★★★★☆ the last frozen island sequence was too repetitive, but overall, a solid Showa entry">★★★☆☆ ★★★⯪☆ ★★☆☆☆ ★★★★☆
★★★☆☆ watching with a crowd was super fun, too, all the comedic bits hit just right">★★★★☆ I feel the human plot tries to do too many things at once, but the monster fight is thoroughly entertaining and the effects are great, as always

2024-07-28:
the first two-thirds did not improve with a theater viewing, but the goofy-ass monster brawl was very fun and well received">★★★☆☆ ★★★★☆ It was a delight to see a giant monster move so quickly (since the Frankenstein actor wasn't weighed down or limited by a rubber suit), so it made for some great battle sequences.">★★★⯪☆ The monsters are absolutely hideous bowl-cut fiends, and their redesign removes the agility that made the first Frankenstein so interesting to watch.
Overall a poor redo of the first, half heartedly repeating some of the themes without saying much.">★⯪☆☆☆ ★★★★☆ Godzilla and Minilla look like shit, and the Sekizawa formula is really running thin at this point. The humanization of the monsters may have also gone a littlllleee over the line with this one.
The mantises and the spider look cool, though.">★★☆☆☆ Not a single likeable character. Kubo, who is good in Invasion of Astro Monster and Matango, is bad here, seemingly only focused on being as dour as possible.
It's fun to see the monsters attack other international cities, and the four-way attack on Tokyo is a welcome return to urban destruction that we haven't seen for a few films. In the end, though, I won't be rewatching this one again.">★★☆☆☆ ★★★⯪☆ ★★★☆☆ Gigan is cool, though.">★★☆☆☆ This film is everything the general public thinks a Godzilla film is: barebones human plot and random monster action over b-roll footage. Which is a shame, since the earliest entries definitely aren't that.
It's entertaining at least, the sort of film you can leave on in the background and still sort of enjoy, making it a massive improvement over the previous entry, Godzilla vs Gigan. The last fight is super zany and the soundtrack throughout the film is great.
2023-10-01:
seeing it in theaters was fun, but this is still barely a film. they should have never given. Fukuda the keys">★★☆☆☆ I enjoyed bits of the fight, but it wasn't all that great. The human plot was yet *another* 'aliens control monster' iteration.
I can't wait to be done with the Showa films.">★★☆☆☆ Akihiko Hirata as Colonel Sanders is a good bonus.
This one's not as plodding as the last few entries, but I'm still glad I'm finally done with the Showa films. Not even Honda's return could save this one, it's still a rehash of Sekizawa's tried/tired-and-true formula">★★⯪☆☆ The short sequences with the poor dude enjoying a feast while Godzilla rampages were also much appreciated levity.">★★★⯪☆ Godzilla fights a giant rose and the action is spectacular. Really impressive effects all around, from the vine fights to the destruction of Osaka.
This does have the problem most Heisei films have: too many plot lines that aren't satisfactorily developed or wrapped up. As a result, the human plots aren't as engaging as the 60s Showa films. Everything is simply too high stakes and the more grounded human elements (in this case, the love story) don't have much room to grow and resonate. Overall, though, it's a great kaiju experience - plots lifted from political thrillers, with action all around.
2023-10-01:
now that's what I call creature and miniature set design!">★★★⯪☆ It all gets better once the monsters show up. Mecha King Ghidorah is cool as hell, and the soundtrack slaps.">★★⯪☆☆ ★★★★☆ ★★★☆☆ anyway, glad Heisei is wrapping up. aesthetically, it was pleasing, but didn't try anything new.">★⯪☆☆☆ In his Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series, David Kalat holds this film up as a great example of what a 90s kaiju film could be, and he's absolutely right.
Incredible pacing, excellent miniature set design and effects, well-defined characters, and more physicality in the monster fights. They didn't just shoot beams at each other while standing still. The camera work was also leagues ahead of the Godzilla heisei films, with few wide shots of the monsters among the miniature sets, which really helps keep you in the film and from noticing how it's all fake.
A really fun film.
2023-01-07:
Unparalleled pyrotechnics">★★★★☆ The monster designs are incredible for this one. Destroyah's adult-form reveal as it obliterated the smoke stacks around it was great. The effects are better than the last few films, as are the fights because it's more than just them shooting beams at each other.
Two things dragged this movie down:
interrupting the flow by constantly cutting away from the action to two (2!) different helicopters and the boring G-Force command center monitors to show glib reactions, and the addition of two boring / annoying characters, Emiko's nephew and the American-traibed psychic. They stole thunder and screentime from Miki.
2024-09-01:
the Heisei films boldly ask 'what if we included live commentary in the form or characters also watching the action in screen and narrating exactly what is happening?'
peak monster design, but I will never show these films to someone who's never seen much Godzilla">★★★⯪☆ this series has so far been kaiju films done to perfection. Gamera's skid-landing scene before the final confrontation 😘👌🏼
2025-06-29:
most of the Godzilla franchise walked so these three films could run">★★★★★ That said, it was a nice fanciful take on Mothra, and I enjoyed that the twins had a lot more to do in this one.
Ghidorah's design was great and the fire breathing effects were incredible. Mothra 2.0's new powers were also fun.">★★★☆☆ ★☆☆☆☆ sorry folks this is a good monster movie. The 2014 one is infinitely preferable, but there's no way an American Godzilla produced in the late 90s could have been anything but this.
also if you're defending the 'honor' of the Godzilla series by calling this an affront, you gotta rewatch Godzilla vs Megalon because the franchise doesn't do itself any favors.
The monster design rocks. The entire spectacle is great, destructive fun. The cast is generally good (Jean Reno and his crew kill it, especially with the chewing gum scene. Seeing Kent Brockman irl was a treat). The soundtrack has aged poorly - typical 90s fantastical fare.
anywho, more fun than most of the Showa and Heisei films :)">★★★⯪☆ My main gripe was the overreliance on CGI. You're either doing practical effects with CGI touchups or full CG effects; mixing both in multiple scenes made it all look very bad (especially when we're talking like Bowling Alley animation quality).">★★★☆☆ ★★★☆☆ The first Japanese Godzilla film I saw in theaters. Massive improvement over the Heisei offerings, physicality in the monster fights and tighter plots are back, baby!
The alien plot was cool, and the human stuff was a treat. Overall this relied too much on CGI for my taste, but the final sequences with miniature destruction made up for that.">★★★⯪☆ it's a shame it took Toho another decade and a half to realize we don't need a Godzilla film every few years, and that they can release a high quality one with a decent budget if they wait.
watch Gamera 2 : Attack of Legion for a better version of this.">★★☆☆☆ leave it to the creative force behind the Gamera revival to show Toho how it should be done in the modern era:
lively characters, stellar set designs and effects, a tightly edited storyline and shorter runtime than usual
I particularly enjoyed Godzilla being the embodiment of all the suffering the Japanese wrought in World War II (not just the souls of the Imperial Army dead), a nice turn away from the overt militaristic nationalism of the Heisei films
2024-09-22L
love love the paranormal setup, and the effects are just great, even when out in the countryside. Baragon clears a forest! Godzilla literally knocks over a hill!">★★★★⯪ The fights, however, are some of the most ambitious in the series. Super enjoyable, with great effects. Particularly enjoyed when Mechagodzilla walked through a building and left nothing but its frame standing.
Godzilla doesn't do a whole lot besides stand absolutely still and get blasted by missiles and lasers with little to no reaction. The film is truly Kiryu's though, and we got some great action sequences out of it.">★★★⯪☆ this was actually super fun. I loved the original Mothra so it was nice to tie it in with this film. Hits a lot of the same beats as Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, though.
The special effects team has done it again! These are the best Mothra effects I've seen, even including the Legendary films. A lot of cool moments, shame the post credits teaser never amounted to anything but I'm glad Toho eventually pumped the brakes on churning one of these out every year or so.
2023-03-22:
saw it on the big screen, loads of fun and great practical effects">★★★⯪☆ Visually, not a whole lot of to say. Too much Syfy movie filter on this whole movie, and the CGI is painful. Loved to see someone in a cool Godzilla suit square up against PS2-graphic Zilla in Sydney. They've done good CGI in the last two films, I have no idea what happened here. If you're gonna eschew practical effects for just CGI, goddamnit, make it look good.
I did enjoy the random vignettes,like the boy, his grandpa, and Minya. my boy Glenn just wanted to listen to jazz and drink coffee in peace, rip.
I can appreciate it was trying something new for a franchise with 30+ films, but maybe it's time to call it a day and admit the classic kaiju era is over.">★★☆☆☆ honestly a great 'intro' to Godzilla. really appreciated the way they continued to drive home the really staggering costs of having several giant monsters just move around.
works as a Godzilla movie. it absolutely is a 'military movie with Godzilla', and that's fine
2024-04-07:
the most human-scaled of the monsterverse movies, always fun. unparalleled sound design">★★★★⯪ It's so good to see Toho get back in their stride and turn out a fantastic Godzilla movie for modern times. Gone is the inherent campiness, yet the shift to extremely serious tone fits well, as it should for all movies where Godzilla is the singular focus.
It pains me to admit it but as fun as the Vs films are, this series really shines when it's just Godzilla and he's an asshole.
No qualms with the CG work this time, even if that means the miniatures and matte sets are gone. They put their heart into it and it shows. Like they said in the Bringing Godzilla Down to Size documentary, if Honda and Tsuburaya had had good CG tech, they would have definitely used it.
Just fantastic shots throughout, I love Ano's anime sensibilities coming through and shooting conversations from other side of the room. I hadn't seen any of his work before I first saw this in theaters, and am glad I can now use the whole Evangelion corpus to see his influence at work here.
2023-02-18:
perfect film to show someone who's never seen Godzilla
add the disclaimer 'they are all def not like this'
2025-11-27:
watching this while doing a rewatch of Evangelion is a treat">★★★★★ but
awful execution.
I'm biased because I don't like most anime because of the tropes and hoo boy they're all here in spades
the protagonist is just supremely unlikeable. also the utter cowardice to make your aliens fucking humanoids. it's an animated film, you can do what you want, and you still do this??
anyway, pretty boring, but struggling through it and the next two so I can finally have watched every single Godzilla film">★⯪☆☆☆ ★★★⯪☆ it's very boring, Mechagodzilla does not show up">★☆☆☆☆ it took me two months to work up the desire to watch this and finally finish seeing every single Godzilla film.
it nearly killed me, but the work is done">★★☆☆☆ a love letter to the franchise. pure fan service, and I'll take every bit, thanks">★★★⯪☆ this also avoids the Spiderman 3 problem of trying to fit multiple 'villains' and executes it pretty well.">★★★★☆ it ain't no Shin Godzilla, but it was a blast. I loved the callback to 1954 with the train-in-mouth shot, and Godzilla's destructive capabilities were a sight to behold.
The militarism angle actually isn't as pronounced as some made it out to be, at least compared to the Heisei films. I saw it more in conversation with Shin, where we see the state (rogue actors, but state actors nonetheless!) muster titanic resources as only the state can. Here, it's an everyman approach, drawing on their war time experience and trauma to deliver a new future for their country inspite of its government.
I do tire of 'Godzilla for the first time!' plots, though, and hope we'll next see Millennium series-esque one shots with the Big G as an established character in universe.
2024-01-28:
The black and white was a fun gimmick and the last third goes hard, once the military march theme starts, it's a blast
but still a meh from me overall">★★★⯪☆ ★★★⯪☆