If You Love Giant Monsters, Watch This 2-Part Kaiju Slugfest On HBO Max

There's no shortage of giant monster mayhem to be found in HBO Max's movie library. The streamer currently hosts a wealth of kaiju films produced by Toho, which has long been the leading studio in this particular genre. Unsurprisingly, the kaiju films in HBO Max's lineup are predominantly Godzilla movies. As their flagship property, Godzilla has been the focus of more than 30 Toho-produced films. Toho has other kaiju at its disposal, of course, but none of its monsters have richer histories than the King of the Monsters himself.

Over the years, Toho managed to develop a deep rogues' gallery for Godzilla to fight. The basic foundation for it was built primarily in the 1960s and 1970s, back when the studio was consistently pumping out titles headlined by Godzilla, from Mothra vs. Godzilla to Godzilla vs. Gigan.

Interestingly, the movies during this era in Godzilla's cinematic history were set within the same canon. For that reason, Godzilla's Showa series is an excellent binge-watch. But they can also be watched individually; even though they're interconnected, most are standalone entries in the franchise that see Godzilla take on a new challenge.

There are exceptions to that, however. A few films from this period were direct sequels to specific Godzilla movies. Thanks to this approach, there are ways to partake in longer chapters of Godzilla's story. Godzilla's two-movie bout with Mechagodzilla is a perfect example of that, and most certainly one worth watching.

Godzilla Battled Mechagodzilla In Back-To-Back Movies

47 years ahead of his main villain role in the Monsterverse's Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla's robotic counterpart made his debut in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. The 1974 film introduces Mechagodzilla as an extremely powerful, mechanized monster created by an alien race called the Simeons.

But for the human characters, it's not Godzilla they expect to fight him. Rather, much of their journey is spent on summoning an ancient and heroic guardian kaiju known as King Caesar. Of course, King Caesar can't beat Mechagodzilla on his own, and therefore Godzilla's presence is needed for the final showdown.

Although Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla ends with the robot's defeat, Toho chose to continue the story into the next film. The next film in the franchise, Terror of Mechagodzilla, picks up where its predecessor left off. Following Mechagodzilla's destruction, people are rushing to find his remains. Unfortunately, they fall into the wrong hands, which sets up another battle with Godzilla. Also in the mix is an aquatic monster named Titanosaurus. He's naturally peaceful, but the villains have used mind control to transform him into an additional weapon against Godzilla.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla And Terror Of Mechagodzilla Are Must-Watch Godzilla Movies

By this point in the franchise, Mechagodzilla stories may seem commonplace. After all, he's now been Godzilla's primary opponent in a whopping total of six movies, making him Godzilla's second-biggest villain behind only King Ghidorah. And yet, both movies offer something special. Perhaps most importantly, both Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla are the only films that shine the spotlight on King Caesar and Titanosaurus respectively.

Outside a small cameo in Godzilla: Final Wars, King Caesar enjoyed only one significant contribution to Godzilla lore, and that was his team-up with Godzilla against Mechagodzilla in 1974. Godzilla admittedly does do the heavylifting, but as a dog-like giant monster with martial arts moves, King Caesar is most certainly a unique -and fun to watch - addition to the franchise. As for the criminally misunderstood Titanosaurus, Terror of Mechagodzilla unfortunately remains his only big-screen outing.

What's more, both movies head in unconventional directions with the action. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla features a surprising Godzilla power not present in any other movie, both prior to the film's release and beyond. In the film, Godzilla demonstrates that he can manipulate metal objects like a magnet.

Both 1970s Mechagodzilla Movies Have Great Final Showdowns

Terror of Mechagodzilla, for its part, flips the script in an interesting way when it comes to how the kaiju matchups were typically structured. Typically, Godzilla would be thrust into one-on-one showdowns, or he would receive assistance from a friendly monster, whether it was Rodan, Mothra, or Anguirus. In other words, the fights were either fair or lopsided in favor of Godzilla.

But Terror of Mechagodzilla actually puts Godzilla at a disadvantage, as it forces Godzilla to fight both Titanosaurus and Mechagodzilla at the same time. Because of his reputation as the King of the Monsters, it seems appropriate that Godzilla should face such a difficult test of his capabilities, and in this respect, Terror of Mechagodzilla doesn't disappoint.

Also, by taking this course with the final showdown, Terror of Mechagodzilla effortlessly avoids coming across as an unnecessary repeat of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. In fact, it shakes up the formula, because instead of Godzilla teaming up with King Caesar to defeat Mechagodzilla, it's Mechagodzilla who needs a partner to beat Godzilla.

Terror Of Mechagodzilla Was The End Of An Era For Godzilla

Ultimately, the 1975 film succeeds in ending in a way that leaves no doubt that Godzilla is the franchise's strongest monster. That's for the best, considering that Terror of Mechagodzilla also marked the end of an era. This was the final entry in Godzilla's Showa series, with the franchise not resuming again until 1984's Return of Godzilla.

But, the days of Godzilla fighting alongside his fellow Monster Island residents against the likes of Gigan and King Ghidorah in campy monster battles were sadly over. But thankfully, the Showa series went out with a bang, having ended with Godzilla having to prove his mettle against not one, but two powerful foes. All things considered, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and its sequel are essential viewing for any fan of kaiju movies.