My Thoughts on the Shōwa Godzilla Movies

Godzilla is one of those iconic characters in film that everybody knows about, yet very few (in the West at least) have seen any of the movies he's starred in. Growing up my exposure to these movies was very limited. I saw the 1998 American remake directed by Roland Emmerich several times when I was very young and I still hold it up as a guilty pleasure to this day, but it never satisfied my curiosity towards the real Godzilla: The monster from countless films produced by the Japanese film studio, Toho.

I've set out to make this a thing of the past. I'm gonna watch all 29 of Toho's efforts if for no other reason than to celebrate Godzilla's revival in both recent Japanese and American productions and ongoing status as the greatest giant movie monster. 15 movies later I've now seen every movie in the original Godzilla series (widely known as the Shōwa series and released from 1954 to 1975). I'm not trying to review every individual film, but rather just share some thoughts I have on this series as a whole.

Starting at the beginning, the original Godzilla from 1954 would eventually become an anomaly within the Shōwa series. This was nothing like what the series would eventually become in the 60s and 70s. Beyond being a revolutionary entry into the giant monster genre it has a unique place in Japanese film history. The memory of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and the post-war period oversaw a society in great need of rehabilitation given the war's destructive impact. In light of these horrors and the lingering threat of nuclear war, Godzilla was more symbolic than anything else of the dangers of humanity creating a means of destroying itself. It's one of the best films of the early nuclear age.

This dark depiction of the nuclear age would not remain in future Godzilla movies. The original made its point, so other Shōwa entries showed little to no intention of repeating it. However the series' progression towards being playful and family-oriented has some pretty mixed results. The second film Godzilla Raids Again pales in comparison to its predecessor despite baring some similarities. King Kong vs. Godzilla gave Western audiences an introduction to the character by pitting him against the equally iconic giant gorilla. The Shōwa era also boasted some great movies like Mothra vs. Godzilla and Invasion of Astro-Monster. I really do admire the creativity involved in creating all these different monsters as well as the sheer joy in watching them beat each other up, demonstrated best in Destroy All Monsters. The inconsistency across these movies is probably their biggest downfall. I don't mind Godzilla's transformation from the Japanese nation's horror to its guardian angel, but the camp factor and comedy became so tiresome. Son of Godzilla employed this to an entertaining extent, but it's overbearing in All Monsters Attack and Godzilla vs. Gigan. With 14 sequels and a majority being very nothing like the original masterpiece it's hard to not feel like they overstayed their welcome.

The Shōwa series had its moments of greatness, and I'm not talking about just the 1954 original. I've always loved cinema as a whole and exploring certain niches is one of the best parts of being passionate about cinema. Giant monster movies are hardly the smartest movies out there, but they offer a unique appeal that's hard to articulate without sounding silly. Personally though I'm very happy to have pushed through the Godzilla franchise this far and I can't wait to sink my teeth into something more modern.