Top Ten Monster Movie List
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Welcome. On this
page I'm listing my personal favorite movies of the giant monster genre.
My scale is 1-4 godzillae. Enjoy.
Ranking - 1
Name: Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Rating - 


Description - The original Godzilla
movie. Godzilla stomps Tokyo, tramples the army, and makes a general nuisances
of himself. the only truly serious movie in the genre, Godzilla came off
well with audiences. Misunderstood by a human race who can't relate to
him, Godzilla is stopped by the Oxygen Destroyer (it destroys oxygen, duh)
created by an equally misunderstood scientist, both of whom die. This is
the 1955 version with a fairly young Raymond Burr. Even though Godzilla
looked pretty silly and the plot was edited somewhat, this is still the
definitive Godzilla movie, and the first appearance of the big guy.
Ranking - 2
Name: Rodan
Rating - 


Description - This is possibly the only kaiju movie with
a plot that would work as a straight movie. Even though the meganurons
were fairly unimpressive monsters, the whole first half of the movie is
very entertaining. The second half isn't too bad either as the rodans bring
air transportation to a halt. THis movie is worth watching again.
Ranking - 3
Name: Mothra '62(?)
Rating - 


Description - Another monster who starred
in their own movie, only to fight, and fight with, Godzilla later. A decent
flick, this movie doesn't have any serious f/x lapses and has a decent
plot. I docked a 1/2 godzillae for those incredibly annoying twins.
Ranking - 4
Name: Godzilla vs Mothra
Rating - 


Description - Probably the best and most consistent of the
new series movies. Only suffering from a couple of poor (and one useless)
shots of ships, and Mothra's lack of leg movement, the f/x of this film
are good throughout. One thing I liked was the tanks; the use of actual
tanks in the film is very convincing. The battle in the park may be the
best fight scene in all of the Godzilla movies, and the twins aren't so
darn annoying!
Ranking - 5
Name: Godzilla '85
Rating - 

Description - Godzilla returns! This supposed direct sequel
to G:KOTM (or Gojira), features Godzilla's return to Tokyo 30 years after
his original attack. Godzilla still looks a little silly (on drugs according
to one G-page), and the plot has well... moth holes, but this is the first
movie where it actually looks like a 260 foot tall radioactive dinosaur
is stomping around Tokyo. Godzilla is believable. Raymond Burr resumes
his role as an older, fatter Steve Martin, who is brought in by the American
Army as an expert of sorts. Even the anti-Godzilla weapons are realistic
and fairly well made. The Super-X is an inspired (if unlikely) enemy for
Godzilla. A movie not without drama, G '85 manages to stay interesting,
and fun at the same time.
Ranking - 6
Name: The Terror of MechaGodzilla
Rating - 

Description - This movie was a return of sorts for Toho.
For the first time in years, a Godzilla movie featured the meaner, more
aggressive Godzilla. Toho also largely threw out the kiddie approach that
had decimated the series and it's popularity. This movie's greatest achievement
is the first worthy foe since King Ghidrah. MechaGodzilla was the first
monster in almost a decade who could give Godzilla a run for his money,
and run he did. Even though the supporting plot was a bit shoddy, the fight
sequences were wonderful, and a cameo by Angilas and the debut of the somewhat
dog-like King Seesar kept the action going. This one pops up on TV occasionally,
and is worth looking out for.
Ranking - 7
Name: Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla
Rating - 

Description - Using parts salvaged and techniques learned
from the dead cyborg MechaGhidorah, G-Force constructs a 90's version of
MechaGodzilla. In this case, MechaGodzilla is equipped with masers, electro-shock
cables, the plasma grenade, and the G-Crusher. It can also have Garuda,
an earlier anti-G flying ship, dock with it to form Super Mecha-Godzilla.
This film features the first new series appearance by Rodan, and the hatching
of a second godzillasaurus. Godzilla does his typical stomping around,
and fighting with whatever Japan throws against him. In this movie, MechaG
does manage to paralyze Godzilla, and is in the act of killing him when
Rodan attacks again. Rodan, after getting pulverized again, sacrifices
itself so that Godzilla can live. The radiation off Rodan's dying body
is absorbed by Godzilla, who, with his new fusion beam, destroys MechaG,
and walks out to sea with Baby Godzilla in tow. This film, while exciting,
suffers from fairly frequent f/x lapses, and a holy plot.
Ranking - 8
Name: Destroy All Monsters
Rating - 

Description - The name really says it all. In the near future,
(for us) all of the world's monsters have been contained at Ogasawara Island.
Using various anti-kaiju devices, humans have succeeded in trapping and
imprisoning every monster in the world. That is, until the Kilaaks strike.
While the plot is nothing special, and the f/x are well... like any other
Godzilla movie in the 60s, the monsters steal the show. With Gorosausus
(filling in for Baragon) attacking Paris, Godzilla attacking New York,
Rodan attacking Moscow, etc. the world is in a panic. The cut to the chase,
eventually the humans stop the Kilaak's control of the monsters, and take
control themselves. Leading the monsters to Mt. Fuji, they all gang up
and kill King Ghidrah. Godzilla destroys the Kilaak control center, and
the world is saved. Yeah!
One can only wonder what a new series
Destroy All Monsters would be like.
Ranking - 9
Name: Godzilla vs Biollante
Rating - 

Description - Godzilla vs... a giant plant?! Strange
as it may sound, this is indeed the case as Godzilla fights a twin of sorts
in Biollante. Biollante, who is made up of G-cell injected rose-human cells,
is a giant thinking rose bush. That is, until the second stage, where Biollante
acquires a very impressive set of jaws. These huge jaws (nearly as big
as Godzilla's torso) combined with a mass of mouthed limbs, makes Biollante
both formidable, and the largest creature Godzilla has ever fought. G vs
Biollante was a sequel of sorts to G '85. Featuring good f/x and a well-written
plot (if somewhat hokey in parts), G vs Biollante only suffers in the monster.
Biollante isn't bad, it's just too unique to compare to Godzilla.
Ranking - 10
Name: Godzilla vs Destroyer
Rating - 

Description - Remember the Oxygen Destroyer used to kill
Godzilla in G:KOTM? It's back. This time when tunneling beneath the bay
in Tokyo, tiny creatures from a pre-oxygen time escape. These little creatures,
having been mutated by G-cells and the Oxygen Destroyer, can join together
to form large Destroyers, and have acquired an oxygen destroying weapon
of their own. The larger ones join to form a giant Destroyer, who rampages
over the Self-Defense Force, and into Tokyo. In the meantime, Godzilla
has started to melt-down. A life of radiation is taking it's toll of Godzilla,
who can no longer control his own reactions. G-Force lures the now large
Godzilla Jr. into Tokyo to fight Destroyer. G Jr., who was being used to
lure G Sr., is killed after putting up a decent fight. Once Godzilla comes
into Tokyo, and sees his dead son, he gets pissed. Venting his anger on
a now even larger and flying Destroyer, they proceed to trample the city.
Godzilla, who gravely injures Destroyer in his melt-down, is killed by
his own radioactivity, spewing radiation. This radiation is then absorbed
by a barely alive G Jr., who rises, as large as his father, and unleashes
a defiant roar. (Destroyer was finished off by the cold laser on Super-XIII.)
A decent flick, this movie. Plagued by a confusing plot and
weird science, not to mention a much too morphable monster, G vs Destroyer
deserves 2 1/2 godzillae only because it is the last movie ever to feature
Godzilla. All hail the king.
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