MovieChat Forums > Gojira (2004) Discussion > Your top 5 G films other than the origin...

Your top 5 G films other than the original

posted 10 years ago by electric_pet_mice
22 replies | jump to latest

Here are mine:

1. Godzilla 2000- imo, the one G-film that got everything right: balancing out the human and monster parts, the sci-fi element well woven in, Godzilla in character ("apocalyptic destroyer or anti-hero savior?")

2. Godzilla vs. Biollante - Unique tone, underrated.

3. Godzilla vs. Monster Zero - A campy sci-fi classic; the most enjoyable of the original classic series overall.

4. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) - Wonderfully ridiculous.

5. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah - Poignant.

[–] DeathShrike 10 years ago

1. Godzilla (2014)
2. Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monster All-Out Attack
3. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
4. King Kong vs. Godzilla
5. Godzilla vs Hedorah

The original remains the best, but the recent American version is almost as excellent.

[–] electric_pet_mice 10 years ago

Personally I didn't like the 2014 film. Many people will justify it in their own way, but I had 2 fundamental problems with it: it was tonally inconsistent (it made you believe it was a serious and realistic film in the beginning, then it goes all campy on you), and the movie was just not about Godzilla himself, who was just used as a plot device than the star.

[–] DeathShrike 10 years ago

I didn't find the recent film campy in the slightest, and the original Godzilla is not "about" Godzilla either. Only the stupidest films in the series feature Godzilla as one of the ACTUAL main characters. The ones aimed at children.

[–] electric_pet_mice 10 years ago

It's true it was not really about Godzilla in the literal sense, but what Godzilla was being represented as was still the purpose of the whole film. The people in the film suffer directly from him. Still, being that it is aesthetically different than the series that it spawned, it's why I excluded it for this thread.

With the 2014 film, I wasn't in a sense of awe, wonder, or terror for Godzilla when he finally appeared. The problem I had was, the MUTO had all the compelling buildup and backstory while Godzilla did not. He had no connection and direct impact to the characters, thus I wasn't compelled to fear him or cheer him on. Personally, I think it would've worked best if this new Godzilla had the established spotlight for this movie, then the MUTO could be introduced in a sequel. That's just me.

It's universal knowledge (at least for G fans) that the late 60's to mid 70's was an era when Toho's budgets were very low and shifted G's focus more towards children. They're still films, however, who know what they are: they're hastily made and tonally silly and juvenile. But since they're aimed at children, the films are used as very subtle (albeit drawn-out) teaching metaphors of Japanese philosophy and nationalism (like working together to achieve a common goal, fulfilling your duty, and protecting your homeland). In fact, if you closer analyze Japanese media, these themes are quite prevalent.

With that said, these subjectively-bad movies at least know what they're trying to be. Godzilla vs. Megalon was a terrible movie, but at least it "knows" it! :P

[–] Horror_Metal 10 years ago

1. King Kong vs. Godzilla
2. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
3. Godzilla vs. Mothra
4. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
5. Destroy All Monsters

Horror_Metal

[–] dalldorfw 10 years ago

Godzilla vs Hedorah
Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (My first!)
Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla vs. King Kong
Godzilla vs. Megagodzilla

[–] Sir_Reginald_Trollington_III 10 years ago

1. Godzilla vs Mothra(1964)

2. Godzilla GMK (2001)

3. Godzilla (2014)

4. Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991)

5. Godzilla vs Biollante (1989) /Godzilla (1985) They tie for me!

[–] agentdc7 10 years ago

No particular order.

Godzilla vs. Biollante - Unique, great cinematography, cool soundtrack, cool G-suit.

King Kong vs. Godzilla - Silly concept, but a well balanced film. One of my first.

Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla 1974 - Well made, great soundtrack and fight scenes. It balanced a more serious tone with silliness very well.

Godzilla X Mechagodzilla + Tokyo SOS (They kind of go together) - Great fight scenes and it has a lot of little details. Kiryu is a well designed Mechagodzilla.

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah - Despite the ridiculous time travel plot holes, it has the cool factor in it. Godzilla looks extremely mean and threatening and has some awesome fight scenes.

[–] yarmen12 10 years ago

also in no order:

Godzilla Raids again )suck it up(

Godzilla X MechaGodzilla

Godzilla All Monsters attack (if this isn't on your list I worry about you)

Godzilla Final Wars...ehhh...it did have a bit of a 'power rangers' feel to it but it wins a place because the suped up version of Gigan they did was F'CKIN IMMENSE

[–] yarmen12 10 years ago

also in no order:

Godzilla Raids again )suck it up(

Godzilla X MechaGodzilla

Godzilla All Monsters attack (if this isn't on your list I worry about you)

Godzilla vs Destoroyah (that's how I spell it)

Godzilla Final Wars...ehhh...it did have a bit of a 'power rangers' feel to it but it wins a place because the suped up version of Gigan they did was IMMENSE

[–] Shadow-345 9 years ago

1. Godzilla: Final Wars
2. Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack
3. Invasion of Astro Monster
4. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
5. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah

[–] kingofthemonsters1995 9 years ago

1. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) - Now, this isn't the most stellar entry in the series, but it's always been my favorite. Why? The monsters are all incredible. Godzilla, BabyGodzilla, and Mechagodzilla look both awesome and realistic, while the Rodan puppet looks great but is not very well executed when moving. The dynamic between Azusa and Baby is really touching and their farewell at the end brings tears to my eyes. Throw in the long and flashy final battle and the powerful Akira Ifukube score, and you have my favorite Godzilla movie.

2. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) - This film is just a very good movie in general, with a great plot, strong acting, and powerful dialogue. The Godzilla suit is impressive, as it appears powerful, menacing, yet not too vicious or terrifying. The Mothra puppet manages to look absolutely incredible and move realistically, and to me looks even better than the Heisei puppet. The musical score is stellar, and the overall atmosphere and meaning behind the film make it a solid film in general, and an excellent Godzilla film.

3. GMK (2001) - GMK is just aesthetically awesome, with its ambitious and flashy effects, great redesigns for the monsters, very physical battles, and great techno-orchestral hybrid score. The human characters are pretty interesting and dynamic, and the story of the film actually has some powerful allegorical elements.

4. Godzilla vs. Biollante - Biollante is one of my favorite monsters, and her brief appearances in this film are mesmerizing. The Biollante prop used for the final battle stands out as one of the most incredible practical effects I have ever seen. The atmosphere of the film remains somewhat dark and serious, and raises serious issues about the ethics of science, genetic engineering, and the political struggle between nations to use science to produce superior weapons. The movie has a bit of a cheese factor in some scenes, but they serve as good comic relief for me compared to the gritty bulk of the film. Koichi Sugiyama's score is great and very unique among kaiju films, and his use of some Akira Ifukube cues is a nice bonus.

5. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) - This movie is so fun to watch, and that alone is enough to put it in my top five. The monster battles are physical and brutal, the characters are colorful and entertaining, and the music is pleasant and exciting. Mechagodzilla is my favorite monster besides Godzilla, and his film debut stands out as one of my top five favorite entries in the franchise.

Honorable Mentions: Invasion of the Astro-Monster (1965), Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), Godzilla (2014), Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), and Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966)

[–] EpsilonX 9 years ago

Keep in mind, I haven't seen every single one, so i'll likely update this list (if I don't completely forget about it, that is)

1. Godzilla 2014 - hard to explain this one really. The fact that it's American makes it easier to get into, plus it combines a lot of elements I like into this film.
2. Godzilla 2000 - my favorite Godzilla suit, and I like the actual plot - one of the few films where i'm not just waiting for the monster brawl.
3. Mothra vs Godzilla - probably the best example of classic vs Godzilla
4. Final Wars - between the x-men esque human plot and the over the top monster fights, this movie is simply a whole lot of fun
5. Godzilla Raids Again - another hard to explain one. It keeps some of the atmosphere of the original, while adding a bit more of a fun factor with the monster battle. I also like how primal the battle is, some of the later ones turned into pro wrestling (not that that's not cool in its own right)