You've made a fan outta me, I'm subscibing. My friends and family think I'm a nut cause I love these movies, even the cheesy ones. It's so completely resfreshing to know another adult that loves them too.
I've seen _Gojira (1954)_ and _The Return of Godzilla (1984),_ and even now I always get more of a nuclear apocalypse vibe from the latter. Also, it was my first *true* Goji film as a little kid.
I actually liked Gamera Guardian Of The Universe better. I thought it did a great job introducing the monster in a more believable way (if you're going to use a flying turtle, then you definitely can't pretend it's a naturally occurring dinosaur). I really enjoyed the backstory with imagining a previous civilization of man that was vastly more advanced, but created it's own destruction and so left future humans the means to defend themselves. I also loved the action and thought the drama was good for a kaiju movie. Like with all of these films, the voiceover work was probably the largest weakness, but if you could get past that it's my favorite to watch over and over. Far better than anything else on the list outside of Jurassic Park.
Outstanding list / mini-review marathon! I loved how you had such an expansive view of what could could be considered a "kaiju" movie, thought I have to admit that your #2 choice was a bridge too far when it comes to my own personal definition. All the same, you've given me quite the future watch list. Thanks! (P.S. "Godzilla 1984 / Return of Godzilla" is probably my personal number one.)
Honestly, I think Godzilla 2014 is in many ways one of the best monster movies ever. One reason i think this is because it combines alot of what made Toho's Showa Era so amazing and brings it into a 20th Century movie! Heck, you can draw direct parallels to several themes in the Showa Era directly from the movie. Good stuff.
Personally, I Find G14 is more akin to the Early Heisei Films, whereas G:KOTM has more in common with the Showa Movies than you've described, though I am glad that you liked the 2014 Film as well
to me that movie will ever have a soft spot in my heart, I loved it as a kid, and as a 17 year old I still adore it, it does have flaws and im aware of them, but it will always hold a special place in my heart
I just recently watched the Heisei Gamera trilogy for the first time and I am so glad that I did. I agree the Gamera 2 was the strongest of the trilogy. I’ve seen quite a few kaiju films, but some are excruciatingly hard to acquire without deep pockets. Looking at you Rodan and War of the Gargantuas! Very good list, had a few that I haven’t seen yet, but will try to check out!
Well... You did the 16 best Kaiju & Giant Monster Movies Ever Made... You know wot this meens... Now you need to do the 16 worst Kaiju & Giant Monster Movies Ever Made }:3
I know one movie that’s one of the worst and I’ll probably trigger some people: Godzilla vs King Ghidorah A movie involving Time travel but neglects how it really works Fight me. It was a good concept, but poorly executed.
Nice List, Mr. Omniviewer. Indeed, I was genuinely surprised by your choice at number one, with Gamera: Advent of Leigon. I enjoy the Heisei Gamera trilogy very much, but personally they would’ve fallen somewhere between 10 and 5 on the list for me. But that’s always much of the fun watching one your videos like this; seeing a different point of view with reasoning attached. On that note, I think I’ll take you up on your invitation and give you my own list of monster movies. Now, while I agree that many of the movies you’ve listed do deserve to be recognized as objectively good movies (I think I’ve seen all except Daimajin), the movies I’m going with are all ones that you didn’t mention. Makes things more interesting for me. So here are 10 of what I consider to be some of the best monster/kaiju/creature movies. 10.) The Valley of Gwangi: I know you’ve had to have at least heard of this one, and I think it’s one of the best examples of Ray Harryhausen’s work. The plot is straightforward and nothing particularly special, but the premise of cowboys and non-avian dinosaurs together is something special in and of itself. The highlights are of course the dinosaurs (weirdly, almost all of them have a bluish/violet tint to them), and Gwangi himself, which may not be as sympathetic as King Kong, which is what he’s basically the dinosaur equivalent of, but he’s still a standout character in the film. And that ending… This is one movie I’d really love to see get remade one day. 9.) The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms: This one may also be a simple movie by today’s standards, but I don’t think it needs to be. This is essentially THE non-Godzilla 50s monster movie. Like in Gwangi, the first half is rather bland with no really outstanding human characters, but they fill their roles well, and in this movie they actually talk about stuff related to the monster. My favorite scene is when the Rhedosaurus attacks the lighthouse, which was taken from the short story on which the movie is based on, The Foghorn by Ray Bradbury. And of course, the possibility that this was one of the main inspiration to Godzilla means that it truly deserves respect by fans of the genre. 8.) The Lost World (1925): The original silent film based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s story of the same name is really a fascinating film. It’s in the public domain, and I’ve watched it several times here on TH-cam. Though it’s without dialogue, the music and lighting provides good atmosphere, and though it’s clear the stop motion was still in its infancy, the dinosaurs are still fun to watch. It’s also strange that, considering how anachronistic the creatures are in some aspects of appearance, there are a few moments where they’re not just dumb brutish lizards. We see parental care in a Triceratops, and active hunting in which a Tyrannosaur JUMPS into the air to catch a Pterosaur. And it may just be the jerky stop motion, but some of the dinosaurs’ actions end up looking very bird-like. This movie also has what may be the very first monster rampage through a city in cinema history, when they take a Brontosaurus back to London and then it escapes. I wonder just how much of this would carry over to King Kong considering Willis O’Brien worked on this. th-cam.com/video/QJaXxY3citM/w-d-xo.html 7.) Pitch Black: To my knowledge, this is the first movie to feature the character Riddick, which would get three more movies. This is easily my favorite one, and the one I think is the best. Riddick’s character seems to work best as a mysterious, morally ambiguous badass. Great action/survival movie. The biggest highlight for me are the predatory aliens everyone’s threatened by, the Bioraptors, which show real imagination in creature design. They may be anatomically infeasible, but damn do they look incredible. I like the sense of scale and dimension that’s given to the world their stranded on, with its cycle of life and death based on years of constant daylight and then a night period where the predators run wild and possibly kick-start the next season of life as they kill each other off. 6.) Troll Hunter: I saw this one in your collection, and that it didn’t get mentioned, but that’s what I’m here for. It’s easy to see why this may not be seen as a “good” film, but I think it’s a bit underrated. The student characters may be annoying as hell sometimes, but the Troll Hunter guy himself plays a pretty solid role. I love the detail to which is given the methods and equipment of the Hunter and the characteristics of his titular quarry. The trolls are all unique creatures whose biology is fleshed out very nicely, and have some pretty effective suspenseful scenes, like when the Mountain King family are all seen coming back to their layer, or the flashes of light in the distance before we first see the Tosserlad.
5.) Reign of Fire: I don’t know why this movie isn’t brought up more, considering its’ a very well made and unique monster movie that features dragons in an original way. They seem to be at least partially silicon-based life forms that literally feed on the ashes of the world they burn. This is one of the few post-apocalyptic monster movies out there for now, and its got good atmosphere, world building, and a decent human story. Though the dragons are on screen very much, their presence is still felt very clearly, and what screen time they do have is spectacular, especially the male dragon. 4.) Outlander: I don’t know if you’ve heard of this one before or not, but it’s another movie I don’t often see get brought up. Which is a shame since it has one of the most creative, distinct, and memorable monsters I’ve seen. In case you’re not familiar with it, it’s basically about a ship that crashes on Earth in Viking times and a dangerous alien, called a Morwen, is unleashed. I may not be the best judge of acting, but nothing seems terrible about any of the characters here, and they all play the parts well. The Morwen, though, is the absolute standout for me. The backstory between her and the main human character makes her a sympathetic and even a tragic character, and makes their relationship interesting. If Outlander isn’t on your radar, I say it’s certainly worth checking out. 3.) Cloverfield: As much as people like to complain about the shakiness of this found footage movie, and I can understand why, I think this is also an extremely effective and well-done kaiju movie for the modern age. It literally takes place from the point of view of the cameraman, Hud (the only character whose name I remember), and gives us a very visceral idea of what it would be like to witness a kaiju attack first hand. Much of what makes the titular monster, the LSA, so effective is its mystery. Although an official backstory does exist, it’s not really relevant in the movie, and most of the time we only see disjointed bits and pieces of the thing. But even though it’s not on screen a lot, the added layer of the HSPs are a nice and creative way to keep the sense of danger near. And of course, the theme, Roar, is excellent. 2.) The Call of Cthulhu: You seem to be familiar with the writings of H. P. Lovecraft. I too am a big fan of the Cthulhu Mythos, and am somewhat disappointed there are little to no decent film adaptations to some of the more famous stories. But to that end, there’s The Call of Cthulhu, a 2005 short film distributed by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society. I doubt you haven’t heard or seen this, since it’s on TH-cam and has been out for over a decade now, but I think it’s a terrific adaptation. It’s made to look and feel like a silent-era movie, which only seems to help with the uncanny and dark atmosphere. You could tell the makers put a lot of heart into this faithful retelling of the story, and I can only imagine what it would be like if this had actually been made in the 20s. On the off chance you haven’t seen it, I would highly recommend it. th-cam.com/video/KBaxXs8yYic/w-d-xo.html 1.) Shin Godzilla: I’ve mostly stayed off of Godzilla for this list, for similar reasons you held off the original King Kong and Godzilla. But this one’s way too good for me to pass it up. I’ve seen your own review of the film, and found it quite interesting, even a bit amusing seeing how many of the issues you had with it were what made it great for me, but that’s what makes the world interesting, isn’t it? This is one of those movies where I was quite surprised by in many regards, but have only grown more and more fond of the more I think of it. Indeed, the middle and some of the last parts of the third acts can get kind of slow if the humans are of no interest, which to be honest goes for many other Godzilla movies. But for what it sets out to be, I felt it was very successful. The tagline, Japan vs Godzilla, is very fitting seeing how Japan overall seems to be the one with a character arch. It’s essentially the docu-drama of the Godzilla series. I also love how they managed to bring some originality to Godzilla, especially his evolving forms. They seem to me to be based heavily on frilled sharks, and other deep see fish. In fact, I’m surprised I haven’t seen more comparisons to this obvious inspiration. Just take a look at a frilled shark for yourself. It also reminds me of Thomas Hawkin’s depictions of plesiosaurs as daemonic creations of the devil. Seriously, look up his plesiosaur art, too. As surreal as his first form especially is, Godzilla in this movie also strangely seems like a creature that could’ve actually crawled up from some forgotten pit at the bottom of the sea. But I digress. For a movie the means something, Shin Godzilla is one of the finer films I’ve seen and would describe as one of the few objectively good Godzilla movies, even though I can see why it’s so divisive. Well, that was fun. Hope this list is serviceable, and again, nice video. Also, I’ve recently started my own TH-cam channel, and was wondering if you have any tips or suggestions? Thanks, and have a nice day. 😊
All good choices, and all films I've seen, even Outlander and The Call of Cthulhu by HPLHS. If you are doing a channel, you may want to consider making this one of your videos. As for advice, the best I can give is to always keep pushing forward. Your first videos will not be perfect, but each one is a learning experience. Take chances, don't expect instant fame (for instant fame is also fleeting), and stay true to your voice. Also, unless your reviewing something in the public domain, keep third party content short and sweet, because it's the longer clips that the bots zero in on. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to other TH-camrs, but don't get too down if they don't respond. Finally, learn to pick your battles, especially in the comments section. If someone is obviously being a jerk, or you find yourself getting lured into an unwinnable argument, just leave it where it is. You'll be much happier if you just let the trolls shout impotently to the wind. Feel free to ask for any other advice. Maybe I'll do a video on that at some point...
Thank you very much for the tips. I'll keep them in mind. I'm only doing shorter videos on dinosaur books for now, but plan on branching out into kaiju, speculative evolution, and other media I like. Have a nice day. :)
I feel the same way about the American version of Godzilla with Raymond Burr as he feels about the American version of Rodan. Burr is a newspaper reporter so what happens has to be true. I always liked that.
I just saw the Heisei Gamera Trilogy in full back to back for the first time tonight and it was amazing! Watching them all back to back makes me want him in Monsterverse even more and for him to fight Godzilla!
Back when this list came out, I, whilst respecting your opinion, would've said that the best Kaiju movie for me was GMK. However, though I do still respect your list, today, the movie that I consider the best is Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (2019). It's everything I could ask for in a film and then some. A fully engaging story, enjoyable yet flawed characters, visuals that aren't too much or too little. And it being a Godzilla movie certainly helps. And it's not just any Godzilla movie, but one that carries heavy personal connection to me. It was the first Godzilla movie I saw in theatres, it was the most hyped movie of my life so far, and it was basically a sort of "last hoorah" for me and my best friend (We still talk but our friendship isn't as solid as it used to be). I owe a lot to him mostly because he introduced me to Godzilla as a series, and without it, I wouldn't be who I am today. And I consider King Of The Monsters to be the peak of that friendship and the peak of my love for the character. It all comes together to be my favorite movie of all time, as well as cementing Godzilla as my favorite fictional character. The only other movie that comes close to King Of The Monsters for me was Sonic The Hedgehog 2
I'm glad you didn't just exclude Godzilla to be "edgy and cool and different", I was honestly very afraid that was going to happen. AND HELL YEAH! The Host is awesome! I saw it during my first year of college with a bunch of classmates, and I absolutely loved it. And I really want to watch WotG, specifically with my mom so she can be traumatized by Gaira all over again lol
i agree with you that the american recut of rodan is better that the orginal Japanese because the build up to rodan is far far to long that rodan really only in the movie for less then ten minutes at the end
I saw GMK! It was so cool, I love that bargon got genuine respect in that movie instead a being a lazy Camio, if varan and manda were also in it it would be about all the underused monsters.
Kaneko originally planned for the "hero" monsters to be Baragon, Varan, and Anguiras, but Toho thought Mothra and Ghidorah were "more marketable," thus, IMO, screwing up the entire movie. I know GMK is a good movie, but I just canNOT get behind Ghidorah as a "hero" monster. It's blasphemy, pure and simple.
Amazing list, I will make sure to watch them when I continue my kaiju mega-marathon. I see people asking for the 16 worst and guilty pleasures, so I hope you take notes on that.
I think my favorite Godzilla film besides the 1954 original would probably be Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) particularly because of the design of Kiryu/Mechagodzilla as well as the human characters being integral to the main plot, especially the lead character Akane Yashiro. GMK (2001) is another close contender for me because of how scary Godzilla looks in that film. By the way, would you count The Blob (both the 1958 and 1988 versions) as a giant monster movie? Because I enjoyed that as well.
Great List. There are a lot of giant monster movies here that I didn't know about and I can't wait to watch them. Also, I was wondering if you'd do a review on Tremors? It's my personal favorite giant monster movie.
My favorite monster movie would have to be Godzilla vs the Smog monster, mainly because it's the first Godzilla movie i watched and it has a special place in my heart.
Well, aside from all of the movies you included in this video (whether they were on the list or not) I think that these films are also the best: Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991) King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962) Godzilla Final Wars (2004) Godzilla Vs. Hedorah AKA Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster (1971) Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) Terror Of Mechagodzilla (1975) And many others.
I loved your thoughts on this list, and there are several I plan to check out now that I had never heard of before. Personally I loved Godzilla vs Biollante, and I am sad so few ever mention it on their lists. And like you said I love Godzilla vs Megalon specifically because of how goofy and “bad” it was. But if I were to try to pick a best kanji/monster movie... I’m just not sure I could. They are all so unique and bring different things to the table, I’m just not sure I could pick one over the other. Godzilla will always be the king in my eyes, but I can’t pick one over another.
My reaction to your number one choice: "Really that movie and not the one before it?" I would make my own list but you basically hit the nail on the head in terms of what are the best giant monster movies ever made.
legion is also one of the most unique kaiju. just look at its design. it is very abstract and has an eldritch abomination sort of design when most kaiju are prehistoric or giant robots.
Good line up. Btw, if you do make an NES Godzilla Creepypasta video, include Snazzy Chapeau somehow. That is my only request that has to happen. Love your work, Omni. Your friend, Alpha Raptor
You got me to watch _Rodan._ *Loved it!* The one bad thing I would say is the final scene. Before I say why, I must say the effects in _Rodan_ look incredible. Some wind destruction scenes look good even today. But that final scene ... those two Rodan puppets just flopping around. They could have done better, I know because of the great effects I saw before. Don't like _Godzilla vs Biollante_ that much. When that corporation put a bomb in a volcano for the purpose of releasing Godzilla, I was taken out of the movie. Releasing Godzilla is equivalent to a war crime. That company is so screwed, they even told Japan they did it as well. Also Biollante herself is kind of "meh". Looks amazing but not very interesting as a villain, doing very little. I could not tell if Godzilla was getting damaged or if his life was getting threatened by Biollante. And then Biollante just vanishes into pixie dust and I am supposed to care. The movie is crazy for wanting me to accept Biollante contains the spirit of a scientist's dead daughter.
I can surprisingly agree with this list. Especially the Gamera #1 spot. That trilogy was absolutely amazing especially for the 90s. Growing up as a child in the 90s I had no idea heisei Godzilla or gamera existed! I discovered them on DVD in the early 2000s and it was like a dream come true. Absolutely love Godzilla vs Biollante! My favorite next to destroyah!
Great List, I agree with most of your picks. And I am so glad someone else Love's "Pacific Rim". "Pacific Rim" is an undisputedly Excellent Kajiu Film all together. Del Toro's direction and Visual's, with Ramin Djawadi scoring was a perfect "duo". It's a shame they both didn't return to make the sequel.
I personally disagree (My personal favorite is Revenge Of Iris), but DAMN if that one isn't good. I really think all 3 of those movies should get some form of recognition
I was actually pleasantly surprised that you put Pacific rim so high up on the list Out of curiosity what was your first? Mine for the record was attack of the super monsters
My first exposure to Kaiju was back in my single-digit years, when my parents called me into the living room to see the very end of Son of Godzilla. I don't think they realized what they were starting.
I remember my first exposure to the Kaiju genre was when my best friend told me about Godzilla (2014) and when my Mom showed me the 1998 Godzilla movie. However, the first true Godzilla movie (I don't consider the '98 Godzilla movie a true Godzilla movie) that I remember watching was Godzilla vs Mothra (1964). The first Non- Godzilla Kaiju movie I remember watching was, I believe, either King Kong (2005) or Pacific Rim, and my love for the genre has never stopped.
Great list. I share a lot of your favourites as well, and I'm not articulate enough to come up with a full list of my own favourites, but off the top of my head, aside from the original Kong & Godzilla, I know that Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla vs Biollante, Kong '76 (I always preferred that interpretation of the Kong story over the PJ one, for several reasons [thought I still love the 2005 version, as well]), and Godzilla & Mothra: Battle For Earth would be on it, among others. Some day I should make a complete list and detailing exactly why I like them so much. There's still a lot of obscure ones I need to see, outside of the King Kong and Godzilla franchises. I imagine I'd enjoy Mighty Peking Man.
Mighty Peking Man is definitely one of the more interesting Kongsploitation movies. You probably would enjoy it. And good luck if you ever do make that list.
Here are my top 16 kaiju films based on personal preference, dinosaurs included (I feel that these movies are better than each other on different ways, so ranking them based on objective quality is tricky, so I ranked them based on personal preference): 16. Colossal 15. Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla 2 (1993) 14. Godzilla vs Biollante 13. GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTETS ALL OUT ATTACK! (I f***ing love this title!) 12. Godzilla:Final Wars 11. Mothra vs Godzilla 10. Gamera 3:Revenge of Iris/Gamera the Brave 9. The valley of Gwagni/20 million miles to Earth 8. Pacific Rim 7. How to train your dragon trilogy 6. Jurassic Park/ Dinosaur 5. Godzilla:King of the Monsters(2019)/Shin Godzilla 4. King Kong 1933/King Kong 2005 3. Gojira(1954) (a.k.a. the 1954 masterpiece) 2. Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002) Honorable mentions: War of the Gargantuas, The Return of Godzilla, Kong:Skull Island, Godzilla vs Kong, King Kong vs Godzilla, Jason and the Argonauts, Jurassic World. 1. Godzilla vs Destroyah 0. (it's not even close) Reptilian (2001 version)/Gamera 2:Advent of Legion (Lake Texarkana version). THESE TWO MOVIES ARE FLAWLESS MASTERPIECES AND YOU CANNOT DENY THAT!!! Seriously tho, both of these movies are hilarious, for different reasons each.
I just watched Roadan again. brings back memories as a kid. One thing i noticed in the movie is they did a decent job dubbing it. It's not perfect dub but it's like an audio upgrade from the 50s movie. same thing with fist of the north star dub imo :)
Ohh, really cool selection. I'm not too familiar with most of these movies, but the once I am it was great seeing them here. I'll defiantly try, to watch some of these films when I have the chance.
Godzilla Final Wars, Gojira, Jurassic Park 3, King Kong vs. Godzilla 1962, Godzilla vs. Sea Monster, Rebirth of Mothra Trilogy, Gappa the Prehistoric Monster, and number 10 for me, Garuda. There are more giant monster movies I might find interesting in the future.
I would've had Godzilla vs Destoroyah, Ghidorah the three-headed monster, Mothra vs Godzilla 1964 or Godzilla against Mechagodzilla on this list, but I respect your opinion.
I dont relly know why but I really love Godzilla 2014, it was the first Godzilla movie I ever watched, had a lot of action, and looking at it now it felt kind of like a movie from the Showa seires but less goofy and more realistic.
Cloverfield is one of the most underrated monster movies of all time. Yeah the storyline is pretty basic, but the the concept of crossing Kaiju film and horror is such a good idea, and the monster is legitimately terrifying.
King Kong 2005 the extended cut is awesome ... also i like Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla - Terror of Merchagodzilla but for the the visuals & special effect Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla ( 2002 ) is excellent ...
Awesome list even though I count Jurassic park as more of a animal/Monster movie like jaws and lake placid since dinosaurs are real animals but still awesome list :)
13:59 i love how much of a asshole Anguirus is being in this scene! he's like "i don't care that i'm hovering in the air, i'm going to keep bitting on your neck asshole!"
Here's my top 16 list of best kaiju/dinosaur/monster films: 16) beast from 20,000 fathoms 15) Them! 14) Gwanji 13) It came from beneath the sea 12) King kong 2005 11) GMK 10) Kong: Skull Island 9) Pacific Rim 8) Godzilla Final wars 7) Cloverfield 6) Shin-Godzilla 5) Jurassic world 4) Godzilla 2014 3) Gamera: attack of legion 2) Jurassic park 1) Tie between 1933 king kong and 1954 gojira
My list 16. Attack on titan part 1 15. Attack on titan part 2 14. Pacific rim 13. Pacific rim uprising 12. Godzilla 2000 11. Shin godzilla 10 . Ghidorah the three headed monster 9. Rodan 8. Mothra 7 . Godzilla 1954 6. Godzilla Tokyo sos 5. Godzilla against mechagodzilla 4. Destroy all monsters 3. Kong skull island 2. Godzilla 2014 1. Godzilla king of the monsters 2019
Good list, but I'd personally have to throw in Mothra vs. Godzilla and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. Having said that, there are a few movies on this list I haven't seen.
Is there a dvd of Return of Godzilla that includes the Raymond Burr scenes as with the old video.If not does anyone have a pic of the little dragon statue he has in that film?
12:55 honestly I’ve heard the same criticisms being delt to D.A.M so it depends do you want short but rapid fire fast paced fights or do you want longer and admittingly more epic group fights where every monster biding 2 get their dues and contribute to the scenes there in rather then just fan service to me I go with the former because I like it’s fast paced action and endless entertainment value which is why it’s my personal favorite Godzilla film
How did Mothra not make it on this list, ever Kaiju fan I've ever spoken with fawns over that film. I remember watching it when I was 9 or 10 it was so mesmerizing that I watched it over and over again till I burned out the VCR cassette. I guess it's just that nostaligic for me, but I know I'm not alone in my enjoyment of Mothra. Also like how every time I see a moth I'm reminded the of film. Also agree with his pick of Destroy all mosters enjoyed that film alot, as well as Godzilla vs. Biollante, I mean the reveal of the plant based Rose monster completely surprised 14 year old me. Still find it crazy that the original concept for GVB came from a fan based contest held by Toho studio, I mean imagine the travesty if they had picked a different concept, GVB would have never existed.
Godzilla 2000, Godzilla 2014, GMK, Godzilla Final Wars, King Kong 2005, Kong Skull Island, Gamera Guardian Of The Universe, Godzilla 1954, King Kong 1933, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla vs Megalon, Jurassic Park, One Million Years BC, Jurassic World, Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, Pacific Rim, Pacific Rim Uprising, Rampage, Cloverfield, Carnosaur, King Kong vs Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Giant Monster Varan, Jason and the Argonauts, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Golden Voyage of Sinbad, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Leviathan 2014, Godzilla vs Gigan, Godzilla Tokyo SOS, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs Destoroyah, Godzilla And Mothra Battle For Earth, Mothra vs Godzilla, The Three Treasures, Daimajin, The Lost World, When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth, The Land That Time Forgot 1975, Clash Of The Titans, Jurassic Park 3, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Along The Moonbeam Trail, Space Amoeba, Gorath, Jaws, The Meg, Dinosaurus, Transformers: Age Of Extinction, The Valley Of Gwanji, The Last Dinosaur, Zarkorr The Invader, And Godzilla King Of The Monsters.
I agree with most of your choices with a few exception. I go with Golden Voyage of Sinbad over Seventh Voyage. I go with Godzilla vs King Ghidorah over Godzilla 2000, for the same reason you mention. It is the perfect average Godzilla Movie. And I agree about the American Rodan And I go with Gamera 3 which I think is the best of latter Gamera series and one of the all time best Kaiju movies.
Neither. The review of Cloverfield I have written up is...well, it's different. That's all I'll say for now. It'll probably be up after Halloween is over.
@Omni Viewer, out of curiosity, why did you pick Gamera: Attack of Legion? I think we would like to know your thoughts on the Heisei Gamera movies. Or at least I do.
My top 20 monster movies 20. King Kong escapes(cheesy and goofy at it’s best) 19. Rampage (big dumb fun ) 18. Pacific rim 2(stupid robot movie) 17.godzilla vs space Godzilla (better than Godzilla vs mothra and king Ghidrah) 16. The beast from 20000 fathoms Ray Harryhausen classic ) 15. Godzilla vs the sea monster (guilty pleasure) 14.cloverfield( good found footage movie ) 13.godzilla 2000(a fresh breath of air ) 12.kong skull island.(big dumb and loud) 11. Pacific Rim ( Godzilla meets transformers) 10.rodan (a good monster movie of the 50’s) 9. Shin Godzilla (just as good as the original) 8. Invasion of the Astro monster (Star Trek meets Godzilla) 7. Ghidrah the headed monster (James bond meets Godzilla) 6. Jurassic Park (Spielberg classic) 5.jaws (best shark movie) 4.godzilla 2014 (a good return for the king) 3.Godzilla vs biollante(Godzilla meets little shop of horror) 2. GMK (Godzilla is a savage) Honorable mentions War of the gargantuas (great monster action) Godzilla vs mechagodzilla 1974 (a good b movie) Mothra 1961(just as good as the original Godzilla) Rebirth of mothra 1 and 3 (stupid entertaining kid movies) King Kong 2005(good remake) The lost world Jurassic Park ( a very good sequel that deserves more attention) Don’t hurt me Godzilla vs megalon (not that bad of a movie) 1. Destroy all monsters(a Godzilla movie worth watching)
I agree with much of what you said and will be checking out a few of the movies you mentioned that I have not seen so thank you. I would have to change a few things for myself: 1- Jurassic Park deserves to be right up there with Gojira and the original if you even consider it a kaiju movie. I don't consider it a Kaiju movie. Kaiju are a force of a disaster from earthquake, hurricane, to atom bomb. Their very movement leaves destruction. Also, most importantly, they aren't real animals. Dinosaur are real. They existed thus they are not kaiju to my mind. 2) I actually prefer the first of the 90's Gamera movie. The 2nd is great of course, but I think any kaiju movie where the military is more competent than the hero kaiju is just missing the point of a kaiju movie. Watch the Decker Shado/ LHC Guy review of the movie if you haven't. I noticed many of the same flaws they did, but I probably like it more than them. 3) So for me JP is not in the running as it's not a kaiju move (to me). Gamera 1 instead of 2. That leaves an open slot and for me it will be my number one. That is the Iron Giant. It's totally a Kaiju movie. It meets all the requirements, just a small town instead of a city being destroyed.
16. jurassic world 2 15. jurassic world 14. the rebirth of mothra 13. war of the gargantuas 12. rodan 11. King Kong 2005 10. pacific rim 9. the host 8. godzilla vs destroyed 7. godzilla raids again 6. godzilla Tokyo, sos 5. King Kong escapes 4. the beast from 20,000 fathoms 3. the return of godzilla 2. Kong skull island 1. Godzilla mothra and king ghidorah giant monsters all out attack
Kudos for the Harryhausen 2-fer 👍🏼 i’m with you for ‘Argonauts’, but cyclops & dragon aside, always preferred ‘Golden Voyage’ over ‘7th’. I thought John Philip Law made a better Sinbad than Kerwin Mathews 🤔 plus, Tom Baker! 😁 and Caroline Munro! 😱
Well I haven’t seen every Kaiju movie Only 8 Godzilla movies and a few random ones but I do know a pretty good amount of stuff from the genre I might as well rank them it’s the closest I can do From Worst to Best Godzilla: The Planet Eater Godzilla: Planet Of The Monsters Godzilla: City On The Edge Of Battle Pacific Rim: Uprising Jurassic Park III The Lost World: Jurassic Park II Godzilla (1998) Godzilla vs King Ghidorah King Kong vs Godzilla Jurassic World Jurassic Park Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Shin Gojira Gojira I think that’s all of them I’ll edit if I missed one
I’m so happy that Gamera 2 attack of Legion took your top spot because these masterpieces just aren’t getting enough recognition. But I am disappointed that Gamera 3 revenge of Iris didn’t at least make a spot in here since I do think it is an all round better movie than Gamera 2, but the 2 movies are sooo close for me that I’m not mad if someone likes Gamera 2 more than Gamera 3. But the fact that Gamera 3 didn’t even make the list. . . Come on! That movie is freaking awesome. P.S. I’m in absolute love with Gamera 2 and 3 but not a big fan of the first one Gamera Guardian of the Universe, I think it’s just okay
Well, on the off chance you didn't see it yet, I have a deep dive into Gamera 3 right here: th-cam.com/video/4YedkYuat7E/w-d-xo.html&pp=ygUSb21uaSB2aWV3ZXIgZ2FtZXJh Hope you enjoy it.
@@omniviewer2115 Hang on, are you actually replying to my comment? If so that's crazy cool, unless this is just some sort of AI set that answers all your comments then that does make this less cool but I'll definitely check out the Gamera 3 video
You've made a fan outta me, I'm subscibing. My friends and family think I'm a nut cause I love these movies, even the cheesy ones. It's so completely resfreshing to know another adult that loves them too.
And especially such an enlightened entity to boot
I've seen _Gojira (1954)_ and _The Return of Godzilla (1984),_ and even now I always get more of a nuclear apocalypse vibe from the latter.
Also, it was my first *true* Goji film as a little kid.
I clicked because of the cyclops in the thumbnail
The seventh voyage of sinbad is sooooo good!!!!
I actually liked Gamera Guardian Of The Universe better. I thought it did a great job introducing the monster in a more believable way (if you're going to use a flying turtle, then you definitely can't pretend it's a naturally occurring dinosaur). I really enjoyed the backstory with imagining a previous civilization of man that was vastly more advanced, but created it's own destruction and so left future humans the means to defend themselves. I also loved the action and thought the drama was good for a kaiju movie. Like with all of these films, the voiceover work was probably the largest weakness, but if you could get past that it's my favorite to watch over and over. Far better than anything else on the list outside of Jurassic Park.
Outstanding list / mini-review marathon! I loved how you had such an expansive view of what could could be considered a "kaiju" movie, thought I have to admit that your #2 choice was a bridge too far when it comes to my own personal definition. All the same, you've given me quite the future watch list. Thanks! (P.S. "Godzilla 1984 / Return of Godzilla" is probably my personal number one.)
Honestly, I think Godzilla 2014 is in many ways one of the best monster movies ever. One reason i think this is because it combines alot of what made Toho's Showa Era so amazing and brings it into a 20th Century movie! Heck, you can draw direct parallels to several themes in the Showa Era directly from the movie. Good stuff.
Correction: 21st Century :)
Personally, I Find G14 is more akin to the Early Heisei Films, whereas G:KOTM has more in common with the Showa Movies than you've described, though I am glad that you liked the 2014 Film as well
to me that movie will ever have a soft spot in my heart, I loved it as a kid, and as a 17 year old I still adore it, it does have flaws and im aware of them, but it will always hold a special place in my heart
I just recently watched the Heisei Gamera trilogy for the first time and I am so glad that I did. I agree the Gamera 2 was the strongest of the trilogy.
I’ve seen quite a few kaiju films, but some are excruciatingly hard to acquire without deep pockets. Looking at you Rodan and War of the Gargantuas!
Very good list, had a few that I haven’t seen yet, but will try to check out!
Well... You did the 16 best Kaiju & Giant Monster Movies Ever Made... You know wot this meens... Now you need to do the 16 worst Kaiju & Giant Monster Movies Ever Made }:3
Oh dear...
0_0
Omni Viewer, emperor palpatine said “Do it” lol
Omni Viewer could you do it
I know one movie that’s one of the worst and I’ll probably trigger some people:
Godzilla vs King Ghidorah
A movie involving Time travel but neglects how it really works
Fight me. It was a good concept, but poorly executed.
Nice List, Mr. Omniviewer. Indeed, I was genuinely surprised by your choice at number one, with Gamera: Advent of Leigon. I enjoy the Heisei Gamera trilogy very much, but personally they would’ve fallen somewhere between 10 and 5 on the list for me. But that’s always much of the fun watching one your videos like this; seeing a different point of view with reasoning attached. On that note, I think I’ll take you up on your invitation and give you my own list of monster movies.
Now, while I agree that many of the movies you’ve listed do deserve to be recognized as objectively good movies (I think I’ve seen all except Daimajin), the movies I’m going with are all ones that you didn’t mention. Makes things more interesting for me. So here are 10 of what I consider to be some of the best monster/kaiju/creature movies.
10.) The Valley of Gwangi:
I know you’ve had to have at least heard of this one, and I think it’s one of the best examples of Ray Harryhausen’s work. The plot is straightforward and nothing particularly special, but the premise of cowboys and non-avian dinosaurs together is something special in and of itself. The highlights are of course the dinosaurs (weirdly, almost all of them have a bluish/violet tint to them), and Gwangi himself, which may not be as sympathetic as King Kong, which is what he’s basically the dinosaur equivalent of, but he’s still a standout character in the film. And that ending… This is one movie I’d really love to see get remade one day.
9.) The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms:
This one may also be a simple movie by today’s standards, but I don’t think it needs to be. This is essentially THE non-Godzilla 50s monster movie. Like in Gwangi, the first half is rather bland with no really outstanding human characters, but they fill their roles well, and in this movie they actually talk about stuff related to the monster. My favorite scene is when the Rhedosaurus attacks the lighthouse, which was taken from the short story on which the movie is based on, The Foghorn by Ray Bradbury. And of course, the possibility that this was one of the main inspiration to Godzilla means that it truly deserves respect by fans of the genre.
8.) The Lost World (1925):
The original silent film based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s story of the same name is really a fascinating film. It’s in the public domain, and I’ve watched it several times here on TH-cam. Though it’s without dialogue, the music and lighting provides good atmosphere, and though it’s clear the stop motion was still in its infancy, the dinosaurs are still fun to watch. It’s also strange that, considering how anachronistic the creatures are in some aspects of appearance, there are a few moments where they’re not just dumb brutish lizards. We see parental care in a Triceratops, and active hunting in which a Tyrannosaur JUMPS into the air to catch a Pterosaur. And it may just be the jerky stop motion, but some of the dinosaurs’ actions end up looking very bird-like. This movie also has what may be the very first monster rampage through a city in cinema history, when they take a Brontosaurus back to London and then it escapes. I wonder just how much of this would carry over to King Kong considering Willis O’Brien worked on this. th-cam.com/video/QJaXxY3citM/w-d-xo.html
7.) Pitch Black:
To my knowledge, this is the first movie to feature the character Riddick, which would get three more movies. This is easily my favorite one, and the one I think is the best. Riddick’s character seems to work best as a mysterious, morally ambiguous badass. Great action/survival movie. The biggest highlight for me are the predatory aliens everyone’s threatened by, the Bioraptors, which show real imagination in creature design. They may be anatomically infeasible, but damn do they look incredible. I like the sense of scale and dimension that’s given to the world their stranded on, with its cycle of life and death based on years of constant daylight and then a night period where the predators run wild and possibly kick-start the next season of life as they kill each other off.
6.) Troll Hunter:
I saw this one in your collection, and that it didn’t get mentioned, but that’s what I’m here for. It’s easy to see why this may not be seen as a “good” film, but I think it’s a bit underrated. The student characters may be annoying as hell sometimes, but the Troll Hunter guy himself plays a pretty solid role. I love the detail to which is given the methods and equipment of the Hunter and the characteristics of his titular quarry. The trolls are all unique creatures whose biology is fleshed out very nicely, and have some pretty effective suspenseful scenes, like when the Mountain King family are all seen coming back to their layer, or the flashes of light in the distance before we first see the Tosserlad.
5.) Reign of Fire:
I don’t know why this movie isn’t brought up more, considering its’ a very well made and unique monster movie that features dragons in an original way. They seem to be at least partially silicon-based life forms that literally feed on the ashes of the world they burn. This is one of the few post-apocalyptic monster movies out there for now, and its got good atmosphere, world building, and a decent human story. Though the dragons are on screen very much, their presence is still felt very clearly, and what screen time they do have is spectacular, especially the male dragon.
4.) Outlander:
I don’t know if you’ve heard of this one before or not, but it’s another movie I don’t often see get brought up. Which is a shame since it has one of the most creative, distinct, and memorable monsters I’ve seen. In case you’re not familiar with it, it’s basically about a ship that crashes on Earth in Viking times and a dangerous alien, called a Morwen, is unleashed. I may not be the best judge of acting, but nothing seems terrible about any of the characters here, and they all play the parts well. The Morwen, though, is the absolute standout for me. The backstory between her and the main human character makes her a sympathetic and even a tragic character, and makes their relationship interesting. If Outlander isn’t on your radar, I say it’s certainly worth checking out.
3.) Cloverfield:
As much as people like to complain about the shakiness of this found footage movie, and I can understand why, I think this is also an extremely effective and well-done kaiju movie for the modern age. It literally takes place from the point of view of the cameraman, Hud (the only character whose name I remember), and gives us a very visceral idea of what it would be like to witness a kaiju attack first hand. Much of what makes the titular monster, the LSA, so effective is its mystery. Although an official backstory does exist, it’s not really relevant in the movie, and most of the time we only see disjointed bits and pieces of the thing. But even though it’s not on screen a lot, the added layer of the HSPs are a nice and creative way to keep the sense of danger near. And of course, the theme, Roar, is excellent.
2.) The Call of Cthulhu:
You seem to be familiar with the writings of H. P. Lovecraft. I too am a big fan of the Cthulhu Mythos, and am somewhat disappointed there are little to no decent film adaptations to some of the more famous stories. But to that end, there’s The Call of Cthulhu, a 2005 short film distributed by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society. I doubt you haven’t heard or seen this, since it’s on TH-cam and has been out for over a decade now, but I think it’s a terrific adaptation. It’s made to look and feel like a silent-era movie, which only seems to help with the uncanny and dark atmosphere. You could tell the makers put a lot of heart into this faithful retelling of the story, and I can only imagine what it would be like if this had actually been made in the 20s. On the off chance you haven’t seen it, I would highly recommend it. th-cam.com/video/KBaxXs8yYic/w-d-xo.html
1.) Shin Godzilla:
I’ve mostly stayed off of Godzilla for this list, for similar reasons you held off the original King Kong and Godzilla. But this one’s way too good for me to pass it up. I’ve seen your own review of the film, and found it quite interesting, even a bit amusing seeing how many of the issues you had with it were what made it great for me, but that’s what makes the world interesting, isn’t it? This is one of those movies where I was quite surprised by in many regards, but have only grown more and more fond of the more I think of it. Indeed, the middle and some of the last parts of the third acts can get kind of slow if the humans are of no interest, which to be honest goes for many other Godzilla movies. But for what it sets out to be, I felt it was very successful. The tagline, Japan vs Godzilla, is very fitting seeing how Japan overall seems to be the one with a character arch. It’s essentially the docu-drama of the Godzilla series. I also love how they managed to bring some originality to Godzilla, especially his evolving forms. They seem to me to be based heavily on frilled sharks, and other deep see fish. In fact, I’m surprised I haven’t seen more comparisons to this obvious inspiration. Just take a look at a frilled shark for yourself. It also reminds me of Thomas Hawkin’s depictions of plesiosaurs as daemonic creations of the devil. Seriously, look up his plesiosaur art, too. As surreal as his first form especially is, Godzilla in this movie also strangely seems like a creature that could’ve actually crawled up from some forgotten pit at the bottom of the sea. But I digress. For a movie the means something, Shin Godzilla is one of the finer films I’ve seen and would describe as one of the few objectively good Godzilla movies, even though I can see why it’s so divisive.
Well, that was fun. Hope this list is serviceable, and again, nice video. Also, I’ve recently started my own TH-cam channel, and was wondering if you have any tips or suggestions?
Thanks, and have a nice day. 😊
All good choices, and all films I've seen, even Outlander and The Call of Cthulhu by HPLHS. If you are doing a channel, you may want to consider making this one of your videos.
As for advice, the best I can give is to always keep pushing forward. Your first videos will not be perfect, but each one is a learning experience. Take chances, don't expect instant fame (for instant fame is also fleeting), and stay true to your voice. Also, unless your reviewing something in the public domain, keep third party content short and sweet, because it's the longer clips that the bots zero in on.
Also, don't be afraid to reach out to other TH-camrs, but don't get too down if they don't respond. Finally, learn to pick your battles, especially in the comments section. If someone is obviously being a jerk, or you find yourself getting lured into an unwinnable argument, just leave it where it is. You'll be much happier if you just let the trolls shout impotently to the wind.
Feel free to ask for any other advice. Maybe I'll do a video on that at some point...
Thank you very much for the tips. I'll keep them in mind. I'm only doing shorter videos on dinosaur books for now, but plan on branching out into kaiju, speculative evolution, and other media I like.
Have a nice day. :)
I feel the same way about the American version of Godzilla with Raymond Burr as he feels about the American version of Rodan. Burr is a newspaper reporter so what happens has to be true. I always liked that.
I just saw the Heisei Gamera Trilogy in full back to back for the first time tonight and it was amazing! Watching them all back to back makes me want him in Monsterverse even more and for him to fight Godzilla!
I'm glad you brought up the Host, it truly is an underrated film that deserves more love.
Back when this list came out, I, whilst respecting your opinion, would've said that the best Kaiju movie for me was GMK. However, though I do still respect your list, today, the movie that I consider the best is Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (2019).
It's everything I could ask for in a film and then some. A fully engaging story, enjoyable yet flawed characters, visuals that aren't too much or too little. And it being a Godzilla movie certainly helps. And it's not just any Godzilla movie, but one that carries heavy personal connection to me. It was the first Godzilla movie I saw in theatres, it was the most hyped movie of my life so far, and it was basically a sort of "last hoorah" for me and my best friend (We still talk but our friendship isn't as solid as it used to be). I owe a lot to him mostly because he introduced me to Godzilla as a series, and without it, I wouldn't be who I am today. And I consider King Of The Monsters to be the peak of that friendship and the peak of my love for the character. It all comes together to be my favorite movie of all time, as well as cementing Godzilla as my favorite fictional character.
The only other movie that comes close to King Of The Monsters for me was Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Great list omni viewer just amazing can you do a top 16 guilty pleasure kaiju movies?
Oh man, that list could go on and on... I just might, though.
i'm bumping this suggestion!
My guilty pleasure is Godzilla final wars though it's not my favorite movie.
I’m calling it now that Godzilla’s revenge is number one
THANK YOU for including War of the Guargantuas!!!!!!!!! One of the VERY VERY best kaiju movies ever.
I'm glad you didn't just exclude Godzilla to be "edgy and cool and different", I was honestly very afraid that was going to happen. AND HELL YEAH! The Host is awesome! I saw it during my first year of college with a bunch of classmates, and I absolutely loved it. And I really want to watch WotG, specifically with my mom so she can be traumatized by Gaira all over again lol
Being edgy is overrated.
Always nice to find another Host fan.
Gotta give the two kings (Godzilla and Kong) their dues.
i agree with you that the american recut of rodan is better that the orginal Japanese because the build up to rodan is far far to long that rodan really only in the movie for less then ten minutes at the end
Respectable list
I take it that "it's too good to be on this list" is also why The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms wasn't included?
I saw GMK! It was so cool, I love that bargon got genuine respect in that movie instead a being a lazy Camio, if varan and manda were also in it it would be about all the underused monsters.
Not only that, but Baragon is one of the very few Kaiju who was played by a woman.
Kaneko originally planned for the "hero" monsters to be Baragon, Varan, and Anguiras, but Toho thought Mothra and Ghidorah were "more marketable," thus, IMO, screwing up the entire movie. I know GMK is a good movie, but I just canNOT get behind Ghidorah as a "hero" monster. It's blasphemy, pure and simple.
Amazing list, I will make sure to watch them when I continue my kaiju mega-marathon. I see people asking for the 16 worst and guilty pleasures, so I hope you take notes on that.
With so many requests, you can bet I'll make a guilty pleasures list. I don't know when, but soon.
Take your time, what I like about your lists is that they feel definitive.
Could we get a remake of this?
I think my favorite Godzilla film besides the 1954 original would probably be Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) particularly because of the design of Kiryu/Mechagodzilla as well as the human characters being integral to the main plot, especially the lead character Akane Yashiro.
GMK (2001) is another close contender for me because of how scary Godzilla looks in that film.
By the way, would you count The Blob (both the 1958 and 1988 versions) as a giant monster movie? Because I enjoyed that as well.
Great List. There are a lot of giant monster movies here that I didn't know about and I can't wait to watch them.
Also, I was wondering if you'd do a review on Tremors? It's my personal favorite giant monster movie.
I do intend to cover the entire Tremors franchise at some point, including the TV series. No timetable for when that will happen yet, but soon.
8 gauge to the mouth!
My favorite monster movie would have to be Godzilla vs the Smog monster, mainly because it's the first Godzilla movie i watched and it has a special place in my heart.
Well, aside from all of the movies you included in this video (whether they were on the list or not) I think that these films are also the best:
Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962)
Godzilla Final Wars (2004)
Godzilla Vs. Hedorah AKA Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster (1971)
Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
Terror Of Mechagodzilla (1975)
And many others.
Ye The Return Of Godzilla is so underrated.
Awesome list and video ^^
Glad you liked it.
I loved your thoughts on this list, and there are several I plan to check out now that I had never heard of before. Personally I loved Godzilla vs Biollante, and I am sad so few ever mention it on their lists. And like you said I love Godzilla vs Megalon specifically because of how goofy and “bad” it was. But if I were to try to pick a best kanji/monster movie... I’m just not sure I could. They are all so unique and bring different things to the table, I’m just not sure I could pick one over the other. Godzilla will always be the king in my eyes, but I can’t pick one over another.
Nothing wrong with that.
My reaction to your number one choice: "Really that movie and not the one before it?"
I would make my own list but you basically hit the nail on the head in terms of what are the best giant monster movies ever made.
legion is also one of the most unique kaiju. just look at its design. it is very abstract and has an eldritch abomination sort of design when most kaiju are prehistoric or giant robots.
Good line up. Btw, if you do make an NES Godzilla Creepypasta video, include Snazzy Chapeau somehow. That is my only request that has to happen. Love your work, Omni. Your friend, Alpha Raptor
Okay. I will make that video sometime this month, I promise.
I really appreciate that, thank you Omni.
That's a great list... A couple of those I haven't seen, I'll have to check those out.
You got me to watch _Rodan._ *Loved it!* The one bad thing I would say is the final scene. Before I say why, I must say the effects in _Rodan_ look incredible. Some wind destruction scenes look good even today. But that final scene ... those two Rodan puppets just flopping around. They could have done better, I know because of the great effects I saw before.
Don't like _Godzilla vs Biollante_ that much. When that corporation put a bomb in a volcano for the purpose of releasing Godzilla, I was taken out of the movie. Releasing Godzilla is equivalent to a war crime. That company is so screwed, they even told Japan they did it as well. Also Biollante herself is kind of "meh". Looks amazing but not very interesting as a villain, doing very little. I could not tell if Godzilla was getting damaged or if his life was getting threatened by Biollante. And then Biollante just vanishes into pixie dust and I am supposed to care. The movie is crazy for wanting me to accept Biollante contains the spirit of a scientist's dead daughter.
I sometimes look for inspiration for my D&D campaigns from both Jason And The Argonauts as well as Sinbad so I’m happy to see them on this list! 👍.
Never been a Gamera fan, but I just watched Attack of Legion and you're right. A superior Kaiju film. And that is one tough turtle. Thanks!
What about the beast from 20,000 fathoms? That movie inspired Godzilla!
I can surprisingly agree with this list. Especially the Gamera #1 spot. That trilogy was absolutely amazing especially for the 90s. Growing up as a child in the 90s I had no idea heisei Godzilla or gamera existed! I discovered them on DVD in the early 2000s and it was like a dream come true. Absolutely love Godzilla vs Biollante! My favorite next to destroyah!
@Taylor Gordon heisies continuity was awesome too... One long series with callbacks and all. Perfect
hey omni viewer. . . great video. . . i myself would have squeezed in kong: skull island somewhere on that list but thats just me
How far under 16 would you put Colossal? Or have you not seen it yet? Ditto on Gareth Edwards’ Monsters?
I like monsters and kaiju movies
Always good to hear.
Me too
Great List, I agree with most of your picks. And I am so glad someone else Love's "Pacific Rim". "Pacific Rim" is an undisputedly Excellent Kajiu Film all together. Del Toro's direction and Visual's, with Ramin Djawadi scoring was a perfect "duo". It's a shame they both didn't return to make the sequel.
It’s definitely a love letter to the mecha and kaiju genre you can tell of care and love was put into this movie
I must say that Gamera 2 is my favourite of the trilogy too.
Gamera 2 is awesome but it's not the best monster movie ever.
@@alexyoutubechannel8175 Did I say it was the best monster movie ever? Because I didn't. Also, why are you saying this to me instead of OmniViewer?
I personally disagree (My personal favorite is Revenge Of Iris), but DAMN if that one isn't good. I really think all 3 of those movies should get some form of recognition
Not a bad list at all. I'm approve.
Glad to hear it.
I was actually pleasantly surprised that you put Pacific rim so high up on the list
Out of curiosity what was your first? Mine for the record was attack of the super monsters
My first exposure to Kaiju was back in my single-digit years, when my parents called me into the living room to see the very end of Son of Godzilla. I don't think they realized what they were starting.
my first was godzilla 1998, and my first good kaiju movie was final wars
my first was the legendary Godzilla film! (with me knowing what's going on in the other films by cinemassacre's Godzillathon!)
I remember my first exposure to the Kaiju genre was when my best friend told me about Godzilla (2014) and when my Mom showed me the 1998 Godzilla movie. However, the first true Godzilla movie (I don't consider the '98 Godzilla movie a true Godzilla movie) that I remember watching was Godzilla vs Mothra (1964). The first Non- Godzilla Kaiju movie I remember watching was, I believe, either King Kong (2005) or Pacific Rim, and my love for the genre has never stopped.
Omni Viewer, Great List. I predict the next non moving pictures episode will be about a pixar/Disney movie
Great list, I've seen all of these movies and I love them all!
You have good taste, sir.
Thank you!
Great list. I share a lot of your favourites as well, and I'm not articulate enough to come up with a full list of my own favourites, but off the top of my head, aside from the original Kong & Godzilla, I know that Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla vs Biollante, Kong '76 (I always preferred that interpretation of the Kong story over the PJ one, for several reasons [thought I still love the 2005 version, as well]), and Godzilla & Mothra: Battle For Earth would be on it, among others. Some day I should make a complete list and detailing exactly why I like them so much.
There's still a lot of obscure ones I need to see, outside of the King Kong and Godzilla franchises. I imagine I'd enjoy Mighty Peking Man.
Mighty Peking Man is definitely one of the more interesting Kongsploitation movies. You probably would enjoy it. And good luck if you ever do make that list.
Here are my top 16 kaiju films based on personal preference, dinosaurs included (I feel that these movies are better than each other on different ways, so ranking them based on objective quality is tricky, so I ranked them based on personal preference):
16. Colossal
15. Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla 2 (1993)
14. Godzilla vs Biollante
13. GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTETS ALL OUT ATTACK! (I f***ing love this title!)
12. Godzilla:Final Wars
11. Mothra vs Godzilla
10. Gamera 3:Revenge of Iris/Gamera the Brave
9. The valley of Gwagni/20 million miles to Earth
8. Pacific Rim
7. How to train your dragon trilogy
6. Jurassic Park/ Dinosaur
5. Godzilla:King of the Monsters(2019)/Shin Godzilla
4. King Kong 1933/King Kong 2005
3. Gojira(1954) (a.k.a. the 1954 masterpiece)
2. Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002)
Honorable mentions: War of the Gargantuas, The Return of Godzilla, Kong:Skull Island, Godzilla vs Kong, King Kong vs Godzilla, Jason and the Argonauts, Jurassic World.
1. Godzilla vs Destroyah
0. (it's not even close) Reptilian (2001 version)/Gamera 2:Advent of Legion (Lake Texarkana version). THESE TWO MOVIES ARE FLAWLESS MASTERPIECES AND YOU CANNOT DENY THAT!!! Seriously tho, both of these movies are hilarious, for different reasons each.
I just watched Roadan again. brings back memories as a kid. One thing i noticed in the movie is they did a decent job dubbing it. It's not perfect dub but it's like an audio upgrade from the 50s movie. same thing with fist of the north star dub imo :)
The original draft for Destroy all monsters was going to have more. Also Destroy all monsters being stretched out for 2 hours would be cool
Ohh, really cool selection. I'm not too familiar with most of these movies, but the once I am it was great seeing them here. I'll defiantly try, to watch some of these films when I have the chance.
Hope you can see them soon. Each one is well worth it.
Godzilla Final Wars, Gojira, Jurassic Park 3, King Kong vs. Godzilla 1962, Godzilla vs. Sea Monster, Rebirth of Mothra Trilogy, Gappa the Prehistoric Monster, and number 10 for me, Garuda. There are more giant monster movies I might find interesting in the future.
I would've had Godzilla vs Destoroyah, Ghidorah the three-headed monster, Mothra vs Godzilla 1964 or Godzilla against Mechagodzilla on this list, but I respect your opinion.
Dude that's a nice collection behind you, if I could get some room I would do the same
PLEASE DO THE 16 WORST KAIJU & GIANT MONSTER MOVIES EVER MADE PLEASE AND THANK YOU :D
15:53 Godzilla king of the monsters enters the room
I dont relly know why but I really love Godzilla 2014, it was the first Godzilla movie I ever watched, had a lot of action, and looking at it now it felt kind of like a movie from the Showa seires but less goofy and more realistic.
I love me some Godzilla 2014 as well, and I will always defend it as a good film.
Preach.
@@omniviewer2115 same
the first godzilla movie I saw was Godzilla Tokyo sos
First godzilla I watched was son of Godzilla
Cloverfield is one of the most underrated monster movies of all time. Yeah the storyline is pretty basic, but the the concept of crossing Kaiju film and horror is such a good idea, and the monster is legitimately terrifying.
King Kong 2005 the extended cut is awesome ... also i like Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla - Terror of Merchagodzilla but for the the visuals & special effect Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla ( 2002 ) is excellent ...
Awesome list even though I count Jurassic park as more of a animal/Monster movie like jaws and lake placid since dinosaurs are real animals but still awesome list :)
How much screen time would you say Godzilla has in Godzilla final wars
13:59 i love how much of a asshole Anguirus is being in this scene! he's like "i don't care that i'm hovering in the air, i'm going to keep bitting on your neck asshole!"
A good one and a surprise is Dragon wars it really took me by storm
I agree with your list and yes the P. RIM movies were great. I think the time is right for more new monster movies
Here's my top 16 list of best kaiju/dinosaur/monster films:
16) beast from 20,000 fathoms
15) Them!
14) Gwanji
13) It came from beneath the sea
12) King kong 2005
11) GMK
10) Kong: Skull Island
9) Pacific Rim
8) Godzilla Final wars
7) Cloverfield
6) Shin-Godzilla
5) Jurassic world
4) Godzilla 2014
3) Gamera: attack of legion
2) Jurassic park
1) Tie between 1933 king kong and 1954 gojira
Good list.
Where's godzilla vs mechagodzilla 2 and godzilla vs destroyah?
@@catinshoes-yi8qwstill better than the monsterverse and reiwa entries
Now u have to do 16 worst kaiju movie please
I'll work on it, don't worry.
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, started it all! For Christ’s sake! Godzilla wouldn’t exist, without it!
And it wouldn’t exist without King Kong!
My list
16. Attack on titan part 1
15. Attack on titan part 2
14. Pacific rim
13. Pacific rim uprising
12. Godzilla 2000
11. Shin godzilla
10 . Ghidorah the three headed monster
9. Rodan
8. Mothra
7 . Godzilla 1954
6. Godzilla Tokyo sos
5. Godzilla against mechagodzilla
4. Destroy all monsters
3. Kong skull island
2. Godzilla 2014
1. Godzilla king of the monsters 2019
Good list, but I'd personally have to throw in Mothra vs. Godzilla and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. Having said that, there are a few movies on this list I haven't seen.
Hey Omni, any chance you may wanna do an in-depth review of the Daimajin trilogy one of these days? 😁
Thank you for the 20 million miles to earth, I feel the same way.
Is there a dvd of Return of Godzilla that includes the Raymond Burr scenes as with the old video.If not does anyone have a pic of the little dragon statue he has in that film?
17:28 i wonder if he doesn't like it or not?
12:55 honestly I’ve heard the same criticisms being delt to D.A.M so it depends do you want short but rapid fire fast paced fights or do you want longer and admittingly more epic group fights where every monster biding 2 get their dues and contribute to the scenes there in rather then just fan service to me I go with the former because I like it’s fast paced action and endless entertainment value which is why it’s my personal favorite Godzilla film
How did Mothra not make it on this list, ever Kaiju fan I've ever spoken with fawns over that film. I remember watching it when I was 9 or 10 it was so mesmerizing that I watched it over and over again till I burned out the VCR cassette. I guess it's just that nostaligic for me, but I know I'm not alone in my enjoyment of Mothra. Also like how every time I see a moth I'm reminded the of film. Also agree with his pick of Destroy all mosters enjoyed that film alot, as well as Godzilla vs. Biollante, I mean the reveal of the plant based Rose monster completely surprised 14 year old me. Still find it crazy that the original concept for GVB came from a fan based contest held by Toho studio, I mean imagine the travesty if they had picked a different concept, GVB would have never existed.
Godzilla 2000, Godzilla 2014, GMK, Godzilla Final Wars, King Kong 2005, Kong Skull Island, Gamera Guardian Of The Universe, Godzilla 1954, King Kong 1933, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla vs Megalon, Jurassic Park, One Million Years BC, Jurassic World, Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, Pacific Rim, Pacific Rim Uprising, Rampage, Cloverfield, Carnosaur, King Kong vs Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Giant Monster Varan, Jason and the Argonauts, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Golden Voyage of Sinbad, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Leviathan 2014, Godzilla vs Gigan, Godzilla Tokyo SOS, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs Destoroyah, Godzilla And Mothra Battle For Earth, Mothra vs Godzilla, The Three Treasures, Daimajin, The Lost World, When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth, The Land That Time Forgot 1975, Clash Of The Titans, Jurassic Park 3, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Along The Moonbeam Trail, Space Amoeba, Gorath, Jaws, The Meg, Dinosaurus, Transformers: Age Of Extinction, The Valley Of Gwanji, The Last Dinosaur, Zarkorr The Invader, And Godzilla King Of The Monsters.
I agree with most of your choices with a few exception.
I go with Golden Voyage of Sinbad over Seventh Voyage.
I go with Godzilla vs King Ghidorah over Godzilla 2000, for the same reason you mention. It is the perfect average Godzilla Movie. And I agree about the American Rodan
And I go with Gamera 3 which I think is the best of latter Gamera series and one of the all time best Kaiju movies.
I love Goji vs Megalon, I still sing Jet Jaga as I go about my daily life. I don't get the hate, Love the corny, life is too short to hate.
btw is it just me or isn't the cyclops' theme from 7th voyage is similar to the Predator's?
i agree with your list im 57 years old and i think your list is well thought out and thanks for including my all time favorite movie . good job sir
I agree these are all great movies
Excellent!
Gamera 2 over Jurassic Park... I'm trying to let that sink in.
Along with the Godzilla movies, I also like Cloverfield. Also, if you do review Cloverfield will it be an Atomic Roast or a Flawed Gems video?
Neither. The review of Cloverfield I have written up is...well, it's different. That's all I'll say for now. It'll probably be up after Halloween is over.
will you ever bring back kaiju lite cricle
I intend to release the first official episode some time this month.
Omni Viewer cool
Just saw the host very great film it is one of the best
@Omni Viewer, out of curiosity, why did you pick Gamera: Attack of Legion? I think we would like to know your thoughts on the Heisei Gamera movies. Or at least I do.
My top 20 monster movies
20. King Kong escapes(cheesy and goofy at it’s best)
19. Rampage (big dumb fun )
18. Pacific rim 2(stupid robot movie)
17.godzilla vs space Godzilla (better than Godzilla vs mothra and king Ghidrah)
16. The beast from 20000 fathoms Ray Harryhausen classic )
15. Godzilla vs the sea monster (guilty pleasure)
14.cloverfield( good found footage movie )
13.godzilla 2000(a fresh breath of air )
12.kong skull island.(big dumb and loud)
11. Pacific Rim ( Godzilla meets transformers)
10.rodan (a good monster movie of the 50’s)
9. Shin Godzilla (just as good as the original)
8. Invasion of the Astro monster (Star Trek meets Godzilla)
7. Ghidrah the headed monster (James bond meets Godzilla)
6. Jurassic Park (Spielberg classic)
5.jaws (best shark movie)
4.godzilla 2014 (a good return for the king)
3.Godzilla vs biollante(Godzilla meets little shop of horror)
2. GMK (Godzilla is a savage)
Honorable mentions
War of the gargantuas (great monster action)
Godzilla vs mechagodzilla 1974 (a good b movie)
Mothra 1961(just as good as the original Godzilla)
Rebirth of mothra 1 and 3 (stupid entertaining kid movies)
King Kong 2005(good remake)
The lost world Jurassic Park ( a very good sequel that deserves more attention)
Don’t hurt me
Godzilla vs megalon (not that bad of a movie)
1. Destroy all monsters(a Godzilla movie worth watching)
I agree with much of what you said and will be checking out a few of the movies you mentioned that I have not seen so thank you. I would have to change a few things for myself: 1- Jurassic Park deserves to be right up there with Gojira and the original if you even consider it a kaiju movie. I don't consider it a Kaiju movie. Kaiju are a force of a disaster from earthquake, hurricane, to atom bomb. Their very movement leaves destruction. Also, most importantly, they aren't real animals. Dinosaur are real. They existed thus they are not kaiju to my mind. 2) I actually prefer the first of the 90's Gamera movie. The 2nd is great of course, but I think any kaiju movie where the military is more competent than the hero kaiju is just missing the point of a kaiju movie. Watch the Decker Shado/ LHC Guy review of the movie if you haven't. I noticed many of the same flaws they did, but I probably like it more than them. 3) So for me JP is not in the running as it's not a kaiju move (to me). Gamera 1 instead of 2. That leaves an open slot and for me it will be my number one. That is the Iron Giant. It's totally a Kaiju movie. It meets all the requirements, just a small town instead of a city being destroyed.
hmmm nice list
Thanks.
16. jurassic world 2 15. jurassic world 14. the rebirth of mothra 13. war of the gargantuas 12. rodan 11. King Kong 2005 10. pacific rim 9. the host 8. godzilla vs destroyed 7. godzilla raids again 6. godzilla Tokyo, sos 5. King Kong escapes 4. the beast from 20,000 fathoms 3. the return of godzilla 2. Kong skull island 1. Godzilla mothra and king ghidorah giant monsters all out attack
Kudos for the Harryhausen 2-fer 👍🏼 i’m with you for ‘Argonauts’, but cyclops & dragon aside, always preferred ‘Golden Voyage’ over ‘7th’. I thought John Philip Law made a better Sinbad than Kerwin Mathews 🤔 plus, Tom Baker! 😁 and Caroline Munro! 😱
Omni veiwer have you ever gotten so bored you watched all your godzilla movies?
yay my favorite godzilla movie GMK, is on this list!!!
Well I haven’t seen every Kaiju movie
Only 8 Godzilla movies and a few random ones but I do know a pretty good amount of stuff from the genre
I might as well rank them it’s the closest I can do
From Worst to Best
Godzilla: The Planet Eater
Godzilla: Planet Of The Monsters
Godzilla: City On The Edge Of Battle
Pacific Rim: Uprising
Jurassic Park III
The Lost World: Jurassic Park II
Godzilla (1998)
Godzilla vs King Ghidorah
King Kong vs Godzilla
Jurassic World
Jurassic Park
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters
Shin Gojira
Gojira
I think that’s all of them
I’ll edit if I missed one
You should do a review on the American Godzilla 1998
I've got something in the works.
I’m so happy that Gamera 2 attack of Legion took your top spot because these masterpieces just aren’t getting enough recognition. But I am disappointed that Gamera 3 revenge of Iris didn’t at least make a spot in here since I do think it is an all round better movie than Gamera 2, but the 2 movies are sooo close for me that I’m not mad if someone likes Gamera 2 more than Gamera 3. But the fact that Gamera 3 didn’t even make the list. . . Come on! That movie is freaking awesome. P.S. I’m in absolute love with Gamera 2 and 3 but not a big fan of the first one Gamera Guardian of the Universe, I think it’s just okay
Well, on the off chance you didn't see it yet, I have a deep dive into Gamera 3 right here: th-cam.com/video/4YedkYuat7E/w-d-xo.html&pp=ygUSb21uaSB2aWV3ZXIgZ2FtZXJh Hope you enjoy it.
@@omniviewer2115 Hang on, are you actually replying to my comment? If so that's crazy cool, unless this is just some sort of AI set that answers all your comments then that does make this less cool but I'll definitely check out the Gamera 3 video
Rodan and war of the gargantuas was on the same DVD box you just attempted to cover the names both times