Top 10 Best Monsterverse Moments
Godzilla Rises From Sea
Top 10 EPIC Godzilla Moments
“Godzilla” (2014) Toho films might be popular with Godzilla enthusiasts, but for the average North American viewer, chances are that they hadn’t seen the colossal reptile since the 1998 film. Suffice it to say, Godzilla’s return to the big screen was long-awaited and he made an entrance worthy of his time away. As soldiers look out over the horizon, a series of massive spiny protrusions pierce the water, cutting towards them like some sort of primordial nightmare shark. But when the creature stops and proceeds to dive, that’s when you realize… that wasn’t even Godzilla’s back; it was just his tail! Reaching the bridge, Godzilla finally rises from the water, to reveal his full size… and it’s almost impossible to comprehend.
Mothra Saves Godzilla
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019) Over the course of the films, it’s made clear that, despite his destructive methods, Godzilla is a savior of sorts. That being said, no one would call him cute or sentimental. And as for the rest of the titans? Well, even less so. And that’s what makes this moment between Godzilla and Mothra so special. After pulling off one of the smoothest sneak attacks in kaiju cinema history (xref mothra stabs rodan), a badly wounded Mothra flies over to a recently fallen Godzilla. We know that the beautiful Titan shares a symbiotic relationship with Godzilla, but this scene makes it clear that their dynamic is more than just “mutually beneficial.” She treats him with tenderness and care, before sacrificing herself so that he can continue the fight.
Rodan vs. the Air Force
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019) Rodan’s return is truly an incredible sight to behold. Waking from his dormant state, the Fire Demon rises from the volcano in a fiery explosion worthy of Pompei. The force of his wingbeat is enough to create hurricane-like gusts of wind with devastating effect. But as the Air Force learns, that’s nothing compared to the threat he poses when he actually starts hunting. Rodan targets the USS Argo and its accompanying fighter jets. For all their expert maneuvers and modern tech, they don’t stand a chance. Though it’s bleak for the humans involved, the scene is tense and thrilling. A particularly epic (albeit grisly) moment comes when a pilot ejects from his plane only to immediately meet the jaws of Rodan. Gulp.
Kong vs. Skullcrawlers
Top 10 Things to Remember Before Godzilla vs Kong
“Kong: Skull Island” (2017) It’s time to give some love to everyone’s favorite mammalian titan. In the climactic battle of 2017’s “Skull Island,” the alpha skullcrawler (or “The Big One”, as Marlow calls it), finally rises to do battle with Kong. Though the giant ape can generally hold his own against the smaller Skrullcrawlers, this fight nearly proves too much for King Kong. Thankfully, he gets some assistance from his human allies and ultimately triumphs. But before delivering a fatal tonsillectomy to his creepy crawly adversary, Kong trades bone-crunching, brutal blows with the Skullcrawler in a big screen battle for the ages. We knew Kong could throw down, but it was particularly interesting to see him use tools to get the upper hand.
Mothra's Transformation
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019) Most of the Titans we met in “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, are best described as downright terrifying. But Mothra feels like a very different sort of creature, a reminder that for all their sharp, spiny bits, claws and gnashing teeth, the titans can also be beautiful. Even in her larval form, after bursting forth from her egg, Mothra is sort of cute. When she later emerges from her cocoon behind the waterfall however, the scene is downright stunning. Emitting an otherworldly blue light, and beating her massive wings, Mothra looks like a true work of art. No wonder ancient civilizations worshipped the creature as a god; there’s definitely something divine about being in her presence.
Kong vs. the Helicopters
Things to Remember for Godzilla X Kong New Empire
“Kong: Skull Island” (2017) Kong is King on Skull Island and he takes none too kindly to outsiders. Apparently, that goes double for flying machines that appear to be attacking his home. Part of what makes this sudden attack so big in terms of impact is the setup. Paranoid by Black Sabbath plays over an exciting montage of the team carrying out their explosive research. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the world is upended when a tree comes flying into one of the helicopters. Kong quickly proceeds to take down the choppers with brutal efficiency, and with most of it being shown from the perspective of one of the helicopters as it spins out goes down, it makes for a uniquely harrowing experience.
HALO Jump
“Godzilla” (2014) Given all the kaiju action that the Monsterverse delivers, these films could easily settle for run-of-the-mill cinematography. But, as we just saw with Kong and the helicopters, these filmmakers like getting creative.This is perhaps the most visually arresting sequence from the 2014 film, and it doesn’t even involve the titular creature until the very end. In this scene, soldiers perform a HALO Jump, and their descent will take your breath away. Like warrior angels falling from heaven, they leave behind a beautiful sunny horizon, piercing the clouds to enter hell on earth. The red smoke of their flares adds to the visual drama, while the first person perspective of the fall adds an intense sense of claustrophobia. When Godzilla comes into view? It’s shiver-inducing.
The Death of Dr. Ishirō Serizawa
Top 20 Best MonsterVerse Moments
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019) The Monsterverse knows how to deliver satisfying battles, but it also manages to keep its stories grounded in human emotion. For all those who fear and hate him, Godzilla also has a fair number of fans - but none bigger than Dr. Ishirō Serizawa. The character is named for the hugely influential original Godzilla director, Ishirō Honda, and Dr. Serizawa, the scientist who similarly sacrificed himself in the 1954 film. The original Dr. Serizawa died defeating Godzilla (and protecting the secrets of his oxygen bomb); in a nice inversion of this, Ken Watanabe’s Dr. Ishirō Serizawa dies in an intimate moment with a wounded Godzilla - detonating a bomb not to kill the creature, but to help him recover. It’s an incredibly touching moment between man and titan.
All Hail the King
Another Top 10 Best Monsterverse Moments
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019) Some might have found this scene to be a bit cheesy, but we think that it’s important to remember the campy roots of the franchise. Since first making his presence felt on the big screen in 1954, Godzilla and his kaiju peers have rarely shied away from overly-dramatic moments, nor have the filmmakers avoided bold creative decisions. And so, we think this moment is perfectly epic and befitting of the franchise. Having defeated Ghidorah, Godzilla has re-established his dominance as the alpha, and so the various titans assemble around him to make their signs of submission. Letting out a mighty roar, a victorious Godzilla firmly re-establishes his title as King of the Monsters. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions King Ghidorah Awakens “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019) Post-Credit Scene “Kong: Skull Island” (2017) The Titans Attack “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019) A Long-Awaited Reunion “Kong: Skull Island” (2017) “Kong: Skull Island” (2017) Warner Bros Kong Battles the Giant Squid “Kong: Skull Island” (2017)
Godzilla Obliterates the MUTO
Top 10 Genuinely Terrifying Godzilla Moments
“Godzilla” (2014) Though there was plenty of epic Kaiju action in King of the Monsters, there’s no single moment in the Monsterverse where it feels better executed than this one from the 2014 film. After duking it out with the various MUTOs, Godzilla finally goes down under the weight of a collapsing building. Without Godzilla to stop her, the massive female MUTO pursues Ford, but just as she’s about to end the soldier’s life, an exhausted Godzilla manages to come to the rescue - again. Our heroic titan not only delivers a killing blow, but showcases his creativity in the process. Grabbing the creature by the jaws, he sends an atomic blast straight down the MUTO’s throat, severing its head with force of the energy blast. Simply perfect.
