. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is bogged down by other factors like a convoluted plot involving the Japanese Mafia, the obnoxiously cute Little Godzilla, male nudity, & lessened production values from other entries in the Heisei series. It is no surprise to me that Spacegodzilla has become one of Godzilla's more recognizable foes in the last few years, but much like Gigan before him, I keep wishing for such a cool monster to get featured in a much stronger film.


The Good = None of these films are what I would consider to be the best of the best, but they are solid entertainment in their own right and more than worthy of praise for one reason or another.

21) Godzilla & Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992) = At times the film feels uneven and features a human story that really drags, but when it comes to the monsters, it has it in spades. This is the first and only time in the series we get a three way battle. We got Godzilla, the God of Destruction who is back to cause a ruckus. We have Mothra, the Earth's Guardian that wants to protect all life on Earth, even the people, and then there is the new monster Battra that is here to protect just the Earth, so if the humans die in the process, big freakin' deal because this mess is their fault anyway. The three way dynamic adds a lot to the film and getting to see both Mothra & Battra as larva and then grow into their adult forms really changes things up at the end as well. So whatever problems I might have with the film, it is the excitement from the monsters that makes it a blast.

20) Godzilla X Megaguiras (2000) = This film was just wacky, but in a good way. This is just straight up Sci-Fi goodness that has a lot of fun with the material. The real litmus test here is the weapon used to fight Godzilla: The Dimension Tide. If you are on board with a machine that can create black holes (a device they make with no thought of any possible negative consequences), then you are on the same wavelength as this movie. Watching Godzilla have to fight off a swarm of insects is pretty fun, though the title monster is a little too similar to Battra in some ways. Fun action sequences and general wackiness makes this film a hoot for me.

19) Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) = The fan response to this movie was very split, and I can see why. There are plenty of flaws. First of all, why did the film spend so much time ripping off Star Wars, The Matrix, & The X-Men? Why was so much of it dedicated to Kung Fu Fighting when what we really want are the monsters? What is all this convoluted BS about M-Base and being a Kaiser? I'm still lost there. And what was the point of the Minya subplot? It felt completely disconnected from the film up until the last scene, and even then I didn't quite get it. All of that said though, the movie is obviously made with a lot of passion and energy, so that definitely shines through. I actually really liked Don Fyre in his role and the lead Xilien was delightfully weird. The "Destroy All Monsters" approach for a finale was actually a great idea. It felt like they took Godzilla's entire history and just threw it in a blender and let chaos reign. For that, it was lots of fun. It was great seeing guys like Rodan & Angurias again, and Gigan getting a much deserved bigger role was actually very cool. When we do get Monster action, it is a hoot. Godzilla tearing through all his opponents on a World Wide Monster Killing Tour was actually pretty awesome. You know darn well who the King is after watching this movie. And of course the final battle was pretty sweet, especially the payoff with what Monster X was. It isn't the grand emotional or spectacular finale that "Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah" was, but it did have a fun party atmosphere to it, and even with its obvious flaws, it is still highly enjoyable to me as a Godzilla fan.

18) King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962) = Like "Final Wars" this one is sort of a missed opportunity to do something really grand and epic. King Kong Vs. Godzilla. That should be beyond awesome and a once in a lifetime event of a film. Instead we get something that is fun & entertaining, but lacks the gravity you would expect out of combining the two most famous monsters in the world for a huge showdown. I am a big Kong fan, and though the suit looks awful, it was a treat to see him doing his thing & fighting with the big guy. Their fight scene at the end is one of the best monster battles Toho filmed in the 60s and it is all alot of fun. The human cast is actually pretty funny & cartoony (Mr. Tako is a hoot) However, if there is any Godzilla movie I would like to see get a remake with a more serious tone, it is this one. And who knows? Maybe with the recent Peter Jackson remake for Kong and the upcoming Legendary Pictures Godzilla project, we are on the right track to getting that at some point. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

17) Godzilla 1984 = I am normally not too picky about the US version or the Japanese version of a film, but for this one, I definitely prefer the Japanese version as the tone is consistently dark throughout without the poorly acted American scenes tossed in (though Burr's presence is really cool and his monologue at the end is great). What I liked about this film though was how they updated Godzilla. They took him back to his roots and presented him as a complete terror, but with more animal qualities. I liked that the situation was treated as an international incident with all nations getting involved to decide how to handle the situation, which, lets be honest, is what would really happen if Godzilla ever showed up. The long city destruction throughout the second half of the film provides some of Godzilla's greatest stuff,, through the special effects range from vastly improved over the original to a bit cartoony & jittery. It also has some of the best Godzilla Vs. The Military action that has ever been put to film. Their method for dealing with Godzilla is actually pretty creative as they do approach him as if they are dealing with an animal (though I do have to wonder why they never implemented this method again in future films...I mean...it worked pretty well!). Overall, this is a wonderful 30th anniversary film for the big guy and a cool kick off for the new series.

16) Son of Godzilla (1967) = I have a soft spot for this one. It is a film that really has a strong divide. You either love it or you hate it. Personally, I felt like this was the best Godzilla film to show your young kids. It has a Disney-esque charm to it, and the cute & cuddly Minilla actually fits within the tone of the film, unlike "Spacegodzilla" where he stuck out like a sore thumb. The human cast is actually pretty enjoyable here too as they are all caught in the middle of a monster war while testing their weather control equipment. The highlight of the film for me is watching Godzilla interact with his surrogate son because he's kind of a jerk to him. He's pretty abusive to him! It feels like Godzilla is merely training him to take care of himself & be a big bad monster like he is and nothing else. In the end though, Godzilla finally accepts the kid as his son, and its admittedly pretty heartwarming. Also, major praise has to go for the creation of Kumonga & Kamackarus which is easily some of the best puppet work ever done on this films. They look awesome, and Kumonga in particular makes for a great opponent for Godzilla. A Giant Spider just seems perfect for Godzilla to face and it worked out great. Nice action, a charming set up, and a heart warming ending all makes this a fun Godzilla movie for me.

The Very Good = These are the films that aren't quite in the "Best of the Best" level, but definitely the next step down. These are highly enjoyable and very good entries to the series.

15) Godzilla 2000 = I have a bias towards this one because it was the first and to date only Godzilla film I have ever seen in a movie theater, and it was a treat, especially after the disappointment of the Tristar Godzilla film. This movie doesn't try to reinvent the wheel with Godzilla or anything. It is just a wild & fun film that tries to give us the Godzilla we are familiar with and that is A-OK in my book. One thing I do have to say is that this does have one of the best cast of human characters in any Godzilla film. For all the cheesiness, I did like the family unit that is formed throughout the film, and Katagiri is wonderfully over the top as a bad guy. I also really liked that there was actually a Godzilla-Chaser unit that followed him like he was a force of nature like a Tornado. I thought that was pretty interesting. In the end though, the film is about Godzilla fighting a giant UFO, and that is good ol' fashioned kick butt awesomeness. The fight scene at the end in particular is one of the best Toho has ever filmed I think. So after a disappointing kick bellow the belt in 1998, this was the First Aid I needed, so I have to show it some love.

14) Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003) = Unfortunately, this film really slipped between the cracks, especially with "Final Wars" on the horizon for the 50th Anniversary. It also got some (deserved) criticism for being almost too familiar. We've seen Godzilla fight Mothra and we've seen him fight Mechagodzilla. There is nothing new to see here. Truthfully though, I think it is pretty dang good. Special effects wise, it is one of the very best entries Godzilla has ever had with great action sequences and some nice work with the suits. Also, after rebooting the storylines a total of four straight times during the third series, it was nice to get an actual sequel that tied into the previous film to wrap up all the loose ends. We do get a payoff to Mechagodzilla being possessed by the spirit of the original Godzilla and the fight ends conclusively this time. Also, it was nice to see them plug the original Mothra film into this timeline, which was a nice tip of the cap to another older film and like I said, the action is pretty darn good. Except for some unoriginality, the film really is a faithful and perfectly enjoyable Godzilla flick that I feel deserves a tad more love.

13) Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero (1965) = Before Alien Invaders became a cliche in the Godzilla series, we were given this little gem as the Planet X people devise a rather brilliant plan to conquer the Earth. Give us Godzilla & Rodan to fight Ghidorah on Planet X and we'll give you a cure for all diseases. Heck, even if they don't follow through on that promise, getting rid of two headaches like Godzilla & Rodan is a pretty good idea. But no, if movies have taught me anything, it is that you can never trust a space alien. They take control of all three monsters and let them run wild on Earth to take over. The aliens themselves are extremely fun and weird and I love having Nick Adams around to spice things up. The monster fights themselves are a bit light in this film, but when they happen, they are great. This is a Godzilla movie that just revels in being strange, and I like it!

12) Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) = First of all, I should say that the 70s design for Mechagodzilla is sitll my favorite. I mean look at him!! He looks fantastic and mean looking too. And when he lets all his weapons fly, it is a sight to see. Mechagodzilla has always been one of my favorites and his debut film is a big reason why. During the Super Hero era for Godzilla, he is easily one of Godzilla's most powerful foes. The way he tears through Angurias was surprising enough, but then to see him have a showdown with Godzilla, get uncovered, and then leave Godzilla swimming in his own blood was pretty shocking. I also liked the spirituality vs. technology motif that seemed to be running throughout the film and embodied in King Ceasar and Mechagodzilal respectively. And of course, you gotta love those green monkey aliens! The fight scenes themselves are pretty spectacular, especially when Mechagodzilla cuts loose. It is just a purely fun & exciting Godzilla flick.

11) Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster (1965) = Toho's first major attempt at a Monster Mash was a rousing hit! You got Godzilla, you got Mothra, you got Rodan, and you got an awesome new addition to the franchise in King Ghidorah, a rather regal looking three headed golden dragon. It is pretty awesome! Even the weird subplot with the martian princess only adds to the fun of it all. Seeing four monsters sharing screen time together was just a treat. The long stretch of fights between Rodan & Godzilla and the final battle involving all four was a real treat. Also, that scene with the monsters having a conversation was certainly memorable to say the least. Toho really went all out with this one and they didn't disappoint, giving us some great action, great monsters, and an all around great time.

The Top Ten = These are the best of the best. My absolute favorite Godzilla films.

10) Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster (1971) = What is there to really say about this movie? Even by Godzilla standards, it is exceptionally weird, and that's why I love it! Hedorah is definitely one of my favorite Godzilla foes. His constantly evolving forms and the fact that he is a bunch of little tadpoles combined into one epic opponent. He's also disgusting as all hell, which adds to the fun. The tone of the movie is all over the place from colorful and wacky to dark & horrifying, which only adds to my suspicion that the directory was on LSD while filming the movie. However, whether it is weirding me out or giving me some awesome dark moments, this movie proves to be consistently entertaining and it is easily one of the most memorable flicks in the series.

9) Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1993) = The rebirth of Mechagodzilla was a major highlight of the Heisei series. Not only that, but we got reimaginings for one of my all favorites in Rodan and the Son of Godzilla as well (who actually looks like Godzilla for a change). I love how the film tied into the events of "Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah" and their use of the Mecha Ghidorah technology to reverse engineer new weapons to take down Godzilla. I also like that the film really doesn't have a villain. Mechagodzilla and those piloting it are trying to save Japan, which is certainly noble. Godzilla just wants his son back, which makes his motives understandable, while Rodan is also motivated to protect the little Godzilla. The major plus I have to say though is that the fight scenes are epic. Godzilla Vs. Rodan is a knock down, drag out fight. Mechagodzilla Vs. Rodan is pretty great as well and Godzilla almost being killed by Super Mechagodzilla was fantastic as well. It is a very exciting and explosive entry. What more can you ask for?

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) = The final film of the original Godzilla series goes out with a bang. Those wacky aliens are back and this time they take control of Mechagodzilla & Titannosauras to take down Godzilla. I really liked the characters of Dr. Mafune and Katsura who are easy standouts among human Godzilla characters. Titannosauras himself is a nice new foe for Godzilla and I wish they had given them an underwater fight to take advantage of the new guy's aquatic nature.

7) Godzilla, Mothra, & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack (2001) = This is easily the finest entry in the Millennium series. This film not only makes Godzilla a destructive force of nature, but just an all around evil presence. I also liked the fantasy elements they incorporated. Normally Godzilla delves into the realm of pure Sci-Fi with bigger and badder weapons being introduced, but here, it is more spiritual and other worldly, which is pretty cool. Part of me wishes that instead of Baragon, we had gotten Rodan instead, just to have the big four in a movie together again. That said, Baragon's moment in the sun was pretty neat and he had a good fight with The King. The city destruction scenes are pretty sweet as, once again, Godzilla's wrath is just unrelenting. The fights with Mothra & King Ghidorah are pretty nifty too, and I really liked that they made Mothra more of a wasp this time around, which was something different. My one major knock here is that in the end, Tachibana should have died, sacrificing himself to stop Godzilla. How the heck did he get out of there anyway? It doesn't make sense? Oh well, it is a great Godzilla flick all the same.

6) Godzilla Vs. Biollante (1989) = Visually, this is the finest entry in the series. The effects in this film (by Godzilla standards) are excellent, and the way they were able to bring Biollante to life was pretty impressive. Godzilla himself has never looked better and the two monster battles in the film are spectacular. Besides all of that though, I liked the approach of using biological advancements to take down Godzilla, in addition to all the usual over the top weaponry. The international terrorism subplot is pretty fun too and the Saradian Assassin is a pretty fun & mysterious bad guy. This is a very ambitious & awesome entry into the series and it is definitely a personal favorite.

5) Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991) = In many ways, this is the definitive Godzilla film. It has everything that makes the character great. He is a destructive force that could bring about the end of the World (OK OK, just Japan) but it is also mixed in with a lot of over the top Sci-Fi silliness. In fact, it is probably the truest "Sci-Fi" Godzilla flick with time travel, a cyborg, & genetic mutations all thrown into the mix. There are parts to the story that are very interesting as well. Shindo's story is actually pretty tragic. He spends his whole life mourning a dinosaur that saved him in World War II only to see his business empire & himself destroyed by that same creature? It is actually pretty sad. And I love how the story keeps switching who we are supposed to root for. At first, Godzilla is the good guy because he needs to take down Ghidorah, but wait, he just wants to kill everything. So then at the end of the movie, we see a total role reversal as Mecha King Ghidorah is now the good guy and Godzilla is the bad guy. I thought that was all very interesting and in the end, it is one of the most exciting Godzilla flicks.

4) Destroy All Monster (1968) = Toho's Ultimate Monster Mash remains to be one of the most entertaining Kaiju flicks they've ever put out. With so many monster running around, it just creates so many great scenes of city destruction. The best part is that almost none of it is stock footage, and at some points that got very creative with it like Manda wrappong around a monorail track and Mothra Larva ramming into an on coming train. The City Destruction of Tokyo and The Battle on Mount Fuji are the major highlights as it is just non stop awesomeness. The Killak Aliens themselves are pretty creepy & silly at the same time, if that is possible, and the way they brainwash all of their captives makes for some pretty dark scenes, like the Doctor jumping out the window for example. Basically, they just took the plot for "Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero" and just amped it up, but they succeeded in spades by making one of the most entertaining Monster Mashes of all time.

3) Godzilla Vs. Mothra (1964) = A general fan favorite, and with good reason. This film has so many elements that just work. I remember the "Stomp Tokyo" review saying that the evil businessmen taking the lost Mothra egg to show as a special attraction was probably the most realistic thing to ever happen in a Godzilla movie, and that is probably true. I also like the different interactions in the movie as Mothra's society is shunned by Japan and turned down when they needed help, but then the Japanese have to beg Mothra to help them against Godzilla. It really does have a nice message about learning to put differences aside and helping out others when they need it. Godzilla in this film is at his finest. Mean, nasty, and impossible to stop, Godzilla is full on bad guy here and it is great. Mothra also makes for a great opponent for him and there is a lot of iconic imagery created during the fight sequences. This film is a huge favorite of mine and it deserves all the praise it gets.

2) Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah (1995) = Part of me wishes this has been the last Japanese Godzilla film because it was just a perfect farewell to The King of the Monsters. His death is handled with all the gravity and emotion you would expect a classic character like him to be given. There is also a dark sense of finality to the whole film. Godzilla's death could potentially destroy the world, so apocalypse seems all but certain. Isn't that always the way? They spend all this time trying to kill him and now his dying could kill them all!! Anyways, I also have to praise the film for tying what was thought to be the last film to the first film, namely through the opposing monster Destoryah who has easily one of the best designs out of any of Godzilla's foes. In the end, it was a fitting farewell to Godzilla, and would have closed his legacy out on a high note had it been the end.

1) Godzilla (1954) = It is worth noting that I do love both versions of the film. The US version, with added footage from Raymond Burr keeps the heart of the film in tact while also adding a different perspective on the events in the film. The original film is a pure classic. It serves as outstanding social commentary on the use of nuclear weapons from the point of view of a country that experienced it first hand. The film's dark tone and atmosphere mixed with the sheer scope of Godzilla's destructive power makes this a true horror movie. As fans, we are so used to seeing the cities of Japan abandoned by the time the monster rampage starts. Not here though. There is a body count. It is high, and we see what kind of effect an event like this can have on society. And I LOVED the whole debate about using The Oxygen Destroyer. Dr. Serasawa's fears & trepidation about using such a weapon are totally understandable and can still be applied to discussions today. Is it right to unleash something even more destructive than Godzilla on the world in order to stop him? The internal torture that Serasawa goes through is understandable and captured perfectly. With all of that said, as far as monster movies go, Godzilla's rampage through Tokyo is still one of the best displays for a movie monster ever. It is pure power on display This movie made Godzilla, not only one of the all time cinematic monster stars, but the KING OF THE MONSTERS!!!

[metal_bryan]

[jellydonut25]

[MekaGojira3k]

[jellydonut25]

[MekaGojira3k]

[lhb412]

I continue to redefine and rejigger mine:

Top Tier (absolute best)

Gojira
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Invasion of Astro Monster
Son of Godzilla

Second Tier (love 'em)

King Kong vs. Godzillla
Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Godzilla vs. Biolantte

Third Tier (like them)

All Monsters Attack
Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Godzilla vs. Gigan
Destroy All Monsters
Godzilla 2000
Godzilla Raids Again
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah

Forth Tier (not good overall, but have a few likeable parts)

Godzilla 1985
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
Godzilla Final Wars

Fifth Tier (bottom of the barrel, not easy to watch )

Godzilla vs. Mothra
Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Godzilla against Mechagodzilla

[MekaGojira3k]

[lhb412]

[MekaGojira3k]

[H-Man]

[Psycho Soldier]