Godzilla started as a movie designed to warn about the dangers of atomic war, and was eventually used by Toho Studios to bring attention to issues that are important to the Earth’s environment. Down through the years Godzilla movies have used pollution, cultural ignorance and war as the themes through which the 400-foot tall monster has trampled over the world.
The first Godzilla movie was released in Japan in 1954, and a version for the United States starring Raymond Burr was released in 1956. Since then Godzilla has gone on to battle all kinds of monsters, and he was even featured in the long-running Japanese children’s show “Ultra Man.” To Godzilla fans it can be difficult to rank the movies, but here is a list of the five best Godzilla movies ever made.
5) Godzilla vs Mecha-Godzilla (1974)
Mecha-Godzilla would turn up in five movies from the Godzilla series, but his first appearance in 1974 stands as the best. The first time we see Mecha-Godzilla shed his fake skin and reveal the metal coating underneath is worth the price of admission on this movie alone.
This is also the movie where we are introduced to King Seesar, whom we see again in The Final Wars. This movie continued a trend started by the previous movies that had Godzilla fighting the climatic battle in an open field instead of in the middle of a city.
4) King Kong vs Godzilla (1962)
This is the movie that made Godzilla an international star. King Kong was already an established Hollywood monster, and battling Kong on the big screen brought Godzilla to an entirely new audience.
The movie itself is campy and almost comedic in parts. There are fight scenes where it looks like two paper dolls on sticks. You need to put aside the awkwardness of the Japanese island natives and set aside the really bad dialogue to get to the good parts in this movie. You also need to forget that Godzilla is supposed to be 400 feet tall and King Kong tops out at maybe 100 feet.
But this is the movie that brought Godzilla to the world and made him a hit in the United States, so it needs to be on any Godzilla movie list.
3) Godzilla 1985 (1985)
Godzilla 1985 is the first of the three re-boots in the Godzilla series. It re-establishes the king of the monsters after a 10 year absence. The series had become way too campy, and fans were staying away. Toho decided to put the big guy on ice, and re-introduced him in 1985.
This movie is significant because it brings back the slow moving, impossible to stop and completely terrifying Godzilla that had been introduced in 1954. The days of running Godzilla, Godzilla using his laser breath to fly with his tail and Godzilla slapping his head like Curly from the Three Stooges were over.
2) Godzilla 2000: Millenium (2000)
There have been several Godzilla movies throughout the years that have seen various entities take samples of Godzilla and create a new monster. The end result is always the same; there is no beating the original. In Godzilla 2000: Millenium, an alien craft comes to Earth looking specifically for Godzilla to steal his cells and become immortal.
This is one of the truly great science fiction movies of all time. The drama and tension are expertly built up until the final battle. Godzilla looks to be outmatched but, any Godzilla fan knows, that is never the case. This is just a good movie all around, and it would be enjoyed by any fan of the science fiction genre.
1) Godzilla (1954)
This is the original Japanese version that many American fans have never seen. The message in this movie is blatant and sometimes uncomfortable. The Japanese are seen debating who is to blame for atomic war and how Japan is still vulnerable to attack. The dialogue is uncomfortable, but extremely well written.
The movie itself looks like the classic horror movie that it is. The scene that first introduces Godzilla up close and personal over the side of a mountain would stand up today against any horror scene in any movie. This movie set the precedent for all atomic movies that were made in the 1950’s, and not one of those movies was ever able to measure up to the original Godzilla.
“Internet Movie Database,” IMDB.com
“The Complete List of Godzilla Movies” Listology.com
