There are very few cinematic icons as enduring, engaging, and entertaining as Godzilla. Following his debut in 1954, the King of the Monsters eventually found his way into all types of media: films, graphic novels, video games, television shows, and even two different North American reboots that proved the character had become an international celebrity. Throughout Godzilla’s long and storied history, there have been several very different iterations of the monster, with some films portraying him as a terrifying force of nature and others depicting him as a benevolent (and sometimes even silly) protector.
However, no matter the tone, there has always been mayhem and destruction to be found in a Godzilla film. While some were more influential, entertaining, or well-received than others, each has its special place in the Godzilla canon. Separated by the Showa, Heisei, Millennium, and Reiwa eras, respectively, along with Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Monsterverse film series, these are all the Godzilla movie eras ranked.
The Millennium Era (1999-2004)
Often considered the low point of the Godzilla canon, the Millennium era was defined by inconsistent tones and a lack of continuity throughout the films released. The approach this era of films took would result in the long hiatus Toho took with the character following the end of the Millennium era— while Legendary would partner with them on a North American reboot in 2014 (a decade later), Toho themselves wouldn’t produce another Japanese Godzilla film until 2016. If that doesn’t serve as proof of the damage the Millennium era of films did to the Godzilla franchise, I don’t know what does.
Starting with Godzilla 2000: Millennium and ending in Godzilla: Final Wars, this series of movies had originally been intended to be more connected, with 2000 being the first in a trilogy before those plans were scrapped, and new creative teams were brought on for subsequent films. The anthology style of release for the Millennium movies results in a mixed bag with more misses than hits, leaving it at the bottom of this list. Still, there’s fun to be had with these movies, especially if you’re a fan of bombastic monster action and intense human leads that sometimes get action scenes of their own.
Highlights of this Era: Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) is a film that harkens back to the Showa era of films, bringing back classic monsters and invoking the darker themes of the original 1954 film in a way that it serves as a parallel to Japan’s sociopolitical climate at the time.
The Monsterverse Films (2014-Present)
When Legendary partnered with Toho to reboot Godzilla following the end of the Millennium era, there was an understandable amount of unease surrounding the idea. After all, Roland Emmerich’s attempts to Americanize Godzilla ended poorly in 2000. However, Director Gareth Edwards would provide a surprisingly somber, meditative, and subdued re-imagining with 2014’s Godzilla. What followed was a new shared universe that would continue in Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island, before two inevitable crossover films, with a third on the way.
The only reason that the Monsterverse ranks higher than the Millennium era of Godzilla films is due to its limited number of releases. Unfortunately, Legendary’s attempts at building a shared universe of films and one television series have been as tonally inconsistent as the Millennium era that came before it. Still, there have been some exciting releases between the more self-serious first entry in the Monsterverse and the more ridiculous antics of the Godzilla x Kong films that have been more reminiscent of the later films in the Showa era. Moreover, the Monsterverse hasn’t come to an end just yet, with another crossover film on the way. It’s still too early to tell where this era of Godzilla films will rank when all is said and done.
Highlights of this Era: Edwards’ Godzilla (2014) and Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs Kong (2021) are perfect examples of the tonal whiplash the Monsterverse has seen over the years, going from a more suppressed interpretation to an all-out battle royale between giant Kaijus only seven years later.
The Reiwa Era (2016- Present)
The Reiwa era is the current ongoing series of films produced by Toho, which began in 2016 with Shin Godzilla. Running concurrently with Legendary’s Monsterverse, fans of the Kaiju get the best of both worlds in this current era of movies. North American spectacle is balanced with the meditative and subversive nature of the two theatrical films released by Japan at this point, with another on the way. Whether it was legendary animation director Hideaki Anno’s timely script that reflected the failures of the bureaucracy and inefficiency of Japan’s government in Shin or Takashi Yamazaki’s period piece that examines a nation healing and finding self-worth after devastating loss in Godzilla Minus One, the Reiwa era is defined by meaningful films that are as introspective as they are entertaining.
With the trilogy of animated films on Netflix and the Godzilla Fest short films that serve as homages to some of the more classic movies in the canon, the Reiwa era feels like a culmination of everything that had come before. A celebration of the enduring nature of the King of the Monsters makes this one of the best eras, despite it primarily consisting of only two live-action movies.
Highlights of this Era: The Academy Award-winning Godzilla Minus One is often considered not just one of the best Godzilla movies made, but also one of the best movies in general in the year it was released. With a sequel on the way, if there’s one film from this era that should be seen, it’s Minus One.
The Heisei Era (1984-1995)
The Heisei era of Godzilla helped set the precedent for future iterations of the character going forward, showcasing the ability Godzilla has not only as a character but as a franchise as a whole to grow and evolve. While the Showa era began with an air of somberness with the original 1954 film and transformed into something more child-friendly and palatable, the Heisei era went back to the roots of the character. Starting with The Return of Godzilla in 1984 and ending with Godzilla vs Destroyah in 1995, what stands out most about this series of films is the surprising amount of continuity between projects. What’s even more interesting is that Return of Godzilla is set up as a direct sequel to Godzilla 1954, showcasing the intention of this new wave of stories to be leaning towards the grittiness that made the character so successful to begin with.
With references to events in previous films in the Heisei era and a strong combination of resonant themes and strong Kaiju action, there’s very little about this wave of Godzilla films not to enjoy. The final film of this era even features an emotionally resonant ending for the King of the Monsters, while also allowing future creatives to pave a new way for the character. It feels like the most self-aware era of Godzilla movies, making it a close second-best.
Highlights of this era: The Return of Godzilla (1984) and Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) are standouts of the Heisei period of films, thanks not just to their deft handling of the titular Kaiju and his opponents, but also to the surprisingly nuanced and compelling human side plots, a rarity for any Kaiju movie.
The Showa Era (1954-1975)
It’s hard not to put the first series of Godzilla films that started it all right at the top of the list. The Showa era is what helped to propel Godzilla on his legendary 70-year-plus run in the cinemas, eventually sending him to international stardom. While some might rank the more tightly structured Heisei era above Showa, it’s hard to deny the impressive, mostly consistent quality of the large number of films released during this period. Moreover, the world-building, introduction of new Kaiju, and innovative ways the monster fights were filmed all make the Showa movies hard to top. What was done in these 15 movies would set a precedent for everything afterward.
From the first gritty and dark movie that started it all (and remains a blueprint for almost every Godzilla reboot to this day) to the campy and fun adventures of later films in the era, there’s so much to unpack in Godzilla’s formative years. There are plenty of different offerings in genre and tone, and this period of Godzilla films also features the most unique monster designs, laying the foundation for everything after.
Highlights of this era: The original Godzilla (1954) is an essential piece of movie history that needs to be seen. Moreover, Kaiju classics like Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), and Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla (1974) serve as cornerstone classics that are the basis for most Kaiju relationships in every era moving forward.
Source link
Add Comment