This is the one that started it all. There is an Americanized version, Godzilla, King of Monsters, but I watched the OG film. Since I last saw this when I was a kid, I didn't catch that this was supposed to be an allegory for nuclear war. Now that I've watched it again as an adult, I was surprised at how dark it was. I watched this in January 2024.

This sequel was released only 6 months after the original. I found it to be meandering. I feel like there were two competing story lines, one about a love triangle and one about monsters. The film opens with Godzilla's iconic roar, which is pretty cool. We're introduced to a new kaiju - Anguirus, an anklyosaur-looking creature - as he is fighting Godzilla on a rocky island in one of the quietest kaiju fights I've ever watched. Definitely used to a lot more roaring during kaiju fights. Godzilla was killed in the first film but there are apparently more Godzillas that have been created/awakened by nuclear testing. And other flavors of kaiju, hence Anguirus. When the monsters fight it looks oddly frenetic and that's because a cameraman accidentally filmed in fast motion. In this film Godzilla meets his end by being buried under a snow avalanche but considering it took an oxygen destroyer to get rid of the first one, I think Japan should be aware there are more kaiju in their future.

I found this Japanese subbed version on YouTube. While the first 2 movies were about the dangers of nuclear war, this one takes a poke at consumerism. Kong and Godzilla meet through a convoluted set-up. An American nuclear submarine crashes into an iceberg which releases Godzilla. Meanwhile, a pharmaceutical company executive sends a team to an island to bring back the monster (Kong) living on the island - because it will create good TV ratings and therefore be good for sales? I think we're just supposed to go with it and not think too hard about the details. The island scene is racist and cringey but also, I think, a product of its time. There is a romantic subplot, as in the other movies. Kong is a goofy-ass looking monster although Godzilla is looking pretty legit. Fight scenes are very WWE-reminiscent. Also - bonus giant octopus trying to eat some islanders. Watched April 2024.

I was able to find this Japanese subbed version on YouTube. Going into this movie, I did not realize that Mothra had already had her own movie and the Japanese were already familiar with her. I was wondering why they were so casual about another monster on the scene and just put it down to kaiju-fatigue. Much like the previous movie, this one also takes a look at greed and capitalism but also has a message that we should be working together to make a better world. This was an excellent film with a more serious tone than the previous one.

We don't have a weird, tacked on love story as we did in previous films although we do have a weird situation where there is a random teacher with a group of kids who need to be rescued from an island where Godzilla and Mothra's offspring are having a showdown. It felt tacked on and unnecessary. The scenes with the native islanders on Infant Island (where Mothra and her spokespeople twins are from) aren't bad like the "native" scenes in King Kong vs Godzilla. The fight scene between the shady businessmen was surprisingly graphic and brutal. The miniatures effects were very nicely done.

Watched May 2024.

Here are the thoughts I had while watching this one:

• This was a dubbed version. I haz a sad - I really prefer subbed over dubbed but sometimes you just have to take what free option Roku finds for you.
• Loved the hissing from the spaceship exhaust in outer space. Remember, there is no sound in space!
• The spaceship has a periscope!
• The astronauts are armed with rayguns. Because of course we go to a newly discovered planet with mayhem in mind.
• They find a footprint trail on the planet! Honestly, I would be concerned at human-like footprints on an allegedly alien planet.
• The aliens live inside the planet because King Ghidorah/Monster Zero has blasted the surface of the planet.
• They want our help getting rid of King Ghidorah by transporting Rodan and Godzilla to Planet X to fight him. Because of course when you have an infestation of something (monsters, bugs, etc) the only clear solution is to ADD MORE OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET RID OF.
• In return, they will give us the cure for cancer! Spoiler: it's a trick.
• The plan is for the aliens to fly to earth in their flying saucers and collect our monsters using their "nuclear skills." So rude - no one asked Godzilla or Rodan what they thought of this plan.
• This is a different Godzilla suit. I think it looks derpier.
• As with all these movies, there's a side love story. In this one, the sister of one of the astronauts is involved with an inventor. He sells an invention to a shady lady who it turns out is involved with the aliens.
• OMG, during the monster smack down YOU CAN SEE THE WIRES HOLDING THE FLYING MONSTERS!
• Godzilla is throwing rocks. Why is he throwing rocks when he has atomic breath?
• At the end of the fight, it turns out we're leaving Godzilla and Rodan on planet X. What??? They're our monsters! Who approved that? Also, King Ghidorah is not defeated - he has flown away.
• If you weren't wowed by the visible wires on the kaiju, maybe you were impressed with the magnetic waves that were both visible *and buzzing*.

When I watch these movies, I take notes. Because I'm a nerd and, also, I can't remember shit. If I didn't take notes the reviews would be mainly, "Yeah, that was a monster movie." Anyway, I'm doing this write up literally months after I watched the movie. I feel like there might have been more to talk about but I'm not watching this again. I have 30+ other Godzilla movies to watch. But I did find a couple of good reviews here and here of this movie in case you want to read something a little more detailed than my quick list.

Watched in October 2024 (probably).

I'd been putting off watching this one because it just seemed so stupid. I shouldn't have done that because it wasn't that bad. I'm not saying it was good! But it definitely could have been worse. I watched this on MAX and, unfortunately, it was a dubbed version.

I didn't think the previous film had a message it was trying to convey but this one might have. Scientists are conducting experiments to change weather systems in order to convert "useless" areas of the planet (specifically calling out South American jungles, African deserts and the Siberian tundra) into farmland. Interesting perspective on the thinking of the times as to what constituted "valuable" land. The weather changing devices initially caused havoc but in the end put Godzilla and his son into deep freeze, saving them for another day. So maybe something about tampering with nature? Or not, I don't know.

It seems that this film was geared towards a younger audience. You have a baby Godzilla, maybe meant to entice a juvenile audience, there's no romantic storyline, the humor is kind of on the low end. That's just a thought, I'm not sure if that was a specific goal of the producers.

• OK, this has to be the derpiest Godzilla yet. He's not even scary, just laughable. It's the eyes but also his spine plates are smaller and his proportions are ... different.
• Once again, the movie is set on an island. In fact, I think it's the same island. Maybe even with the same sets.
• In the beginning of the movie, a plane flying over the Pacific comes into contact with Derpy Godzilla. They plot his course as leading to Sollger Island. First, Godzilla is either awfully tall or the Pacific is unusually shallow, like bathtub shallow. Also, it apparently took 2 days for Godzilla to make it to the island. What the heck? Y so slow, G-man?
• Sollger Island is home to giant praying mantises, which the scientists seem to oddly take in stride. They are scientists! Why are they not amazed by and studying them?
• Lots of father/son scenes between Godzilla and Minya - teaching baby how to breathe atomic fire, baby going after sleeping dad's tail, at least 2 scenes of Godzilla stomping away, leaving baby behind and coming back for baby.
• In addition to the praying mantises, which have grown even larger after one of the scientists' experiments goes awry, we also have a large spider which is busy trying to enweb everyone.
• And there's another island inhabitant, a woman who lives there. Her father was an archaeologist on the island and when he died she was alone and just living her best life until all these other people came on the island. Surprisingly, she is not a love interest. Maybe another sign of these movies moving more towards a juvenile audience.

Watched May 2025.