RANKING the MonsterVerse Films / Godzilla MonsterVerse SPEED-ART
So as I did for the Showa, Heisei, and the Millennium/Reiwa Series, I'm now going to rank the American Godzilla films, while also throwing in Kong: Skull Island. I was originally going to rank these when Godzilla Vs. Kong came out, but it keeps getting pushed back and back, and I want to talk about these films in at least a somewhat timely fashion. So with that said, let's go from worst to first and rank these Big-G films up! And as always, there will be some spoilers ahead, so you've been warned!
4. Godzilla (1998)
Okay, starting at the bottom of the barrel we have Godzilla 1998. Now, if I remember correctly, and I might not, since I was only seven years old when this film came out, but I believe this was the first Godzilla film I saw. And you know what? It helped me discover Godzilla and seek out the other movies. I had toys of this Godzilla, and I rented it on VHS multiple times after it was done in theatres, but unfortunately, re-watching it since, I realize it just doesn't hold up. It's not cheesy fun like some of the Showa films. It doesn't really balance the dark subject matter with levity like the Heisei films before it. So what we're stuck with is an overly comedic and messy film. The design for Godzilla is a radical departure from its other appearances, although I think it actually looks pretty cool for a Kaiju design on its own, and the Animated series that followed this film would expand and improve on this Godzilla's design and capabilities. Also, the human characters and the human drama here feel very one-note, which is to be expected with a Godzilla film, but I think when the budget is higher, and the actors are A-listers you expect a little more from them. And I'm actually a fan of director Roland Emmerich's other films like Independence Day and the Day After Tomorrow, which I think had characters that worked a little better within their films. They just stick out a little more here. One thing worth noting is a lot of Simpson voice actors appear in this film, and being a huge fan of The Simpsons, I always liked their cameos and bit-parts in this movie. So altogether, the film is a little messy and isn't much of a Godzilla movie, if you're looking for a big-budget B-Movie, American Kaiju film may scratch that itch.
3. Godzilla: King of the Monsters
And speaking of messy, coming in third place is Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the sequel to 2014's Godzilla. Now, I enjoy this film a lot more than the 1998 film, so this is a big leap here, but it still has its own problems, mostly revolving around the human plot, which somehow feels both undercooked and overly bloated. The plot of a person unleashing all the Kaijus isn't horrible, but that character’s motivations are undeveloped, and than her redemption arc afterward also feels undeserved. Although the monster fights in here are actually pretty good, and there are a lot more of them than in any other American Monster-Verse film, they still suffer from cutting away from the action and having them shot way too dark. But part of this makes sense because Ghidorah creates large clouds and storms wherever he goes. Still, it makes it pretty tough to see what's going on at times. Although when the battles work, they look great. I really like seeing Burning Godzilla and any scene with Mothra is really beautiful. But I think the best part of this film is the soundtrack. It's hauntingly beautiful, creates new themes, and reinterprets the older themes in an amazing way. I also really like the cover of Blue Oyster Cult's “Godzilla” during the end credits, which apparently caused some legal trouble for the band back in the 70s, but I guess that's water under the bridge here because they allowed for them to use it and it really slaps. So yeah, this may not be the most consistent American Godzilla film, but if you just want to watch it for the action and you have a good TV and sound system for it, you can't really go wrong. Just maybe turn up the brightness.
2. Kong: Skull Island
Landing in second place is going to be Kong: Skull Island. It's probably the most simple story of the batch, and it is greatly improved by setting most of the film during the daytime and using wide-angle shots, allowing the action to be easily seen. I also really like Kong's design here, and I think he comes off pretty sympathetic. Some of the other Kaiju aren't as fully realized, but they still make for fun battle sequences. I also feel like the human characters are greatly improved here, mainly because the action is smaller in scale so it can focus more on them and their mission without feeling like they're out of place. I also really like John C. Reilly's character, some of his lines are little cheesy, but I believe he's basically gone mad being alone on this island so I can brush over some of those possible flaws. Of course, Samuel L. Jackson's inclusion is also a bonus. He basically brings every movie he's in up a grade. Now, with this film being a prequel, some of the tech used feels a little rudimentary and low-scale, although that sometimes ups the stakes because the humans have to use their wits more so than the latest gadget. Although all of this makes the film feel a little more incidental and less grand than the other films in the series, which works for it on its own, but when watched between Godzilla (2014) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, it just feels a little less important in the grand scheme of things. But of course Godzilla Vs. Kong could flesh this one out a bit more and make it feel more a part of the series as a whole, so I guess I'll have to wait and see.
1. Godzilla (2014)
And that all leads to my number one choice, Godzilla (2014). The first 45 minutes of this film are possibly the most tense and best acted of the whole Godzilla franchise. Bryan Cranston does an amazing job as a grief-stricken man trying to figure out why his wife had to die, but unfortunately, once he's out of the picture, the movie flounders around, trying to re-find its footing and shifts the narrative onto the less interesting son. There are still some great scenes and set-pieces with him and the military, but it all feels contrived. Everywhere this man goes, there just happens to be a Kaiju attack. This is part of the problem with having this film's scope be greater than just one city or one country. It becomes just too convenient that everything lines up the way it does, but if you can get over that, the third act where Godzilla finally gets to shine and take on the MUTOs is stellar and is amazing after waiting so long for the build-up to pay-off. Unfortunately, it still feels a little too short, but it's better to give us a little bit of something amazing rather than a lot of something that's just okay. So all in all, this isn't a perfect film, but the good parts elevate it just a little bit above it's two sequels.
So what do you think of my rankings? Feel free to comment on this video with your own ranking. And unit next time, I’ve been Aaron and I’ll let you something later!