Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack AKA GMK

After the box office was down after "Godzilla X Megaguirus" Toho hired Shusuke Kaneko the director of the Heisei Gamera Trilogy to try and revive the Godzilla franchise like he did Gamera. However Toho made a few changes to the original idea and gave Kaneko a tight filming schedule.

Godzilla X Megagauirus

Unlike the Heisei films that were connected in one way or another, most of the films in the Millennium series are stand alone with there own backstories. Although they usually referenced back to the original 1954 Godzilla. This time we have a alternate history where Japan has no nuclear power and has moved the capital to Osaka.    

Godzilla 2000

Even though there was a movie titled "Godzilla" by Tri-Star released in 1998, there is no actual Godzilla in that film so total screen time is 0:00. We will just move on to the next Toho Godzilla film "Godzilla 2000", the first of the Millennium Godzilla films were almost all have there own backstory and continuity.  

Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah

Knowing that Hollywood was finally going to make a Godzilla movie, Toho decided to wrap up the Heisei series with a bang announcing that Godzilla Dies right on the movie poster.

Godzilla Vs. Spacegodzilla

For Godzilla's 40th anniversary, although that is what they where advertising the last one as, they decided to bring new director, writer, and composer. For the new villain they went with another Godzilla doppelgänger making Godzilla the underdog once again to a larger more powerful foe. While Godzilla screen time is not as much as the last entry, the final fight is the longest so far.

 

Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla (1993) aka Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla II

On the heels of the success of "Godzilla Vs. Mothra", which made even more money then the last three Godzilla films, Toho decided it was time to bring back Godzilla next most popular foe Mechagodzilla, and an updated version of Rodan and Minilla by the end of the next year. The result is Godzilla longest screen time to date, passing Godzilla Vs. Hedorah.

 

Godzilla Vs. Mothra aka Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle For Earth

With the success of "Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah" Toho decided to bring their next most popular daikaiju, Mothra into the new series. They brought back Kazuki Omori to write but he doesn't direct this time, the new director is Takao Okawara. With this entry Toho is releasing a new Godzilla every December.

Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah

After Godzilla Vs. Biollante didn't do as well as hoped it was rumored that Toho wanted Godzilla to face King Kong again, but Ted Turner wanted to much for the rights. So instead they went with Godzilla number one foe King Ghidorah instead. Writer/Director Kazuki Omori may have been a little to much into the Terminator films, making for some major plot holes and cheesy effects but over all it is the best Daikaiju action of the Heisei series.

Godzilla Vs. Biollante

The Return of Godzilla wasn't as big of a hit as Toho hoped and it was a few years before they tried again with a mostly new crew helming the project.

Return of Godzilla aka Godzilla 1985

After a 9 year break Toho decided to bring back Godzilla, but as a reboot where only the 1954 movie happened. In the US they figured might as well splice Raymond Burr for stateside release.

Showa Godzilla Breakdown

Godzilla Screen Time   

Time               Movie

20:33              Godzilla Vs Hedorah

16:12              Godzilla Vs Gigan

13:01              Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

11:56              Son of Godzilla

10:24              Mothra Vs Godzilla

10:24              Godzilla Vs Megalon

09:34              Terror of MechaGodzilla

09:32              Godzilla Raids Again

09:13              King Kong Vs Godzilla

08:44              Gojira

08:29              Destroy All Monsters

08:19              All Monsters Attack

07:55              3 Giant Monsters: The Greatest Battle on Earth

07:55              Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla

05:43              Invasion of the Astro Monster

Percent of Godzilla screen time

Percent           Movie

24%                Godzilla Vs Hedorah

18%                Godzilla Vs Gigan

15%                Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

14%                Son of Godzilla

13%                Godzilla Vs Megalon

12%                Godzilla Raids Again

12%                Mothra Vs Godzilla

12%                All Monsters Attack

12%                Terror of MechaGodzilla

10%                King Kong Vs Godzilla

10%                Destroy All Monsters

9%                  Gojira

9%                  3 Giant Monsters: The Greatest Battle on Earth

9%                  Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla

6%                  Invasion of the Astro Monster

Clashes/Rampages       

Time               Movie

29:54              Godzilla Vs Gigan

22:47              Godzilla Vs Hedorah

16:10              Godzilla Vs Megalon

15:40              Terror of MechaGodzilla

14:04              Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla

13:40              3 Giant Monsters: The Greatest Battle on Earth

12:53              Destroy All Monsters

11:02              All Monsters Attack

11:01              King Kong Vs Godzilla

10:57              Mothra Vs Godzilla

09:49              Invasion of the Astro Monster

09:08              Son of Godzilla

06:03              Godzilla Raids Again

06:02              Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

05:20              Gojira

           

Kaiju with the most screen time     

Kaiju                          Movie

Godzilla                     Gojira

Godzilla                     Godzilla Raids Again

King Kong                 King Kong Vs Godzilla

Godzilla                     Mothra Vs Godzilla

Godzilla                     3 Giant Monsters: The Greatest Battle on Earth

Godzilla                     Invasion of the Astro Monster

Godzilla                     Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

Minilla                       Son of Godzilla

Godzilla                     Destroy All Monsters

Minilla                       All Monsters Attack

Hedorah                     Godzilla Vs Hedorah

Godzilla                     Godzilla Vs Gigan

Megalon                     Godzilla Vs Megalon

MechaGodzilla          Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla

Titanosaurus              Terror of MechaGodzilla

IMDB Rating

Rating             Movie

7.5                   Gojira

6.6                   3 Giant Monsters: The Greatest Battle on Earth

6.6                   Destroy All Monsters

6.5                   Mothra Vs Godzilla

6.3                   Invasion of the Astro Monster

6.3                   Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla

6.1                   Terror of MechaGodzilla

6                      Godzilla Raids Again

5.9                   King Kong Vs Godzilla

5.9                   Godzilla Vs Hedorah

5.6                   Godzilla Vs Gigan

5.1                   Son of Godzilla

5                      Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

4.2                   Godzilla Vs Megalon

4                      All Monsters Attack

           

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

(not every Godzilla movie has enough for a critics review)

Rating            Movie

89%                Gojira

71%                Destroy All Monsters

67%                Mothra Vs Godzilla

64%                Invasion of the Astro Monster

61%                3 Giant Monsters: The Greatest Battle on Earth

61%                Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla

61%                Terror of MechaGodzilla

51%                Godzilla Vs Gigan

50%                Godzilla Vs Hedorah

48%                King Kong Vs Godzilla

44%                Godzilla Vs Megalon

39%                Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

38%                Godzilla Raids Again

29%                Son of Godzilla

19%                All Monsters Attack

           

My Rating of the Japanese release

Rating             Movie

95                   Gojira

92                   Invasion of the Astro Monster

85                   Destroy All Monsters

82                   Mothra Vs Godzilla

78                   3 Giant Monsters: The Greatest Battle on Earth

76                   King Kong Vs Godzilla

70                   Godzilla Vs Hedorah

68                   Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla

65                   Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

65                   Godzilla Vs Megalon

63                   Son of Godzilla

63                   Terror of MechaGodzilla

57                   Godzilla Raids Again

49                   All Monsters Attack

42                   Godzilla Vs Gigan

           

My Rating of the US release

Rating             Movie

92                   Godzilla Vs Monster Zero

85                   Destroy All Monsters

82                   Godzilla Vs the Thing

81                   Godzilla King of the Monsters

70                   Godzilla Vs the Smog Monster

68                   Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster

68                   Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla

65                   Godzilla Vs the Sea Monster

65                   Godzilla Vs Megalon

63                   Son of Godzilla

63                   Terror of MechaGodzilla

53                   King Kong Vs Godzilla

49                   Godzilla's Revenge

42                   Godzilla on Monster Island

35                   Gigantis, the Fire Monster

Terror of Mechagodzilla

After the success of "Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla" Toho decided to bring back Mechagodzilla for a direct sequel as well as Ishiro Honda and Akira Ifukube hoping for a even bigger hit. It wasn't, and so Toho put the franchise on hold to give it a rest.

 

Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla aka Godzilla Vs. the Bionic Monster aka Godzilla Vs. the Cosmic Monster

For Godzilla's 20th anniversary Toho wanted a new opponent, something he had not faced before. Remembering they had Kong face a robot duplicate, they decided to have Godzilla face his own mechanical doppelgänger. Also made the aliens controlling Mechagodzilla, in honor of King Kong, are apes, or maybe it was because of the popularity of the Planet of the Apes movies.