Godzilla (Millennium) Movies

Godzilla

Godzilla is given the big budget treatment, courtesy of the guys who made Independence Day. An iguana is irradiated by radiation, then attacks New York City. Easily the best special effects of any Godzilla movie, shame about the script.

Godzilla 2000

Godzilla returns! Too bad the movie doesn't get good until the last few scenes. Godzilla is a constant threat to Japan, so much so that people make their living tracking him. When a UFO found on the ocean bottom is exposed to sunlight it coes to life and heads straight for Godzilla. Soon Japan has to deal with the twin threat of a pissed off monster and an enigmatic alien craft. The climax is a fight between Godzilla and Orga, the monster the UFO evolves into.

Versions: There are an American and Japanese version of this film, both available on DVD.

Reviews: Stomp Tokyo, Barry's Temple of Godzilla.

Godzilla vs. Megaguirus

Godzilla lore diverges into yet another alternate version of G-history. When Japan starts testing a new form of "clean energy" to power its cities, Godzilla shows up to trample it from existence. The special corps of Godzilla fighters (code named G-Grasper, probably the worst name for an anti-Godzilla team yet) decide to retaliate by hiring a few crackpots to create a weapon that can (get this) shoot artificial black holes. What could go wrong with that plan?

When G-Grasper tests this weapon, however, they open a portal to a dimension inhabited by giant beasty insect things, which promptly escape into the sewer system and begin to breed by the thousands. Before you can say "super size me," the insects (called Meganuron in an apparent nod to Rodan), attack Godzilla, and then combine to become Megaguirus. Much ass-kicking takes place, some of which recalls the sillier kaiju antics of films like Godzilla vs Monster Zero or Godzilla vs Gigan. This isn't exactly Godzilla's finest hour, but it's a passable waste of time for G-fans looking for their next fix.

Reviews: Stomp Tokyo.

Godzilla , Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

It's a giant monster jamboree! In this new continuity Godzilla attacks Japan after leaving the island alone for nearly fifty years. His reappearance triggers the return of Japan's guardians; Mothra, Baragon and Ghidorah!

Despite bringing some of the most vibrant incarnations of the classic Godzilla monsters to the screen, director Shusuke Kaneko was unable to give the same life to this series as he did to Gamera in the 1990s. Although the "mystical guardians" element puts an interesting spin on the old characters, it makes one wonder if Kaneko has any other plot ideas. We can see the reasons for casting Godzilla as the villain, but after so many years of rooting for him, it feels kind of weird.

Still, GMK features some of the scariest Godzilla moments we've seen in a long time (especially the kitchen sequence), and some of the slickest giant monster battles yet. Definitely worth watching.

Reviews: Stomp Tokyo.

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla

After a new Godzilla attacks Japan the Japanese government builds a giant robot Godzilla to contain the threat. For some reason they build the robot's control system with Godzilla DNA recovered from the original monster, with predictably disastrous results. The monster action in this movie is fast and furious, but the humans are deadly boring.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

As Japan prepares Mechagodzilla for another assault on Godzilla, the Cosmos twins ask Japan to scrap the robot so the original Godzilla's bones can rest in piece. Instead, they offer Mothra to fight Godzilla if he appears again.

This move features some of the best monster action of the series yet, though trying to figure out what's going on with the humans can be challenging. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. is a direct sequel to Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002), and features a cameo by the turtle from Yog: Monster from Space (1970).

Godzilla: Final Wars

Allegedly the last Godzilla movie for the foreseeable future, Godzilla: Final Wars is a big budget blow-out with Godzilla and twelve other monsters.It was supposed to be in honor of the 50th anniversary of Godzilla (1954) but it's more in line with the 30th anniversary of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) in terms of goofy tone.

Giant monsters appear all over the world, overwhelming the Earth Defense Forces. Earth's salvation comes in the form of aliens from Planet X, who make all the monsters disappear and warn humanity that an astral body called Gorath is on a collision course with our planet. Are the aliens sincere? Of course not! When the aliens' true motives are uncovered the only force on earth that can stand up to them is Godzilla!

Among the classic monsters appearing (at least briefly) are Anguirus, Ebirah, Gigan, Hedorah, Kamacuras, King Seesar, Kumonga, Manda, Minilla, Mothra, and Rodan. There's also a new monster called Monster X which is revealed to be a new version of King Ghidorah.