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Matthew Chernov
@matthewchernov See All
Courtesy of Toho He’s been dissolved at the bottom of the ocean, frozen solid in an iceberg, blown up in a volcano, disintegrated in an atomic meltdown, and killed by missiles on the Brooklyn Bridge, but thanks to the millions of fans who love him, Godzilla will never die. Japan’s biggest star returns again in “Godzilla Minus Zero,” which pits the towering titan against a familiar three-headed rival for their ninth big-screen showdown.
Like many long-running franchises, the Godzilla series has gone through a number of distinct phases since its introduction. The first phase, which covers the 15 titles released between 1954 and 1975, is commonly known by fans as the Showa era. These kaiju films (kaiju is the Japanese term for giant monster) are marked by their dramatic shift in tone, from the somber and haunting original to the wonderfully ludicrous “Godzilla vs. Hedorah.”
The second phase is often referred to as the Heisei era, and it includes the seven titles released between 1984 and 1995. These Godzilla films feature a greater sense of narrative continuity, and they ask complex philosophical questions about science and humanity. Next came the Millennium era, which covers the six titles released between 1999 and 2004. The majority of these Godzilla films are self-contained stories, much like an anthology series. The current Reiwa era began with 2016’s “Shin Godzilla” and includes an animated trilogy and the burgeoning Minus series, launched with 2023’s Oscar-winning “Godzilla Minus One.” Meanwhile, Hollywood’s MonsterVerse saga, which kicked off in 2014, continues to chart its own course.
To help you program the ultimate monster marathon, here’s our Godzilla movie ranking, listed from wretched worst to bestial best. Long live the lizard king!
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All Monsters Attack (1969)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Everett Collection The atrocious tenth film in the series focuses on a bullied boy who escapes from his depressing existence by dreaming that he and Godzilla’s moronic son Minilla are playmates on Monster Island. Although helmed by visionary filmmaker Ishiro Honda, who directed many of the best Godzilla films, “All Monsters Attack” is widely regarded as the worst of the worst, and for good reason. Due to budgetary problems, most of the action is comprised of recycled footage from previous Godzilla movies, and the original material looks like it was shot in a single weekend using whatever old monster costumes were on hand. Awful in every way, the American version adds insult to injury by dubbing the childlike Minilla with a deep male voice that sounds oddly like Mr. Ed, the talking horse.
