There are a lot of Godzilla films. It is a little mind-boggling how long this series has gone on for. People say there are a lot of James Bond or Marvel films out there? No. Godzilla tops them all. Many younger fans hoping to watch some of the films to hype themselves up for Godzilla: King of the Monsters often have no idea where to start. With all the films out there, there's no way all of them can be good, right?
Well, with this handy-dandy list, newcomers can figure out which films are worth watching and which ones are not as important to see. While longtime fans can have fun seeing yet another list ranking every Godzilla film from worst to best.
Godzilla's Revenge
This is commonly regarded as the worst of the Godzilla series, and for good reason. The story focuses on a kid who is being bullied by people in real life. There are these mob guys after him...
And then the kid starts dreaming about Godzilla on Monster Island. Or, rather, Godzilla's son, Minila. Who speaks English. And sounds...idiotic. The film is beyond stupid. Not to mention most of the film is just stock footage of other films. People who claim the American remake is the worst Godzilla film have never watched this downright painful film.
Son of Godzilla
Any film featuring Minila as a core plot point in the Showa Era of Godzilla films are borderline unwatchable. While it does have a general plot: Godzilla and his son becoming closer. Godzilla is a pretty awful dad in this who slowly becomes better.
There are no particularly memorable fights. The film isn't unwatchable, but it isn't a particularly exciting film, either. It's the sort of thing that will put you to sleep watching it.
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (AKA Ebirah, Horror of the Deep)
This film was originally created as a Toho King Kong film. There are many moments in the film that feels disted. While the giant crab Ebirah is not a particularly distinct monster. He's just a giant crab. Seeing Godzilla and Mothra in a film together is nice, but the rest of the film?
It isn't that this film is bad. The film is just very underwhelming.
Godzilla Anime Trilogy
This movie could have been much better. This trilogy of anime films is available on Netflix, but, since they form one core movie, it counts as one on this list. The Godzilla anime film is disappointing because of the potential it presents. It has some of the coolest ideas in the franchise, with Godzilla conquering the world and becoming a cosmic, gigantic monster.
It features Mechagodzilla, Ghidorah...but the films never come together as a cohesive whole. Not to mention the animation is so stiff and underwhelming. For Godzilla's first anime films, it feels...underwhelming.
Godzilla vs. Gigan (AKA Godzilla on Monster Island)
Godzilla vs. Gigan is a mix of highs and lows. Gigan is one of the coolest kaiju in the whole Godzilla franchise. The idea of Anguirus and Godzilla teaming up to fight Ghidorah and Gigan is pretty cool. Not to mention, there is a little bit of blood in the final battle.
But there are a lot of problems. For one, the costumes look awful. Stiff. Ugly. The Godzilla suit is falling part. The Godzilla roar sounds screechy and awful. And -- oh yeah -- Godzilla talks. And it sounds idiotic. It's telling that this film, which does so much interesting and cool stuff, is dragged down by this terrible creative decisions.
Return of Godzilla
There have been numerous attempts to present Godzilla as a solo threat to the whole of Japan. This is the first attempt since the original Godzilla film to present Godzilla as a solo-monster, out against the whole of Japan. It is a direct sequel to the original that ignores everything but the first film. In essence, it's a reboot before reboots.
The film isn't bad. But it's certainly underwhelming. It features some very moody, dark visuals. The atmosphere is pretty intense. Regardless, the film really isn't particularly memorable, especially considering the incredibly interesting sequels to this film, which rank among the best of the Godzilla films.
Godzilla (1998)
The 1998 Godzilla remake is notorious. It isn't a great Godzilla film, but it gets far more hate than it probably deserves. The film is a movie about a giant monster who attacks New York, lays eggs in Madison Square Garden, and ends up being beaten by the military.
It isn't a good Godzilla film, sure, but it isn't a bad monster film. It doesn't feature the insane moments that the Godzilla films are known for, but it's pretty fun if you approach it the same way you'd approach any other monster.
Godzilla Raids Again
The first sequel to Godzilla is not a particularly great Godzilla film. Yes, it introduced Anguirus, one of the most beloved of the kaiju. Yes, it is the first film to establish the idea of the monster mash. And, yes, it is the last black-and-white Godzilla films, which gives it this sort of classic, timeless feel.
But the film isn't particularly good. Especially when you watch it in the context of the later films, this one feels underwhelming.
Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla
Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla is a fairly underwhelming entry in the Heisei film. The Heisei Era had an obsession with connecting many of the kaiju to Godzilla. While some monsters, like Destroyah and Biollante, are distinct enough to become memorable in and of themselves, Spacegodzilla is just derivative. It's an evil clone of Godzilla. From space.
The final fight is large and drawn out, but it lacks bite. It feels fairly lame. Toothless.
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Godzilla vs. Megalon is one of the silliest films in the movie. It isn't a particularly good film in any technical metric. But that doesn't change that it's still an incredibly enjoyable movie. It features some of the cheesiest action, including the glorious "drop kick" scene.
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But even the idea of the film is great. Underground people, angry at the surface, send a giant cockroach to destroy the world, which results in an Ultraman rip-off named Jet Jaguar coming to stop Megalon, but then Gigan and Godzilla get tangled up in all this -- it's pretty goofy, but so much fun.
