A series that kicked off way back in 1954, and is still going strong to this day, Godzilla is perhaps the first thing many people will think of when they hear the term “giant monster movie,” and for good reason. The titular character has been in almost 40 feature films to date, and those films all belong to a wide variety of genres. Some Godzilla movies are goofy and action-packed, while others focus more on horror and drama. It’s a series that’s dabbled in out-there sci-fi concepts like time travel, and entries in the series have been produced in both Japan (where the series originated, and where most of the films were made) and the U.S.
The U.S. branch of Godzilla took off in a big way during the 2010s, thanks to the beginning of the ongoing MonsterVerse, and two of the three Godzilla movies of the 2020s so far have belonged to that side of things, too. But the 2020s has also seen the release of a live-action Japanese Godzilla movie that ranks among the best in the entire series, so it’s a pretty great time to be a fan of the king of the monsters. Hopefully, the second half of the decade will see the release of some more Godzilla flicks, but for now, here’s every single one of them released during the 2020s so far, ranked from pretty good to pretty great.
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'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' (2024)
Directed by Adam Wingard
Its predecessor established the MonsterVerse as a place for Godzilla and King Kong to get pretty damn goofy, and so it’s not too surprising that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire doubles down on schlock in a way that might alienate those who like their Godzilla films a little more serious. Comparing The New Empire to the likes of most films (besides the original) from the Showa era isn't too far-fetched, because a movie like this is all about getting larger-than-life monsters and having them fight and/or team up; whatever leads to the most action, really. Here, the two title monsters form something of an alliance after their previous battle, thanks to the emergence of a new monster that threatens to conquer the world… though he is kind of all bark and no bite, to the point where you could even call the climactic action set piece a bit of a letdown.
But before then, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire revels in destruction and action-packed chaos while sacrificing logic and coherence in an admirably giddy fashion. It occasionally comes close to being great, mostly when it ditches dialogue and human characters altogether. It’s potentially empty spectacle, sure, but if you want a movie that feels like the cinematic equivalent of shoveling several pounds of extra salty potato chips into your mouth for two hours, then Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has your back. Sure, that does mean it’s ultimately not very filling, and no one is going to call it a highlight of either the Godzilla or King Kong series, but there’s entertainment to be found here for sure. It’s colorful, fast-paced, explosive, and unpretentious; you get exactly what you'd expect out of a giant monster team-up movie, and no more… but thankfully, also no less.
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Kong and the fearsome Godzilla face off against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own.
Release Date
March 29, 2024
CastRebecca Hall
, Brian Tyree Henry
, Dan Stevens
, Kaylee Hottle
, Alex Ferns
, Fala Chen
, Rachel House
, Ron Smyck
, Chantelle Jamieson
, Greg Hatton
, Kevin Copeland
, Tess Dobré
, Tim Carroll
, Anthony Brandon Wong
, Sophia Emberson-Bain
, Chika Ikogwe
, Vincent B. Gorce
, Yeye Zhou
, Jamaliah Othman
, Nick Lawler
Runtime
115 Minutes
2
'Godzilla vs. Kong' (2021)
Directed by Adam Wingard
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
King Kong vs. Godzilla was released in 1962, so it took a hell of a long time for those two titular monsters to once more engage in combat, given Godzilla vs. Kong came out almost 60 years on from that film. It was the first big crossover for the MonsterVerse, following one solo King Kong movie (2017’s Kong: Skull Island) and two Godzilla movies (both 2014’s Godzilla and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters). Sure, it was a no-brainer to have these two cross paths, and thankfully, that path-crossing was very enjoyable to bear witness to. Like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Godzilla vs. Kong is a rather mindless and dopey affair, but it’s got an approach to delivering straightforward blockbuster thrills that makes it fun. The MonsterVerse versions of the two main characters had already been decently established, and so this 2021 film is all about making them clash.
Admittedly, there’s a little more to it, but not by much, considering the fact that after their fight, they team up and take on another foe, much like how they do in 2024’s The New Empire. At least the action itself is solidly done, and indeed, fun enough to make you forgive how boring all the human characters are here. Once the dust settles, it’s hard to remember much about Godzilla vs. Kong that doesn’t involve the two main monsters raining blows upon each other like Frank Costanza at Christmastime, destroying huge amounts of property in the process, but that’s really all you need to have a good kaiju-scale showdown. Those looking for more than that will need to look elsewhere, but anyone who thinks they might be satisfied by seeing Godzilla vs. Kong in combat should indeed check out Godzilla vs. Kong.
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Godzilla vs. Kong
The first major crossover event in the Warner Bros. MonsterVerse arrives as Godzilla vs. Kong. This blockbuster action film sees the legendary King Kong and Godzilla go head-to-head in a battle of titanic proportions. Set after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters and decades after Kong: Skull Island, the movie sees members of the underground agency known as Monarch dealing with the fallout of a rampaging Godzilla. Monarch relocates Kong to an area that may give them the weapon they need to subdue Godzilla; however, there are greater foes than the King of the Monsters to fear.
To the surprise of no one who’s seen all the Godzilla movies from the 2020s, Godzilla Minus One is far and away the best of the bunch. Not only is it a great Godzilla film, but it qualifies as one of the best giant monster movies of all time, period. It’s a movie that finds ways to homage prior Godzilla films while also very much doing its own thing, taking place earlier than any other film in the series: right after the end of World War II. In Godzilla Minus One, Japan as a whole is still reeling from the aftermath of the Second World War, and so the emergence of the titular monster just makes things all the more chaotic and harrowing for everyone who survived the hardships of the war itself.
That’s all to say that the human-centered drama in Godzilla Minus One is surprisingly strong; it’s not just a movie about action, spectacle, and destruction. Still, when Godzilla Minus One wants to be exciting in such a way, it succeeds at that too, so you really do get the best of both worlds here. It’s one of the more exciting and justifiably acclaimed movies of the 2020s so far, and has set something of a high precedent for future Japanese Godzilla movies to live up to (the news that Takashi Yamazaki is going to direct another movie in the series is indeed promising). If you want a no-nonsense giant monster movie that treats its central conflict in a surprisingly grounded way, all the while still feeling explosive and action-packed, then Minus One is probably just what the doctor ordered.
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Post war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.
Image via Toho
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Image via Toho
English (US) ·