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Godzilla series look back! We’ve compiled a list of 35 films to watch among them

Movies You Should See in the Godzilla Series

出典 : Amazon.co.jp

As of 2019, the Godzilla series has produced 35 domestic and Hollywood versions of Godzilla, and it would be best to watch all 35 films and compare the differences in Godzilla’s shape and content, but it would take a lot of time.
Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of recommended Godzilla movies that you should watch among the 35 movies.

Domestic Version

出典 : Amazon.co.jp

For the domestic version, we recommend watching the following seven films

・『Godzilla』(1954)

This is the first film in the memorable Godzilla series.
It should be noted that it was produced only nine years after the end of the war. The nuclear-themed content is challenging, as it is hard to believe that it was made just after the war and the reconstruction was not yet complete.
The filming technique is not as good as in later films, which were made after the development of CG and other filming techniques. The black-and-white screen has an old-fashioned feel to it, but that doesn’t matter if you take into account that the film was made right after the end of the war.
In fact, once you start watching it, you won’t feel that it’s old-fashioned, and you’ll definitely be drawn into the world of the story because of its high level of perfection.
This is the origin of the Godzilla series, and the setting of the film is used in this work, and there are times when it is related to the later works as well, such as when it is connected to the timeline of the film.
To enjoy the Godzilla series, you should see this movie at least once.

・『King Kong vs. Godzilla』(1962)
King Kong in America and Godzilla in Japan. Two of the country’s most iconic monsters engaged in a battle.
This film commemorates the 30th anniversary of Toho’s founding and is the first color film in the Godzilla series. It is also the biggest hit of the Godzilla series, with more than 12 million people in attendance.
Since the Hollywood version of Godzilla and King Kong are set to collide in 2020, we recommend watching it once to compare the differences.

・『Godzilla vs. Hedorah』(1971)
This film, based on the theme of pollution, which was a social problem at the time, is famous for being the most problematic film in the Godzilla series.
In this film, Hedorah, the embodiment of pollution, lays waste to Japan and attacks humanity and Godzilla. There are many shocking scenes, such as the melting of Godzilla and humans, and the depiction of human corpses.
The song, which contains words reminiscent of pollution such as mercury, cobalt, and cadmium, has an unforgettable impact once you hear it.
Because it was produced on a lower budget than the other films, there are some efforts to keep the budget low, such as multi-screen and animation.
You can learn about the situation in Japan at that time through the content of Godzilla.

・『Godzilla vs Destroyer』(1995)
This is the final film in the VS series. The phrase “Godzilla dies” is pushed to the fore, depicting the life and death of Godzilla that continued to rampage in the VS series.
As it was the culmination of the VS series, the production staff put more energy into the filming than ever before. There’s a secret story about a Godzilla suit actor who collapsed due to heat stroke caused by the heat, and so on.
The Godzilla of this film, called Burning Godzilla, is characterized by its bright red body color. While facing death, Godzilla engages in flamboyant battles with monsters.
Because of the use of words reminiscent of 1954’s Godzilla, such as “Oxygen Destroyer,” it is recommended that you watch the first film before watching this one.

・『Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack』(2001)
If Godzilla vs. Hedorah is a unique work from the Showa series, Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah: The Great Monster All-Out Attack is a unique work from the Millennium series. It is directed by Shusuke Kaneko, who served as director of the Heisei Gamera series.
What makes this film unique is that Godzilla is vicious. Godzilla is portrayed as clearly evil, with only the whites of his eyes.
Another characteristic of this film is that it has its own unique setting regarding Godzilla. Godzilla was created under the influence of a hydrogen bomb test, but in this film, Godzilla is an aggregate of grudges.
It is said that it is precisely because it is a collection of grudges that the vicious white-eyed Godzilla was born.
The flamboyant battle between King Ghidorah Mothra, who is trying to protect Japan, and Godzilla, who is trying to destroy everything, is a must-see.

・『Godzilla FINAL WARS』(2004)
This film is not only the final film of the Millennium Series, but also commemorates the 50th anniversary of Godzilla’s birth.
As it is called “FINAL,” it is a festival film that is worthy of being the culmination of the Godzilla series. The main point of this film is that it has the most number of monsters in its history. All the monsters that have fought fiercely against Godzilla in the past appear in this film and fight fiercely against Godzilla again.
Since there are many action scenes, the suits of the monsters have been improved to make them easier to move around in. The stylish appearance of the monsters can be seen in this film.
It’s a pity that the story is not something you can watch while contemplating. We recommend you to enjoy the battle between the monsters with an empty head.

・『Shin Godzilla』(2016)
Twelve years after the end of the Millennium series, Shin Godzilla has been revived for a domestic version, following the popularity of the Hollywood version released in 2014.
Directed by Hideaki Anno, of Evangelion series fame, the film features a cast of over 300 people.
It is the most realistic portrayal of Godzilla out of the 35 films in the series, based on the idea of what it would be like if Godzilla were to appear in modern Japan.
As the catchphrase “Reality (Japan) vs. Fiction (Godzilla)” implies, this film thoroughly simulates how far Godzilla can be opposed.
Another point of this work is that Godzilla changes its form to the fourth form. The depiction of cities being destroyed by Godzilla, which gradually grows stronger and more rampant, is filled with a sense of despair.
It’s less flashy than other works, but the realism of this film is unique.

Hollywood version

出典 : Amazon.co.jp

For the Hollywood version, we recommend watching the following two films

・『GODZILLA』(1998)
When watching this film, it is important to note that it is not Godzilla like the domestic version, but a giant iguana. If you imagine Godzilla flailing around spitting out heat rays, you’ll be disappointed.
Although the film boasts a high level of perfection as a monster panic film, it was heavily criticized because it borrowed the name of Godzilla.
There is no doubt that the film had a major impact on later works, such as being ironically criticized for its existence in the domestic version and being defeated by the original Godzilla.
This film should be seen at least once to compare it with the Hollywood version released in 2014.

・『GODZILLA』(2014)
・『Godzilla King of Monsters』(2019)
The Godzilla in this film is reminiscent of the Japanese version, without being a repeat of the 1998 Godzilla. Godzilla’s massive body and powerful battles are far more powerful than those of the domestic Godzilla, which can only be seen in the Hollywood version.
The content of the film shows that it is possible to make a monster movie in Hollywood and that the director is a Godzilla fan. The appearance of the original Hollywood version of the monsters is also a key point.
The film was popular at home and abroad, and the sequel, Godzilla: King of Monsters, was released in 2019.
The sequel will feature some of Japan’s most popular monsters, such as Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Ladon, and will see the familiar monsters run amok in the world of Hollywood.
Godzilla and King Kong will face off in the final film, scheduled for release in 2020. Fans are eagerly anticipating what kind of battle between the two iconic monsters of Japan and America will unfold in Hollywood.
We recommend you to see both films together before the final film is released in 2020.

Summary

In this article, we have summarized the Godzilla series, focusing on the following
・Beginning of the series
・Series expansion in the country
・Series Expansion Abroad
・Movies you should see in the domestic version
・Movies you should see in the Hollywood version
Godzilla is one of the most famous monsters in Japan and abroad. By looking back on the Godzilla series, you can learn about what was popular or controversial at the time.
You can watch all the movies, or just the ones you like, and look back on the Godzilla series in your own way before the Hollywood version is released in 2020.

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