Let’s face it: when it comes to films about giant monsters or kaiju movies, the main attraction tends to be the towering creatures themselves, brought to life through inventive special effects. There’s something thrilling about seeing humanity get threatened by an unstoppable force of nature, or seeing two or more spectacularly huge creatures engage in a fight to the death. These monsters did tend to get credited in the titles, after all, as long-running series likeGodzilla,King Kong, andGamerashow.
Yet it’s also the case that without some compelling drama on a human level (or comedy, if it’s a more light-hearted monster movie romp), large stretches of a kaiju film can run the risk of becoming a little dull.Thankfully, there are numerous giant monster movies that balance out the sci-fi/fantasy action with human characters, showcasing their struggles and triumphs on a (literally) more down-to-earth level. The following giant monster movies demonstrate this well, and are ranked below according to how strong their human-focused storylines are, and how well they’re integrated with the flashier monster-centered stuff.
10’Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah' (1991)
Director: Kazuki Ōmori
Though it wasn’tan American-producedGodzillamovie,Godzilla vs. King Ghidorahdoes at least feel like it takes some inspiration from certain American films. Those familiar with theTerminatorseries might see hints of it here, what with the time travel plot featuring remarkably powerful humanoids, and an explicit shout-out toSteven Spielberghimself during a World War II-set flashback (though this was before Spielberg had directed eitherJurassic ParkorSaving Private Ryan; feels a bit like accidental foreshadowing, in a sense).
The time travel stuff might be a bridge too far for those who like theirGodzillamovies to stay serious, but the inherent goofiness does helpGodzilla vs. King Ghidorahto be greatly enjoyable, even when the titular characters aren’t on-screen. To focus on the humans,this entry in the series also stands out because of how directly they interact with the monsters, including soldiers battling a dinosaur(yes, really), and Godzilla himself appearing to stare down one of the film’s primary human characters before blasting him into oblivion.
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9’Godzilla vs. Biollante' (1989)
Made two years beforeGodzilla vs. King Ghidorahand having the same director as that film,Kazuki Ōmori,Godzilla vs. Biollanteis another strong entry in the series, feeling simultaneouslyunderrated overall and a fan-favorite amongGodzilladiehards. It is certainly memorable for the monster Godzilla faces here, Biollante, but the origin of said monster has a tragic backstory connected to it that makes the battle closely tied to the film’s human drama.
Biollante is a creature accidentally created by a scientist, and is formed from a combination of cells from three sources: Godzilla, a rose, and the scientist’s deceased daughter. She’s effectively brought back, in a sense, through the creation of Biollante, though poses a threat due to rapid mutation and ends up clashing with Godzilla.Godzilla vs. Biollanteis ultimately a fairly solemn take onGodzilla, and though the premise might sound far-fetched, the film genuinely makes it work quite well.
8’Pacific Rim' (2013)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Within the pantheon of giant monstermovies that don’t feature Godzilla or King Kong,Pacific Rimis easily one of the very best. It’s a throwback to kaiju movies of old (the giant monsters threatening humanity are literally called “kaijus”), though done with spectacular modern-day special effects. Also novel is the way such monsters invade: rather than landing on the planet from outer space, they enter portals under the ocean before emerging onto dry land and wreaking havoc.
Plenty of human characters in past kaiju movies felt powerless to stop such monsters with conventional weaponry, but inPacific Rim, humanity bands together and creates giant robots called Jaegers to effectively punch and pummel the invading monsters away.It’s a clever way to get human characters directly involved in the action, and though those characters are fairly simple, they’re effectively likable and brought to life by some strong actors, including the likes ofIdris ElbaandCharlie Day.
Pacific Rim
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7’Godzilla: Final Wars' (2004)
Director: Ryûhei Kitamura
Godzilla: Final Warsrepresentsthe series at its most gleeful and bombastic, considering this movie was constructed to bea celebration of the long-running franchiseon its 50th anniversary. Indeed, the titular monster and his wide variety of past foes are the main attractions here, consideringGodzilla: Final Warsbrings back almost every single monster from the previous films and pits them against Godzilla for a series of rematches.
However,for as ridiculous as that sounds, some of the human-focused scenes get just as wild, with this standing out from otherGodzillamovies owing to the fact that plenty of action scenes don’t feature giant monsters. Many of the main characters battle members of an invading alien race who look humanoid in nature. It’s not compelling human drama, by any means, but plenty of it proves to be entertaining human-centered schlock (in the best way possible), particularly whenever the character of Captain Douglas Gordon (played byDon Frye) shows up.
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6’Shin Godzilla' (2016)
Directors: Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi
Of theGodzillamovies released during the 21st centuryso far,Shin Godzillais easily up there with the best, and certainly feels like one of the most distinctive entries in the entire series so far. It feels like a modern-day disaster movie the same way the original functioned as a 1950s disaster movie, showcasing how the emergence of a destructive monster would be handled – or mishandled – by Japanese authorities in the 2010s.
The more action-focused sequences here deliver some spectacular moments, but the most memorable part ofShin Godzilla(outside the titular monster’s unique design) is how it critiques bureaucracy and works as a satirical look at a government’s ineffectiveness in handling disasters. In this way,Shin Godzillais sometimes a very dark comedy, andseeing modern-day red tape and politicians worsening an already bad situation is equal parts clever and frustrating.
Shin Godzilla
Japan is plunged into chaos upon the appearance of a giant monster.
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5’King Kong' (1933)
Directors: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack
TheoriginalKing Kongis still the best filmwithin the series that it started, and it remains admirable and impressive because of how remarkably great it was from atechnical perspective by 1930s standards. It keeps things nice and simple narratively, too, following a group of people who remove the titular giant ape from his home on Skull Island and showcase him as the eighth wonder of the world in New York City, only for chaos to ensue when he breaks free of captivity.
King Kongdoes stand out at first for being extremely entertaining and inventive with its impressive (for the time) special effects, butthe story also functions as a look at humanity’s greed and shortsightedness. There’s also a human being at the center of the film’s emotional core, given Kong’s infatuation with an actress named Ann Darrow, which ultimately leads to tragedy.
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4’Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack' (2001)
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
There’s a not entirely unreasonable argument to be made thatGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attackrepresents the series at its absolute best. It’s an entry that shows Godzilla to be more malicious and sadistic than ever before, rampaging through Japan, with the only hope of defeating him inevitably resting in the hands of mythical monsters like King Ghidorah and Mothra, brought back to life so they can take Godzilla on in combat.
The emphasis on fantasy elements over the typical science fiction stuff is another reasonGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attackremains memorable, but its human storyline shouldn’t be overlooked either. Godzilla seems to truly hate and target Japan’s population, and there’s also some compelling and surprisinglymoving drama related to an admiral and his estranged daughter, both of whom become wrapped up in the ambitious plan to defeat Godzilla.
3’Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris' (1999)
TheGameraseries is a fascinating one, as when it began back in the 1960s, it did feel like a fairly blatant attempt to cash in on the success of theGodzillaseries. After all, Gamera was another giant reptilian monster who, early on in his series, posed a threat to humanity, but eventually became an unlikely hero who’d fight other monsters targeting Earth. Both series released increasingly family-friendly sequels throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, and then had slightly more intense films coming out by the 1990s.
It’s the ‘90sGameramovies that ultimately showcase the character as one who’s much more than just aGodzillaknock-off,because the trilogy ofGamerafilms released between 1995 and 1999 are all shockingly great. Of those, it’s perhapsGamera 3: Revenge of Iristhat has the best and most emotionally resonant human storyline overall (and it also feels like it’s probablythe greatestGamerafilm in the entire series).
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2’Godzilla Minus One' (2023)
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki
Not only doesGodzilla Minus Onefeel like one of the best films in its series’ 70-year history, but it’s also up there amongthe greatest movies of the 2020s so far. It takes the series back to a point even earlier than its roots, taking place shortly after the end of World War II. As a result, Japan is particularly vulnerable and ill-equipped to deal with a giant, rampaging monster, leading to an exceedingly desperate mission to defeat the titular monster.
Godzilla Minus Onehas everyone’s favorite giant radioactive lizard at his most terrifying, and it’s similarly great when it comes to the human side of things. The protagonist, a despairing pilot grappling with survivor’s guilt and a feeling like he failed his fellow soldiers during World War II, has a gripping character arc, and the supporting players are all memorable and easy to root for, too. It’s about as good as human vs. Godzilla movies get, andthe non-monster scenes within the film are notably strong and effectively dramatic.
Godzilla Minus One
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1’Godzilla' (1954)
Directed by Ishirō Honda
One of the greatest movies of its decade, the originalGodzillahas been praised to the moon and back in the 70 years since its release, and deservedly so. In hindsight, the fact that it kick-started such a beloved series is admirable, but when taken as its own movie, it’s also, quite simply, a remarkable piece of science fiction horror, and an effectively haunting meditation on the terrors of nuclear weaponry.
Though the monster stuff is of course good, it does also feel like the rareGodzillamovie where the human side of things proves more memorable (it always helps to have an actor as great asTakashi Shimura– a favorite ofAkira Kurosawa’s– show up).Its only rival when it comes to being emotional might beGodzilla Minus One, or potentially the explosiveGodzilla vs. Destoroyah, the latter of which is most memorable/emotionally potent because of the monster-focused stuff (hence why it was not one of the aforementioned films).
Godzilla (1954)
American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable dinosaur-like beast.
