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)
reply
share