by Released : 2024-04-12
1. King Kong (1933)
Grounbreaking puppetry and set design combined with a great score, this pre-code monster film was arguably the first true American blockbuster, long before Jaws (1975) was given credit for starting the genre. Spawning multiple spinoffs and remakes, but nothing still tops the orginal!
2. Godzilla (1954)
Not just a startling monster movie, but a sobering post war commentary. The first Godzilla film remains the best version of this character. Later versions would try to make Godzilla the hero, but when he represented the evil and consequences of nuclear warfare is when Godzilla was at its most terrifying. Although just a small puppet among intricate sets, this film still holds up and mangoes to look better than the giant CGI Godzilla we are used to seeing today. This film is also responsible for helping pave the way for Anime in japan.
3. King Kong (2005)
Peter Jackson took a giant swing at remaking King Kong. Peter Jackson had been working on getting this film made since 1995, but the project had stalled numerous times. However, after the success of the Lord of The Ring films Universal approached Jackson again in 2003. At 207 million dollars it was one of the most expensive movies ever made at the time. The film's special effects still hold up today:, the shots of 1930s New York City are breathtaking and the ape looks more detailed than his 2024 counterpart in the monsterverse films. Adrian Brody and Naomi Watts both are solid as the leads, but the film also has a stacked supporting cast: Kyle Chandler, Jamie Bell, Colin Hanks, and Andy Serkis. Despite being a box office smash making nearly 600 million the film is rarely talked about today. Perhaps due to the success of Jackson’s other films or that star Adrian Brody quickly faded after this film. Much negative press at the time was given to Jack Black’s performance because of this the film has garnered an unfair reputation. Back in 2005 audiences did not like the loveable comedian playing such a slimy character today it remains one of his best performances.
4. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
After the dark themes of the first one the Godzilla franchise headed in a sillier direction. Just like today most audiences wanted to see Monsters smash each other. However, this film has one of the most interesting monster characters in the Godzilla universe; Mothra this is because he is beloved by a group of islanders who see him as a god. This plotpoint would later be used in Kong Skull island or other adaptations of King Kong. There's more to think about here than the typical monster fair and the use of technicolor is great making the fights brisk and colorful. After Mothra (1961) this crossover was a big deal at the time and the monster’s island which is similar to a nuclear wasteland makes the audience ponder the true message of the film when not watching the monsters fight each other.
5. Destory All Monsters (1968)
This classic monster film plays like a video game not too heavy on the message, but enough colorful monster smashing to keep the audience entertained. What makes this film stand out among the franchise is that it throws the Kitchen sink having Godzilla face some of his most iconic foes all while being on a large scale to keep audiences entertained throughout its entire runtime. A brisk fun monster film. Similar to the popular Rampage video game.
6. Godzilla Minus One (2023)
After years of mediocre adaptations and a so-so American version of the character in Monserverse- Japan took Godzilla back to his roots of being a villain! Similar to the first Godzilla film, Kaju is not a protector but a nuclear monster set out to destroy Japan. With only a 10 million dollar budget minus one, it manages to look better than 100 million dollar movies. What’s impressive is the detail on the monster particularly it’s scales which makes it look much scarier than the more colorful cgi American counterpart. Unlike most Godzilla movies the human characters here are fleshed out and the audience roots for them. So when the carnage is happening instead of sitting back and having fun the audience is on the edge of their seat hoping their favorite human characters make it out alive. Setting the film back in World War 2 only makes its message stronger.
7.King Kong (1976)
The first attempt to remake the 1933 classic, King Kong 1976 has a peculiar reputation. Sandwiched in between the original and the new 2000s films this adaption is forgotten today. However, besides Rocky it was the biggest box office hit of 1976, showing the pop culture impact that Kong still had. Starring Jeff Bridges, this lavish remake changes its setting to the early 1970s. The film's troubled production almost derailed the whole film before it even got released. Famed movie producer Dino De Laurentiis spent a million dollars building a giant mechanical kong, similar to what Steven Speilberg did for Jaws the year before. However, during filming a pipe broke inside the kong making it almost impossible to use. Instead a human actor in a King Kong suit was used for most of the film and the mechanical kong can only be seen in 15 seconds of the film. A fun summer blockbuster that’s worth a look for fans of King Kong or monster films.
8. King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
Before the 2020s Godzilla vs King Kong films, there was this classic that pitted the iconic monsters against each other. Although some of the film looks dated and the human characters are poorly developed the fight scenes between the monsters are still thrilling to watch. The fight scenes in this movie would later be referenced in The Simpsons and Rampage video games.
9. Godzilla (2014)
The first and best monsterverse film, a great marketing campaign with Bryan Cranston resulted in kind of an underwhelming movie. Despite the initial disappointment it still remains the best film of the monsterverse and has a strong direction that cloaks the monster in mystery for most of the film. Many fans were disappointed and wanted more monster fighting, but the teasing of the monster makes him even scarier when he finally arrives on screen in full form. Much better than America’s previous attempt in the 1990s to remake Godzilla.
10. King Kong Escapes (1967)
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A fun cheesy King Kong film similar to Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla Kong fights an evil robot version of himself. Unlike other King Kong sequels it does not take the character too seriously and gives the audience enough action to be entertained.
honorable mentions
