Ten Godzilla movies that’ll make you king of the monsters

This upcoming Friday will see the release of one of the year’s most hotly anticipated films, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” The film, a sequel to the 2014 American reboot “Godzilla,” promises to be the ultimate monster rumble fans have been waiting for, with the inclusion of such iconic kaiju as Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah. Along with the added monster action, there is also promise of classic Ifukube musical cues being brought in from previous films, tie-ins to an upcoming “Godzilla vs. Kong” rematch in 2020 and possibly even the inclusion of Monster Island.

Oh wait … you have no idea what any of this means do you? While many average Joes know the name and have probably seen some clips here and there of the big G, it’s unlikely that most folks have watched every single Godzilla movie ever made. With a nearly 65-year-old history starting back in 1954, the Godzilla franchise is one of the longest running in movie history. Consisting of 35 films, almost each entry, depending on when it was made, has a completely different continuity. Some are set in different realities, others have completely different American dubs and titles that alter story points. Some take place in the future, one is an anime trilogy, other have different backstories for the monsters and another contains a set of films that each reboots themselves. Sometimes Godzilla is a hero, sometimes he’s a villain, he’s been a father multiple times and, of course at one point, he was an environmentalist. Confused yet?

Fortunately, because of the loose continuity, it’s easier to watch almost any entry without feeling lost. While there may be some references sprinkled here and there, the stories are usually easy to follow without prior knowledge of other films. But because no one has time to watch 35 movies, we have a concise list of the 10 best G-flicks to watch that will give you a healthy dose of the franchise. The entries on this list are not necessarily the best the series has to offer, even though a lot of them are, but were instead picked as each accurately chronicles the series as a whole while remaining palpable for most beginners. With all that out of the way, let’s stomp our way into the countdown.

10. “Godzilla vs. Megalon” 1973

Sometimes to appreciate the heights of a franchise, you must see it at its very lowest. Case in point: “Godzilla vs. Megalon.” After a series of nuclear tests occur in the Pacific, a disturbed underground race known as the Seatopians unleash their guardian beetle monster Megalon to wreak havoc on the planet. It is then up to Godzilla and his shape-shifting robot pal Jet Jaguar to team up to take down the malicious marauder.

Created at a period of time when Godzilla movie budgets were viciously slashed due to a dying Japanese film market, “Megalon” is the ultimate dollar-store Godzilla movie. The bland set design, abrasive musical score, overreliance on stock footage, poor acting and flammable monster suits, combined with a rushed three-week production schedule, sounds like a recipe for a disastrous experience. Yet, despite its many shortcomings on a production standpoint, the film is a blast to watch and never bores. Ultimately, the film knows what it is and delivers, providing the goods as the last third is taken up by a tag team monster battle when Godzilla and Jet Jaguar take on Megalon and Gigan. Each monster is loaded with personality and the fight contains enough high-octane, mindless energy to make the watch worth it. Not to mention, you haven’t lived until you’ve heard the Jet Jaguar theme song.

9. “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla” 1974

Released a year after “Megalon,” this colorful entry not only saw a rise in quality from its shoestring budget predecessor, but also introduced one of Godzilla’s most iconic foes. An invading race of space apes — just go with it— from the Black Hole plan to take over the world, with an ultra-powerful mechanized doppelganger of the Big G. With the world’s future at stake, the real Godzilla must team up with an ancient lion-poodle-God-monster known as King Caesar to put an end to the menacing mech.

While the plot isn’t anything out of the ordinary for a Godzilla movie, the execution is anything but. Director Jun Fukuda brings an energetic and flashy vibe to the film, full of expressive cinematography, explosive special effects and a jazzy soundtrack that is impossible to get out of your head. On top of it all, it introduces some of the most beloved monsters to ever stomp into the franchise such as the underrated King Caesar and, most notably, Mechagodzilla himself, who would go on to battle Godzilla on multiple occasions after this and even appear in media on his own, most recently in the 2018 film, “Ready Player One.” After more than 40 years, however, the original robotic rumble still is the best and remains one of the series’ highlights.

8. “Godzilla: Final Wars” 2004

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the franchise, Toho, the studio that had been making these movies from the beginning, went all out — to say the least. Taking place in the far future, the film focuses on a team of trained monster-hunting mutants who, once an invading alien race begins to release monsters all over the planet, must awaken Godzilla to take them down. The clock is ticking, however, as the team must figure out what to do with Godzilla’s destructive power once his job is done.

Heavily inspired by Western cinema, with multiple elements taken from films like “The Matrix,” “Star Wars” and “X-Men,” as well as many of the classic entries in the Godzilla franchise, the film achieves a very rare balance of being able to appease both fans and newcomers alike. The film’s jam-packed roster of kaiju – a Japanese film term that essentially means giant monsters – might be overwhelming to some at first, but the hectic pacing, ridiculously over-the-top action and exceptional special effects and suitmation make the journey fun regardless. The insanity of the experience is the pure definition of unapologetic, beating you over the head to the point that it leaves you exhausted by the end, but in the best possible way.

7. “Godzilla vs. Biollante” 1989

While this entry may not be the conventional monster vs. monster rumble many may expect, what it is able to deliver brings a new level of thought-provoking depth to the series. In an attempt to relieve economic despair, a scientist combines Godzilla’s cells with those of a rose with hopes it will grow plants in otherwise infertile land. The plans backfire, however, as it instead creates a monstrous plant creature known as Biollante. To make matters worse, Godzilla reappears and the two beasts make their way on a collision course.

For those looking to view one of the series’ more intellectual entries, it’s hard to go wrong with “Biollante.” Despite being lighter on the monster action than other entries, the film makes up for it with a thematically rich narrative that explores the dangers and ethics of genetic modification. While it could have done more to truly hone in on the idea, there is enough brought to the table to offer intriguing food for thought. Don’t be fooled, when the monsters appear on screen the film delivers an unmatchable spectacle. Godzilla’s redesign is fantastic, the special effects match Hollywood standards at times and Biollante is easily one of Godzilla’s best enemies. An overall excellent entry for those looking for a little more meat from their monster movies.

6. “The Return of Godzilla” 1984

One entry before “Godzilla vs. Biollante,” Toho rebooted Godzilla for a new series of films that would take him into the 1980s and ’90s, often known as the Hesei era. After 30 years, Godzilla emerges from a volcano and returns to terrorize Tokyo. With the monster causing insurmountable damage to the city like never before, Japan must come together with other national forces to figure out what it will take to bring down the monster.

Throwing away the continuity all films before it outside of the original 1954 “Gojira,” “Return” brought the series back to its dark, nuclear-themed roots overshadowed for decades before by subpar, childish schlock. The film’s heavy tone is present in all aspects of its production, from the menacing redesign of Godzilla to the grimy art direction that gives even daytime scenes an almost apocalyptic nature to them. This is all strung together by undertones of heavy Cold War tension that allows the film to become an interesting window of its time. While not quite as masterful as the original it set out to emulate, there is enough merit here to make this entry a worthy addition, allowing the franchise to be taken seriously again.

5. “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah” 1991

A high-flying entry that breaks the typical formula while re-introducing some classic elements, “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah” is a must-watch. A trio of future travellers comes back in time to warn Japan about Godzilla eventually destroying the country for good, so a special group must go and help get rid of Godzilla in the past. However, it turns out to be a trick, as the future people end up creating their own monster, King Ghidorah. Eventually Godzilla is brought back to battle Ghidorah thanks to a nuclear submarine, but with the a bigger and badder Godzilla now running amok, it is up to the team to put their heads together to figure out what to do to end the madness.

Despite a downgrade in terms of special effects from the previous Hesei entries and certain plot points that shatter under even the slightest ounce of scrutiny, “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah” has more than enough to make it a standout entry in the series. Not only does Godzilla get a solid backstory that feels more believable than previous explanations, but the way in which the film plays with its plot structure is genuinely well done. On top of this, the monster action is riveting, especially with the introduction of Mecha King Ghidorah, and the human cast is solid overall. For those who may have felt bogged down by “Return” or “Biollante,” then this entry is a good place to go.

4. “Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster 1964

Undeniably one of the most important films in the franchise, “Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monster” is classic kaiju goodness all the way around. A team of scientists observe a mysterious meteor that has crash-landed on Earth which soon reveals to be a three-headed cackling dragon known as King Ghidorah, who goes on a rampage across the countryside. Meanwhile, Godzilla reemerges and does battle with the monster Rodan at the same time. With these three terrors going about, it is up to an infant Mothra, yet another kaiju, to appease Godzilla and Rodan, urging the trio to team up to take down the galactic three-headed terror.

“Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster” holds importance in the franchise for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, it introduced King Ghidorah, who would end up becoming Godzilla’s greatest enemy, reappearing numerous times within the series. This was also the first entry to introduce Rodan, who had his own movie in 1956, as well as Mothra, who had her stand-alone film in 1961. The two monsters partaking in the Godzilla franchise created a shared universe amongst Toho’s lineup of kaiju. This was also the first entry where Godzilla would begin his gradual transformation from city destroying bad guy to defender of the planet, often fighting alongside other monsters. This entry proves to be an entertaining joyride without becoming stupid like many of the later entries, featuring some flawed yet impressive special effects, a cast of solid characters and one of Akira Ifukube’s best musical scores.

3. “Mothra vs. Godzilla” 1964

Months before “Ghidorah” was released, Toho pitted Godzilla against the flying beauty Mothra for the first time, creating one of the series’ most classic titles. After a massive egg washes up on the shores of Tokyo and bought by a greedy business tycoon, a group of journalists encounter a pair of mystical fairies who tell them that egg belongs to Mothra and she demands it back. Things get worse when Godzilla resurfaces and begins to do what he does best to Tokyo. With the Big G headed on a collision course with the egg, an adult Mothra must go head to head with the king of the monsters to defend the world.

What can be said that hasn’t already been said about this fantastic entry? The work put into the special effects alone is a marvel for its time, with an excellent blend of suitmation and puppetry that makes the battle between Godzilla and Mothra one of the franchise’s best. Ishiro Honda, the director of several classic Godzilla films, is at his best here, crafting a tale of human greed and capitalism that remains gripping with some of Toho’s best actors and a tightly paced narrative, all complimented by what may arguably be Akira Ifukube’s greatest musical contribution to the series. On top of all this, the film introduced Mothra to the Godzilla series, leaving her mark as one of the most popular movie monsters alongside of Godzilla himself. An undeniable classic of the genre that is not to be missed.

2. “Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack” 2001

If there was ever a question of how such a long-lasting series can continue to produce fresh ideas, than “Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack,” also known as “GMK,” is the answer. Godzilla, who here is the accumulation of vengeful WWII spirits, appears to punish Japan for forgetting wartime atrocities. To defend the country, three ancient spirits, Mothra, King Ghidorah and Baragon, must come together to try and challenge this unstoppable force.

This experimental entry breaks numerous rules established in previous entries regarding the monsters’ roles and histories, but does so in the best possible ways. The film abandons the heavy sci-fi angle for a story that relies more on an emphasis on spiritual aspects, which offers a fresh taste to fans, while still feeling familiar enough that newcomers don’t feel confused. The monster action, special effects and designs are some of the best of the series, accompanied by Shusuke Kaneko’s explosive direction and an electrifying musical score.

1.”Gojira” 1954

As is the saying, you just can’t beat the classics, and boy is “Gojira” a classic. After a tragic fishing boat accident occurs at sea, Tokyo is terrified to discover that a lumbering beast, awoken by atomic bomb tests, and known as Godzilla is the cause of it all. It doesn’t take long for the destructive giant to make his way to shore, where he causes levels of destruction never thought possible. The only thing that can save the world from complete destruction is a scientist who holds a potentially world-destroying weapon that may be the key in ridding the world of Godzilla.

It may be crazy to think that before all the giant moths, three-headed dragons, numerous drop kicks and alien subplots, the series was birthed out of the very real fear of nuclear and radioactive weaponry that Tokyo experienced first-hand back in World War II, with Godzilla himself being a metaphor for those fears. And nowhere is that fear executed with greater poignancy and thought than here. Ishiro Honda balances out a film that could have very easily been either dated propaganda or a cheesy monster flick to tell a very human story about the moral and personal dilemmas that befall all of us in face of greater causes. Every shade of grey is explored to properly execute this story and its characters first and foremost. The moments featuring Godzilla are truly horrifying, thanks to the groundbreaking special effects, chilling sound design, Akira Ifukube’s menacing musical score and moody black and white cinematography. Whether you’re a monster movie buff, a newcomer trying to get into the series or simply a fan of great cinema, “Gojira” is required viewing that will prove why Godzilla will forever be king of the monsters.

Honorable Mentions:

“Godzilla vs. Hedorah” 1971

A much more avant-garde and experimental entry in the franchise, the plot is paper thin but the off-the-wall direction and interesting antagonist make it quite a watch.

“King Kong vs. Godzilla” 1962

A very cheesy and fun entry. This one is flawed in the special effects department, is light on story and heavily alters Kong’s character, but has one of the best battles in the franchise and an awesome score (if you watch the Japanese version).

“Shin Godzilla” 2016

For those into entries such as “Gojira” and “The Return of Godzilla,” this is a good one to go to next. It’s slowly paced at times and Godzilla’s character is very experimented with, but it has fantastic special effects, biting political satire and a great score.

“Invasion of Astro Monster” 1965

A better entry than “Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster” in many regards, this film is a blast from its fantastic musical score, charismatic cast of characters, charming Buck Rodgers aesthetic and standout special effects. Very light on monster action, however, and does contain some minor flimsy plot elements .