For nearly 70 years, Godzilla has been the King of the Monsters, the towering embodiment of atomic age anxieties and the ultimate kaiju movie icon. The giant radioactive reptile has starred in over 30 films, battling other oversized creatures and laying waste to cities around the globe. But which Godzilla movies reign supreme? Here are our picks for the top 5 greatest Godzilla films of all time.
1. Gojira (1954)
The one that started it all, Ishirō Honda's Gojira is not only the best Godzilla movie, but one of the greatest monster movies ever made. Released less than a decade after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Gojira is a chilling allegory for the horrors of nuclear warfare. The sight of Godzilla's massive, lumbering form crushing buildings and incinerating crowds with his radioactive breath is both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
But Gojira is more than just a special effects spectacle. It's also a deeply human drama, with well-drawn characters grappling with the moral and emotional fallout of Godzilla's rampage. The scenes of shell-shocked survivors in makeshift hospitals and orphaned children on the streets give the film a haunting, documentary-like realism. And the final act, in which a brilliant scientist unleashes an even more devastating weapon to stop Godzilla, raises profound questions about the ethics of science and the cyclical nature of destruction.
2. Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
The American version of Gojira, Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is a fascinating cultural artifact. The film adds new footage of American actor Raymond Burr as a reporter named Steve Martin (no relation to the comedian), who narrates the events of the original film. While some purists dismiss the Americanized version, it's actually a cleverly constructed edit that preserves the somber tone and key themes of Gojira.
Burr's performance is surprisingly effective, as he reacts with convincing horror and empathy to the destruction around him. And the added scenes give the film a new layer of meta-commentary, as Martin struggles to comprehend and convey the scale of the tragedy to the outside world. King of the Monsters! may not be as pure as the original, but it's a compelling example of how kaiju movies were translated and repackaged for international audiences.
3. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
The fourth film in the Godzilla series, Mothra vs. Godzilla is a prime example of the more lighthearted, fantastical direction the franchise took in the 1960s. The plot revolves around the giant moth deity Mothra, who comes to Japan to rescue her fairy handmaidens and battle Godzilla. The film features colorful, imaginative special effects, including Mothra's shimmering wings and silk cocoons, and Godzilla's increasingly anthropomorphic expressions.
But beneath the monster movie spectacle, Mothra vs. Godzilla also has a surprising amount of heart. The relationship between Mothra and her tiny fairy companions is oddly touching, and the human characters are more fleshed out than in previous films. The movie also features some sly social commentary, with greedy businessmen and corrupt politicians trying to exploit the monsters for their own gain. It's a fun, fast-paced entry that showcases the more whimsical side of the Godzilla series.
4. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)
The final film in the Heisei era of Godzilla movies, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is a fitting swan song for the King of the Monsters. The movie has a sweeping, elegiac tone, as Godzilla faces his ultimate battle against a horde of crustacean-like creatures spawned by the same weapon that killed the original Godzilla. The film is filled with callbacks and references to the 1954 original, including a haunting scene where Godzilla lays dying in the streets of Tokyo, his radioactive body melting into the pavement.
But Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is also a showcase for some of the most impressive special effects in the series, with the titular monsters engaged in brutal, city-leveling combat. The climactic battle, set against the backdrop of a burning Tokyo, is a tour de force of miniature pyrotechnics and suit acting. And the final scene, in which Godzilla's son absorbs his father's radioactive essence and becomes the new King of the Monsters, is a poignant passing of the torch.
5. Shin Godzilla (2016)
A radical reinvention of the Godzilla mythos, Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi's Shin Godzilla is a startling, politically charged kaiju movie for the 21st century. The film reimagines Godzilla as a rapidly evolving, unstoppable force of nature, with a grotesque, almost Lovecraftian design. The scenes of Godzilla's rampage through Tokyo are some of the most visceral and unnerving in the entire series, with the monster leaving a trail of radioactive blood and mangled bodies in his wake.
But Shin Godzilla is also a biting satire of Japanese bureaucracy and political inertia, with government officials and scientists endlessly debating and delaying while Godzilla lays waste to the city. The film's rapid-fire editing and dense, jargon-filled dialogue create a sense of information overload and existential dread. And the final act, in which the humans unleash a devastating new weapon against Godzilla, is a chilling echo of the original film's nuclear anxieties. Shin Godzilla is a daring, uncompromising update of the Godzilla formula, and a testament to the enduring power and adaptability of the King of the Monsters.
From his haunting origins as a symbol of atomic age horror to his later incarnations as a city-smashing antihero, Godzilla has remained a towering presence in pop culture for nearly seven decades. These five films represent the very best of the Godzilla series, showcasing the artistry, imagination, and sheer destructive spectacle that have made the King of the Monsters an enduring icon of the movies.
