Godzilla: Every Movie in the Heisei Series, Ranked

Heisei Era Godzilla films are some of the most iconic in the franchise. Here’s how they rank.

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Between 1984 and 1995, Japanese film production company Toho released seven films in their beloved Godzilla franchise that would change the face of kaiju storytelling forever. The Heisei era diverged from the Showa in a number of key aspects. The biggest was that each of the movies acted as a direct sequel to the last, making them feel like entries in a larger narrative. The result was a series of movies that were consistent in their quality, with strong production values, innovative monsters, and well-written stories that produced some of the best movies in the franchise.

This list will rank each movie in the Heisei era based on their overall quality. We’ll assess what works, what does not, and which movie we believe was the best out of the entire Heisei era.

7 Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla (1994)

There are a lot of reasons why Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla is the weakest movie in the Heisei era. While it is easily the most action-packed of the seven movies, the film’s writing struggles to make an impression. While Heisei series regular Miki Saegusa (Megumi Odaka) is as reliable as ever, she’s joined by a cast that feels underwritten. The two other main leads, G-Force agents Koji Shinjo (Jun Hashizume) and Kiyoshi Sato (Zenkichi Yoneyama) feel like an afterthought, while Akira Yuki (Akira Emoto), a chain-smoking survivalist with a vendetta against Godzilla is as cliché as they come.

Nevertheless, on a technical level, Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla has some of the nicest special effects in the entire series, especially in its use of pyrotechnics and miniatures. And despite their shortcomings, the three male leads do have good chemistry that makes the final fight scene all the more enjoyable.

6 Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

The third movie in the Heisei era brings the welcome return of Godzilla’s classic nemesis, King Ghidorah. The creature’s Heisei incarnation looks similar to his Showa rendition, with some minor tweaks here and there to give him a modern spin. The scenes of destruction that follow Ghidorah wherever he goes are some of the film’s strongest attributes, while the fight scenes, especially between Godzilla and Mecha-King Ghidorah, are a sight to behold.

That said, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah has also aged the worst of any of the other movies, and not just because of some dated green-screen effects. Released during the Japanophobia period in the early ‘90s, the movie’s main plot involving evil Caucasians from the future, feels silly when viewed though a modern lens. Thankfully, the film succeeds in the character department. With the exception of most of the Futurians, the lone Asian woman on their crew, Emmy (Anna Nakagawa) is well rounded and likeable, and the chemistry between disgruntled writer Kenichiro Terasawa (Kosuke Toyohara) and his girlfriend/editor Chiaki Morimura (Kiwako Harada) is spot-on. Even the Futurians’ cyborg M11 (Robert Scott Field) is a likable character, even if he is a Terminator knock-off.

5 Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)

Of all the movies in the Heisei series, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II plays it the safest. Sure, the previous two movies in the series were risk-adverse to a certain degree, but they did feature new spins on popular monsters. Mechagodzilla II, on the other hand, doesn’t really do anything particularly daring with its metallic main character, aside from giving him a nifty facelift. Still, just like Mechagodzilla’s synthetic diamond exterior, the movie shines in a number of places.

While the human characters are decent, the best part of the movie is its introduction of Baby Godzilla as the King of the Monster’s adopted son. The little guy’s presence in the movie introduces a totally new dynamic that was touched upon in before, but perhaps never fully realized until now.

4 Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

Thematically speaking, Godzilla vs. Biollante is one of the most complex and symbolically rich movies in the franchise. Released during the rise of biotechnology, the movie acts as a commentary on the risks involved with genetic modification and gene splicing. Nowhere is this more profound than Biollante herself, a part Godzilla, part plant, and part human hybrid. Luckily for the heroes, Biollante human DNA takes over her mental capacities, and she joins their fight against Godzilla. And those fights sure are impressive. Furthermore, director Kazuki Omori broadened the scope of the scenes of distruction that were more satisfying than its predecessor.

Biollante is perhaps best known as the first film to introduce telepathic Miki Saegusa, who would appear in the next five movies and become one of the most beloved human characters in the franchise. Unfortunately, not all of the human drama in the movie is up to par, thanks to a hackneyed subplot involving spies fighting over Godzilla’s DNA. It all comes dangerously close to derailing the whole production, and constitutes some of the film’s lowest points.

3 Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992)

While it can be argued that Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth is preachy, given its outspoken environmentalist message, it can also be argued that the entire franchise in general isn’t known for subtlety. The highest-grossing movie in the Heisei era, and the second most profitable Japanese Godzilla movie as of this writing, Battle for Earth reintroduces fan favorite Mothra into the mix, in a film that reinvents everyone’s favorite giant insect for a new generation of film goers. This time, however, Mothra doesn’t come alone, as she’s joined by Battra, a misanthropic anti-Mothra, whose desire to protect planet earth from human incursion boils over into unbridled rage. The two creatures look amazing in action, and their dynamic is one of the story’s strongest aspects.

The movie also benefits from a smaller cast, focusing primarily on three characters, Takuya Fujita (Tetsuya Bessho), Masako Tezuka (Satomi Kobayashi), and Keji Andoh (Takehiro Murata). While they may not be as fleshed out as other characters in the era, their chemistry is spot-on, and are never boring when they’re all on screen.

2 The Return of Godzilla (1984)

The first movie in the Heisei era, The Return of Godzilla is the black sheep of the bunch. Its pace is noticeably slower and more methodical than other entries, and its action is a little underwhelming at times. Still, the movie succeeds in capturing the somber feel of the original, when Godzilla was a malicious force of nature who wanted nothing more than to destroy mankind.

Return is also more character driven than most of the Showa movies, and even its sequels. The fact that the two heroes of the movie are a scientist and a journalist respectively speaks volumes, and is just as relevant now as it was thirty years ago. And while the geopolitical commentary is very much a product of the Cold War, its refreshing to see hostile world powers come together to achieve a common goal. A timeless message if you ask us.

1 Godzilla vs. Destroyah (1995)

It’s an unspoken rule that most Godzilla movies are either serious disaster dramas, or grand, action heavy spectacles. Godzilla vs. Destroyah is both. No other Godzilla movie has managed to combine both as effortlessly, and the results speak volumes. The way that the film ties everything in with the first movie is done so cleanly, and yet it still utilizes the Heisei era’s penchant for set-piece moments to the best of its abilities. It’s also one of the most emotionally charged movies in the franchise, all thanks to the fact that Godzilla, the invincible King of the Monsters, dies in a scene that is unbelievably heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.

While the monsters take center stage, it’s good ‘ol Miki who rules the human side of the action. This is her time to shine, and shine she does, with her character pushed to the limits and placed in the position of authority she was always meant to occupy. Godzilla vs. Destroyah may be difficult to watch, but it’s essential viewing for all Godzilla fans, even if it’s only once.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/godzilla-heisei-era-series-ranked/