Is he ever not terrifying? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for moments when Godzilla truly felt like The King of the Monsters.
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00:00 (speaking in foreign language)
00:03 (dramatic music)
00:07 - Welcome to WatchMojo, and today,
00:09 we're counting down our picks for the moments
00:11 where Godzilla truly felt like the king of the monsters.
00:15 (speaking in foreign language)
00:19 Number 10, Tsunami Arrival, Godzilla.
00:26 - We call him Godzilla.
00:30 - The top of a primordial ecosystem.
00:33 - The Godzilla that we see in the first MonsterVerse film
00:37 may not be set up as a villain,
00:38 but that doesn't mean the Big G wasn't a big deal.
00:42 In fact, its arrival off the coast of Honolulu
00:44 causes a tsunami to ravage the island.
00:48 - Oh my God.
00:49 - Run, run!
00:54 - Godzilla is in the area thanks to a mating call
00:57 set off by a male Muto,
00:59 but the overall atmosphere is one of dread and doom.
01:02 Life and property alike are swept up by the tsunami's rage,
01:06 and it's this scene that helps set up
01:08 the MonsterVerse Godzilla as a true threat,
01:11 wherever it goes.
01:13 (gunshots)
01:19 Number nine, Jaw Rip, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
01:23 (gunshots)
01:25 Sure, the Mechagodzilla at the end of this scene
01:33 may not technically be Godzilla,
01:35 but this offers little in the way of condolences
01:38 to poor Anguirus.
01:39 Both this kaiju and us, the audience,
01:42 are initially stumped as to why
01:44 these former friends are fighting.
01:46 (speaking in foreign language)
01:50 Mechagodzilla as fake Godzilla takes it to Anguirus,
01:54 and this 1974 film initially implies
01:58 that the king of the monsters has gone bad.
02:01 The real Big G does eventually show up to make things right,
02:04 but not before poor Anguirus gets its jaw ripped
02:07 in a bloody, violent fashion.
02:10 (roaring)
02:12 Number eight, Stealth Mode, Godzilla vs. Kong.
02:20 - It's time!
02:21 We need to go now!
02:24 - The MonsterVerse iteration of Godzilla
02:26 may have first been criticized over its weight,
02:29 but it's come a long way since then,
02:31 essentially silencing detractors.
02:34 Its first battle with King Kong in this crossover
02:37 is a great example, showcasing the giant kaiju
02:41 in full stealth mode as it approaches Kong from the water.
02:44 - It looks like he's coming for us anyway.
02:46 - He's not coming for us.
02:47 - Him?
02:48 Then dump him, dump the monkey.
02:50 How about we throw you up instead, huh?
02:52 - The tension and anticipation are palpable
02:55 as the king of the monsters waits to make a move
02:58 before attacking Kong and a United States Navy convoy.
03:01 Meanwhile, the execution highlights Godzilla's learning
03:05 and adaptability with regard to fighting patterns
03:08 and strategy.
03:09 (roaring)
03:12 (roaring)
03:14 Number seven, Shindo's death.
03:23 Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.
03:25 (speaking in foreign language)
03:29 What would you do if confronted nose to snout
03:36 against the king of the monsters?
03:38 This is what happens to Yasuaki Shindo,
03:41 a Japanese World War II veteran
03:44 whose life was saved by a Godzilla-saurus
03:47 during a confrontation with American forces.
03:50 The modern day Shindo feels guilt-stricken
03:53 about how the time travel plot of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
03:57 has resulted in a Big G rampage throughout Tokyo.
04:01 (speaking in foreign language)
04:11 The conflicted vet decides to get one final look at Godzilla
04:15 as the king of the monsters
04:16 seems to recognize the man in return.
04:19 A moment of silence seems to take forever
04:22 as Shindo stares down Godzilla.
04:24 Then Big G blasts the building with atomic breath,
04:28 incinerating Shindo and leveling it to the ground.
04:32 (roaring)
04:34 (roaring)
04:41 (roaring)
04:43 (speaking in foreign language)
04:44 Number six, No Mercy for Baragon.
04:47 Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah
04:50 giant monsters all out attack.
04:52 (roaring)
04:55 We're used to seeing Godzilla defeat enemies,
05:00 but it hits a bit differently when it comes to Baragon.
05:04 This diminutive little kaiju
05:06 enjoys a strong connection with fans
05:08 thanks to just how darn cute Baragon is.
05:12 That said, Baragon didn't stand a chance
05:15 going up against Godzilla in 2001's
05:17 Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah
05:20 giant monsters all out attack.
05:22 Baragon puts up a valiant effort,
05:24 but this guardian monster ends up trying in vain
05:28 to escape Godzilla's attacks.
05:30 Big G has no mercy for Baragon, however,
05:33 and blasts the downed kaiju dog to bits
05:36 with an atomic blast.
05:38 In the meantime, our hearts are broken.
05:41 We love you, Baragon.
05:42 (roaring)
05:45 Number five, Melted Skin and Ripped Insides,
05:54 Godzilla vs. Hedorah.
05:56 (speaking in foreign language)
06:00 This entry is twofold
06:06 since 1971's Godzilla vs. Hedorah
06:09 features a whole lot of gross weirdness
06:12 during its runtime.
06:13 For starters, there's the fact
06:15 the daytime attacks of Hedorah
06:17 caused tons of fatalities amongst the populace.
06:21 These include graphic scenes of melted skin,
06:24 people falling from scaffolding,
06:26 and scattering citizens succumbing to Hedorah's toxic fumes.
06:31 (speaking in foreign language)
06:36 Later on, Godzilla gets in on the grossness
06:39 by tearing into Hedorah's body and ripping out,
06:42 well, we're actually not sure what Big G has in its hands.
06:46 We don't want to speculate either,
06:48 but the Hedorah POV shot possesses psychedelic uneasiness
06:53 that leans heavily into the film's already odd
06:55 and off-kilter atmosphere.
06:57 (screaming)
07:04 Number four, Hospital Kill.
07:06 Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah
07:09 giant monsters all-out attack.
07:11 (roaring)
07:14 (screaming)
07:19 The fear is palpable in this scene
07:21 from 2001's Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah
07:24 giant monsters all-out attack.
07:26 For starters, this Millennium-era Godzilla design
07:30 possesses creepy, whitened eyeballs
07:33 that add to the King of the Monsters'
07:35 already fearsome appearance.
07:36 (roaring)
07:39 Then, there's the setting of a hospital
07:44 and a young woman who's essentially trapped inside
07:48 as Godzilla approaches the city.
07:50 The camera angle looking up at Godzilla
07:53 from the hospital window evokes a feeling of dread.
07:56 Then, the young woman gasps in relief
07:59 as Big G seemingly passes her by,
08:02 only for him to whip the hospital level
08:05 with its tail on the way out.
08:07 Ouch.
08:08 (roaring)
08:10 Number three, Godzilla's Death, The Return of Godzilla.
08:19 (roaring)
08:21 There are a number of scenes within 1984's
08:28 The Return of Godzilla that manage to be frightening
08:31 without Big G even being on screen.
08:34 The opening boatwreck sequence comes to mind.
08:37 The film provides a Godzilla story
08:39 that attempts to replicate the more serious tone
08:42 of the 1954 original,
08:45 and this can be seen during the death scene.
08:48 (roaring)
08:50 The international cuts of the film feature a second,
09:00 higher-pitched scream, which makes Godzilla's
09:03 fall into a volcano seem all the more intense.
09:07 This second scream wasn't featured in the Japanese cut,
09:10 but the American edit titled Godzilla 1985
09:14 streamlines the story into a more action
09:17 and horror-oriented direction.
09:19 (roaring)
09:21 Number two, Immolated Citizens, Godzilla.
09:30 (roaring)
09:32 There's nothing fun about the original 1954 Godzilla.
09:44 The kaiju's rampage is never taken lightly,
09:47 and instead underlies Godzilla
09:49 as a metaphor for nuclear war.
09:51 The scene where a mother attempts to comfort her child
09:55 during Godzilla's rampage is particularly heartbreaking.
09:59 (speaking in foreign language)
10:03 There's also the aftermath of the attacks,
10:08 which are dark, depressing, and realistic.
10:12 Speaking of realism, the victims of Godzilla's atomic breath
10:16 are seen collapsing in the streets
10:18 as their homes are being immolated all around them.
10:21 These attacks are truly presented as end-time events
10:25 and are treated with the sort of respect and fear
10:27 reserved for only the most destructive of apocalypses.
10:31 (speaking in foreign language)
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10:56 Number one, enter Godzilla.
10:59 Godzilla.
11:00 (speaking in foreign language)
11:04 The original Godzilla takes a little bit more time
11:10 setting up suspense before the initial reveal of Godzilla,
11:14 and there's just something indescribably eerie
11:17 about how Big G's face appears over the hilltop.
11:21 (explosion booms)
11:25 (explosion booms)
11:27 Its animalistic features are a far cry
11:30 from the goofier creature designs of the Showa era,
11:33 and instead lean into this first Godzilla film
11:36 as a true horror picture.
11:38 This king of the monsters seems to possess no pity
11:41 for its victims and terrorises our screens
11:44 with an entrance that instantly entered
11:47 the pop culture history books as one for the ages.
11:50 (speaking in foreign language)
11:54 Were you scared of Godzilla growing up?
12:01 What's the scariest Godzilla creature design?
12:03 Let us know in those comments below.
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12:09 (screaming)
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