Which Titles Do You Prefer?

[Irish Gfan]

I was thinking about this the other day and thought "screw it", I'll make a topic about it.

Between the Japanese language title, The English translation of the Japanese title, Toho's official English title, US theatrical release titles, US home video release titles (of which there are more than one in some cases), some of the Godzilla movies can have a boat load of different titles. And that doesn't even begin to cover various other international titles which I don't dare try to scratch the surface of (though feel free to do so if you wish).

To me, I adhere to no set standard on which title because in my mind, if it was ever assigned to the movie at any given point, then it is technically correct. But with everything,, there are titles that I prefer over others so I thought I'd go through, list all the different titles, and then explain which one I prefer and why.

Obviously as an English speaker, I am not going to use the Japanese language titles because I would most likely butcher them anyway.

1954 = Godzilla, Godzilla: King of the Monsters = I used to always use the US title, Godzilla King of the Monsters, even after I had finally seen the Japanese version because, well, I think it sounds cool. Godzilla IS the King of the Monsters, so why not have the title proclaim that? In recent years though, I find myself just calling the movie "Godzilla" or even sometimes "Gojira". I guess as the first movie, it makes more sense that the title would be simply the monster's name and when I say it, people seem to know that I am talking about the original film. So yeah, I'll go with "Godzilla" as my preferred title.

1955 = Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla's Counterattack, Gigantis the Fire Monster = Well we can erase Gigantis right off the bat since it is the wrong name! I will never understand that decision on the part of the US distributors. That is truthfully one US version I refuse to bother with at this point, and I typically don't feel that way. Godzilla Raids Again is really the perfect title. It sounds like a direct sequel and has the right name in the title. Can't go wrong with that.

1962 = King Kong Vs. Godzilla = Yeah this has stayed pretty much the same over the years. I don't even mind that Kong has top billing over Godzilla since he is the bigger star, especially in the US.

1964 (1) = Mothra Vs. Godzilla, Godzilla Vs. The Thing, Godzilla Vs. Mothra = Despite my love for the US version of the film, I really don't like calling it Godzilla Vs. The Thing. They might as well call it "Godzilla Vs. Stuff". So I typically called it Godzilla Vs. Mothra, the home video title, but I was amazed to find out that in Japan, Mothra got top billing. I guess that makes sense given she is the good monster, but that didn't feel right to me. Kong it made sense, but against a cutesy butterfly, I felt like Godizlla's name should come first (and yes I fully realize that Mothra was a huge hit, but this is personal preference speaking). It doesn't even sound right when I say it. So unless I am comparing the 64 film to the 92 film and trying to differentiate them, I most often use Godzilla Vs. Mothra as the title.

1964 (2) = Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster, Ghidrah the Three Headed Monster, Three Giant Monsters: Earth's Greatest Battle = Really it comes down to how you like to pronounce the title monster's name, and I always preferred Ghidorah. It sounds harsher and more menacing. Ghidrah almost sounds cute. That harsh O vowel sound really makes a difference, ha ha. I don't care much for the English translated Japanese title. I mean come on, there are four monsters!

1965 = Invasion of Astro-Monster, Monster Zero, Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero, The Great Monster War = This movie was actually the inspiration for this thread. I understand Invasion of Astro-Monster is Toho's official English title, but I'm sorry, I can't stand this title. It is generic and sounds like it could be any bland science fiction film, and honestly, so does The Great Monster War (though that does sound much cooler). Having Monster Zero in the title actually refers to something specific to the movie itself and helps it to stand out, and I prefer the home video title of Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero because it has Godzilla's name in it and fits it in better with the series. Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero is my pick here.

1966 = Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster, Ebirah: Horror of the Deep, Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Big Duel in the South Seas = One of my knocks on this movie is that I actually feel it would be better if Godzilla wasn't in it at all. If that was the case, Ebirah Horror of the Deep would actually work pretty well. But since Godzilla is in it, I actually prefer Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster. Godzilla Vs. Ebirah wouldn't work and Sea Monster creates some mystique around Godzilla's opponent, much like Monster Zero did. Unfortunately we find out The Sea Monster is just a giant lobster that is no match for Godzilla at all and it is a letdown, but what can you do? The Japanese title is absurdly long so that gets no consideration.

1967 = Son of Godzilla, Monster Island's Decisive Battle: Godzilla's Son = Yeah, stick to Son of Godzilla on this one. It is to the point and heck it worked for King Kong, Frankenstein, Dracula, & even Lassie!

1968 = Destroy All Monsters, Charge of the Monsters = Destroy All Monsters is the best. It doesn't even have to be analyzed that much. It is just a perfect title for the film and continues to be used in Godzilla media to this day. It sounds more like a call to action than it does a title to a movie, and that's why it works.

1969 = All Monsters Attack, Godzilla's Revenge, Godzilla, Minilla, Gabara: All Monsters Attack = There is no good title to this movie which is strangely fitting for this pile of junk film. Godzilla never gets revenge on anything and in addition to sounding generic, All Monsters Attack doesn't work because technically no monster in the film attacks anything since it is all in dream sequences anyway. I guess you could say they attack little Ichiro's mind, but whatever. I go by Godzilla's Revenge because it at least has Godzilla's name in the title and is short.

1971 = Godzilla Vs. Hedorah, Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster = Again, I got to go by Sea Monster logic here. I just like how Smog Monster sounds and it adds a certain level of mystery to Godzilla's opponent, and it actually pays off in this movie because Hedorah is awesome. Godzilla Vs. Hedorah is fine, but I still prefer calling it Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster. It just sounds great.

1972 = Godzilla Vs. Gigan, Godzilla On Monster Island, Earth Destruction Directive: Godzilla vs. Gigan = Well right off the bat Godzilla on Monster Island makes no sense since he is only on Monster Island for roughly a minute in the movie. Actually, now that I think about it, Godzilla on Monster Island probably should have been the title to Godzilla's Revenge! Oh well, Godzilla Vs. Gigan by itself pretty much covers it. Short, simple, and to the point.

1973 = Godzilla Vs. Megalon = I'm actually surprised this one doesn't have more alternate titles between the US & Japan releases considering Jet Jaguar's inclusion int he film. Oh well.

1974 = Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla, Godzilla Vs. The Cosmic Monster, Godzilla Vs. The Bionic Monster = I am actually going to go against what I said for Sea Monster & Smog Monster here. In this case, I actually like it much better that it is Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla. The name Mechagodzilla immediately grabbed my interest and made me want to see Godzilla fight a robot version of himself, something that sort of loses its luster with Bionic Monster or Cosmic Monster used in the title.

1975 = Terror of Mechagodzilla, Terror of Godzilla, Counterattack of Mechagodzilla = Well Terror of Godzilla makes no sense since Godzilla is the good guy. Terror of Mechagodzilla just says it all and is a nice break from the typical "Godzilla Vs. ???" format while also still having Godzilla's name in the title in a roundabout way. The Japanese title works really well too and even ties it closer as a sequel by using the word "Counterattack", but Terror sounds more menacing.

1984 = Godzilla 1985, Godzilla, The Return of Godzilla = I don't like just using the name "Godzilla" again as we already have the first movie for that. Even Toho seems to have accepted that and typically calls the movie The Return of Godzilla. That is what the movie is about, right? Works for me. Godzilla 1985 doesn't do it for me since it sort of dates the movie. I guess you could say the same for Godzilla 2000, but 2000 was a huge marketing ploy used by everyone at the time (Fantasia, Wrestlemania, Dracula, Pokemon, and even South Park made a joke of it with their episode titles) so I sort of accept it. What kind of milestone year is 1985? (yeah, I was born that year, but really?).

1989 = Godzilla Vs. Biollante = Keep it simple here. Unless there was someway to name Biollante "The Plant Clone Monster" and make it sound cool, I think this works just fine.

1991 = Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah = Again, this works just fine as is and even made better by the fact that Godzilla & King Ghidorah had never faced one on one before. This is the movie where we finally get it!

1992 = Godzilla Vs. Mothra, Godzilla Vs. Queen Mothra, Godzilla & Mothra: The Battle for Earth = Is Godzilla Vs. Queen Mothra a fan invented title or something because I have only seen it used on fanboards & sites? This one is tricky because I like to differentiate it from the 64 film, but for once, it is the US title is a little too long. I typically call it "Godzilla Vs. Mothra, 92" which technically isn't correct, but whatever.

1993 = Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla, Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II = I hate the US title because it really isn't correct. I understand they want to differentiate it from the original, but it isn't a sequel to that film, and this is technically the third Mechagodzilla film AND monster. Terror of Mechagodzilla is actually more worthy of this title. Why not call it "Godzilla Vs. Super Mechagodzilla"? The name is used in the movie, so go for it! Like the previous entry, I just slap the year at the end when I mention it and usually call it "Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla, 93".

1994 = Godzilla Vs. Spacegodzilla = Nothing to worry about here. Nice and simple. Thankfully the US distributors didn't try to take away the appeal of Spacegodzilla's name by calling him "The Space Monster" or something like that (now if Godzilla's opponent was Dogora, that title would work great, ha ha). You know how many non-fans I've talked to that instantly start asking questions when they see that name? Spacegodzilla?!?! There's a SPACEGODZILLA?!?! When they look at my video collection that is typically the first one they notice or comment on.

1995 = Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah, Godzilla Vs. Destroyer = Godzilla Vs. Destroyer technically isn't correct, but I let that one slide since that is the more natural way to pronounce the monster's name. But for the sake of being correct, I usually go with the official name.

1999 = Godzilla 2000, Godzilla 2000: Millennium = Like I said before, everyone was using 2000 at this time. 2000 was everywhere! So even though it dates the movie, it sort of fits in with the almost universal marketing idea. The subtitle Millennium doesn't add much and only refers to something in the plot that amounted to very little, so like the US version dropping that out of the movie, I am glad they also dropped it out of the title.

2000 = Godzilla X Megaguiras, Godzilla Vs. Megaguiras, Godzilla x Megaguirus: G Extermination Strategy = Well the subtitle is unnecessary and doesn't sound that great, so we can drop that. And I don't know how people feel about this, but I sort of like the "X" ha ha. It sort of sets it apart from all the versus films. If the Millennium series had any kind of uniformity (either Godzilla X ??? or Godzilla: Subtitle) then that would have been nice. So yeah, I like Godzilla X Megaguiras over the usual "Vs"

2001 = Godzilla, Mothra, & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack = I gotta rant here. If there is a Godzilla movie that was begging for the US distributors to mess with the title, it was this one. I mean Holy God! Come on! That title is way too freakin' long! It almost feels like a parody title. We couldn't shorten that to Godzilla Vs. Mothra & King Ghidorah or Godzilla Vs. The Guardians or Godzilla: Legend of Yamoto, or beat Dreamworks to the punch and call it Godzilla: Rise of the Guardians, or how about just Godzilla: Giant Monsters Attack? We actually kept that long title for the US release? Sure, whatever. Like most fans, I just call it GMK because heck, I'd be out of breath saying the full thing.

2002 = Godzilla X Mechagodzilla, Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla = Again, I understand the issue of trying to differentiate this one among the seemingly endless supply of Mechagodzilla films, but really? Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla was the best they could come up with? Why not Godzilla Vs. Kiryu? The movie gives you another name to use. Oh well, again, I like the X, so I just go with Godzilla X Mechagodzilla.

2003 = Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS = Thankfully the US release shortened the title to just Godzilla: Tokyo SOS which is actually a nice title. It is a little cheesy, but in that fun appealing way.

2004 = Godzilla: Final Wars = It is a fine title, and thankfully it was left unchanged.

In regards to the Millennium series, I wish they had adhered to some sort of uniformity in the titling like the Heisei films did (though these films couldn't even adhere to a universal timeline, so I guess why bother?). I like the Heisei films all being "Godzilla Vs. ???" all in a row. It sort of makes it feel like a set and the titles are simple.

If they had kept the "Godzilla X ???" format or the "Godzilla: Subtitle" format all across the board, it would have made the Millennium films feel like more of a set too. And actually, I probably would have preferred the subtitle format.

Look at it this way:

- Godzilla 2000
- Godzilla: The Meganula Invasion
- Godzilla: Giant Monsters Attack
- Godzilla: Ghost in the Machine
- Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
- Godzilla: Final Wars

I don't know. I like of would have liked something like that. Oh well.

[MekaGojira3k]

I'm just doing a few at a time.

Godzilla, King of the Monsters
I just love the title, even though it is explicitly the U.S. cut, I love the grandness of this title. Plus, the movie I've always called Godzilla, for better or worse, is the 98' film. *shrug*

Godzilla Raids Again - Because Gigantis makes no sense as a title.

King Kong vs. Godzilla - that's just what it was called, in both Japan and the U.S.

Mothra vs. Godzilla - Again, I revert to the straight Japanese translation. I used to call it Godzilla vs. Mothra, and differentiate with the heisei film by saying the awful VHS title: Godzilla AND Mothra: Battle for Earth.

Ghidrah, the Three Headed Monster - It's a case of KOTM, it's a wonderful title, and honestly I've never seen any reason to call it differently.

Monster Zero - I grew up with a Godzilla vs. Monster Zero VHS tape, and that's what I called it. Once I started lurking on MZ I soon discovered it was just called Monster Zero by a great many. To me the two word title fit better than Godzilla vs. Monster Zero. I think it's just because it reminded me of Daikaiju Daisenso..

Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster - It's always been what I call it. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep is a cool title, but Ebirah doesn't quite live up to the title of Horror of the Deep.

[Gwangi]

Anything that T.V. guide printed back in the 1970s. Incidentally, GKOTM was just "Godzilla".

Others include:
Godzilla vs. The Thing, Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster, Monster Zero, G vs The Sea Monster, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla's Revenge & G. vs. The Smog Monster.

The only change I prefer from the old days is "Godzilla vs. Gigan" as opposed to "Godzilla on Monster Island".

[MouthForWar]

I only put answers for the ones that have more than one title

•Godzilla- I call it Godzilla, Gojira or Godzilla, King of the Monsters... no real preference.
•Godzilla Raids Again- Godzilla Raids Again
•Mothra vs. Godzilla- Either Godzilla vs. Mothra or Godzilla vs. The Thing
•Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster- Ghidrah the Three Headed Monster
•Invasion of Astro-Monster- Monster Zero
•Destroy All Monsters- Destroy All Monsters
•All Monsters Attack- Godzilla's Revenge
•Godzilla vs. Hedorah- I use both titles, no preference
•Godzilla vs. Gigan- Godzilla vs. Gigan
•Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
•Terror of Mechagodzilla- Terror of Mechagodzilla
•The Return of Godzilla-I say either Godzilla '84 or Godzilla 1985
•Godzilla vs. Mothra (Godzilla & Mothra: The Battle for Earth)- Godzilla vs. Mothra
•Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2- Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla
•Godzilla 2000- Godzilla 2000
•Godzilla vs. Megaguirus- Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
•Godzilla, Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack [2001]- "GMK" works for me
•Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla- I've used both "Against" and "X"
•Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. - Godzilla Tokyo SOS

[The Real McCoy]

[H-Man]

When talking about a specific version, I'll use the onscreen title (i.e. INVASION OF THE ASTRO-MONSTER for the "international" version of that film; GIGANTIS THE FIRE MONSTER for the American version of that film). Also, there are some cases where Toho has imposed an English title that doesn't exist on any version of the film (there is no version where the title reads "GHIDORAH, THE THREE HEADED MONSTER"). I never use those "revised" titles.

54: Godzilla
55: Godzilla Raids Again
64: "Mothra vs. Godzilla" or "Godzilla vs. The Thing". No real preference.
64: Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster
65: Monster Zero
66: Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster
69: Godzilla's Revenge
71: "Godzilla vs. Hedorah" or "Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster". Usually "Hedorah" since it's shorter.
72: Godzilla vs. Gigan
74: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
75: Terror of Mechagodzilla
84: Usually "The Return of Godzilla", but sometimes "Godzilla 1985" or even "Godzilla".
92: Godzilla vs. Mothra
93: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
99: Godzilla 2000; G2K
00: Godzilla vs. Megaguirus; GXM
01: GMK
02: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla; GXMG
03: Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (which I usually shorten to the subtitle); GMMG
04: Godzilla Final Wars (again, I generally just use the subtitle); GFW

[Benjamin Haines]

1954 - Godzilla
1955 - Godzilla Raids Again
1962 - King Kong vs. Godzilla
1964 - Mothra vs. Godzilla
1964 - Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster
1965 - Monster Zero
1966 - Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
1967 - Son of Godzilla
1968 - Destroy All Monsters
1969 - Godzilla's Revenge
1971 - Godzilla vs. Hedorah
1972 - Godzilla vs. Gigan
1973 - Godzilla vs. Megalon
1974 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
1975 - Terror of Mechagodzilla
1984 - The Return of Godzilla
1989 - Godzilla vs. Biollante
1991 - Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
1992 - Godzilla vs. Mothra
1993 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
1994 - Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla
1995 - Godzilla vs. Destroyer
1999 - Godzilla 2000
2000 - Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
2001 - Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
2002 - Godzilla x Mechagodzilla if I'm typing, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla if I'm speaking it aloud.
2003 - Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
2004 - Godzilla: Final Wars

[MekaGojira3k]

I like the format of using the year
1967 - Son of Godzilla
1968 - Destroy All Monsters
1969 - All Monsters Attack - I prefer this title to Godzilla's Revenge, because between the two this seems more applicable to the actual film if only slightly.
1971- Godzilla vs. Hedorah - Nothing against The Smog Monster title, but I saw it first as vs. Hedorah.
1972 - Godzilla vs. Gigan
1973 - Godzilla vs. Megalon
1974 - Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla
1975 - Terror of MechaGodzilla
1984 - Godzilla 1984 (I changed it from 1985 to 84' because that's when the film came out, I extend this title to even the American version...just cuz"
1989 - Godzilla vs. Biollante
1991 - Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
1992 - Godzilla vs. Mothra - (The VHS title is awful and doesn't make sense)
1993 - Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 1993 (II doesn't make any sense)
1994 - Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
1995 - Godzilla vs. Destroyah (I never call him Destoroyah, because of habit. Destroyah is easier to remember to spell and say.)
1998 - Godzilla
1999 - Godzilla: 2000 (Godzilla 2000: Millennium seems redundant)
2000 - Godzilla X Megaguirus: G-Eradication Strategy (This is the first title I heard this called, on a bootleg VHS tape at a comic shop, actually, and I've just stuck with it)
2001 - Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
2002 - Godzilla X MechaGodzilla
2003 - Godzilla X Mothra X MechaGodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
2004 - Godzilla: Final Wars

[Reaper G]

For the original, I'll call it "Gojira" to distinguish it from KOTM and the two Hollywood films titled "Godzilla". Otherwise, I generally prefer using the names as they were originally released in the U.S. -- "vs. the Thing", "on Monster Island", "Revenge", etc. Saying Godzilla vs. Suchandsuchra can get redundant, and I'd rather see Godzilla actually named in the title, as opposed to "Invasion of Astro-Monster" and "All Monsters Attack".

[Gwangi]

[MouthForWar]

[MekaGojira3k]

[Giganfan]

[Giganfan]

Oh, and in addition to being one of my favorite movies, Frankenstein Conquers The World is indeed one of the COOLEST titles of any movie ever made!

[MekaGojira3k]

[Pkmatrix]

For me, it's generally the US/International title with a few exceptions...

1954 - Godzilla
1955 - Godzilla Raids Again
1962 - King Kong vs. Godzilla
1964 - Mothra vs. Godzilla
1964 - Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
1965 - Godzilla vs. Monster Zero
1966 - Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
1967 - Son of Godzilla
1968 - Destroy All Monsters
1969 - Godzilla's Revenge
1971 - Godzilla vs. Hedorah
1972 - Godzilla vs. Gigan
1973 - Godzilla vs. Megalon
1974 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
1975 - Terror of Mechagodzilla
1984 - The Return of Godzilla
1989 - Godzilla vs. Biollante
1991 - Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
1992 - Godzilla vs. Mothra
1993 - Godzilla vs. Super-Mechagodzilla
1994 - Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla
1995 - Godzilla vs. Destroyah
1998 - Zilla or GINO, dependent on my mood.
1999 - Godzilla 2000
2000 - Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
2001 - Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah, although I'm considering thinking of it as Godzilla vs. Mothra and King Ghidorah
2002 - Godzilla against Mechagodzilla
2003 - Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
2004 - Godzilla: Final Wars
2014 - Legendary Godzilla

[jellydonut25]

[Pkmatrix]

[Benjamin Haines]

[kiryugoji04]

I love GMK's title for the exact reason Kaneko chose it. Sometimes it makes me want to start calling more of the movies by their literal, mile-long Japanese titles.

[MekaGojira3k]

[JordanGLC]

[buykaiju]

The only ones I would change are:

Godzilla Vs. MechaGodzilla 2 - Godzilla Vs. Super MechaGodzilla
I think G Vs SSMG is perfect. The name is in the movie, and the title is catchy and cool. Just adding 2 is uncreative and incorrect.

GMK - Terror of Godzilla or Godzilla Vs. Mothra and King Ghidorah
I prefer Terror of Godzilla because it's a powerful title, and Godzilla does actually cause a lot of terror in this movie lol. But for the sake of marketability Godzilla Vs. Mothra and KG would be my next choice.

Godzilla X MechaGodzilla - Godzilla Vs. BioMechaGodzilla or Godzilla Vs MechaniGodzilla or Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla.
I actually don't have much a of a problem with G Against MG, but it is kind of a boring title. G Vs. BioMG I think would work, it's a cool title and accurately describes MG who is actually a bio robot. And G Vs MechaniG is catchy, and pays homage to MechaniKong

[MekaGojira3k]

[ebirahsmeg1]