The Godly Dragon's Top 15 Godzilla Movies (including Godzilla vs Kong)

Hey there everyone. So now that Godzilla vs Kong is finally released to the public, I decided to update my Top 15 Godzilla movies list. Not only will this list include Godzilla vs Kong, I also decided to switch some movies around and replace certain movies with different ones after realizing I liked certain movies more than the ones I put on the original list. So, here are my top 15 new picks. Which ones do I think are the best of the best this time? Let's find out. 

#15: Godzilla against Mechagodzilla

The original #15 was Invasion of Astro Monster, but now I'm kicking myself for not putting Godzilla against Mechagodzilla on the list because it turned out I think this film is awesome. Basically what happens is that another Godzilla comes to attack Tokyo and the Japanese government uses the bones of the original 1954 Godzilla to construct a Mechagodzilla weapon named Kiryu, but then the spirit of the original Godzilla is awakened in the machine causing it to go berserk, and that's when things get crazy, but lots of fun. I really love the design of Kiryu. I think it's my favorite Mechagodzilla design, and anyone who knows me well knows that I love giant robots. So if you really like giant robots or Mechagodzilla in particular, this film is a very good time. It has better special effects than the older Mechagodzilla movies if that's what you prefer as well. 

#14: Godzilla vs Kong

The original #14 was Godzilla 2014, but Godzilla vs Kong blew it out of the water. I enjoyed this movie a lot more than Godzilla 2014. This movie is a visual spectacle and had lots of great monster action. It had some Godzilla elements like giant monsters beating each other up and smashing buildings but it also had a focus on the King Kong elements, those being King Kong fighting monsters on another world or island with human characters also in danger. I think on the whole though, it felt more like a King Kong movie than a Godzilla movie. As someone who came into this film on Team Godzilla, I found myself waiting eagerly for Godzilla to show up while Kong would do his thing. That being said however, it still managed to pay tribute and respect to both franchises, especially when you get to the plot twist and the climax, and overall it was a satisfying experience. However, I didn't like this movie as much as some of the old Japanese Godzilla movies from Toho themselves. So as a King Kong movie, it's definitely in my top 5 King Kong movies somewhere, but as a Godzilla movie, it's only #14. But if you like one or both franchises or just want to watch an entertaining monster movie from a Hollywood studio, it's worth seeing. 

#13: Godzilla vs King Ghidorah

This was originally #12 on my list, but I decided to switch it with the next number film on this list. This is a film that is pretty weird. It's about these people who come from the future to warn people about Godzilla's return to destroy Japan. So they time travel back to 1944 to get rid of the dinosaur before it was mutated by nuclear warfare, thus making it so that Godzilla never existed. But then the time traveling aliens leave behind three creatures called Dorats on the island, and they end up becoming King Ghidorah who comes terrorize Japan. So they find a way to recreate Godzilla, and the two have a big battle. From start to finish, this is a fun film, but a crazy film. The plot can be confusing and hard to follow or really take seriously, but you want to see a good film of Godzilla and King Ghidorah going at it once again, this is right up your alley.

#12: Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack 

Boy, that's a long title. This was originally #13 on my list, but I decided I liked this movie more than Godzilla vs King Ghidorah. This is a more recent Godzilla film that was released in 2001. This is a return to Godzilla being a villain. In this movie, Godzilla is revived by the dead Japanese souls that were killed in the Pacific war, so Godzilla goes to seek revenge, and so it's up to Mothra and King Ghidorah to stop him. This film is very fun and it managed to keep me on the edge of my seat. If you don't think the old Godzilla movies look that good and that's a turn off for you, you'll probably like the recent Godzilla movies more. You can really tell how much better the Godzilla films looked between say the 60s and the 2000s. So if you're new to Godzilla, this is a fun monster movie. Give it a watch if you can.

#11: Godzilla Final Wars

The original #11 was Godzilla vs Mothra from 1992, but then I decided I like Final Wars more. This is a movie I've come to appreciate. This is a very different kind of Godzilla movie. This movie was made for the 50th anniversary of Godzilla, and brings backs many old monsters that haven't been seen in the franchise for a while such as Ceasar and Gigan. The film even has the American 1998 Godzilla, which gets roasted by the Godzilla we know and love in the third act. This film's plot is very similar to Destroy All Monsters, where aliens unleash the monsters onto planet Earth to destroy it. This film is focused more on the humans than the monsters, but when you do get to the monster stuff, it's awesome. But what makes this Godzilla movie different from the rest is that it's more like a big sci fi action movie like The Matrix and other similar films. So, if you are really into those kinds of movies, you will really enjoy Final Wars. It is definitely not as bad as some people think it is.

#10: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II

Still at #10 is this movie. The strange thing is that despite its American title, this film isn't a sequel. It's a reboot. The original Japanese title of those movie was just Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla. I guess when it was distributed to America, the II was to differentiate it from the original Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla from 1974. This film brings back two iconic monsters from the previous era, which are Rodan, and of course Mechagodzilla. In this movie, the U.N.G.C.C creates a weapon to destroy Godzilla called Mechagodzilla. Meanwhile on an island, some scientists come across a nest with a Pteranodon egg, and get attacked by Rodan. Then Godzilla comes to claim the egg as well, but the scientists manage to escape, and the egg hatches into a baby Godzilla. Can I just say that Godzilla Junior in the 90s films is just the more adorable little thing? So they intend to use the baby Godzilla as bait to lure Godzilla to the island, but then Rodan also intercedes, causing a conflict between the three monsters. This film is a ton of fun. Of the 90s Godzilla movies it's probably the most kid-friendly too. I'd be likely to show someone who's new to Godzilla this movie. This is the third Godzilla I watched, the first being Godzilla 2014 and the second being the English version of the original Godzilla film. This is another film I recommend that you watch to get into the franchise.

#9: Godzilla vs Gigan

This was originally #7 on my list, but I moved it down two spots after realizing that I like a couple other movies more. Despite this however, I still really like this movie. This film had two famous monsters, King Ghidorah and Anguirus, return. While also introducing a new foe for Godzilla called Gigan, who is a cyborg chicken with a chainsaw for a belly. In this movie, a manga artist is hired to work at a theme park run by aliens, who summon Gigan and King Ghidorah to destroy humanity. so Godzilla and Anguirus fight the two monsters while the main character try to sabotage the aliens' plan. This is an all around good monster movie. It has a good story, humorous human characters, and also great monster battles. It's great to see Godzilla and some fan favorites all fight to the death. Give this one a watch if you're interested in checking out the original series.

#8: Godzilla vs Destoroyah

This was originally #9 on my list, but I moved it up to #8 since I think this movie deserves a lot more credit. This was a significant film in that this was supposed to be the end of Godzilla as we know it. It is the conclusion to the 90s era of Godzilla, and the last Godzilla movie until Godzilla 2000 which was a complete reboot. This is a film that basically has ties with the original Godzilla movie from 1954. In this film, a group of crustaceans mutated by the Oxygen Destroyer which was used to kill Godzilla, form a monster known as Destoroyah. Also, Godzilla has become so powerful with radiation that he becomes Burning Godzilla. Japan plans to have destoroyah fight Godzilla to stop Godzilla before his radiation destroys the world, but things don't go as planned as Destoroyah is still a force to be reckoned with. Out of all the Godzilla films ever released, this is the most tear jerking and one of the most terrifying too. While it's a great film, get some tissues ready, because this one will make you cry your eyes out.

#7: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla

This was originally #8 on my list, but I decided to move it up to #7 after remembering just how good this movie was. This film is Mechagodzilla's grand debut. This film also features the appearance of King Caesar, another fan favorite monster that rarely appears in the series. In this film, Godzilla fights his robotic doppelganger Mechagodzilla, that was created by aliens. Caesar also joins the fight to stop Mechagodzilla. While this is a really great film, it's also really violent. Probably the most violent Godzilla film in the series, You see Godzilla actually bleed out, which is pretty disturbing. But despite this, it's still a really good Godzilla movie, and one of the best from the original series.

#6: Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster

This was originally in the top five, but I moved it down to #6 since I think five other movies deserve it way more than this one. Despite this however, it's still one of my favorites.  This is King Ghidorah's very first movie. It is also the return of Godzilla and Mothra, and also Rodan's introduction into the Godzilla franchise after his solo movie from 1956. Basically in this movie, a prophetess warns of great calamities as Rodan and Godzilla come to Japan. And from a meteorite, King Ghidorah emerges. So Mothra has to convince Godzilla and Rodan to join forces with her to defeat King Ghidorah, and it...is...awesome! Back then, having Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra in one film, taking on a brand new giant monster, was a big deal. It is just a blast to watch, and the historical value also makes it worth watching. You may need to watch it multiple times to appreciate it, but in my opinion, it's the third best in the original series.

#5: Godzilla (1954)

That's right, the original movie that started it all has been moved into the top 5. This movie is an absolute classic and probably also the darkest and the most serious. The original film was meant to be a warning against nuclear warfare, and it has a very deep story. This film is of course about Godzilla, who is mutated by H-bomb testing in the pacific, but it's also centered around Dr. Serizawa, who invented a weapon called the Oxygen Destroyer which is designed to kill Godzilla, but he is hesitant to use it in fear that the weapon would be a worse weapon against humanity than Godzilla. You also not only see the horrible destruction that Godzilla causes, you also see the horrible aftermath of the destruction. It's a dark and depressing film, unlike the rest of the movies after it where Godzilla takes on other monsters. If you are new to the Godzilla franchise, the original one that started it all is a must see, and without this movie we wouldn't have had a franchise. The reason it didn't make it to #1 is because it's not my go to Godzilla movie that I watch very often because of its tone. There are four other Godzilla movies I'm more likely to watch than this one. 

#4: Mothra vs Godzilla 

Still my fourth favorite Godzilla film is this movie from 1964. Not to be confused with Godzilla vs Mothra from 1992, this is the debut of Mothra into the Godzilla universe after her solo spin off film from 1961. This right here is my favorite of the original series, and it is the first crossover movie in the franchise between two of Toho's own monsters, unlike King Kong vs Godzilla which was a joint collaboration between Universal pictures and Toho. This film has a really good story. It's about greedy businessmen who find a Mothra egg on the beach and want to sell it for financial gain. But then Godzilla returns to Japan, making its way to the egg, so the main characters have to travel to Infant Island to plead with Mothra to save Japan from Godzilla and to save her offsprings. The fight that ensues is fantastic. Like I said, this film is just great. The story, the characters, all of it. This is a film I highly recommend you watch. It is not to be missed.

#3: Godzilla 2000

Still my third favorite Godzilla movie is Godzilla 2000, because what can I say? I LOVE this movie! This film is a reboot of the Godzilla series and the start of the 2000s era of Godzilla, even though it was released in 1999. This film ignores every other Godzilla movie since the original. In this film, Godzilla returns to threaten Japan. and the CCI find a UFO at the bottom of the ocean. The UFO defeat Godzilla in a fight, then hacks into all of the computer systems to steal data. After all this, Godzilla returns for revenge, and fights the UFO once more. The UFO then steals Godzilla DNA before getting destroyed again, and from the wreckage comes a giant alien kaiju named Orga, and they have a big climatic battle in the middle of the city, which is just a really awesome fight. This film was a great return to form after the American mess from Tristar pictures that was the 1998 Godzilla movie, and it made audiences excited about Godzilla again. One again, I love this movie, and I highly recommend it. But there are still two more movies I like more than this one.

#2: Godzilla vs Biollante

Still my second favorite Godzilla movie is Godzilla vs Biollante, because again, what can I say? This movie is just so fantastic! Not only is it the best of the second series that started with Godzilla 1985, it's one of the very best Godzilla movies period. This is the one and only Godzilla film to feature a plant monster known as Biollante, who is the result of mixing Godzilla's cells with the cells of a scientist's dead daughter. Then Godzilla ends up getting released from his prison, and the two monsters cross paths for a big showdown. I just love the story of this movie and how emotional it can get, and the fight between Godzilla and Biollante is also great. This film is a fan favorite, and for good reason. The sad part is however, this film is so hard to find on DVD or blu ray due to being out of print. The minimum price for one is $50 and can be up to over $200. But if you can find a copy of this film that is legit and not a bootleg, watch it. This movie really deserves a lot more attention.

And finally, my #1 favorite Godzilla movie is...

#1: Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is STILL my favorite Godzilla movie! I adore this movie just so much. When I went to go see this movie in IMAX back when people still went to the movies without worrying about a virus, it was unlike anything I had ever seen in that format.  This movie is significant because it's the very first time in years that we could get to see Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah all together on the big screen again, and their designs look absolutely amazing. We waited for five years for this film to come out after we got a Godzilla film in 2014, and the wait was incredibly worth it. Some people hate this film because of the story, or they hate it just because it's an American Godzilla movie, which by the way is unfounded since Toho had a hand in this film, but I can't hate this film. It has everything I love about Godzilla movies. It felt like an old Godzilla movie from the 60s, but done with modern special effects. If you are a fan of Godzilla, you will absolutely love this movie. I also think it's a great first Godzilla film so that people can see what these films are like. If you prefer CGI over costumes and puppets, check this film out as your first Godzilla film. If you like this film, then maybe you will like the other ones too. Again, I absolutely cherish this movie and it's special to me. Not only is it my #1 favorite Godzilla movie, it's one of my favorite movies of all time. So check this movie out if you want to check out the Godzilla franchise and just have a blast! 

And that's it for my new list. Some choices remained the same while others were replaced or switched around, and I think this list is much better for it. So what did you think of my list, and what are your top favorite? Long live the King of the Monsters and also long live King Kong, the King of Skull Island. God bless. 

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