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

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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

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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(?)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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