GODZILLA TIER LIST! (Godzilla Movies Re-Ranked)
How has it been five years already since I attempted to rank every Godzilla movie in preparation for 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters? Here’s a more important question: how has it been ten years since I did my Brief History of Cinema on the Godzilla series in preparation for 2014's Godzilla? I’ve been writing about Japan’s giant monster over a whole decade and it all started back at the beginning of what has turned into the MonsterVerse. The newest entry, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, will be out March 29th, and as has always been the case whenever a new one is coming soon, my mind is on Godzilla more than usual (which it is quite a lot, if you know me at all).
If you don’t know what a tier list is or how they work, it’s a bit like a grading scale, except the top tier is called S, which is basically like an A+. The S tier is as good as it gets, and I think the rest is self-explanatory. They are all the hype in some corners of the internet, especially when it comes to film discussion, so I thought I would try my hand at it, and I’m happier with these results than I was when I simply ranked all Godzilla movies against one another. I’m going historically, starting with the original and moving my way up.
Godzilla (1954)/Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956): S Tier
I’m only putting two of the movies in the S tier, and it’s no surprise the original film (with the Americanized version lumped in, too) is one of them. After so many films spanning so many decades, the original still stands as the darkest, most uncompromising vision of what Godzilla is, with the most compelling narrative, the most timeless characters, and the most memorable imagery, on top of everything else working exactly as intended.
Godzilla Raids Again (1956): C Tier
If you compare it directly to the 1954 original, yeah, of course it’s going to seem pretty bad, but I think as its own movie it manages to just make it into the C tier, thanks mainly to the ending. No, the characters are not that endearing, the monster fights are not that entertaining, and nothing extremely exciting or interesting happens for most of the runtime, but if we don’t count Godzilla Minus One’s black-and-white re-release, this is only one of two Godzilla movies that are in black-and-white. The dark cinematography still works to give it some visual appeal and, at times, a haunting atmosphere you can only also find in the original.
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962): A Tier
The original battle between America’s greatest giant monster and Japan’s is a uniquely cheesy film that you cannot take as seriously as many of the other best ones, but it’s charm lies not just in the novelty of pitting these two against each other. It is dated and yet timeless in its own way. There is action, comedy, adventure, and silliness to spare even before the monsters ever meet, plus some effects that work, some that absolutely do not, and an element of fun that most films in the first series tried to recapture but never could.
Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964): A Tier
I almost feel bad ranking this one at the bottom of the A tier, but there is some stiff competition. With that said, reasons it deserves to be there include an epic intro for Big G, some great military-on-monster action, effective humour and drama from the human characters, and a battle between two very different monsters that is still very entertaining despite the old school effects and so many rematches in subsequent films that are as good if not better.
Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster (1964): C Tier
Had I seen this one at a younger age maybe I would be more nostalgic for it now, but I didn’t, so I feel like the first film to feature King Ghidorah is not the best one to feature him, nor is it the best monster team up in the first series. It has aliens but it doesn’t focus on them too much, and it has many other elements that would recur in later movies but be done a bit better later—I just enjoyed the same things in those other movies more. It still has some fun monster fights, a story that’s entertaining enough, and silly moments, but is a little slow at times.
Invasion of Astro Monster (1965): B Tier
There are only two films from the first series in B tier, and this one scores higher than the other because it’s fairly unique in a few ways. This is the only Godzilla movie to have Godzilla (and Rodan) go to space and fight another monster (Ghidorah again) on another planet, which is awesome. It also makes Godzilla a good guy and a bad guy in the same movie, and even though he isn’t featured as much as he is in some others, it’s a sci-fi heavy plot that strikes a balance of taking itself seriously while also allowing for some fun and laughs—some of them purposeful, others incidental.
Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster (1966): D Tier
This one is just ridiculous fun, and I don’t think it belongs in the F tier because it has multiple things going for it, despite lacking most of what makes for a good Godzilla movie. It has a bit of an adventure vibe, which is a genre I’m a sucker for, plus some cheesy monster action, goofy moments, and an appearance from Mothra at the end, but it definitely doesn’t do anything interesting enough to stand above any of the other movies in this tier.
Son of Godzilla (1967): D Tier
I’m generally not really a fan of the Godzilla movies that prominently feature Godzilla’s offspring Minilla, so it should be no surprise that this one is low in the D tier. There are some fun moments with the monsters, but Godzilla and Minilla look so off-putting, and the whole thing comes off less like a traditional Godzilla movie and more like a live-action adaptation of a cartoon, for better or for worse.
Destroy All Monsters (1968): C Tier
Once again, this one I didn’t see until much later, so obviously it pales in comparison to Godzilla: Final Wars and all the other major tag team movies, but it’s still C tier worthy just for the sheer number of monsters alone and seeing them all in different locations. There aren’t that many memorable Godzilla moments throughout and the story is just another alien-centric one, but once it gets to the ending it feels worth the wait.
All Monsters Attack (1969): F Tier
As much as I dislike the other two movies in this tier, they at least have some elements that would be worth seeing if I were to watch them again. All Monsters Attack has absolutely no value to me whatsoever. I feel it’s important to note which ones I did not see as a kid, because I think that’s largely part of why some Godzilla movies are remembered more fondly by some fans and less fondly by others, but this one is widely regarded as one of the worst, and it’s obvious as to why. It’s the one movie that was inarguably made just for kids, and the cheapness of the production, along with the concept and fumbled execution, make it the most unwatchable Godzilla movie, for me.
Godzilla vs Hedorah (1971): D Tier
What keeps it out of the F tier is the enemy monster, which is quite interesting, unpredictable, and is a physical embodiment of the danger of pollution, kind of like how Godzilla embodied nuclear fears, only Hedorah is much more on the nose about it. There are a few decent moments throughout (and one of the weirdest/funniest/most perplexing in the whole series when Godzilla flies), but it’s just too weird and inconsistent to be in the C tier. I’ve never outright hated this one, and I appreciate certain things about it more now than when I was a kid, but I don’t find it very enjoyable.
Godzilla vs Gigan (1972): D Tier
I know this one is bad, but there are things I like about it, and in some ways it’s so bad it’s good. The plot is incredibly stupid and the tone is wildly inconsistent, but when the monster scenes aren’t made up of stock footage, there are some entertaining moments with newcomer Gigan and classic villain Ghidorah, plus some effects that are so bad you can’t help but laugh. If it weren’t for the new wacky monster and the funny moments throughout, I would place this one closer to the bottom of D tier or maybe in F.
Godzilla vs Megalon (1973): F Tier
I think only three movies are worthy of the F tier, and this one is just barely in the bottom. One great moment with Godzilla doing a flying kick and a hilariously cheesy size-changing robot (Jet Jaguar) fighting alongside him are not enough to put it in D tier, though. I didn’t see this one until after I had seen most other Godzilla movies, so I have no nostalgic attachment to it, and I don’t care at all about the story, the characters, or the main enemy monster. There is very little Godzilla throughout, the special effects are poor, and even though there is some action, it isn’t that entertaining.
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974): A Tier
Even taking out of the equation the fact that this was the first entry in the first series to be argued as a “good one” after so many duds, the premiere film for what would end up becoming one of Godzilla’s greatest foes is the only one that gets close to the sense of fun King Kong vs. Godzilla has, with an amusing sci-fi plot, lots of great monster moments (including from other newcomer King Caesar), and a satisfyingly cheesy level of production.
Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975): B Tier
Like a couple others in B tier, I think the final entry in the first series is another underrated one. It definitely isn’t A tier like Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, but it retains enough of what made the previous movie good and adds in something new to keep it interesting—in this case, the new monster Titanosaurus, which teams up with Mecha-G, making this an uncommon two-on-one fight, and the reverse of what happened at the end of the previous movie. Titanosaurus isn’t as unique as King Caesar, Mechagodzilla doesn’t have the same variety of attacks as before, and the fights aren’t quite as memorable, but the rest of it lives up to the best of the heroic Godzilla movies from this era.
The Return of Godzilla (1984)/Godzilla 1985: C Tier
I think this one deserves to be in the C tier even though I’m quite nostalgic for it. I love the redesign for Godzilla, the city destruction, the music, and how the tone adheres closer to the 1954 original than any of the sequels in the first series. That being said, the human characters are not great, the pacing is ineffective at times, and it just doesn’t have a very interesting plot. I remember it well for certain shots and Godzilla moments, but as a whole, it doesn’t stand out as particularly unique or special. As one of only four Toho-produced films to not feature any other monsters except Godzilla, it’s probably the weakest, but still decent.
Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989): B Tier
The second film in the second series has many memorable moments throughout, but what it lacks in monster battles and narrative coherence it makes up for with a creative story, some great city destruction, and an interesting new monster villain. It corrected some of the shortcomings of the previous film, but there was still room for improvement. A lot of other fans would probably put this one high up in the A tier, and I can see why, but for me it just doesn’t have enough of all the good stuff I love in those other movies to put it up there.
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991): B Tier
In the past I tried to convince myself I enjoyed this one more than I did because it’s often highly regarded by other Godzilla fans, but I’m sorry, I just don’t think it deserves to be in the A tier. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy it and think it excels in the third act, but the setup in the first act is a little wonky and the second act is inconsistently entertaining. The origin of Godzilla is great and I don’t mind King Ghidorah’s reinvention (Mecha-King Ghidorah is also an epic highlight of the climax), but the tone, pacing, and effects fluctuate in quality, to the point that I don’t find it quite reaches above many other Godzilla films.
Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992): A Tier
The second series is the most consistently entertaining, to me, and has the majority of the films I enjoy re-watching the most, for different reasons. In this case, Godzilla’s final battle with Mothra and new monster Battra is the highlight, but this movie has an adventure style to it that makes it feel a little different from the others in the second series, and I guess I’m just a sucker for adventure filmmaking, because I find it entertaining as hell. It doesn’t compare to some of the other films in this tier in every way, but in terms of monster reinvention, destructive action, and pacing, I think it’s a Godzilla movie that’s got it where it counts.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2 (1993): A Tier
Even though Mechagodzilla isn’t quite as cool in this one as he was in the first series, this is still an awesome sequel. The monsters get lots of screen time throughout the movie, the story is interesting, and the human characters aren’t too bad. While it does have a few questionable bits, it is highly entertaining from early in the runtime and doesn’t really let up. The director, Takao Okawara, directed three other Godzilla movies, too, and all four of them are in the A tier, making him one of the greatest directors to work on the series (the other films being Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, and Godzilla 2000).
Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994): D Tier
This one is a little personal. I really don’t like this movie, even though there are elements of it that I do like. Space Godzilla is a cool villain and everything to do with him is great, but it follows up the previous movie in the wrong way when it comes to everything else. Mechagodzilla is replaced with M.O.G.U.E.R.A, which kind of sucks, Baby Godzilla turns into Little Godzilla and looks stupidly cute, and a lot of the monster action is slow. The story is not interesting, the human characters are forgettable, and not even Godzilla does anything that stands out. It just doesn’t retain enough of what made the other films in the second series so good, and it’s the only one from those seven films I feel inclined to skip.
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995): A Tier
Once again, this one just doesn’t quite nail everything to make it into the top tier, but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that it’s one of the absolute best in terms of storytelling, special effects, action, and emotional resonance. What sets this one apart from not just the rest of the second series but all Godzilla films is its rewarding and emotional sense of an ending for the monster on top of nailing everything else.
Godzilla (1998): F Tier
The only thing that keeps the first American Godzilla movie production from being at the very bottom of the lowest tier is the nostalgia I have for some of the special effects. The poor design aside, not every shot of “Zilla” looks bad, and as I would later find out, it’s because those are the shots in which the creature is not a computer generated image, but this movie missed the mark completely not just in terms of being a Godzilla movie, but in just being a good movie. With the MonsterVerse films now in existence, there isn’t even any point in revisiting this one anymore, and yet I still would rather do that over re-watching the one movie beneath this one, at the very bottom of the list.
Godzilla 2000 (1999): A Tier
It was my favourite when I was a kid, when I was a teenager, when I became an adult, and even today looking back on them all, it’s the one I’m most nostalgic for and would choose to watch if I could only watch one Godzilla movie before I died. That being said, I can’t truly say Godzilla 2000 is the greatest showcase for the giant monster’s maximum potential, nor can it quite compare in terms of certain elements like the human characters or musical score to put it into the S tier. It may be my personal favourite, but I can’t deny that it lacks that certain something to put it at the very top.
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000): D Tier
Even though it maintains the production quality set by Godzilla 2000 and has some fun moments between Big G and the new giant insect monster, I don’t really remember much about this movie because it isn’t especially well crafted, nor is it really wacky, it’s just…alright. On a technical level, it’s inarguably better than some of the movies in the C tier, but what it comes down to for me is entertainment value and lack of nostalgia, and this one sticks to a formula that had been done many times over in the past without enough new ideas to make it stand out.
Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-out Attack (2001): A Tier
My opinion has changed a bit on this one over time. At first I disliked it because of the changes to the origins and nature of the monsters and the focus on the supernatural and spiritual, but then it grew on me once I started appreciating the creative revamp to the monsters and their roles and the heights it reaches in terms of action, spectacle, and drama. Now, I find it quite slow and tedious in its set up, and quite entertaining in its eventual payoff, with some great moments that happen amid slow scenes with human characters who aren’t the greatest. Overall, though, it certainly deserves to be in the A tier.
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002): C Tier
There are definitely some strengths to this one I want to highlight, even though it’s in the C tier because it overall feels like more setup than payoff and functions as a follow up to only the 1954 original in a more clunky way than most previous films which do the same thing. One of the more memorable human characters from the third series makes her debut here, the reinvention of Mechagodzilla is better than in the second series, and the effects and music are great. The monster fights are decent, but given that it was the fourth time Mechagodzilla got the spotlight, it had a lot to live up to, and just wasn’t quite able to, for some reason.
Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S (2003): A Tier
What helps this one make the A tier is not only how entertaining it is as its own movie, but also as a sequel (the only pure sequel in the third series), which corrects some of the shortcomings of the previous film and retains most of the best qualities. We get the return of Mechagodzilla in its awesome updated third form (Kiryu), the reintroduction of Mothra, who always makes a welcome return, and an ending to an exciting story that’s pretty satisfying, but the special effects and monster fights are what resonate with me the most, because this one represents the peak of Toho’s old school ways of making monster movies.
Godzilla Final Wars (2004): A Tier
I used to rank this one higher overall, but it’s still high in the A tier because of its all-around entertainment value, even with a decided lack of Godzilla. The reason it doesn’t hold up quite the same to me now is because of a lack of balance with the monsters and some of the quality of the action and special effects spiking and dipping. It isn’t the greatest Godzilla movie, but it is definitely one of the craziest, and represents a celebration of the peak absurdity in the franchise that is unlikely to be topped or matched ever again.
Godzilla (2014): C Tier
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this one does not get better with repeated viewings, for me. It got the things right that it needed to in order to re-establish Godzilla and set the table for the cinematic universe, but as its own story, it’s pretty sparse. The strongest things it has going for it are the visuals, the suspenseful setup in the first act, and the epic final battle, but the human characters are not very engaging, the narrative focus is not always in the best place, and the new monsters are not that original. The most fatal decision of all was to pivot the story away from Bryan Cranston’s character. I still enjoy the movie and look back at it fondly, but overall, it pales in comparison to many others.
Shin Godzilla (2016): A Tier
It may lack some of the elements from the other greatest Godzilla movies, but as a rarity in the franchise due to being a full reboot that repurposes Big G as a purely antagonistic force of nature in a modern setting with modern special effects and no other monsters, it has to be in the A tier for the way it pulls the whole thing off. It takes the concept of Godzilla quite seriously and updates the monster mythos in effective ways, and also does a lot with relatively little, when taking into consideration the breadth of potential demonstrated by the many movies prior. It isn’t as consistently entertaining and doesn’t reach as many heights as some of the other movies in A tier, but it achieves a bold new vision for the king of the monsters while also acting as a faithful companion piece to the 1954 original in a way no other Godzilla film really does.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019): B Tier
I have to slip in the second Godzilla film in the MonsterVerse (third film overall if you count Kong: Skull Island) in B tier simply for how well it caters to fans of the first series of films. In so many ways it’s an update on the greatest monster moments from the many prior Toho films, but it falls short with the story, human characters, and cinematography. It also takes such a leap in terms of world building and tone from the previous movie that it doesn’t really feel like a direct sequel. The movie tries to cover a lot of ground and does so at an inconsistent pace, ultimately feeling like it tried to be a little too much and fell a little short of its full potential.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021): B Tier
It almost got placed in the A tier, but that tier got pretty crowded, and the main factor that takes the fourth MonsterVerse film down one tier are the number of human characters who could have been more interesting than they were. Even though the diversions with one of the plot lines isn’t as good as the main story, it does all lead to the epic showdown—two showdowns, in fact, so the amount of high quality monster action makes up for a lot and puts it not just at the top of B tier, but above the other MonsterVerse Godzilla films.
Godzilla Minus One (2023): S Tier
Finally, after so long, with many other directors trying to elevate Godzilla to the level he debuted at, someone managed to make another S tier Godzilla film. Minus One is not better than the original, to me, but in terms of narrative, characters, tone, and themes, it does achieve something no other Godzilla film has been able to in terms of the quality, emotional resonance, and entertainment value all tied together. Plus, the production value has finally managed to match Hollywood’s capabilities, which helps make Minus One a truly special and exceptional film, its status as a G-film notwithstanding.
So, here it is: my tier list of all live-action Godzilla movies with the films in each tier organized by favourite to least favourite:
S
1. Godzilla (1954)/Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956)
2. Godzilla Minus One
A
1. Godzilla 2000
2. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
3. King Kong vs. Godzilla
4. Godzilla Final Wars
5. Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla
6. Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-out Attack
7. Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S
8. Shin Godzilla
9. Godzilla vs. Mothra
10. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2
11. Mothra vs. Godzilla
B
1. Godzilla vs. Kong
2. Godzilla vs. Biollante
3. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
4. Invasion of Astro Monster
5. Terror of Mechagodzilla
6. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
C
1. Godzilla (2014)
2. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
3. The Return of Godzilla/Godzilla 1985
4. Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster
5. Destroy All Monsters
6. Godzilla Raids Again
D
1. Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
2. Godzilla vs Gigan
3. Godzilla vs Hedorah
4. Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla
5. Son of Godzilla
6. Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster
F
1. Godzilla vs Megalon
2. Godzilla 1998
3. All Monsters Attack
I enjoyed doing this update of my opinions on the Godzilla franchise, and might do it again in a few more years if we continue to get new movies. This won’t be the only Godzilla content this month leading up to my review of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire early in April, so watch for more new explorations of Godzilla’s history!
For more Godzilla:
-Brief History of Cinema: Godzilla Series:
https://cccmovies.blogspot.com/2014/05/brief-history-of-cinema-issue-2.html
-Top 10 Godzilla Scores:
https://cccmovies.blogspot.com/2019/05/top-10-godzilla-scores-ccc-issue-79.html
-Top 10 Godzilla Suits:
https://cccmovies.blogspot.com/2019/05/top-10-godzilla-suits-ccc-issue-77.html
-Top 10 Times Defeating Godzilla:
https://cccmovies.blogspot.com/2019/05/top-10-times-godzilla-was-defeated-ccc.html
-Shin Godzilla vs. Godzilla Minus One:
https://cccmovies.blogspot.com/2024/01/shin-godzilla-vs-godzilla-minus-one.html
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