Ranking the Live Action Godzilla Movies

If you are familiar this blog, then you know that I am a huge fan of the Godzilla series. I have already written about the series in three previous posts. The last five months have been cinematic heaven to me, because there have been two Godzilla movies released to the theatres, the Oscar winning Godzilla Minus One and the dumb, but entertaining Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Recently, IndieWire ranked all the Godzilla movies and, much to my surprise, I found their rankings are pretty close to my own, with a few notable exceptions (namely, them placing Godzilla vs. Megalon in the top ten). I have decided to do my own rankings of all the live action Godzilla movies. I have excluded the three animated movies made for Netflix, because I have only seen Godzilla: Planet of the Monster and was less than thrilled by it. I also consider the original Godzilla and the Americanized version, Godzilla, King of the Monsters, as two different movies. There's very little left of Ishiro's Honda's vision in the Americanized version, that it only makes sense to view it as its own thing. 

What I find surprising about my rankings is that three of the films that appear in the top 10 are from this century (Godzilla Minus One; Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: All Monsters Attack; and Shin Godzilla), while only four films are from the Showa Era (1954-1975). The latter is surprising because I grew up watching the movies from the Showa Era, so there is more of a nostalgia factor with those movies than with Millenium Era (1999-2004) and the Reiwa Era (2016 to present). Most surprisingly of all is that I include three movies from the Heisei Era (1984-1995), which is an era I often derided as my least favorite. None of the American Godzilla movies appear in my top ten, despite their entertainment value. 

Without further ado, here are my rankings: 

1.  Godzilla (1954)
Director: Ishiro Honda 
The original Godzilla film and still the best. It's also one of the most effective anti-war movies ever made.  It's no secret that Godzilla was originally metaphor for nuclear weapons. However, it pays to remember that the movie came out nine years after World War II ended, so the effects of the A-bomb would have still been etched in the minds of Japanese moviegoers.  It also features one of the more compelling characters in the series, Dr. Serizawa (played by the terrific Akihiko Hirata) - a man who has created a weapon that could destroy Godzilla (the Oxygen Destroyer) yet is so horrified by its implications that he is reluctant to use it. Dr. Serizawa nicely subverts the mad scientist stereotype - our initial impression of him, with his black eyepatch and aloof manner- is that he will be bigger threat than Godzilla. That was normally the case in most sci-fi movies of the 1950s.  When it is revealed that his fiancée, Emiko, is in love with Ogata, a salvage ship captain, we fear for both of their safety. In most American movies, Serizawa would be plotting some form of revenge. Yet, in an interesting twist, Serizawa doesn't hold such a grudge and is more focused on stopping Godzilla, no matter the costs. It's not without its flaws, but it remains a rather poignant piece of cinema. 

2.  Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
What makes Godzilla Minus One such a successful movie is that it would still be an engaging movie even if you took Godzilla out of the mix. It's one of those rare films in the series where the human drama is more compelling than the monster scenes.  It also takes Godzilla back to his roots - it takes place in Japan, post-World War II, where a good portion of the population is struggling to get by.  Things are already pretty bad: many people have lost their loved ones, are homeless, and have to scrounge for food. Now, their city is being ravaged by a giant lizard with atomic breath.  The main character, Koichi, is a man who is still haunted by his "shameful" war record - he was a kamikaze pilot who fled from his duties by feigning engine troubles. When Godzilla attacks the garrison that night, Koichi freezes up and can't bring himself to fire on Godzilla from his plane; this also leads to deaths of many soldiers. While the rest of Japan is trying to move on, Koichi is still stuck in the past. Like the original Godzilla, it is an effective piece of anti-war cinema.  It also won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Godzilla is now an Oscar winning franchise. 

3. Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
Director: Shusuke Kaneko 
This enjoyable entry in the series goes the exact opposite route of the two previous movies: rather than being a thoughtful meditation on war, it is a full out monster mash. In this case, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Baragon must defend Japan from Godzilla. This is the rare instance where King Ghidorah is depicted as a defender of the Earth instead of a destroyer. It also has an appealing lead actress, Chiharu Niiyama, who plays Yuri Tachibana, a young woman who makes sensational docudramas for a disreputable production company. Her main goal is to be a legitimate journalist, and Godzilla's rampage throughout Japan provides her this opportunity. Her father also happens to be Admiral Taizo Tachibana, who leads the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). In your average movie, Taizo, would be an overprotective hard-ass who doesn't give his daughter room to breathe; but Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack is not your average movie, and in a nice deviation from the norm, Admiral Taizo is a laid-back fellow who has a warm relationship with his daughter, even if he doesn't totally understand her. 

4.  Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster (1964)
Director: Ishiro Honda
The first film that depicted Godzilla as a defender of Japan instead of its destroyer. It is also the first appearance of Godzilla's nemesis, King Ghidorah. While Godzilla and Rodan battle each other, King Ghidorah emerges from a meteorite and begins to lay waste to Matsumoto. It's now up to Mothra to persuade Godzilla and Rodan to put aside their petty differences and convince them to fight King Ghidorah. The most enjoyable aspect of this film is the dynamic between these three monsters: Godzilla and Rodan are two squabbling children, while Mothra is the adult in the room, desperately trying to bring order to the proceedings. There is also an interesting subplot about a princess who survives a plane explosion, loses her memory, and now claims to be a Venusian (a Martian in the American edit). She also has the power of prophecy, as she accurately predicts that arrivals of Godzilla, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. It should be noted that this character is portrayed by Akiko Wakabayashi, who was one of my first cinematic crushes (I was seven years old when I first saw this movie).  It also features my favorite Godzilla leading lady, Yuriko Hoshi, who plays the persistent reporter, Naoko Shindo.  She also starred in Mothra vs. Godzilla, and has a supporting role in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. 

5.  Shin Godzilla (2016)
Director: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi.
The biggest threat in Shin Godzilla is not the Giant Lizard with the atomic breath, but rather a bungling, ineffective government. While Godzilla is rampaging through Japan, the government is too busy forming committees (and subcommittees) to figure out what to do. The Prime Minister is more concerned about his image than he is about the immediate threat of Godzilla. He just doesn't want to make any difficult decisions - to the movie's credit, he is not presented as a villain but, rather as a man who is in over his head. It's also one of the rare films in the series that manages to make Godzilla scary - he goes through three different evolutionary stages throughout the film: he starts off as a sea creature, then crawls onto land, and then evolves into a biped; thus, making him an even bigger threat to Japan. 

6.  Return of Godzilla (1984)
Director: Koji Hashimoto
My review of this movie. The only thing I will add is that this features my all-time favorite version of Godzilla.  

7.   Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)
Director: Yoshimitsu Banno
No words can do justice to the insanity that is Godzilla vs. Hedorah. It is an arthouse movie masquerading as a Godzilla film. It is also one of the more interesting Godzilla movies, because you just never know what it is going to throw at you.  For instance, there is a scene where a bunch of Japanese hippies are having a bonfire in a field, it starts off in black and white, but then the leader of the group, Yukio, strikes a chord on his guitar and the film turns to color.  This also coincides with him telling his peers to "brighten up." The hippies then start dancing while a bunch of vagrants watch them from afar.  What does this have to do with Godzilla? Nothing! But it's still a striking scene, nonetheless.  It also has an annoyingly catchy theme song, "Save the Earth."  Hedorah is a giant sludge monster that feeds off pollution and sprays a toxic mist that dissolves everything in its path.  

8.   Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)
Director: Takao Okawara
This was the final film of the Heisei Era and it is one of the best. It also ups the stakes by revealing that Godzilla's heart, which acts as a nuclear reactor, is on the verge of a meltdown and if not stopped will result in the complete destruction of Earth.  If that isn't bad enough, a new monster, Destoroyah, has emerged to terrorize Japan. In a nice call back to the original film: it turns out that Destoroyah is a product of Dr. Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer.  This also allows for a welcomed cameo by Momoko Kochi, the star of the original movie, who reprises her role of Emiko Yamane. 

9.   Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
Director: Ishiro Honda 
The first of many films that would pair up Mothra and Godzilla. However, their relationship is entirely antagonistic. It was also the film that shifted Godzilla from being a metaphor for the bomb to being a force of nature; all the damage that he causes is more incidental than out of malice. It also this depiction of Godzilla that made his rehabilitation to defender of Japan possible. I also should give a shout out to actors Akira Takarada and Kenji Sahara, both of whom were staples in the Godzilla franchise.  

10.  Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
Director: Kazuki Omori 
I already covered this movie in an earlier post. It's a movie that has grown on me considerably over the years. It was initially one of my least favorite Gozilla movies and now it has entered into the top 10 category. The premise (people travel back in time to prevent Godzilla's creation) is filled with contradictions yet is never boring. It's also interesting that Godzilla Minus One directly lifts a scene from this movie: a Japanese garrison, during World War II, encountering Godzilla on Ido Island before he has been mutated by the H-bomb.  

11.  Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
Director: Ishiro Honda
The most interesting aspect of this movie is not Godzilla nor Mechagodzilla, but the character of Katsura Mafune (the lovely Tomoko Ai), a cybernetic human, who is torn between obeying her father, a bitter scientist, or following her heart and helping out Akira, her love interest. Dr. Mafune, bitter that his scientific theories were rejected, has created a monster of his own, Titanosaurus, and teamed up with space aliens, who are hell bent on taking over the world. This was the last movie of the Showa Era and it wouldn't be until 1984 that Toho Studios would revive the Godzilla franchise. 

12. Invasion of Astro Monster (1965)
Director: Ishiro Honda
This was the first film in the series to introduce sinister space aliens into the mix. The space aliens are the Xiliens, who trick the Earth into giving them Godzilla and Rodan under the ruse to defeat King Ghidorah (Monster X, as they call him). The Xiliens then weaponize these three monsters (with a mind control device) and have them attack Japan. Now, it is up to astronauts Glenn and Fuji to stop them. The script is filled with plot holes and the character of Miss Namikawa (Glenn's love interest and an Xilien) is underdeveloped, but it's still a fun entry in the series. Plus, Nick Adams and Akira Takarada are a great double act. 

13. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)\
Director: Masaaki Tezuka 
In the Showa Era, Mechagodzilla was a weapon created by space aliens to aid them in their quest at world domination. In the Heisei and Millenium Era, Mechagodzilla is created by the JSDF to help them in their fight against Godzilla. In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, the task of piloting Mechagodzilla is given to Akana Yashiro (Yumiko Shaku), a woman who is still haunted by a mistake she made in her past, which resulted in the death of her commanding officer and a few soldiers. It is a pretty routine Godzilla movie, but it does a get a great boost from Shaku; Akana Yashiro is one of the series strongest protagonists. 

14. Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956)
Director: Ishiro Honda, Terry Morse
This is the Americanized version of the original Godzilla. Over forty minutes of footage was removed from the original and new scenes were filmed with Raymond Burr as the reporter, Steve Martin. Surprisingly, the scenes with Raymond Burr work well (at least on a first time viewing). They give the movie a documentary-like feel and Burr gives a fairly strong performance (given the circumstance surrounding the filming).  Oddly enough, it was this version that was responsible for making Godzilla an international icon. It's definitely not as good as Ishiro Honda's original film, but it is an acceptable B-movie. 

15. Godzilla (2014)
Director: Gareth Edwards
The first of the American movies to make my list. Gareth Edwards' dour blockbuster is a well-made movie and does contain some exciting set pieces, but it also kills off the most interesting character early on; and leaves us with a bland protagonist (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson). 

16. Destroy All Monsters (1968)
Director: Ishiro Honda
There are fans who will probably place this film higher on the list - it is a pretty entertaining monster mash. There really isn't much that can be say about this movie - it is what it is.  My favorite part is when the head space alien gloats that the Earth monsters cannot possibly beat King Ghidorah because "he is a space monster." Ignoring the fact, the Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra have already beaten King Ghidorah, twice. 

17. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
Director: Jun Fukuda 
Godzilla and giant dog-like creature, King Seeser team up to beat Godzilla's mechanical doppelganger.  There are the usual space aliens thrown in for good measure; the aliens in this creature are green faced simian-like beings who disguise themselves as humans. There is even a catchy musical number during the movie's climax.  

18.  Godzilla 2000 (1999)
Director: Takao Okawara
I'm a little biased towards this one - it was the first Japanese Godzilla movie I saw theatrically. I also saw for free; I was working at the movie theatre when it came out. It's also one of the rare instances where the English dub is more entertaining the Japanese originals, thanks to all the ridiculous lines thrown in by the dubbing team. In one scene, a newspaper editor shouts, "Great Caesar's Ghost" as a UFO flies over his building. 

19.  Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
Director: Jun Fukuda 
This was actually the first Godzilla movie I ever saw; at the tender age of seven. Four men are stranded on an island, only to find that it is inhabited by the Red Bamboo, a terrorist organization; a giant lobster-like creature, Ebirah; and a slumbering Godzilla. They realize the only chance they have to escape the Red Bamboo (and the island) is to awaken Godzilla. Mothra also appears at the movie's end to help save the day.  Oh, the lovely Kumi Mizuno also co-stars as the native girl, Daiyo. It's an agreeable hour and half, and infinitely better than the Roland Emmerich atrocity. 

20. Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
Director: Kazuki Omori
The most notable thing about Godzilla vs. Biollante is that it marks the first appearance of the character, Miki Saegusa (the lovable Megumi Odaka), who was a fixture during the Heisei Era (she appeared in six movies).  Biollante is a giant plant that is made out of Godzilla cells and the cells of Erika, the deceased daughter of Dr. Shiragami. It is a well-made follow up to Return of Godzilla, but it's also pretty depressing.  That's the only reason why I don't rank it higher. 

      The rest of the list is interchangeable; the rankings are based on my current mood. The only exception to this is Roland Emmerich's Godzilla, which is the absolute worst. It is more of Jurassic Park rip-off then it is a Godzilla movie.  All Monsters Attack is pretty bad, but it is entertaining if you catch it in the right frame of mind - think of it as a precursor to Home Alone. Godzilla vs. Megalon is often considered the nadir of the series, but there a few amusing moments scattered throughout.  

21. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
Director: Takao Okawara
This entry not only brought back Mechagodzilla, but Rodan and Baby Godzilla, as well. In the three previous Heisei films Godzilla was more of a villain; in this film, he is much more sympathetic. 

22. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024
Director: Adam Wingard
One of the dumbest movies ever made. But I have a soft spot for dumb monster movies. It does do a good job of expanding the Monster verse. My main gripe: it needed more Godzilla. 

23. Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Director: Adam Wingard 
See the previous entry. 

24. Son of Godzilla (1967)
Director: Jun Fukuda 
It is a lesser entry, but they are a few impressive special effects, most notably the giant mantises and the giant spider, Kumonga. Though, it features my least favorite Godzilla (he looks like a giant frog) and Godzilla's son, Minilla, is poorly realized.

25. Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003)
Director: Masaaki Tezuka 
This was the follow up to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla. Its biggest crime is that is relegates the star of the previous movie, Yumiko Shaku, to a cameo. Though, it is interesting to see Hiroshi Koizumi reprise the character of Dr. Shin'ichi Chujo; the role played in the original Mothra. 

26. Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
Director: Kensho Yamashita
Godzilla fights an evil doppelganger from outer space. It's not as bad as its reputation suggests, but it is about twenty minutes too long. 

27. Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
Director: Jun Fukuda
The most noteworthy thing about Godzilla vs. Gigan is Yuriko Hishimi as Tomoko, the kick ass girlfriend of the main character, Gengo.  She is also criminally under used. Still, the interactions between Tomoko and Gengo are the bright spots of this derivative thriller. This was also when Toho was beginning to cut corners - a good chunk of the fight scenes consists of footage lifted from earlier films; most notably, Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster. 

28. Godzilla and Mothra:The Battle for Earth (1992)
Director: Takao Okawara 
Mothra's evil twin, Battra, is pretty cool, but it's basically a remake of the superior Mothra vs. Godzilla. 

29. Godzilla, King of the Monsters (2019)
Director: Michael Dougherty 
The monster scenes are good, but the annoying family drama gets in the way.  Also, the filmmakers misbegotten attempt at making a sociopath, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Fermiga), into a flawed hero is a bit disturbing. "Sure, her actions resulted in the death of billions, but her intentions were good." 

30. Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)
Director: Masaaki Tezuka 
Godzilla fights a giant insect from another dimension. I've seen this movie multiple times and still don't remember much about it. 

31. King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963)
Director: Ishiro Honda
When I was eight years old, this was the greatest movie ever made. It's still pretty amusing, even if the Kong suit is atrocious. 

32. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Director: Motoyoshi Oda 
This was the first Godzilla to pair him up with another monster, Anguirus. Other than that, it is forgettable entry. 

33. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
Director: Jun Fukuda
Megalon is a giant cockroach that is sent by an underground civilization to conquer the upper surface. Godzilla teams up with a robot, Jet Jaguar, to fight Megalon and special guest star, Gigan. It suffers by having one of the most annoying protagonists in the series, a little boy named Rokuro. It's also doesn't help that a good chunk of the footage is lifted from other movies. Though, Jet Jaguar does have a kick ass theme song.

34.  Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura 
There are fans that will probably rank this one higher. I'm not a huge fan, because not only is it too long but it is pretty obnoxious at times.  

35. All Monsters Attack (1969)
Director: Ishiro Honda
One of the most hated entries in the series, largely because all of the Godzilla scenes are relegated to dream sequences. A lonely latch key kid, Ichiro, escapes the harsh realities of life by day dreaming about visiting Monster Island, and befriending Godzilla's son, Minilla. He also learns how to stand up to bullies. This was produced on the cheap: most of Godzilla's scenes were lifted from previous movies. Still, it's an inoffensive film that might appeal to children

36. Godzilla (1998)
Director: Roland Emmerich One of the most obnoxious movies ever made! The movie was made to capitalize off the success of Jurassic Park, and blatantly plagiarizes scenes from Spielberg's superior thriller. I also can't stand the duo of Roland Emmerich/Dean Devlin. 

The Wonderful World of Godzilla

My first exposure to Godzilla is directly linked to the family’s first VCR; in 1985 my dad finally broke down, drove the family to Sears, and bought a VCR for the THEN low price of $400. It served its function rather usefully and lasted well into the 90s.  Well, owning a VCR is pointless if you don’t have anything to watch on it, so the next day the old man drove to K-Mart (this was before the coming of Wal-Mart) and picked up a few video cassettes, one of which was Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.  He bought if for two reasons:

1)      He was a fan of old monster films, especially 50s sci-fi like Them and The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.

2)      It was a relatively cheap video. This provides some context; it was relative cheap for 1985.  When most videos by major labels (MGM, Fox, etc.) ran anywhere from $14.99 to $39.99, my bought these videos for the reasonably low price of $9.99. Of course, there was a reason for that: these videos were of extremely poor quality. The print of Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (which I still have) was especially poor, as the pan and scanning was inept, while the picture and audio were subpar.

However, at the age of six I was not aware of such things and the video’s cover (a drawing of a Giant Dinosaur and Giant Lobster duking it out in the ocean) drew my interest and I anxiously inserted the video in the VCR, not knowing what to expect. I was completely enamored! It was like nothing I had ever seen before; not only was a giant dinosaur and lobster in it, but a giant Moth as well. On top of that, none of the characters voices matched their lips! It was a truly, life changing moment. I have been hooked ever since.  As the months progressed (and to my utter joy) my dad picked up even more Godzilla titles:  Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster(the video title is spelled Ghidrah, but was later corrected for DVD) , Godzilla vs. Megalon, King Kong vs. Godzilla, as well as Mothra and Rodan. My favorite film out of the bunch was (and still is) Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster, mainly because it had four very cool monsters in it, especially three headed space monster Ghidorah.  As soon I was given an allowance, I would save up my money and spend it on whatever Godzilla film was available. This was during the time when owning the movie was enough; nowadays people tend to be disappointed if the DVD isn’t loaded with special features.  How many times are you going to watch a making of featurette anyways?

Coincidentally, the local station channel 18 (or Super 18) would often air Godzilla movies on Saturday afternoon (as opposed to infomercials). I would often to check the local listings to see if a Godzilla movie was playing and if there was I would drop everything I was doing, fire up the VCR, and watch the latest Godzilla masterpiece. I recorded not one, but two Godzilla films on the very same VHS tape: Godzilla vs. The Monster Zero (aka: Invasion of the Astro Monster) and The Terror of MechaGodzilla.  I watched these films over and over again that I finally wore out the VHS cassette. That’s how much I loved these films!

The Lincoln Elementary School library actually had a book about Godzilla (as well as other famous screen monsters) that I would check out on a repeated basis. It may have been my favorite book at the age of six.  There is a photo in the book that stills stands out in my mind - special effects maestro, Eiji Tsuburaya, directing the actor (Haruo Nakajima) in the Godzilla costume. The book itself was more or less about this history of Godzilla (up until 1985) and was filled with black and white photos.

The most surprising thing about Godzilla is just how well the whole “actor in the suit” works. The experience I have with Godzilla films is that at first glance the suit elicits a few laughs, but as the film progresses, the audience starts to think of Godzilla as less as “an actor in the suit” and more as an actual character in the movie. The same applies to the original King Kong, the special effect is crude, but you eventually learn to accept Kong as a character.  There have been many CGI spectacles of the last decades, but most them have been forgotten, whereas Godzilla is just as popular now, if not more so, than he was nearly sixty years ago when he made his screen debut. What make Godzilla so unique is the way he has evolved throughout the course of the decade; in the 50s he was a physical manifestation of the atomic bomb, in the 60s he went from being a unintentional villain to a defender of the planet Earth, and by the 70s he had mellowed to the point that he became a beloved figure amongst the people of earth. Godzilla went through many face lifts and personality changes, but the one consistent was that he was an unstoppable force of nature and was not something to trifle with. It didn’t matter what obstacles were thrown his way, be they giant cockroaches, MechaGodzillas, or literally a giant walking pile of shit, because at the end of the day Godzilla would be the triumphant one. These villains would give him their best shot, but it was never good enough.  Godzilla is on par with Doctor Who in that he has been given many face lifts and personality changes, yet there are enough consistencies in the character to believe that one is the continuation of the other.

Many Godzilla fans tend to look down at the “kid friendly” Godzilla films of the late 1960s and 1970s, because they view it as a complete bastardization of the character. However, the “serious” Godzilla and the “kid friendly” Godzilla are not at odds as most fans would have you believe. In the original Godzilla was not only a physical manifestation of the nuclear bomb, but a victim of mankind’s reckless ambition as well. He wasn’t so much a villain as he was a lost soul doomed to wander the Earth. Unfortunately, he is extremely big and tends to level cities while doing his wandering. This point is apparent in Mothra vs. Godzilla where Godzilla’s destruction is depicted as being more incidental than willful; at one point in the film he stumbles on a cityscape and knocks over a tower in the process. In the later films of the sixties, Godzilla is not as big of a threat to mankind, but he’s not necessarily its ally either. He’s not so much as protecting mankind as he is defending his own territory from intruders. Often, like in Son of Godzilla, he is completely indifferent to the plight of the human protagonists and if he does save them, it is usually in an indirect manner.  In Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, he proves as much a threat to the heroes as he does a savior; he destroys the giant lobster Ebirah and the villain’s base, but he nearly endangers the heroes escape from the island when he tries to engage Mothra in a battle. Luckily for the heroes (who are being carried by Mothra in a basket) Mothra flies by Godzilla unscathed and delivers them to safety.  If Godzilla chooses to team up with mankind, then it’s usually because it’s in his best interest to do so, not because he’s a benevolent savior.

The other complaint is how the later films became infected with camp humor, for instance in Invasion of the Astro Monster, Godzilla does a little jig after defeating Ghidorah on Planet X. Or most famously, he uses his radioactive breath as a rocket and takes off flying so he can catch the fleeing Hedorah in Godzilla vs. Hedorah. They claim these kinds of actions are out of character for Godzilla.  This certainly applies to the Godzilla of the 50s. If there was a scene in the original Godzilla in which he stopped his rampaging and proceeded to do a jig, it would definitely lead to a lot of head scratching from the audience. 

However, these silly moments are definitely within the spirit of the Toho films produced in the sixties and seventies. The original Godzilla is grounded in reality, its set in the real world…OUR WORLD…where the threat of nuclear war is very much a reality. It has a very stark, often documentary look to it, especially the scenes that show the aftermath of Godzilla’s attack on Tokyo, these are scenes that could have easily been lifted out of newsreel footage of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Godzilla’s rampage is depicted in a very realistic, uncompromising manner; we see countless civilians killed onscreen. In one memorable moment, we are shown a shot of a young mother cradling her two children and comforting them by saying, “Soon we’ll be reunited with dad,” implying that their father was a victim of World War II. The original Godzilla was made just nine years after the events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, so it is given that the citizens of Japan both in real life and the movies were still haunted by the bombings and the war in general. There’s a brief scene in a subway where a computer groans about having to take refuge in a shelter again, referencing America’s firebombing of Japan towards the end of the war.

The original Godzilla is ingrained in reality, whereas the countless sequels are fantasies set in a world where the appearance of a giant monster is an everyday occurrence, rather than a world shattering event.  The original Godzilla had no clear cut villain, while in the sequels the antagonists wear their villainy on their sleeves. In Invasion of the Astro Monster, we know the inhabitants of Planet X are evil, thanks to a not so subtle shot of them laughing as astronauts Glenn and Fuji take off. In the original Godzilla we are shown countless civilian casualties as Godzilla rampages through the city; in the sequels no innocent civilian ever seems to get harmed.  The only onscreen deaths we are shown are the villains getting their come up pence.  In Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster, Ghidorah starts an avalanche by shooting bolt of lightning from his mouth, which in turn crushes the car that happens to be carrying the film’s villains. In Mothra vs. Godzilla, the greedy Torahata is crushed to death by falling debris, caused Godzilla’s tail smashing against the hotel he happens to be staying in. The protagonists are either out of harm’s way, or they survive the ordeal with only a few scratches.

It is often claim that Godzilla’s foray into camp is what killed the original series; however, I think this can be more attributed to changing tides in cinema.  The 1970s saw the rise of the blockbuster and the multiplex, while many drive ins (Godzilla primary audience) were being closed down. Secondly, with the release of Jaws and then Star Wars, Americans (and world audiences) expected much more sophistication out of their special effects that the Godzilla films could never hope to offer.  The fact is that even if the Godzilla films of the seventies were played in a straight manner, they still didn’t stand a chance against the big budget juggernauts that were dominating the cinemas.  After the seventies, only two Godzilla film would be released in American theatrically, Godzilla 1985 and Godzilla 2000, the rest would be released direct to video. 

I think the best way to come to grips with the Godzilla series is by thinking of the first film as a standalone film and the other films, not as sequels, but as spin offs. This isn’t entirely off base, considering that Godzilla was killed off at the end of the original film. The second film, Godzilla Raids Again, was made to cash in on the success of the first film.  It introduced a new Godzilla, as well as Anguirus, who despite having a back covered in spikes was rather inefficient in battle.
It is the Godzilla in this film that would continue to wreak havoc on Japan (and New York in Destroy All Monsters) for the next forty years.

The five things this film have in common (other than Godzilla) is that they were directed by Ishiro Honda, who was easily the best director in the series.  Honda’s films are interesting, because they usually have an emotional center to them. As a kid, I often fast forwarded through the human scenes and went straight to the great monster brawls that were scattered throughout the film, but as an adult, I tend to find the human scenes more interesting than any of Godzilla’s antics.  A theme that emerges in Honda’s Godzilla films is mankind duty to one another; that mankind must overcome their petty squabbles and work towards building a more peaceful world. There is scene in Mothra vs. Godzilla, in which the three protagonists (reporter Ichiro, photographer Junko, and Professor Miura) are sent to Infant Island to persuade the habitants to let Mothra fight Godzilla. They are met with great hostility by the natives, who view Godzilla’s destruction of Japan as the will of God. The protagonists are about ready to call it quits, when Junko stops forward and pleads for the natives to change their mind:

Please listen, we all understand. But do not blame every one of us of what has happened. The monster is killing everyone. The good are being killed, as well as the evil. Are you going to let innocent men die alongside guilty men? You have no right to decide that, that right is sacred. My friends and I appeal to you with the utmost humility. Our people are unable to stop Godzilla. We truly like to help you, but we need your help first. Refuse us then, and everyone will die!

Then Ichiro chides in with:

Just as you distrust as, then we distrust others we well. What's wrong? We're all human. As humans we are responsible for each other, we're related. Refuse us then you'll abandon your brothers. We must learn to help each other. 

Despite its preaching, it’s a surprisingly effective scene, especially in the Japanese version where the acting is far more restrained, as opposed to the over-the-top dubbing in the American version. In Ghidorah, the Three Head Monster this theme gets extended to the monster as well, when Mothra tries to persuade Rodan and Godzilla to stop their petty fighting and join forces, so they can stop Ghidorah from destroying the Earth.  Godzilla and Rodan are reluctant at first, but eventually put aside their differences and fight Ghidorah.

Ishiro Honda’s films are always worth a look, because not only are they interesting thematically, but absolutely beautiful to look at. His Godzilla films of the 60s are filled with colorful sets, beautiful cinematography, and wonderfully detailed models, but most importantly you often cared about the characters that populated his films.  He’s probably the only Godzilla director that gave his characters little moments that endured them to the audience (e.g. Shindo and Naoko teasing each other at the dinner table). They don’t necessarily advance the storyline, but it helps make the characters more relatable to the audience.

The most surprising (and most overlooked) aspect of Godzilla films is the role women play in them; they are often the driving force in the story or played a pivotal role in the saving the world. My favorite “Godzilla” actress is Yuriko Hoshi, who played Junko in Mothra vs. Godzilla and the journalist Naoko in Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster. The thing I like about her characters in both films is that despite getting involved in extraordinary circumstances, they always remain calm, even in the face of danger.  Junko is given a nice character arc from being a slightly inept assistant to being the voice of reason at the film’s most pivotal moment, and Hoshi sells this nicely by never overselling her role. It’s a nice restrained performance that is at odds with the goofy voice assigned to her character in the dubbed American version. In Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster, Naoko proves to be a most competent journalist, who’s able to locate Princess Salno before her brother Shindo, who’s a detective. 

In Terror of MechaGodzilla, the story is driven by the cyborg Katsura, who is torn between her loyalty to her mad scientist dad (Dr. Mafune) and her love for marine biologist Ichinose, who offers her a world of love and hope. In the end, Katsura sacrifices herself for the greater good of humanity. Earlier, in the film it is revealed she died in a lab accident but was brought back to the life by the advanced technology of an alien race. Later in the film, she is killed again and is once again given life by the alien’s technology, but with a catch, they have placed MechaGodzilla’s controls inside Katsura’s body. In the end, while Ichinose is cradling her in his arms, assuring her that everything will be alright, she shoots herself with an alien gun, which severs the power to MechaGodzilla. Oddly, enough this pivotal scene was actually cut from the video release of Terror of MechaGodzilla. In this version, we see Ichinose comforting Katsura and then it abruptly cuts to Godzilla taking out MechaGodzilla.  This is a pivotal part of the film and Katsura’s character arc, yet the America distributors felt the film could do without it; hence it ends in a jarring, nonsensical manner.

My favorite female in the series is Tomoko in Godzilla vs. Gigan; it’s easily one of the worst films in the Godzilla series, but it’s worth seeing just for the interaction between Tomoko and the film’s protagonist Gengo, a comic book artist. Essentially, their relationship boils down to this: he’s the brains of the operation and she is the muscle. It is established early on that she has a black belt in karate and we get to see her use these skills throughout the course of the film, in one scene she beats the crap out of two guards who are about to kill a scientist they have taken prisoners. My favorite bit in the film is when Gengo and Tomoko are running up a flight of stairs; Gengo runs out of breath and collapses, saying, “I can’t go on.” Tomoko grabs him and then shames him by asking, “Are you a man?”  It’s certainly one of the more enjoyable aspects in this otherwise dreadful film.

Godzilla films are ridiculous, WONDERFULLY RIDICULOUS, pieces of cinema. They entertain on many different levels:  some people might laugh at the bad dubbing and the guy in the rubber suit, while others might enjoy the story that is being told and genuinely like the characters onscreen.  However, this most often misunderstood aspect of special effects is that, “they are supposed to be realistic.” The function of special effects is to advance the storyline and people may laugh at the “man in the subber suit” gimmick, but it has been effective enough to spawn a pop culture phenomenon that has lasted nearly sixty years.  The America remake of  Godzilla had superior effects, but is essentially just another mediocre summer blockbuster, indistinguishable from the rest, whereas the old Godzilla films are hard to forget.