Yeah, this one is definitely not a good introduction to the series. It's very, very different than any of the other films. Fans tend to agree that, yeah, there's hardly enough monster action in it to justify calling it a Godzilla film.
As for recommendations... well, Godzilla films have been made for so long, and they're all so different, so how about a recommended film from each decade? =P
From the 50's... of course, the original Godzilla (1954). A genre-defining horror classic, with a deeply self-reflective message.
From the 60's... if it's monsters you're after, then Destroy All Monsters (1968) has what you're looking for; eleven monsters, in total! And unlike Final Wars, it definitely delivers on what it promises, old-school special effects and all. However, if you'd prefer a good and engaging story, then either Mothra vs Godzilla (1964) or Monster Zero (1965).
From the 70's... Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla (1974). This one is a lot of fun, has an awesome jazzy soundtrack, and tends to be a fan favorite (as well as being one of my absolute personal favorites). Alternatively, Godzilla vs Gigan (1972), though made on a smaller budget and with some shonky special effects, features a long rampage and tag-team fight between monsters in the last half of the film. Either way, both feature four monsters in one movie! =P
From the 80's... Godzilla vs Biollante (1989). Fairly serious and mostly well-handled. Looks at the dangers of genetic engineering and man's misuse of science. Plenty of scenes with Godzilla smashing stuff and fighting the military and Biollante too. Also, it's recently come out on blu-ray in America =P.
From the 90's... I guess my personal recommendation might be Godzilla vs Destroyah (1995), which features Godzilla dying (at the time, it was supposed to be the last Godzilla film, and was advertised with the tagline "Godzilla dies!"). But if you're not in the mood for something so apocalyptic, Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991) has plenty of monster action and tends to be a favorite among fans.
From the 2000's... fans would recommend GMK (Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, [2001]) in a heartbeat, and it often tops a lot of "best Godzilla films ever"-type lists. It also has four different monsters. But, I've personally never been so fond of it, so if I had to make a personal recommendation from this era, then maybe the MechaGodzilla films? (Godzilla X MechaGodzilla [2002], and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS [2003]) They have fewer monsters, but the ending fights are quite long and the movies themselves are shorter, so there's probably just as much bang for your buck monster-wise.
Hope these help somewhat, and will make it easier to chose, depending on what you're in the mood for and how modern you want your monsters and special effects =P.
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