The Non-Fan's Guide to Godzilla Films

The legacy of the first American Godzilla film is that it showed that yes, CGI can help make a film where Godzilla does more. But it also showed that people wanted to see the real, classic Godzilla, updated for modern times. Thus was born the third period of Godzilla films, which really was a culmination of everything that made the previous two series great: Better effects, ongoing plot and character development, and human characters who weren't annoying throw-away characters you just wanted to fast-forward through.

Godzilla 2000: Millenium (1999)

Seemingly everything released around 1999 and 2000 mentioned the Milennium, even the long-awaited Blues Brothers sequel was called "Blues Brothers 2000" by studio demand. So of course the new Godzilla reboot was no different, but unlike the Blues Brothers sequel, it didn't suck. It wasn't great, but it didn't suck.

Like "Godzilla 1985", this one ignores every other film except for the original from 1954. However, this one jumps forward to the present day and presents us with a world that has prepared for and reacted to attacks by Godzilla for decades. Like earthquakes and hurricanes, Godzilla has become a periodic and devastating part of life.

Deviating from the previous series, in which essentially no alien threats appeared, this one brings the aliens right away, with an actual flying saucer appearing. The inhabitants of the saucer are in need of new bodies, and they bond with Godzilla because of the healing properties in his cells. Yes, as with the previous series, Godzilla's cells play an important role. Last time it was their nuclear capability, this time it's their regenerative properties.

I actually liked the focus on Godzilla's ability to heal in this one. In a LOT of the films, Godzilla takes a massive beating. "Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster" is a good example. Burned with acid, stomped on, poisoned, he's on the verge of death and makes a comeback, very much like Wolverine of the X-Men. And lizards are known to grow their tails back. So as a giant mutated lizard, why wouldn't Godzilla have super regenerative powers?

Similar to "Godzilla vs. Destroyah" these aliens start out as individual threates, but after their exposure to Godzilla, they become a giant collective creature, so the classic battle of titans can ensue.

Overall this one is fine. Not a must-see.

Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)

I just saw this one about a year ago and it was really pretty good. In a shocking turn of events, this film wasn't a sequel to the previous film. Instead it once again followed up on just the original, but then establishes an alternate timeline. Instead of being destroyed by the Oxygen Destroyer in that film, Godzilla survives, and again, a different kind of Godzilla defense force is created to respond to his threats.

Because of the threat of Godzilla, nuclear power is banned around the world and the world in general is safer. Until an ancient form of dragonfly appears, one we learn was a natural rival to Godzilla's species in the dinosaur age. This dragonfly starts out, like Megaguirus, as a number of individual large insects, kind of like locusts, destroying crops and cities, until it combines into a giant one, flying at extreme speeds, able to strike at Godzilla and get away before Godzilla can strike back.

Humans of course play a subplot in this one, as with all Godzilla films, but as with the other films released after the original series, they are a more vital, interesting part of the film and less of an annoyance distracting from the action of monsters. In this case we have corporate corruption and greed, in which a company is secretly using nuclear energy, despite the worldwide ban. Sensing nuclear energy, Godzilla is drawn to the reactor, so he can destroy it, once again making Godzilla the conscience of the Earth.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack! (2001)

Yes, there should be a comma after "Mothra" in the title. It bothers me, too, but that is the accurate title of the film. Try not to worry about that and think instead about the hilarious length and lack of subtlety of the title.

Now for the third film in a row, all previous films except the original are ignored. But there are some interesting new twists in this one. In previous films, Godzilla is nature's reaction to the atomic attacks on Japan at the end of World War II. In this one, the souls of those who died in the Pacific in World War II are essentially possessing Godzilla, lashing out, because Japan has not taken full responsibility for starting the war.

Also, for the first time, all the monsters are made out to be legendary beasts, and three of them, Baragon, Mothra, and King Ghidorah, are summoned to combat Godzilla. That's quite a change from Ghidorah being the enemy everyone else rallies to combat.

As usual, the sheer number of monsters involved makes the film worth seeing, but also the fresh takes on familiar ground make this movie one for your watch list.

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla aka Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (2002)

It's strange to see a human character front and center on a poster for a Godzilla film, but for this film it makes sense, because once again the human characters aren't just an annoying distraction, they're integral to the film.

Again ignoring all other films but the first, this film assumes Godzilla attacked in 1954 and a Godzilla task force has been assembled to handle subsequent attacks by Godzilla and similar creatures. In 1999, a pilot for the Godzilla task force nearly dies when fighting a new member of Godzilla's species, and is mentally and emotionally scarred by the event. Godzilla-related PTSD. It makes perfect sense. Meanwhile, to combat future attacks, the skeleton of the original Godzilla is recovered and merged with a mecha organism, creating a cybernetic Godzilla or Mechagodzilla.

In the present day, Godzilla returns and Mechagodzilla is brought into play for the first time. When things go awry with the mecha's controls, the battle-scarred pilot is brought in to directly pilot Mechagodzilla, potentially vindicating herself while saving Japan.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

This film is a direct sequel to the previous film, and serves as the middle film of what ends up being the trilogy that caps off this period of Godzilla films. So, in short, watch "Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla" and this one, and the next one. You won't be disappointed.

Here, the humans realize that Godzilla continues to attack Japan because the skeleton of the original Godzilla was used to create Kiryu, aka Mechagodzilla, and Godzilla is greatly offended. If Kiryu were dismantled and the skeleton returned to the sea, Godzilla would quit attacking and Mothra would take her natural role as defender of nature, Japan, and the Earth.

This you may note, establishes that there have been other monsters, namely Mothra, who like Godzilla, attacked Japan in her 1961 solo film debut. Also, Mothra is established as a her. That has happened in previous films, but not consistently. Yes, the twin fairies show up again as in most films with Mothra and they're not as annoying as they tend to be.

Despite this sage advice, Mechagodzilla is repaired and upgraded, and so of course Godzilla shows up as predicted, and both Mothra and Mechagodzilla/Kiryu try to stop him. This take on Godzilla is interesting, because he's the antagonist in each of the films, but you can relate to him. He's kind of justified, making him more of an anti-hero.

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

Here it is, my favorite Godzilla film of all time. If you're going to watch just one, it should be this one. Marking the 50th anniversary of the original, this film does what "Destroy All Monsters" tried to do with the original series: it brings back all of the monsters in one place. But this time there are a LOT of monsters, and it's done very well.

Aliens are attacking Earth, using resurrected monsters against us. Humanity has no choice but to bring back the only monster stronger than them all, even though we could barely beat him ourselves: Godzilla.

Sure, we get King Ghidorah again, and Mothra. But in this one we get to see monsters we only saw one time, like the Smog Monster, or ones we haven't seen in this series, like Anguirus. And, we get to actually see, not speculate, what happens when classic Godzilla squares off against the Hollywood version, here renamed Zilla. Sure, Zilla is more agile. But the fight is still brief, and hilariously awesome.

I always tell people, if you're going to watch one episode of "Dr. Who," it should be "The Five Doctors." And if you're going to watch one Godzilla movie, it should be this one. In one place you have everything and everyone who made the series great. See it.