My Kaiju Eiga
by bertramprodutora | created - 18 Feb 2023 | updated - 23 Feb 2023 | PublicThe giant monster movies I watched, made in Japan, Eastern Asia or inspired by the these films (chronological order)
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1. Godzilla (1954)
Not Rated | 96 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable dinosaur-like beast.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Akira Takarada, Momoko Kôchi
Votes: 39,703 | Gross: $2.42M
One of the most influential movies of all time...
2. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Approved | 78 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Scout pilots for a fishing fleet are startled to discover a new monster named Anguirus alongside a second Godzilla. The monsters make their way toward Osaka as Japan can only brace for tragedy and relive the horror of Godzilla once more.
Directors: Motoyoshi Oda, Ishirô Honda | Stars: Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, Minoru Chiaki, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 8,338
... and the first attempt to make easy money with it...
3. Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956)
Not Rated | 80 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
A 400-foot (122-meter) dinosaur-like beast, awoken from undersea hibernation off the Japanese coast by atomic-bomb testing, attacks Tokyo.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Terry O. Morse | Stars: Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kôchi, Akira Takarada
Votes: 8,832
... and the first USA attempt to make easy money with it.
4. Gorgo (1961)
Unrated | 78 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Greedy sailors capture a giant lizard off the coast of Ireland and sell it to a London circus, inciting the wrath of the creature's mother.
Director: Eugène Lourié | Stars: Bill Travers, William Sylvester, Vincent Winter, Christopher Rhodes
Votes: 4,236
An English film with one distinction (SPOILER): the monster finally wins at the end.
5. King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963)
Not Rated | 91 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A UN reporter broadcasts a report on the appearance of a prehistoric monster that emerges from hibernation while a pharmaceutical company seeks publicity with a monster of their own. (US Version)
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Tom Montgomery | Stars: Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yû Fujiki, Michael Keith
Votes: 11,235 | Gross: $2.73M
I only saw the Americanized version, sorry. But here the cinematic universe was born (again, after the Universal monsters).
6. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A detective is assigned to protect a princess who prophecies the Earth's end with the arrival of a powerful space monster. Mothra and her fairies must persuade Godzilla and Rodan to set aside their differences or face the invader alone.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Yôsuke Natsuki, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Akiko Wakabayashi
Votes: 7,933
Decades prior to Marvel's Avengers there was the royal rumble of Japanese monsters.
7. Gamera: The Giant Monster (1964)
Not Rated | 81 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
From out of the arctic comes a gigantic flying, fire-breathing turtle that sets its sights on destroying Tokyo.
Director: Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, Junichiro Yamashita, Yoshiro Uchida
Votes: 3,803
The Godzilla rip-off so absurd that eventually flew (literally) by its own.
8. Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
G | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Astronauts investigate Planet X and encounter the Xiliens, who ask Earth's people to help save their world from "Monster Zero". As one astronaut forms a romance with a mysterious woman, he uncovers the Xilien's true intentions.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Nick Adams, Akira Takarada, Jun Tazaki, Akira Kubo
Votes: 7,452
Godzilla goes to space!
9. Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)
Not Rated | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A giant monster that emits a destructive ray from its back attacks Japan and takes on Gamera.
Directors: Shigeo Tanaka, Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Kyôko Enami, Yûzô Hayakawa, Takuya Fujioka
Votes: 2,838
One of the few Kaiju Eiga in which the monsters act like animals. I mean, if you're ok with animals shooting destructive rainbows from its back...
10. Daimajin (1966)
Unrated | 84 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A giant stone statue comes to life to protect the residents of a small town against the depradations of an evil warlord.
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Stars: Miwa Takada, Yoshihiko Aoyama, Jun Fujimaki, Ryûtarô Gomi
Votes: 1,892
An interesting mix with the Chambara genre (samurai cinema).
11. Gammera the Invincible (1966)
Unrated | 86 min | Action, Family, Sci-Fi
An atomic explosion awakens Gammera--a giant, fire-breathing turtle monster--from his millions of years of hibernation. Enraged at being roused from such a sound sleep, he takes it out on Tokyo.
Directors: Sandy Howard, Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Albert Dekker, Brian Donlevy, Diane J. Findlay, John Baragrey
Votes: 1,344
Another inferior Americanized version.
12. Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)
Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Family, Fantasy
Volcanic activity unleashes a bloodthirsty monster called Gyaos that Gamera must confront.
Directors: Noriaki Yuasa, Shigeo Tanaka | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Kichijirô Ueda, Reiko Kasahara, Naoyuki Abe
Votes: 2,488
I know, it's not supposed to be good. But it is.
13. Destroy All Monsters (1968)
G | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
At the end of the 20th century, all of Earth's monsters have been safely rounded up and sent to Monsterland for scientific study. Chaos erupts when a race of she-aliens known as the Kilaaks unleashes the monsters on the world.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Jun Fukuda | Stars: Akira Kubo, Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Kobayashi, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Votes: 7,582
They tried hard to make an epic.
14. Gamera vs. Guiron (1969)
Unrated | 80 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Aliens kidnap two children and take them to another planet for the purpose of getting knowledge from their brains, but Gamera follows and tries to rescue them.
Director: Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Nobuhiro Kajima, Miyuki Akiyama, Christopher Murphy, Yûko Hamada
Votes: 3,049
Then Gamera goes to space!
15. Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
PG | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Family
A manga artist becomes suspicious of his employers when a garbled message is discovered on tape. As he forms a team to investigate, Godzilla and Anguirus set out to help defeat the invaders.
Directors: Jun Fukuda, Yoshimitsu Banno, Ishirô Honda, Shûe Matsubayashi | Stars: Hiroshi Ishikawa, Yuriko Hishimi, Minoru Takashima, Tomoko Umeda
Votes: 5,736
I think that the wackiness of Gamera started to influence Godzilla.
16. Pulgasari (1985)
95 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
In feudal Korea, the evil King becomes aware that there is a peasant rebellion being planned in the country. He steals all the iron farming tools and cooking pots from the people so that he... See full summary »
Director: Shin Sang-ok | Stars: Son Hui Chang, Ham Gi Sop, Jong-uk Ri, Gwon Ri
Votes: 1,335
The unbelievable North Korean take on Kaiju Eiga. It's as fascinating as it's strange.
17. Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
PG | 104 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Desolate by the loss of his daughter, a geneticist creates a monstrous new mutation.
Directors: Kazuki Ômori, Koji Hashimoto, Kenjirô Ohmori | Stars: Kunihiko Mitamura, Yoshiko Tanaka, Masanobu Takashima, Kôji Takahashi
Votes: 6,786
Watched this one long ago, need to see it again.
18. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
Not Rated | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Time travelers use Godzilla in their scheme to destroy Japan to prevent the country's future economic reign.
Directors: Kazuki Ômori, Koji Hashimoto | Stars: Kôsuke Toyohara, Anna Nakagawa, Megumi Odaka, Katsuhiko Sasaki
Votes: 7,201
One of my favorites.
19. Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992)
Not Rated | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Japan is caught in the middle of a three way battle between Godzilla, the divine Mothra, and her dark counterpart Battra.
Director: Takao Okawara | Stars: Tetsuya Bessho, Satomi Kobayashi, Takehiro Murata, Saburô Shinoda
Votes: 5,509
Watched this one long ago, need to see it again too.
20. Gamera, the Guardian of the Universe (1994)
Unrated | 96 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
An ornithologist investigates reports of a monstrous new species of bird just as a teenage girl is gifted an amulet found on mysterious atoll. As the creatures begin to attack, an ancient guardian with a bond to the girl emerges.
Director: Shûsuke Kaneko | Stars: Tsuyoshi Ihara, Akira Onodera, Shinobu Nakayama, Ayako Fujitani
Votes: 4,085
This trilogy is amazing (1).
21. Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion (1995)
Not Rated | 99 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
A meteor lands in Japan and unleashes hundreds of insect-like "Legion" creatures bent on colonizing the Earth. Gamera shows up to deal with the ever-evolving space adversary but the battle may result in him losing his bond with humanity.
Director: Shûsuke Kaneko | Stars: Toshiyuki Nagashima, Miki Mizuno, Tamotsu Ishibashi, Mitsuru Fukikoshi
Votes: 3,100
This trilogy is amazing (2).
22. Godzilla (I) (1998)
PG-13 | 139 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
French nuclear tests irradiate an iguana into a giant monster that heads off to New York City. The American military must chase the monster across the city to stop it before it reproduces.
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria
Votes: 203,646 | Gross: $136.31M
Well... I said "inspired by" Kaiju Eiga, right?
23. Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1998)
Not Rated | 108 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
Gamera's ties to humanity have been severed as the Gyaos re-emerge. Nagamine and Asagi investigate as an orphaned girl named Ayana discovers a new creature. Named Iris, Ayana seeks revenge on Gamera for the death of her family.
Director: Shûsuke Kaneko | Stars: Shinobu Nakayama, Ai Maeda, Yukijirô Hotaru, Ayako Fujitani
Votes: 3,267
This trilogy is amazing!!! (3). A rare case where the third and final instalment is the best.
24. Godzilla 2000 (1999)
PG | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
An independent group of researchers actively track Godzilla as a giant meteor is discovered. The mysterious rock begins to levitate as its true intentions for the world and Godzilla are revealed.
Director: Takao Okawara | Stars: Takehiro Murata, Hiroshi Abe, Naomi Nishida, Mayu Suzuki
Votes: 9,311 | Gross: $10.04M
The Japanese answer to the 1998 US film.
25. The Host (2006)
R | 120 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and begins attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-Bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona
Votes: 132,785 | Gross: $2.20M
The artsy South Korean film on the list.
26. Dragon Wars: D-War (2007)
PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
Once in 500 years, ancient mythical creatures come to Earth, wreaking havoc and destruction. This time they must be stopped.
Director: Hyung-rae Shim | Stars: Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks, Robert Forster, Craig Robinson
Votes: 25,371 | Gross: $10.98M
The cheesy South Korean film on the list.
27. Godzilla (2014)
PG-13 | 123 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The world is beset by the appearance of monstrous creatures, but one of them may be the only one who can save humanity.
Director: Gareth Edwards | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe
Votes: 441,045 | Gross: $200.68M
Finally, the USA made it right.
28. Gamera: 50th Anniversary (2015)
4 min | Short, Sci-Fi
A kaiju short film celebrating the 50th anniversary of Gamera
Director: Katsuhito Ishii | Stars: Kankurô Kudô, Rui Takahashi
Votes: 147
Nice tease!
29. Shin Godzilla (2016)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Drama, Horror
Japan is plunged into chaos upon the appearance of a giant monster.
Directors: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi | Stars: Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara, Ren Ôsugi
Votes: 36,370 | Gross: $1.92M
The fire breath/atomic beam scene is perhaps the best single piece of cinematic art in the entire genre.
30. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
Director: Michael Dougherty | Stars: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe
Votes: 207,171 | Gross: $110.50M
And then the USA made it bad again. The best example of fanservice misuse in any media.
31. Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
PG-13 | 113 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
The epic next chapter in the cinematic Monsterverse pits two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against each other--the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong--with humanity caught in the balance.
Director: Adam Wingard | Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry
Votes: 241,693 | Gross: $100.92M
Pure delight.
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