I’ll tell you. We American Godzilla fans have been eating well, as of late. I remember being a little fan back in the ‘90s. Sure, we got the ‘98 Godzilla movie (Which I actually like!), but other than that, it was pretty slim pickings for us. Like, if we were lucky, we’d find a Toho Godzilla movie on the shelf at our local video stores, but even that wasn’t always a given.
But today, Godzilla is everywhere! Forget the fact that I can easily just turn on MAX and introduce my son to Godzilla movies with a few simple clicks of a button. I’m talking about the fact that the kaiju is now huge in the United States (and has the box office to prove it!). So, here are five reasons why this is the greatest time ever to be an American fan!
Godzilla Freaking Won An Oscar For Visual Effects
I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t watch the most recent Academy Awards. Do you want to know why? It’s because I was still salty over the fact that Godzilla Minus One, which was one of the highest rated films of 2023, wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. Yeah, I know. That’s pretty petty of me, but still!
I’ve been a fan of the creature my entire life, and I thought Minus One was the greatest Godzilla movie of all time! So, why couldn’t it be up for Best Picture? But, I digress, because even though it was snubbed at the Academy Awards, it still won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
Because Godzilla has made leaps and bounds when it comes to that department. If you take a look at all of the different Godzilla eras, the King of the Monsters has come a long way when it comes to its visual effects. From Haruo Nakajima stomping on miniatures in the original film, to the mind boggling special effects in Minus One, he looks better than he ever has. And, get this! It doesn’t even have to cost a fortune anymore!
Godzilla Minus One (Somehow!) reportedly only cost $15 million dollars to make, and the most recent Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was the least expensive movie in the MonsterVerse, costing a “meager” $135 million.
The fact that a monster movie won an Oscar – which, in my mind, now solidifies it as being “prestige” cinema – and the fact that Godzilla movies now cost less than ever to make is not only a big win for the iconic character, but also a big win for American Godzilla fans, since it means that his future is brighter than ever.
We Got An Amazing American Godzilla Film Back-To-Back With A Fantastic Japanese Godzilla Movie
Do you want to know how badly Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla movie was received back in 1998, especially in Japan? So badly that Toho brought him out of retirement early with Godzilla 2000: Millennium. Now that’s bad.
Nowadays with the MonsterVerse being fairly well received, we’re actually getting more and more American movies after Toho Godzilla flicks. Yes, some of the Toho movies, such as Shin Godzilla, surpass anything coming out of the MonsterVesrse.
But then, we’ve also gotten something like the good (but definitely not for everyone) animated Godzilla movies out of Toho, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters out of Legendary. So, it’s really been hit or miss when it comes to both Japanese and American Godzilla films.
However, we got two solid bangers back-to-back with Toho’s Minus One, and Legendary’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which I thought was the greatest MonsterVerse movie by far.
This is great news for American fans, as there’s never been a time, in my humble opinion, when we got both an amazing Toho movie and a spectacular U.S. flick in such close succession. I mean, seriously. When have American Godzilla fans ever had it this good? The answer to that is never. We’ve never had it this good.
Not Only That, But This Latest Godzilla Movie Harkens Back To The Showa Era
My favorite era of Godzilla is the Hensei era (obviously). But, my second favorite is the Showa era, and how could it not be? We got some of the greatest kaiju movies ever in that time period. I’m talking Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. Megalon (a personal favorite of my son’s), and of course, Destroy All Monsters.
Now, what I love most about the Showa era is just how bonkers it got. Sure, the original 1954 movie was super serious, but even by as early as the third movie, King Kong vs. Godzilla, it became super silly. I love that about this period.
Yes, my favorite Godzilla is a world-destroying one. And, yes, my favorite flicks are the ones where he doesn’t fight anybody but humankind. But, my second favorite version of Godzilla is when he’s sliding on his tail, or doing a silly dance.
That’s the kind of creature we got in The New Empire! One thing I’ve actively disliked about the MonsterVerse’s Godzilla, prior to Godzilla vs. Kong, was how he felt so tonally off in 2014’s Godzilla, and 2019’s King of the Monsters. Because here you had two tonally dark movies, and yet, Godzilla was a hero, which didn’t sit right with me.
In the campier Toho movies, he was usually the hero. But, in the darker ones, Godzilla was usually the villain, so I didn’t like how the first two MonsterVerse movies felt so off for me.
But, that all changed when Adam Wingard took over. Because this guy gets it! His Godzilla movies are light and fun, just like something you might see in the Showa era. So, here’s hoping that we get more silly Godzilla movies out of him. It’s what the American Godzilla needs to separate it from the superior Japanese version!
Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters Proves That Legendary Is Truly Committed To The Kaiju
Did you watch Monarch: Legacy of Monsters? To be honest with you, I didn’t initially have high hopes for it. I mean, a show that focuses on the human characters, which were always the worst part about the MonsterVerse movies? No, thank you.
But, Monarch really surprised me with how good it was, and it provided proof to me of just how committed Legendary is to this universe. Of course we had the many Easter eggs that come attached to anything surrounding the MonsterVerse, but we also got an engaging storyline that spanned decades, and gave us an even broader picture of the kaiju we see in the MonsterVerse (and man, what an ending to that first season).
That said, we’re also getting Season 2 of the series. Not only that, but there’s even talk of spin-offs! So, really, the MonsterVerse is stronger than it’s ever been, which brings me to my last point.
The Future Is Brighter Than Ever For The Character
I honestly can’t think of a time in my life when Godzilla has been hotter than he is right now. I once didn’t have much hope for the current Reiwa era, what with the three animated movies, and the massively underwhelming Godzilla Singular Point, but Minus One has me excited for the future of Toho’s Godzilla.
However, I’m also, for the first time ever, super excited for America’s interpretation of the character as well. Honestly, the future has never been brighter for him (And King Kong, but that’s an entirely different article!) than it is right now, and that’s something that all American Godzilla fans should be grateful for.
But, what do you think? Do you agree that we’re currently living in the best timeline when it comes to being a U.S. Godzilla fan?
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