T5W#484-Top 5 Godzilla Movies (from me this time)

It’s been a few years since I’ve started looking at Godzilla titles here and there for the Anime Corner, either as stand alone or as part of Godzilla Month events.  During much of this time, I’ve been a Godzilla novice, watching and learning more about the franchise through the mentorship of my good friend and top Godzilla advisor, JMT-117.  And while he’s still debating a Top 5 Godzilla list of his own for the month, he has helped me with research and editing the Hail to the King Baby Godzilla Retrospective.  So while I wait for him to pontentially add a new list to the Anime Corner, it’s finally my time to rank my own favorites within the Godzilla franchise cause by now I’ve seen mostly all of them save for a couple.  So, without further ado, I present my Top 5 Godzilla Movies (from me this time) on todays Top 5 Wednesday.

Godzilla: Tokyo SOS

One year after Kiryu’s defeat of Godzilla, a pair of Shobijin appear before humanity and offer an ultimatum: the bones of the original Godzilla used to build Kiryu must be returned to the ocean or Mothra will be forced to destroy humanity.  When Godzilla returns to finish what he started, however, Kiryu must answer the call to action once again.  Kiryu’s last mission begins but can its power along with Mothra’s be enough to destroy Godzilla once and for all?

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla ended on a surprising cliffhanger as Godzilla retreated into the sunset and Akane and her giant Mechagodzilla, Kiryu, stood victorious.  I can see why you’d want to continue this storyline since the creation of Kiryu is unique in the history of Mechagodzilla and Akane being an excellent protagonist more than worthy of carrying her own mini arc in the Millenium Era.  So its surprising that everything that worked in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla’s favor is immedietley sidelined in favor of something more straightforward and less interesting.  The movie delivers the Kaiju goods and looks great.  But this is a matter of style trumping substance and it doesn’t hold a candle to the two prior Millenium installments that came before it.
 

Hail to the King Baby!!!: A Godzilla Retrospective Part 3

Previously: During the second half of the Showa Era, Toho sought to make Godzilla more of a kid friendly character, transitioning him from destructive force of nature to planetary protector against Monsters both man made and from beyond the stars.  However, the steady decline of the Kaiju genre in the 70s led to the premature conclusion of the First Age of Godzilla.

T5W#483-Top 5 Scariest Versions of Godzilla

Godzilla has been many things over the years: King of the Monsters; cautionary tale for nuclear powers; hero; villain; wild card; unstoppable force of nature.  But one thing I think most tend to overlook is that Godzilla can be scary as Hell.  Yeah he’s got a ton of abilities that’ll take you out before you can really take it in but that’s a face that puts fear into the hearts of all as much as excitement.  Continuing with our Godzilla Month III Exclusive Top 5 Wednesdays, todays list is looking at the Top 5 Scariest Versions of Godzilla.  And while I considered jokingly adding the Showa Era suits that were used far beyond their usage, I’ve decided to stick with the ones genuinely designed to be the stuff of nightmares.

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla

Four years after Godzilla reappeared in 1999, the Japanese Government is ready to face him with a new secret weapon.  Using the skeletal remains of the original Godzilla, a new Mechagodzilla, codenamed Kiryu, is born.  At the helm of this mechanized titan is Akane Yashiro, an officer looking for redemption after a previous encounter with Godzilla.  But Kiryu proves to be just as unpredictable as the King of the Monsters. With this Mechagodzilla emerge Japan’s savoir or join its flesh and blood brother as its destroyer?

Seeing as how bringing back multiple Godzilla favorites in GMK proved a box office success, Toho’s next Millenium Series entry returns to that well with another beloved Godzilla fan favorite.  Personally, I don’t know why they didn’t just call this Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 3 (ok GvMCG 2 in the Hesiei wasn’t a sequel to the 70’s film but still the title is cool).  But that hardly matters when Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla proves to be a more than worthy follow up to GMK with impressive visuals, a long awaited rematch for Godzilla and a very cute and capable actress at the helm of a decent human side story.