Ten Favorite Kaiju/Style Films
One is often introduced young to these majestic rubber suits, and accumulate a nostalgic fondness for these absurd, outrageous, poorly acted masterpieces truly unique within the science-fiction genre. The original Gojira was a remarkable Frankenstein-style tale of technological misuse, but his black and white 1954 exploit spawned continued, successful ventures into plenty of eclectic but downright Sharknado-esque delights. Here are my ten favorite, including American love letters.
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- DirectorIshirô HondaStarsTakashi ShimuraAkihiko HirataAkira TakaradaAfter a dinosaur-like beast - awoken from undersea hibernation by atom bomb testing - ravages Tokyo, a scientist must decide if his similarly dangerous weapon should be used to destroy it.The classic that began anything. This goes first without saying!
- DirectorIshirô HondaTerry O. MorseStarsRaymond BurrTakashi ShimuraMomoko KôchiAn American reporter visiting Tokyo becomes a witness to the city's destruction by a dinosaur-like beast awoken from undersea hibernation by atom bomb testing.A dodgy cut of a classic, Raymond Burr struggles to emote and the noir-ish heavy exposition--necessary to explain everything spoken in Japanese--grows dreary as the film progresses. Still retains the play-it-straight, horror elements of our heroic radiated Gojira.
- DirectorTakao OkawaraStarsTakehiro MurataHiroshi AbeNaomi NishidaAn independent group of researchers actively track Godzilla as a giant meteor is discovered. The mysterious rock begins to levitate as its true intentions for the world and Godzilla are revealed.Personal favorite beyond the original, I remain astounded what a bad rep this film sustains. For me, it encompasses terrible dubbing, an adequate father character, a scary Godzilla, and an imaginative villain. It fuses heisei and millenium just right.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsIdris ElbaCharlie HunnamRinko KikuchiAs a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.A glorified homage, regardless of Del Toro's determination to avoid being restricted to the genre, the film still manages what Star Trek (2009) did--it gave Kaiju films to the whole world. No easy task, as it's a genre not easily accessible to everyone.
- DirectorMatt ReevesStarsMike VogelJessica LucasLizzy CaplanA group of friends venture deep into the streets of New York on a rescue mission during a rampaging monster attack.First-class horror from the director of Let Me In, the camera could have used less violent shaking. JJ beats PR by half a decade, and for once hands America its very own monster: Clovie, a genuinely frightening concoction whose design DNA is later seen in Star Trek (2009) and Super 8.
- DirectorShûsuke KanekoStarsTsuyoshi IharaAkira OnoderaShinobu NakayamaAn ornithologist investigates reports of a monstrous new species of bird just as a teenage girl is gifted an amulet found on mysterious atoll. As the creatures begin to attack, an ancient guardian with a bond to the girl emerges.Allow this film to represent his entire 90's trilogy. My goodness, what lengths the film goes to with its violence, and what efforts to establish protagonists that have unusually common sense.
- DirectorShûsuke KanekoStarsChiharu NiiyamaRyûdô UzakiMasahiro KobayashiA reporter, notorious for working on pseudo-documentaries, must uncover the legend of the three guardian monsters who must rise to defend Japan from the vengeful spirits within Godzilla.Godzilla truly takes no prisoners this time, with those possessed eyes, and the father character is perhaps the most believable man ever written in any of Gojira's sequels. 45 minutes of setup, but the second half delivers the goods.
- DirectorTakao OkawaraIshirô HondaKoji HashimotoStarsTakurô TatsumiYôko IshinoYasufumi HayashiThe aftermath of the Oxygen Destroyer brings forth Destoroyah, a beast intent on killing Godzilla, who is on the verge of a nuclear meltdown.A perfect bookend to Heisei, the makers truly know what tugs our heartstrings: Godzilla. We could care less for the people. Watching Godzilla's son die is practically traumatic, and more touching than any human story told yet among its peers. Not to mention Godzilla's nuclear decay.
- DirectorMasaaki TezukaKazuki ÔmoriStarsYumiko ShakuShin TakumaKana OnoderaA new Godzilla causes the JSDF to construct a cyborg countermeasure from the original monster's remains. The beast's restless soul is discovered to inhabit the machine as the pilot must learn to find value in her own life.That little girl cries for everything, but the physical combat is engaging, sometimes surprising, and extremely rewarding above most of its predecessors. And let's face it; that's what we really come here to see.
- DirectorMasaaki TezukaKoji HashimotoTakao OkawaraStarsNoboru KanekoMiho YoshiokaMickey KogaMothra and her fairies return to Japan to warn mankind that they must return Kiryu to the sea, for the dead must not be disturbed. However Godzilla has survived to menace Japan leaving Kiryu as the nation's only defense.The more fantastic, the harder it is for me to enjoy. So Mothra stories begone, but nevertheless, this is a fine conclusion to the previous year's outing with our metal and green Godzillas.
By the way, concerning the English dubbing for a fair few of our hero's sequels: It's GodzillA. Not Godzill-er.
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