Hello, reader!
I finally saw the much-anticipated Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and I figured I could review the film in the context of a top ten list: the greatest films to feature one or both of these iconic movie monsters. This list of mine has movies from old-school Hollywood, Japan's golden age of monster movies in the 50's and 60's, as well as the new high-budget MonsterVerse that this new release belonged to. I have a huge soft spot for these kinds of monster films, so I'm quite excited about today's list. Without further ado, let's dive right in!
10. Mothra Vs. Godzilla (1964)
"We too want a world where we can trust one another"
Before franchise crossovers had massive blockbuster hype around them like they do today, old-school Japanese cinema was ahead of the curve with films like this one. After the massive success of Godzilla (1954) and Mothra (1961), the sensible thing to do was to give audiences what they wanted and put the two popular monsters into the same film.
Seeing these two iconic creatures fighting one another for the first time truly feels like tapping into the veins of the history of this particular cinematic genre. As can be expected from the greatest-of-all-time monster movie director Ishiro Honda, the movie looks magnificent despite its budget and year of release, due to brilliant use of practical effects, trick shots and meticulous set design. While the film has plenty of entertaining monster action, it also delivers on the deeper messages (this time about human greed and corruption) that the original set of Kaiju films always provided.
9. King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962)
"And strangely enough, we wish him luck on his long, long journey home"
Yep, 2021 isn't the first time that the two most iconic movie monsters went head to head - it has happened once before, in this delightfully obscure and often-forgotten 1962 cult classic. In a rare instance of old Hollywood teaming up with Japanese cinema, this multi-cultural release was produced mainly in Japan but with the help of Americans who brought their King Kong character into the Kaiju universe. Of course, the ever-stubborn Hollywood producers weren't happy with the end result, and ended up releasing a heavily edited and Americanized version of the film in the U.S. - say what you will about that cut, but Ishiro Honda's original is pretty awesome.
While the visual imagery may not be quite as awe-inspiring as one would hope for and the themes don't run as deep as they do in most old-school Kaiju films, the movie gains points for the simple fact that it brings two such legendary creatures together and their fight is quite the spectacle. I also appreciate the melding of the American and Japanese monster movie cultures, as the early Kong scenes and early Godzilla scenes feel like they're from two different movies, yet they end up blending together in a neat manner.
8. Kong: Skull Island (2017)
"Hey, what happened with the war? Did we win?"
"Which one?"
"Uh-huh. That makes sense"
The second movie of the MonsterVerse, and the first to introduce Hollywood's newest version of everyone's favorite Big Ape. In order to make the then-upcoming Godzilla Vs. Kong believable, the producers had the genius idea of, well, simply making this version of Kong absolutely enormous. Bigger than ever before, Kong looks terrifying and magnificent as the high-budget visual effects really do him justice.
While the plot of this King Kong reboot isn't exactly revolutionary and the characters are quite one-dimensional, it gains a lot of points for simply being a decent King Kong film - who cares if the human characters are a bit boring, when the giant ape that the film is all about is so epic? The visual effects and directorial choices throughout the film make for some unforgettable moments, such as Kong's first full appearance as he casually takes down a few planes on Skull Island, as well as the haunting scene where Mason (Brie Larson) encounters Kong at night from a clifftop. Top notch visual imagery and a cool way to bring Kong back into the cinematic world.
7. Godzilla (2014)
"The arrogance of men is thinking nature is in our control and not the other way around. Let them fight"
Speaking of reboots of classic monsters, this is the film that started the MonsterVerse. Many monster movie buffs rolled their eyes as America decided to do another take on the Japanese monster after 1998's Godzilla failed miserably - but this time around, they did a much better job. It may not be quite on the same level as the best original Japanese Godzilla films, but it's a surprisingly awesome reboot.
What I really like about this film (and the MonsterVerse in general) is that it combines the three elements that generally make monster movies great. There's the epic lore surrounding the monsters, which I've always found fascinating - I don't really care if the monster is just some scary alien who has come to destroy everyone, but if there's some intriguing lore about the creature being an ancient God-like being with mysterious origins, I'm all in. Then there's the depth and morality of the genre - while Hollywood monster flicks have traditionally been quite shallow, old Japanese monster movies often had some profound lessons to them, with the monster stories often being parables for environmentalism or pacifism (the original creation of Godzilla had to do with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki), and 2014's Godzilla finally understood the importance of monster movies having something to say. And finally, the one thing where modern Hollywood monster movies beat their older counterparts - with the help of modern visual effects, the monsters in films such as 2014's Godzilla look so real and frightening that it really is a thing to behold. Gone is the campiness of old-school monster movies, and in comes a Godzilla that will shock and awe the audience.
6. Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964)
"You may not be aware of this...but there are other dimensions besides those we know. And there's a whole other world therein"
Think of this Ishiro Honda classic as the The Avengers (2012) of Kaiju films. When earth is threatened by Ghidorah, certainly one of the most terrifying and badass movie monsters ever created, humanity's hope lies in the other Kaiju creatures teaming up and defending earth. After some compelling build-up, this happens: Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan band together and fight Ghidorah. Having seen all the films that lead up to this one, it's a fascinating payoff to see so many iconic Kaiju in the same sequence.
In addition to being an entertaining team-up monster mash extravaganza of a film, Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster also has a lot to say (as is tradition with Honda's films). Whether it's the symbolism of old enemies putting aside their differences to fight for the greater good, or the gripping and well-deserved antagonizing of humanity's tendency to treat nature recklessly, this movie is a great example of monster movies being about a lot more than just a bunch of cool-looking creatures fighting one another.
5. Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
"The myths are real. There was a war. And they're the last ones standing"
And so we arrive at the new release that inspired me to make this post! After all of the hype leading up to this climactic film of the MonsterVerse, I am happy to say that Godzilla vs. Kong didn't disappoint. Both monsters have had their own solo films building up towards their clash in this one, making the viewer invested in the narrative. Both monsters have a larger-than-life presence to them, due to the film's brilliant use of lore as well as the continuingly astonishing visual effects of this cinematic universe. The fight between the monsters that everyone was expecting is intense and strangely glorious, but the film turns out to be about more than just that.
After the 'hollow earth' theory was introduced in previous MonsterVerse movies as a vague concept, this film really dives deep into it (pun intended). What we see in this strange reality that the titanic creatures originate from is fantastic, and it really plays into the more beautiful side about Kaiju films (they often are about the greatness of nature just as much as they're about cool monster destruction sequences). Hats off to the film's writers, set designers and visual effects team for pulling off an unexpected, creative and touching side to the film with its Hollow Earth adventure.
4. King Kong (1933)
"Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast"
Where would the monster movie genre be without this iconic trailblazer? The original King Kong was the world's introduction to the frightening sense of wonder (or wonderful sense of fright?) that would go on to color monster movies throughout the ages. As a film crew makes its way to the mysterious and uncharted Skull Island for a project, the sense of adventure is high as there seems to be something awfully strange about the island. Things get more and more mysterious, until in one hell of an iconic sequence, we're introduced to the giant ape that would go on to become one of cinema's most iconic creatures.
While the overall look of Kong in 1930's Hollywood isn't quite on par with the current majesty of movie monsters (or even the ingeniously built designs of 50's and 60's Japanese monster cinema), it is extremely impressive for the time being. I can only imagine what a thing to behold it was for people who saw this in the cinema, as nothing of the like had ever been done before in the world of movies. While this stone-cold classic is slightly weighed down in my book due to parts of it being overtly sexist (I know, it's a product of its time, but still), everything other than the poorly-aged portrayal of women in this film is spot on. From the exotic set design and the intriguing lore behind Kong to the chaotic final sequence and the legendary final lines of dialogue, it's no wonder that this film built the blueprint for monster movies to come.
3. King Kong (2005)
"He was right. There is still some mystery left in this world, and we can all have a piece of it for the price of an admission ticket"
Yes, I know that some movie buffs see it as sacrilegious to prefer the 2005 King Kong remake to the 1933 original. Remakes are almost never on the level of the original. But hear me out: most remakes aren't directed by Peter Jackson, starring Naomi Watts, and winners of three thoroughly deserved Academy Awards for their impressive visual effects, sound mixing and sound editing.
Made with a gargantuan budget and running at over three hours long, this hellishly ambitious remake hits all the marks. The story is essentially the same as in the original film, but with more epicness to it (and less sexism - Fay Wray's Ann Darrow may have been a damsel in distress, but Naomi Watts' take on the character is a total badass). The sense of adventure that I love in these kinds of movies feels very real, as the vibrant world of Skull Island comes to life thanks to Jackson's impeccable directing and the spectacular visual imagery. Kong's first appearance is a dramatic scene with an almost larger-than-life feel to it, and the rest of the film remains just as exciting with its multiple memorable moments and dramatic stakes.
2. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
"Sometimes, the only way to heal our wounds is to make peace with the demons who created them"
I don't know if my blog is big enough to attract readers who are fans of classic Japanese Kaiju cinema, but if there are any such people out there, I'm guessing that putting this Hollywood blockbuster ahead of its forebears like Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster and Godzilla Vs. Mothra is even more sacrilegious than preferring the King Kong remake to the original. I understand this viewpoint, as I'm a huge fan of the original Kaiju films myself and have massive respect for them. But I can't help but like this film even a tad more, if only because I see it as the climax to what those classics started. As great as the visual effects of 60's Japanese cinema were for the time being, they still couldn't quite live up to the epicness of the majestic fictional creatures that the writers had come up with. The films never looked quite as good as they deserved to. In 2019, everything was set for the original Japanese Kaiju lore to make a comeback but with the state-of-the-art high-budget visual effects needed to give the Kaiju the outlook they deserve.
And that is what makes King of the Monsters so amazing. The best element of the film isn't the well-written human storyline, or the entertaining fight sequences, or even the important lessons about humanity needing to stop messing with nature. My favorite part of the film is the respect given to the characters of Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan and Ghidorah: instead of Americanizing them to suit modern audiences, their stories and origins and traits are exactly as they were portrayed in their original Japanese appearances, but with the visual effects up to date and on point, so that they could reach their full potential. Moments like the scene where Mothra emerges from the waterfall in full form, not to mention the one where Godzilla rises from the ocean and roars, are spectacular and powerful as the pitch-perfect visual effects really do the characters justice and one can't help but sit back in awe. I'm guessing that if Ishiro Honda were alive, he'd feel immense pride when seeing that his legacy was continued in such a fashion.
1. Godzilla (1954)
"I can't believe that Gojira was the last of his species. If nuclear testing continues, then someday, somewhere in the world, another Gojira may appear"
At least my #1 pick isn't controversial. As defensive I've been about how good some of the modern Godzilla/Kong movies are, there's no escaping the fact that my favorite one is (and probably will always be) the original Godzilla. It basically has all the strengths of the original King Kong: doing something totally groundbreaking and different that would go on to create an entire franchise, introducing a monster with a fascinating mythical backstory, frightening the audience with a hellishly intense final act (Godzilla's rampage on Tokyo is even greater than Kong's rampage on New York) and being much deeper than you'd expect a monster movie to be. But this film has none of its counterpart's flaws. Nothing in the film has aged particularly poorly, and don't even get me started on how good the visual imagery is.
For nineteen-fucking-fifty-four, the special effects are about a million times better than they have any right to be. Ishiro Honda's genius ways of using practical effects as well as lights, shadows, camera angles and all the other tricks in the book lead to this film having a monster that looks legitimately terrifying every time he shows up. When thinking about old Japanese monster films, the first image to come to mind might often be the often-parodied scenery of later and more low-effort sequels, where cruddy-looking monsters fight each other in broad daylight in a campy fashion. But this film is different gravy. The fire-breathing lizard monster, emerging from the ocean due to radiation from nuclear testing, very much being a gripping metaphor for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is something out of your worst nightmares. This film is not only a masterpiece in the realm of monster films, but one of the best Japanese movies, one of the best 50's movies and one of the best horror movies that I've ever seen.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next Thursday for my ranking of the Fast & Furious movies, including the newly released F9 (2021). I may be back before that for a short special post on Monday, relating to the Football European Championship tournament.
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