Which is the Best Rendition of Godzilla?

With Godzilla Minus Zero arriving in cinemas this month, the sequel to Godzilla Minus One (2023) that started a new interpretation of the King of the Monsters, I feel inspired to rank every solo Godzilla film from four specific eras: the Shōwa era  (1954-1975), the TriStar era (1998), the Monsterverse (2014-present), and the Reiwa era (2016-Present).

5. Godzilla (1998)

Last on the list is Godzilla (1998), from the TriStar era. Calling it an era is generous. This was Hollywood’s first attempt to control the king, with TriStar, the studio, and Roland Emmerich directing.

It is not a shock that this version of Godzilla is referred to as ‘Zilla’ by fans and Toho; that’s down to the bizarre iguana redesign, the lack of intimidating presence, and human characters like Dr. Niko Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick) along for the ride.  Godzilla (1998) may be Hollywood’s first attempt, but it will always be viewed as a cheap knockoff.

4. Godzilla (2014)

Next on the list is Godzilla (2014), the start of the Monsterverse. Hollywood’s second attempt is far better than the first. Gareth Edwards, who has always understood that sense of weight and scale, is a perfect match for a character like Godzilla.

FromGodzilla’s battle with the Muto kaiju to the airport sequence where every step Godzilla takes causes ripples, the film is thrilling; however, it does lose momentum when Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) is killed and replaced with Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Godzilla (2014) looked at what went wrong in 1998 and understood that if the King of the Monsters is heading to Hollywood, then that king aspect should be felt.

3. Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Finding itself third is Godzilla Minus One, directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Why Minus One is one of my favorites and ranks so highly is how mean Godzilla is and the dynamic with Kōichi Shikishima (Ryȗnosuke Kamiki).

It’s one of my favorite relationships so far in the Reiwa era (2016-Present), because even though it’s a Kaiju and a human, you completely buy into the idea that, for both, they are each other’s demons that have been haunting them.

What’s so impressive about Godzilla Minus One is that it fully invests audiences in this cat-and-mouse game between Kōichi Shikishima and Godzilla.

2. Godzilla (1954)

The film that started it all: Godzilla (1954) by Ishirō Honda, which introduced the king and kicked off the Showa era, when Godzilla starts as a villain and later becomes an unlikely hero. Here, Honda uses Godzilla as an embodiment of the tragedies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a walking force of destruction.

Also, with a great range of miniature work, Haruo Nakajima delivers an incredible performance, as the suit weighed 220 pounds (100kg) and was made of mixed concrete and rubber; Katsumi Tezuka also wore the suit for certain scenes.

Godzilla (1954) isn’t just one of the best kaiju films; it reminds us that for all the good we can create, we can so easily create destruction.

1. Shin Godzilla (2016)

My number one: Shin Godzilla, co-directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi. This film is part of not only the Reiwa era, but also the Shin films, which are reimagined solo films of iconic Japanese sci-fi and Tokusatsu franchises. The others are Evangelion, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider.

This is my favorite Godzilla and Shin film because it presents Godzilla as constantly evolving, creating a nerve-inducing viewing experience. The audience is always scared to think about what the next stage is and the horrors that will come with it. Also a sympathetic viewing experience, as the Godzilla here knows it’s not right and that its body is evolving too fast.

The film finds that great balance of making a Godzilla that is truly beyond us and, at the same time, makes you sympathize because you want to see it put out of its misery.

List Courtesy of Matthew Allan

Feature Image Credit to Toho via IMDb