Top 10 Underrated Giant Monster Movies

Released in the 1960s, this film is fairly unique for its period setting, with Feudal Japan taking the place of modern cities as the site for giant monster action. The titular monster is a giant, magical stone statue that comes to life to punish the wicked, in this case an evil Lord who schemes his way to power. Even after having an iron rod driven into his forehead, the wrathful monster is more than able to deliver some divine retribution, smashing the Lord’s stronghold. With excellent special effects and a unique and interesting period setting, this film and its two sequels are well-worth checking out.

There’s something about a movie title that tells you exactly what you’re getting with no messing about, and this 2013 giant monster romp certainly has one of those titles. An intensely tongue-in-cheek throwback to classic giant insect movies, the film follows a good-natured exterminator as he helps try and destroy an increasingly giant spider. This may not be the most polished film out there, but it’s clear with every frame that the filmmakers put their hearts and souls into the production, and the result is a fun and endearing crowd-pleaser with action, excitement and heart to spare.

This sci-fi puts an interesting twist on the giant monster genre when it’s revealed that the giant monster attacking Seoul is in fact being unwittingly controlled by Anne Hathaway’s Gloria, a unemployed alcoholic writer trying to sort out her mess of a life. We’ve all been to some dark places when life isn’t going our way, but learning you’ve accidentally been contributing to the destruction of a major city is on a whole ‘nother level. The giant monster action in this film mostly takes a back seat to the character drama, but that doesn’t stop it being from a funny, exciting, and moving character piece.

This unsung classic from “Godzilla” director Ishiro Honda focuses on a spectacular battle two giant monsters, the friendly Sanda and the evil Gaira. In addition to a knock down, drag out battle royale in the finale, this film also features some of the best effects and minatures ever produced by the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya and his team. This is because by Kaiju standards, Sanda and Gaira are positively puny. That meant that the sets and models had to be much more detailed, as the audience would be seeing them much closer than normal. The results speak for themselves.

Intended as a thematic follow up to the “King Kong” animated series from the same era, this gloriously goofy film mixes everyone’s favorite giant ape with spies, supervillains and a giant robot gorilla known as Mechani-Kong. When an evil doctor creates Mechani-Kong to unearth the highly valuable Element X, his plan backfires, forcing him to capture the real Kong to use as manual labor. This doesn’t go to plan, and Kong winds up battling his robotic doppelganger atop Tokyo Tower. If ever you wanted a King Kong movie to feel more like a Saturday morning cartoon come to life, this movie is for you.

This 2008 film from producer J.J. Abrams mixes giant monster action with found footage, giving us a first-person view as a giant monster attacks New York and a group of partygoers rush to escape the mayhem. In typical Abrams fashion, the exact plot of the movie was kept secret leading to the film’s release, with even the title kept under wraps in initial teasers. This led to rampant speculation about the true nature of the film, and the guesses ranged from the film being a new “Godzilla” movie, to a “Lost” spinoff, and even a live-action “Voltron” movie – which also would have been awesome!

While at the time it was dismissed as a “Godzilla” ripoff, this 1965 film kickstarted the second most prolific kaiju film franchise, one that would end up setting the tone for other monster films of the era. After an accidental nuclear blast in the frozen north, a colossal turtle emerges from the ice, one that can breathe fire and even fly. The film inspired numerous sequels, and their kid-friendly tone helped them to drawn in children, a move later adopted by the “Godzilla” movies themselves. In the 1990s, a trilogy of grim and gritty films rebooted the franchise, but the original is still sorely under-viewed.

Another excellent found-footage giant monster movie, this Norwegian film follows a group of journalism students who are seemingly on the trail of a bear poacher. However, when they follow the man into the woods, they discover he’s actually after a much different sort of game: trolls! It turns out the taciturn Hans is really a troll hunter in the employ of the Norwegian government, tasked with tracking down trolls that escape from a preserve. With a streak of black humor a mile wide and some seriously impressive visuals for a relatively low-budget movie, this film is a must see for fans of offbeat genre movies.

Frankenstein’s Monster may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think of Japanese monster movies, but this one takes Mary Shelley's creature to whole new heights. When the monster’s disembodied heart is exposed to radioactive fallout, it regenerates a new, giant-sized body, and things get even more complicated when an ancient creature called Baragon emerges, leading to a fiery confrontation. This hidden gem features more fantastic Tsuburaya effects and a stellar cast led by American actor Nick Adams. It’s also unique in that the titular monster is played by an actor wearing only makeup and prosthetics rather than a full suit.

Before we reveal our number one pick, take a look at these honorable mentions.

“Varan the Unbelievable” (1958)

“Rodan” (1956)

“Eight Legged Freaks” (2002)

When the pollution fueled alien creature Hedorah arrives on Earth, only Godzilla can save the day. Director Yoshimitsu Banno’s oddball 70s entry in the “Godzilla” franchise is without a doubt the strangest film in the series, with touches of surrealism, animated interstitials, a truly baffling tone, and did we mention the part where Godzilla flies? The film also bucks the trend toward kid-friendliness, with a dark tone and even onscreen deaths. It feels like an odd mashup of a Godzilla movie and an Avant-Garde art film, making it a truly unique experience for better or worse, and one that every fan should check out.