The MonsterVerse has turned out to be one of the most successful franchises in modern Hollywood. Built on the strength of the Godzilla and King Kong legacies, the MonsterVerse is an interconnected universe following the mighty kaiju as they rampage their way through a world struggling to understand who these creatures are, where they come from, and whether they're friends or foes. The film series spans several decades and features an ever-revolving door of talented performers, from Oscar winners like Brie Larson to rising talent like Millie Bobby Brown to scene-stealing character actors like John C. Reilly and Charles Dance.
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So far, five movies have been produced in this franchise, each with strengths and weaknesses. Because of their nature, the MonsterVerse movies are usually campy and self-aware, especially in recent years. They embrace the action but remain very much aware of the inherent silliness of their premises, and they're all the better for it. Still, some are undeniably better than others, at least in terms of sheer quality. This list will rank each of the five MonsterVerse movies based on their cohesiveness, writing, acting, visual effects, and importance within their ever-growing cinematic universe.
5 'Godzilla' (2014) Directed by Gareth Edwards Close ✕ Remove Ads
Gareth Edwards' Godzilla is more puzzling than ever a decade after its release. The film stars Aaron Taylor Johnson as Ford Brody, a Navy bomb expert who must travel to Japan to reunite with his estranged father. However, the two will soon become involved in a dangerous fight for survival when a massive creature known as Godzilla rises from the depths to combat two mysterious monsters wreaking havoc. The film stars an ensemble also starring Oscar nominees Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins, Emmy winner Bryan Cranston, and Emmy nominee Elizabeth Olsen.
Godzilla stands out among the MonsterVerse movies because of its lack of monsters. Fundamentally, it seems to misunderstand what makes a monster movie great. Trying to add depth to the story, Godzilla focuses on uninteresting human characters, but the result is an often boring and overly complicated narrative that doesn't feel either engaging or challenging. The titular monster has an absurdly low amount of screen time, being kept out of the action until halfway through the movie. Although its intentions to add complexity to its story are noble, Godzilla is ultimately a chore to sit through, especially compared to recent masterpieces like Godzilla Minus One, which includes a compelling and impactful human story without depriving audiences of seeing Godzilla in all his glory.
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4 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' (2019) Directed by Michael Dougherty
The 2019 sequel to Godzilla increased the monster action but without the human element to match. The film follows humanity's desperate attempts to survive the raging battle between the Titans while the shadowy organization Monarch manipulates events from the shadows. Godzilla must once again rise to battle Rodan and his arch-enemy, the mighty King Ghidorah, with the help of the ethereal Mothra. Emmy winner Kyle Chandler and Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga star opposite Emmy nominee Millie Bobby Brown, with Watanabe and Hawkins reprising their roles, joined by Zhang Ziyi and Charles Dance.
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Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a kaiju story that places all the importance on the monsters. The result is a film that goes all-in on the action at the expense of the story and character development. Still, a game cast more than supports whatever little story is there for them, allowing the Titans to shine brightly. In that regard, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is quite great, a mighty spectacle for all those who love monster movies. Godzilla is once again somewhat sidelined, although he gets far more to do this time and is a more active participant in the plot. On the other hand, Rodan, Mothra, and especially King Ghidorah get plenty of moments to shine. One of the most badass dragons in cinema, King Ghidorah is particularly good here, exhibiting all the cruel rage that has made it an icon of monster movies.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters PG-13ThrillerAction Horror Sci-Fi
Where to Watch streamrentbuy *Availability in US Release Date May 29, 2019 Cast Millie Bobby Brown , Vera Farmiga , Charles Dance , Bradley Whitford , Sally Hawkins , Kyle Chandler Runtime 132 Writers Michael Dougherty , Zach Shields , Max Borenstein ✕ Remove Ads 3 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' (2024) Directed by Adam Wingard
Sitting pretty in the middle of the ranking is the most recent entry into the MonsterVerse, Adam Wingard's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The film follows the titular characters -- now allies following their devastating fight three years earlier -- as they join forces to face a dangerous new threat. Settled in the Hollow Earth, Kong's existence is soon challenged when he encounters more of his species. Led by the evil Star King, the apes meant to invade the Earth aided by a monstrous, Godzilla-like ice creature.
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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is by far the silliest and campiest of the bunch, and it's all the better for it. Any semblance of "reality" goes out the window, with the film instead embracing the inherent ridiculousness in its premise and having a ball with it. Like other recent entries in the MonsterVerse, The New Empire understands who the real stars are and lets them have fun. Godzilla and Kong fight, rampage, roar, and are even allowed to be cute. Their fight against the Stark King and Shimo is not as exciting as it could be, but it's thrilling enough to satisfy. Unlike Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, The New Empire actually makes audiences care about the human characters if only a bit. Rebecca Hall and the always charming Dan Stevens are perfectly capable leads, while Brian Tyree Henry remains his best scene-stealing self. The plot is remarkably dumb, but when the action is this entertaining, one can easily forget and forgive the film's many shortcomings. Who knows what's next for Godzilla and Kong, but if it's even half as fun as The New Empire, it'll be worth the wait.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire PG-13ActionAdventure Sci-Fi
Release Date March 29, 2024 Cast Dan Stevens , Rebecca Hall , Brian Tyree Henry , Rachel House Runtime 1h 55m Writers Terry Rossio , Simon Barrett , Jeremy Slater ✕ Remove Ads 2 'Kong: Skull Island' (2017) Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Two years after the release of Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island premiered to positive reviews and considerable box office success. An ensemble cast, including Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, and John C. Riley, stars in this period piece set in the 1970s amidst the ongoing Vietnam War. The film follows a crew, comprised of several soldiers, scientists, and a war photographer, who venture into the uncharted Skull Island, where they encounter unbelievable dangers, including the massive gorilla Kong.
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Strictly speaking, Kong: Skull Island is probably the best overall movie in the MonsterVerse. It's the most well-rounded, featuring solid acting, a strong story that balances classic adventure with thrilling monster action, mostly compelling characters -- Riley's unhinged performance is particularly funny -- and impressive visual effects. It doesn't do half as much with its setting, politically or socially, but it does attempt to address a few themes, from colonialism to American imperialism, and for that, it deserves some respect. However, Kong: Skull Island is still very much a loud monster movie and doesn't forget to have fun and be spectacularly silly: after all, it features one of the most infamously dumb deaths in modern cinema. Still, the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses, resulting in an endlessly entertaining movie that packs quite a punch and does right by its simian protagonist.
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✕ Remove Ads 1 'Godzilla vs. Kong' (2021) Directed by Adam Wingard
Godzilla vs. Kong is very obviously the film the MonsterVerse had always been building up to and the thing it always wanted to be. Adam Wingard directs a large ensemble featuring the returning Kyle Chandler and Millie Bobbie Brown and new faces like Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Alexander Skarsgård, Eiza González, and Oscar nominee Demián Bichir. The plot sees Kong moved from Skull Island into the Hollow Earth, where a mysterious weapon lies that can seemingly stop Godzilla's future attacks. However, these reckless actions only succeed in pitting the two Titans against each other.
Godzilla vs. Kong is pure monster excess, delivering squarely on its premise and standing as the best MonsterVerse movie thus far.
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In short, Godzilla vs. Kong is everything a MonsterVerse movie should be: it has an interesting enough story that, while never compelling, it's still very much entertaining. As the title implies, the central conflict between Godzilla and Kong is more than enough to justify the film's existence. Indeed, Godzilla vs. Kongdoes its two iconic monsters justice, allowing them to beat the crap out of each other for our enjoyment, and boy, is it enjoyable. The human cast is surprisingly good, especially Hall as the most sympathetic character in any of these movies and Bichir as a classic mustache.twirling villain. The final act battle between Godzilla, Kong, and the newly arrived Mecha Godzilla is peak big-budget entertainment, set in a neon-lit Hong Kong, is the best sequence in the MonsterVerse, the crowning achievement of this cinematic universe in every possible way. Godzilla vs. Kong is pure monster excess, delivering squarely on its premise and standing as the best MonsterVerse movie thus far.
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NEXT: The 10 Best Monster Movies of the Last 5 Years, Ranked