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vilevegestation · 2 years

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callout post for maxxx @thatcupofdirt

Godzilla (Japanese: ゴジラ, Hepburn: Gojira, /ɡɒdˈzɪlə/; [ɡoꜜdʑiɾa] is a fictional monster, or kaiju, originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film Godzilla and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produced by Toho, four American films and numerous video games, novels, comic books and television shows. Godzilla has been dubbed the "King of the Monsters", a phrase first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), the Americanized version of the original film.

Godzilla is an enormous, destructive, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Lucky Dragon 5 incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. Others have suggested that Godzilla is a metaphor for the United States, a giant beast woken from its slumber which then takes terrible vengeance on Japan. As the film series expanded, some stories took on less serious undertones, portraying Godzilla as an antihero, or a lesser threat who defends humanity. Later films address themes including Japan's forgetfulness over its imperial past, natural disasters, and the human condition.

Godzilla has featured alongside many supporting characters. It has faced human opponents such as the JSDF, or other monsters, including King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla and Gigan. Godzilla sometimes has allies, such as Rodan, Mothra and Anguirus, and offspring, such as Minilla and Godzilla Junior. Godzilla has also fought characters from other franchises in crossover media, such as the RKO Pictures/Universal Studios movie monster King Kong, as well as various Marvel Comics characters, including S.H.I.E.L.D., the Fantastic Four[36] and the Avengers.

Gojira (ゴジラ) is a portmanteau of the Japanese words gorira (ゴリラ, "gorilla") and kujira (鯨クジラ, "whale"), owing to the fact that in one planning stage, Godzilla was described as "a cross between a gorilla and a whale", due to its size, power and aquatic origin. According to an episode of the Japanese television documentary series Project X entitled "The Birth of Godzilla", special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya met Toho contract actor Shiro Amikura in the Toho Studios cafeteria and nicknamed him "Gojira," combining the Japanese words for gorilla (since he thought Amikura looked like a Gorilla) and whale (since Amikura told Tsuburaya that whale meat was his favorite food). In a 1998 BBC documentary on Godzilla, Kimi Honda, the widow of the 1954 film's director Ishirō Honda, dismissed the employee-name story as a tall tale, believing that Honda, Tanaka, and Tsuburaya gave "considerable thought" to the name of the monster, stating, "the backstage boys at Toho loved to joke around with tall stories, but I don't believe that one".

Godzilla's name was written in ateji as Gojira (呉爾羅), where the kanji are used for phonetic value and not meaning. The Japanese pronunciation of the name is [ɡoꜜdʑiɾa] (listen); the Anglicized form is /ɡɒdˈzɪlə/, with the first syllable pronounced like the word "god" and the rest rhyming with "gorilla".

During the development of the American version of Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Godzilla's name was changed to "Gigantis" by producer Paul Schreibman, who wanted to create a character distinct from Godzilla.

Within the context of the Japanese films, Godzilla's exact origins vary, but it is generally depicted as an enormous, violent, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. Although the specific details of Godzilla's appearance have varied slightly over the years, the overall impression has remained consistent. Inspired by the fictional Rhedosaurus created by animator Ray Harryhausen for the film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Godzilla's character design was conceived as that of an amphibious reptilian monster based around the loose concept of a dinosaur with an erect standing posture, scaly skin, an anthropomorphic torso with muscular arms, lobed bony plates along its back and tail, and a furrowed brow.

Art director Akira Watanabe combined attributes of a Tyrannosaurus, an Iguanodon, a Stegosaurus and an alligator to form a sort of blended chimera, inspired by illustrations from an issue of Life magazine. To emphasise the monster's relationship with the atomic bomb, its skin texture was inspired by the keloid scars seen on the survivors of Hiroshima. The basic design has a reptilian visage, a robust build, an upright posture, a long tail and three rows of serrated plates along the back. In the original film, the plates were added for purely aesthetic purposes, in order to further differentiate Godzilla from any other living or extinct creature. Godzilla is sometimes depicted as green in comics, cartoons and movie posters, but the costumes used in the movies were usually painted charcoal grey with bone-white dorsal plates up until the film Godzilla 2000: Millennium.

In the original Japanese films, Godzilla and all the other monsters are referred to with gender-neutral pronouns equivalent to "it", while in the English dubbed versions, Godzilla is explicitly described as a male. In his book, Godzilla co-creator Tomoyuki Tanaka suggested that the monster was probably male. In the 1998 film Godzilla, the monster is referred to as a male and is depicted laying eggs through parthenogenesis. In the Legendary Godzilla films, Godzilla is referred to as a male.

Godzilla's allegiance and motivations have changed from film to film to suit the needs of the story. Although Godzilla does not like humans, it will fight alongside humanity against common threats. However, it makes no special effort to protect human life or property and will turn against its human allies on a whim. It is not motivated to attack by predatory instinct: it does not eat people and instead sustains itself on nuclear radiation and an omnivorous diet. When inquired if Godzilla was "good or bad", producer Shōgo Tomiyama likened it to a Shinto "God of Destruction" which lacks moral agency and cannot be held to human standards of good and evil. "He totally destroys everything and then there is a rebirth. Something new and fresh can begin."

Godzilla's signature weapon is its "atomic heat beam" (also known as "atomic breath"), nuclear energy that it generates inside of its body, uses electromagnetic force to concentrate it into a laser-like high velocity projectile and unleashes it from its jaws in the form of a blue or red radioactive beam. Toho's special effects department has used various techniques to render the beam, from physical gas-powered flames to hand-drawn or computer-generated fire. Godzilla is shown to possess immense physical strength and muscularity. Haruo Nakajima, the actor who played Godzilla in the original films, was a black belt in judo and used his expertise to choreograph the battle sequences.

Godzilla is amphibious: it has a preference for traversing Earth's hydrosphere when in hibernation or migration, can breathe underwater and is described in the original film by the character Dr. Yamane as a transitional form between a marine and a terrestrial reptile. Godzilla is shown to have great vitality: it is immune to conventional weaponry thanks to its rugged hide and ability to regenerate, and as a result of surviving a nuclear explosion, it cannot be destroyed by anything less powerful. One incarnation possesses an electromagnetic pulse-producing organ in its body which generates an asymmetrical permeable shield, making it impervious to all damage except for a short period when the organ recycles.

Various films, non-canonical television shows, comics and games have depicted Godzilla with additional powers, such as an atomic pulse, magnetism, precognition, fireballs, convert electromagnetic energy into intensive body heat, converting shed blood into temporary tentacle limbs, an electric bite, superhuman speed, laser beams emitted from its eyes and even flight.

Godzilla has a distinctive disyllabic roar (transcribed in several comics as Skreeeonk!), which was created by composer Akira Ifukube, who produced the sound by rubbing a pine tar-resin-coated glove along the string of a contrabass and then slowing down the playback. In the American version of Godzilla Raids Again (1955) titled Gigantis the Fire Monster (1959), Godzilla's roar was mostly substituted with that of the monster Anguirus. From The Return of Godzilla (1984) to Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla was given a deeper and more threatening-sounding roar than in previous films, though this change was reverted from Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) onward. For the 2014 American film, sound editors Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl refused to disclose the source of the sounds used for their Godzilla's roar. Aadahl described the two syllables of the roar as representing two different emotional reactions, with the first expressing fury and the second conveying the character's soul.

Godzilla's size is inconsistent, changing from film to film and even from scene to scene for the sake of artistic license. The miniature sets and costumes were typically built at a 1⁄25–1⁄50 scale and filmed at 240 frames per second to create the illusion of great size. In the original 1954 film, Godzilla was scaled to be 50 m (164 ft) tall. This was done so Godzilla could just peer over the largest buildings in Tokyo at the time. In the 1956 American version, Godzilla is estimated to be 122 m (400 ft) tall, because producer Joseph E. Levine felt that 50 m did not sound "powerful enough".

As the series progressed, Toho would rescale the character, eventually making Godzilla as tall as 100 m (328 ft). This was done so that it would not be dwarfed by the newer, bigger buildings in Tokyo's skyline, such as the 243-meter-tall (797 ft) Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building which Godzilla destroyed in the film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). Supplementary information, such as character profiles, would also depict Godzilla as weighing between 20,000 and 60,000 metric tons (22,050 and 66,140 short tons).

In the American film Godzilla (2014) from Legendary Pictures, Godzilla was scaled to be 108.2 m (355 ft) and weighing 90,000 short tons (81,650 metric tons), making it the largest film version at that time. Director Gareth Edwards wanted Godzilla "to be so big as to be seen from anywhere in the city, but not too big that he couldn't be obscured". For Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla was made even taller than the Legendary version, at 118.5 m (389 ft). In Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017), Godzilla's height was increased further still to 300 m (984 ft). In Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2020), Godzilla's height was increased to 119.8 m (393 ft) from the 2014 incarnation.

#.txt #long post

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fmpgraciesborne · 1 year

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Godzilla

The Godzilla franchise started with a film made in 1954. Godzilla is a prehistoric reptilian monster awakened and empowered by radiation.

As the film series expanded Godzilla was portrayed as a antihero who defends humanity. Godzilla has featured alongside many characters, including King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla. Godzilla has allies in other monsters such as Rodan and Mothra.

Godzilla has fought characters from other franchises like King Kong and various Marvel Comics characters.

Godzilla has changed in size and appearance over the years but always claims to be King of the Monsters!

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catgirl-kaiju · 2 years

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Who is your favorite kaiju from the Godzilla franchise?

Oh my gosh there's so many it's so hard to choose 🥺

I guess the obvious answer is Godzilla himself. Like, he's my buddy. He's my best friend, he's my pal. He's my homeboy, my rotten soldier. He's my sweet cheese, my good-time boy. I've always related to him on some level and I imagined him as a friend when I was a kid. He's a big cool dinosaur that's a villain, an antihero, a hero, and/or a force of nature depending on the movie and I think there's something really cool about that. It paints a very complex picture of Godzilla as a character and his relationship to humanity.

But, also Mothra is probably my favorite outside of Godzilla himself. She's just so wholesome and graceful. I love the idea of a benevolent kaiju, and her characterization in the Showa Era is especially compelling to me. Her song that the Shobijin sing to summon her is just absolutely beautiful and I'm glad that's appeared in every one of her appearances in some form or another. I also love how explicitly feminine she is without sacrificing her insectoid nature in her designs. Just super cool and lovely.

There are so many iconic villain characters it's really hard to pick a favorite there. King Ghidorah is an obvious pick, I'm especially fond of his Showa and Monsterverse incarnations where he's a big bad planet destroying space dragon. Mechagodzilla always makes me excited to see him, whether his a hero or a villain. Few things fill me with such joy as "Godzilla, but a robot". I think outside of Toho's "Big Five", Gigan is a fun villain and I love his wacky designs. It's so fun to have a villain who's kind of an opportunistic and cowardly jerk. Destroyah is the real MVP of the Heisei Era tho. Just an absolutely rockin design and origin. Has a real sense of menace and power.

ANYWAY those are my thoughts. I hope that answered your question lol

#ask #answer #chibidorah-not-nicky #godzilla #kaiju #special interest #infodump #meme #i know it's an old meme but whatever i think it's funny

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storm-crow95 · 3 years

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The Monsterverse’s Main Monsters As Zodiac Signs

Okay, I kinda made time today to hop on again past showing I’m not dead or completely ghosting because of life’s knocks. And I saw all the Monsterverse movies since the last couple months gave us what seems like the “wrap-up movie”, and I figured these characters and stories are inspired by myths, religion, and how to look at these things(like the Zodiac’s influences on how we used to think more widely until things just marched along like they do); so there it is.

I started with Godzilla as a Scorpio, because of the character’s anniversary(November 3rd, if the first movie’s release can be used like a birthday for the thought), and his off-and-on history with being an antihero. He’s always been a character caught in the flow, and connected to water, while having an extreme level of emotion expressed from the very start of his franchise; which brings to mind attitudes associated with that particular water sign; so onto Rodan...

Rodan, I had put as an Aries because of the character’s temperamental side in each depiction, and his Blue Jay-like depiction in the Monsterverse. Motherfucker was like a bar-brawler, unlike say, Mothra’s “lighter”, airiness...

Mothra’s denomination came from the whole “Flying monster focused on order and peace” thing. What are Libra’s all about based on the Zodiac? Order and compassion. This fits her where it does among these, while we shift over to Kong’s...

Kong was always emotional, sympathetic, and stubborn. And in the Monsterverse, these traits were taken up to 11 and put into a more intuitive handful of ways that depicted the big ape rightfully, and even beyond his initial depiction; something I could apply to this “multiple head case” I’m going over next, one with three cases in one...

Ghidorah’s three heads were perfectly considerable contents to a mixed bag. I had it in mind that Kevin(left) was either a Pisces or a Gemini with his extreme nature and generally flighty outlook that’d be put in place by his brothers. This would be while the right-head(San) would be a Capricorn, due to his “Fucking cut your shit out” attitude to Kevin, and his hotheaded dislike of Ichi’s authority. And with Ichi, he could be seen like a Virgo because of his, “I’m the real leader” attitude that gave him the place he had with the three heads.

There. One thought experiment that my in-and-out ass thought of for fun and had figured out one afternoon, that I never put anywhere specific outside of blabbing. Have fun!

#Shit #Blog #Monsterverse #Ramblings #Godzilla #King Ghidorah #Kevin (Monsterverse)#Rodan #Mothra #Kong #Kong: Skull Island #godzilla(2014)#Godzilla: King of the Monsters(2019)#Godzilla: KotM #godzilla vs kong #Boredom results

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nonsensegodzillacomments · 4 years

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I wish they would make godzilla 2014 first being the 1999 flim of the same name franchise with godzilla raids again godzilla a ancient following predator is lured to the island attempt to kill the creature or not atomic bomb 1954 deep sea expedition triggered the appearance of godzilla and the nuclear test in the 1950’s were really an attempt to kill the creature or not finishing metastasis the flim was going to be serious monsters dark content king kong vs godzilla 2005’s godzilla final wars which had made the 1999 flim of the same name who had directed 1972’s godzilla vs gigan godzilla vs gigan story sequel to godzilla vs gigan closer in style 1955 flim rather than the 1999 iguanaue like creature received batman vs superman diffeent feel than the 1999 flim godzilla is really a heal and wet giant monster that smashes crushes everything the original atomic bomb testing godzilla would be a hero rather than a antihero than a villain jaws batman vs superman animals primarily on bears and megalania the faces of bears dingo dogs and falcons roar record sound inaudible to animals not a shierk the finishing above roar going from d to e on a forward flimsy such as jurassic world alein starship troopers and king kong animals such as bears megalania reptiles lions and wolves overlying healthy in shape and fitness godzilla breathing nuclear radioactive flame superimposed godzilla costume from godzilla Mothra king ghidorah giant monsters all out attack flims such as jurassic park the lost world alein starship troopers and king kong

#godzilla #kaiju #comment archive

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godzilla-kingofthemonsters · 5 years

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GODZILLA wiki

Godzilla From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the monster. For the film franchise, see Godzilla (franchise). For other uses, see Godzilla (disambiguation). "ゴジラ" redirects here. For other uses of "Gojira", see Gojira (disambiguation). ‹ The template Infobox character is being considered for merging. › Godzilla Godzilla film series character Godzilla '54 design.jpg Godzilla as featured in the original 1954 film First appearance Godzilla (1954) Created by Tomoyuki Tanaka Ishirō Honda Eiji Tsubaraya Portrayed by Shōwa era: Haruo Nakajima[1] Katsumi Tezuka[2] Hiroshi Sekida[3] Seiji Onaka[3] Shinji Takagi[4] Isao Zushi[5] Toru Kawai[5] Hanna-Barbera: Ted Cassidy (vocal effects)[6][7] Heisei era: Kenpachiro Satsuma[8] Millennium era: Tsutomu Kitagawa[9] Mizuho Yoshida[10] Shin Godzilla: Mansai Nomura[11] TriStar Pictures: Kurt Carley[12] Frank Welker (vocal effects)[13] Legendary Pictures: T.J. Storm[14][15] Designed by Akira Watanabe Teizô Toshimitsu[16] Information Alias The King of the Monsters[17] Gigantis[18] Monster Zero-One[19] The God of Destruction[20][21] Species Prehistoric amphibious reptile Family Minilla and Godzilla Junior (adopted sons) Godzilla (Japanese: ゴジラ Hepburn: Gojira) (/ɡɒdˈzɪlə/; [ɡoꜜdʑiɾa] (About this soundlisten)) is a monster originating from a series of Japanese films of the same name. The character first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produced by Toho, three Hollywood films and numerous video games, novels, comic books and television shows. It is dubbed the King of the Monsters, a phrase first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, the Americanized version of the original film.

Godzilla is depicted as an enormous, destructive, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Lucky Dragon 5 incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons.[22] As the film series expanded, some stories took on less serious undertones, portraying Godzilla as an antihero, or a lesser threat who defends humanity. With the end of the Cold War, several post-1984 Godzilla films shifted the character's portrayal to themes including Japan's forgetfulness over its imperial past,[23] natural disasters and the human condition.[24]

Godzilla has been featured alongside many supporting characters. It has faced human opponents such as the JSDF, or other monsters, including King Ghidorah, Gigan and Mechagodzilla. Godzilla sometimes has allies, such as Rodan, Mothra and Anguirus, and offspring, such as Minilla and Godzilla Junior. Godzilla has also fought characters from other franchises in crossover media, such as the RKO Pictures/Universal Studios movie monster King Kong and the Marvel Comics characters S.H.I.E.L.D.,[25] the Fantastic Four[26] and the Avengers.[27]

Contents 1 Overview 1.1 Name 1.2 Characteristics 1.3 Roar 1.4 Size 1.5 Special effects details 2 Appearances 3 Cultural impact 3.1 Cultural ambassador 4 References 4.1 Sources 5 External links Overview Name Gojira (ゴジラ) is a portmanteau of the Japanese words: gorira (ゴリラ, "gorilla") and kujira (鯨クジラ, "whale"), which is fitting because in one planning stage, Godzilla was described as "a cross between a gorilla and a whale",[28] alluding to its size, power and aquatic origin. One popular story is that "Gojira" was actually the nickname of a corpulent stagehand at Toho Studio.[29] Kimi Honda, the widow of the director, dismissed this in a 1998 BBC documentary devoted to Godzilla, "The backstage boys at Toho loved to joke around with tall stories".[30]

Godzilla's name was written in ateji as Gojira (呉爾羅), where the kanji are used for phonetic value and not for meaning.[citation needed] The Japanese pronunciation of the name is [ɡoꜜdʑiɾa] (About this soundlisten); the Anglicized form is /ɡɒdˈzɪlə/, with the first syllable pronounced like the word "god" and the rest rhyming with "gorilla". In the Hepburn romanization system, Godzilla's name is rendered as "Gojira", whereas in the Kunrei romanization system it is rendered as "Gozira".[citation needed]

During the development of the American version of Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Godzilla's name was changed to "Gigantis", a move initiated by producer Paul Schreibman, who wanted to create a character distinct from Godzilla.[31]

Characteristics

Every film incarnation of Godzilla between 1954 and 2017 Within the context of the Japanese films, Godzilla's exact origins vary, but it is generally depicted as an enormous, violent, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation.[32] Although the specific details of Godzilla's appearance have varied slightly over the years, the overall impression has remained consistent.[33] Inspired by the fictional Rhedosaurus created by animator Ray Harryhausen for the film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms,[34] Godzilla's iconic character design was conceived as that of an amphibious reptilian monster based around the loose concept of a dinosaur[35] with an erect standing posture, scaly skin, an anthropomorphic torso with muscular arms, lobed bony plates along its back and tail, and a furrowed brow.[36] Art director Akira Watanabe combined attributes of a Tyrannosaurus, an Iguanodon, a Stegosaurus and an alligator[37] to form a sort of blended chimera, inspired by illustrations from an issue of Life magazine.[38] To emphasise the monster's relationship with the atomic bomb, its skin texture was inspired by the keloid scars seen on survivors in Hiroshima.[39] The basic design has a reptilian visage, a robust build, an upright posture, a long tail and three rows of serrated plates along the back. In the original film, the plates were added for purely aesthetic purposes, in order to further differentiate Godzilla from any other living or extinct creature. Godzilla is sometimes depicted as green in comics, cartoons and movie posters, but the costumes used in the movies were usually painted charcoal grey with bone-white dorsal plates up until the film Godzilla 2000.[40]

Godzilla's atomic heat beam, as shown in Godzilla (1954) Godzilla's signature weapon is its "atomic heat beam", nuclear energy that it generates inside of its body and unleashes from its jaws in the form of a blue or red radioactive beam.[41] Toho's special effects department has used various techniques to render the beam, from physical gas-powered flames[42] to hand-drawn or computer-generated fire. Godzilla is shown to possess immense physical strength and muscularity. Haruo Nakajima, the actor who played Godzilla in the original films, was a black belt in judo and used his expertise to choreograph the battle sequences.[43] Godzilla can breathe underwater[41] and is described in the original film by the character Dr. Yamane as a transitional form between a marine and a terrestrial reptile. Godzilla is shown to have great vitality: it is immune to conventional weaponry thanks to its rugged hide and ability to regenerate[44] and as a result of surviving a nuclear explosion, it cannot be destroyed by anything less powerful. Various films, television shows, comics and games have depicted Godzilla with additional powers, such as an atomic pulse,[45] magnetism,[46] precognition,[47] fireballs,[48] an electric bite,[49] superhuman speed,[50] eye beams[51] and even flight.[52]

Godzilla's allegiance and motivations have changed from film to film to suit the needs of the story. Although Godzilla does not like humans,[53] it will fight alongside humanity against common threats. However, it makes no special effort to protect human life or property[54] and will turn against its human allies on a whim. It is not motivated to attack by predatory instinct: it does not eat people[55] and instead sustains itself on nuclear radiation[56] and an omnivorous diet.[57] When inquired if Godzilla was "good or bad", producer Shogo Tomiyama likened it to a Shinto "God of Destruction" which lacks moral agency and cannot be held to human standards of good and evil. "He totally destroys everything and then there is a rebirth. Something new and fresh can begin."[55]

Godzilla battles King Kong in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). This film has the highest Japanese box office attendance figures in the entire Godzilla series to date.[58] In the original Japanese films, Godzilla and all the other monsters are referred to with gender-neutral pronouns equivalent to "it",[59] while in the English dubbed versions, Godzilla is explicitly described as a male, such as in the title of Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. The creature in the 1998 Godzilla film was depicted laying eggs through parthenogenesis.[60][61][62]

Roar Godzilla has a distinctive disyllabic roar (transcribed in several comics as Skreeeonk!),[63][64] which was created by composer Akira Ifukube, who produced the sound by rubbing a pine-tar-resin-coated glove along the string of a contrabass and then slowing down the playback.[65] In the American version of Godzilla Raids Again (1955) entitled Gigantis the Fire Monster, Godzilla's iconic roar was substituted with that of the monster Anguirus.[31] From The Return of Godzilla (1984) to Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla was given a deeper and more threatening-sounding roar than in previous films, though this change was reverted from Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) onwards.[66] For the 2014 American film, sound editors Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl refused to disclose the source of the sounds used for their Godzilla's roar.[65] Aadahl described the two syllables of the roar as representing two different emotional reactions, with the first expressing fury and the second conveying the character's soul.[67]

Size Godzilla's size is inconsistent, changing from film to film, and even from scene to scene, for the sake of artistic license.[55] The miniature sets and costumes were typically built at a 1⁄25–1⁄50 scale[68] and filmed at 240 frames per second to create the illusion of great size.[69] In the original 1954 film, Godzilla was scaled to be 50 m (164 ft) tall.[70] This was done so Godzilla could just peer over the largest buildings in Tokyo at the time.[2] In the 1956 American version, Godzilla is estimated to be 122 m (400 ft) tall, because producer Joseph E. Levine felt that 50 m did not sound "powerful enough".[71] As the series progressed Toho would rescale the character, eventually making Godzilla as tall as 100 m (328 ft).[72] This was done so that it would not be dwarfed by the newer, bigger buildings in Tokyo's skyline, such as the 243-meter-tall (797 ft) Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building which Godzilla destroyed in the film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). Supplementary information, such as character profiles, would also depict Godzilla as weighing between 20,000 and 60,000 metric tons (22,000 and 66,000 short tons).[70][72] In the American film Godzilla (2014) from Legendary Pictures, Godzilla was scaled to be 108.2 m (355 ft) and weighing 90,000 metric tons (99,000 short tons), making it the largest film version at that time.[73] Director Gareth Edwards wanted Godzilla "to be so big as to be seen from anywhere in the city, but not too big that he couldn't be obscured".[74] For Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla was made even taller than the Legendary version, at 118.5 m (389 ft).[75][76] In Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla's height was increased further still to 300 m (984 ft).[77]

Special effects details

Suit fitting on the set of Godzilla Raids Again (1955), with Haruo Nakajima portraying Godzilla on the left Godzilla's appearance has traditionally been portrayed in the films by an actor wearing a latex costume, though the character has also been rendered in animatronic, stop-motion and computer-generated form.[78][79]

Taking inspiration from King Kong, special effects artist Eiji Tsuburaya had initially wanted Godzilla to be portrayed via stop-motion, but prohibitive deadlines and a lack of experienced animators in Japan at the time made suitmation more practical. The first suit consisted of a body cavity made of thin wires and bamboo wrapped in chicken wire for support and covered in fabric and cushions, which were then coated in latex. The first suit was held together by small hooks on the back, though subsequent Godzilla suits incorporated a zipper. Its weight was in excess of 100 kg (220 lb).[40] Prior to 1984, most Godzilla suits were made from scratch, thus resulting in slight design changes in each film appearance.[80] The most notable changes during the 1960s-70s were the reduction in Godzilla's number of toes and the removal of the character's external ears and prominent fangs, features which would later be reincorporated in the Godzilla designs from The Return of Godzilla (1984) onward.[81] The most consistent Godzilla design was maintained from Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), when the suit was given a cat-like face and double rows of teeth.[82] Several suit actors had difficulties in performing as Godzilla, due to the suits' weight, lack of ventilation and diminished visibility.[40] Kenpachiro Satsuma in particular, who portrayed Godzilla from 1984 to 1995, described how the Godzilla suits he wore were even heavier and hotter than their predecessors because of the incorporation of animatronics.[83] Satsuma himself suffered numerous medical issues during his tenure, including oxygen deprivation, near-drowning, concussions, electric shocks and lacerations to the legs from the suits' steel wire reinforcements wearing through the rubber padding.[84] The ventilation problem was partially solved in the suit used in 1994's Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, which was the first to include an air duct, which allowed suit actors to last longer during performances.[85] In The Return of Godzilla (1984), some scenes made use of a 16-foot high robotic Godzilla (dubbed the "Cybot Godzilla") for use in close-up shots of the creature's head. The Cybot Godzilla consisted of a hydraulically-powered mechanical endoskeleton covered in urethane skin containing 3,000 computer operated parts which permitted it to tilt its head and move its lips and arms.[86]

In Godzilla (1998), special effects artist Patrick Tatopoulos was instructed to redesign Godzilla as an incredibly fast runner.[87] At one point, it was planned to use motion capture from a human to create the movements of the computer-generated Godzilla, but it was said to have ended up looking too much like a man in a suit.[88] Tatopoulos subsequently reimagined the creature as a lean, digitigrade bipedal iguana-like creature that stood with its back and tail parallel to the ground, rendered via CGI.[89] Several scenes had the monster portrayed by stuntmen in suits. The suits were similar to those used in the Toho films, with the actors' heads being located in the monster's neck region, and the facial movements controlled via animatronics. However, because of the creature's horizontal posture, the stuntmen had to wear metal leg extenders, which allowed them to stand two meters (six feet) off the ground with their feet bent forward. The film's special effects crew also built a 1⁄6 scale animatronic Godzilla for close-up scenes, whose size outmatched that of Stan Winston's T. rex in Jurassic Park.[90] Kurt Carley performed the suitmation sequences for the adult Godzilla.[12]

In Godzilla (2014), the character was portrayed entirely via CGI. Godzilla's design in the reboot was intended to stay true to that of the original series, though the film's special effects team strove to make the monster "more dynamic than a guy in a big rubber suit."[91] To create a CG version of Godzilla, the Moving Picture Company (MPC) studied various animals such as bears, Komodo dragons, lizards, lions and gray wolves which helped the visual effects artists visualize Godzilla's body structure like that of its underlying bone, fat and muscle structure as well as the thickness and texture of its scale.[92] Motion capture was also used for some of Godzilla's movements. T.J. Storm provided the performance capture for Godzilla by wearing sensors in front of a green screen.[14]

In Shin Godzilla, a majority of the character was portrayed via CGI, with Mansai Nomura portraying Godzilla through motion capture.[11]

Appearances Main article: Godzilla (franchise) Further information: Godzilla (comics) Cultural impact Main article: Godzilla in popular culture

Godzilla's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Godzilla is one of the most recognizable symbols of Japanese popular culture worldwide[93][94] and remains an important facet of Japanese films, embodying the kaiju subset of the tokusatsu genre. Godzilla's vaguely humanoid appearance and strained, lumbering movements endeared it to Japanese audiences, who could relate to Godzilla as a sympathetic character, despite its wrathful nature.[95] Audiences respond positively to the character because it acts out of rage and self-preservation and shows where science and technology can go wrong.[96]

In 1967, the Keukdong Entertainment Company of South Korea, with production assistance from Toei Company, produced Yongary, Monster from the Deep, a reptilian monster who invades South Korea to consume oil. The film and character has often been branded as a knock-off of Godzilla.[97][98]

Godzilla has been considered a filmographic metaphor for the United States, as well as an allegory of nuclear weapons in general. The earlier Godzilla films, especially the original, portrayed Godzilla as a frightening nuclear-spawned monster. Godzilla represented the fears that many Japanese held about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the possibility of recurrence.[99] As the series progressed, so did Godzilla, changing into a less destructive and more heroic character as the films became geared more towards children. Since then, the character has fallen somewhere in the middle, sometimes portrayed as a protector of the world from external threats and other times as a bringer of destruction.[100][101]

In 1996, Godzilla received the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award,[102] as well as being given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004 to celebrate the premiere of the character's 50th anniversary film, Godzilla: Final Wars.[103] Godzilla's pop-cultural impact has led to the creation of numerous parodies and tributes, as seen in media such as Bambi Meets Godzilla, which was ranked as one of the "50 greatest cartoons",[104] two episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000[105] and the song "Godzilla" by Blue Öyster Cult.[106] Godzilla has also been used in advertisements, such as in a commercial for Nike, where Godzilla lost an oversized one-on-one game of basketball to a giant version of NBA player Charles Barkley.[107] The commercial was subsequently adapted into a comic book illustrated by Jeff Butler.[108] Godzilla has also appeared in a commercial for Snickers candy bars, which served as an indirect promo for the 2014 movie. Godzilla's success inspired the creation of numerous other monster characters, such as Gamera,[109][110] Reptilicus of Denmark,[111] Yonggary of South Korea,[97] Pulgasari of North Korea,[112] Gorgo of the United Kingdom[113] and the Cloverfield monster of the United States.[114]

Godzilla's fame and saurian appearance has influenced the scientific community. Gojirasaurus is a dubious genus of coelophysid dinosaur, named by paleontologist and admitted Godzilla fan Kenneth Carpenter.[115] Dakosaurus is an extinct marine crocodile of the Jurassic Period, which researchers informally nicknamed "Godzilla".[116] Paleontologists have written tongue-in-cheek speculative articles about Godzilla's biology, with Ken Carpenter tentatively classifying it as a ceratosaur based on its skull shape, four-fingered hands and dorsal scutes, and paleontologist Darren Naish expressing skepticism while commenting on Godzilla's unusual morphology.[117]

Godzilla's ubiquity in pop-culture has led to the mistaken assumption that the character is in the public domain, resulting in litigation by Toho to protect their corporate asset from becoming a generic trademark. In April 2008, Subway depicted a giant monster in a commercial for their Five Dollar Footlong sandwich promotion. Toho filed a lawsuit against Subway for using the character without permission, demanding $150,000 in compensation.[118] In February 2011, Toho sued Honda for depicting a fire-breathing monster in a commercial for the Honda Odyssey. The monster was never mentioned by name, being seen briefly on a video screen inside the minivan.[119] The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society christened a vessel the MV Gojira. Its purpose is to target and harass Japanese whalers in defense of whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The MV Gojira was renamed the MV Brigitte Bardot in May 2011, due to legal pressure from Toho.[120] Gojira is the name of a French death metal band, formerly known as Godzilla; legal problems forced the band to change their name.[121] In May 2015, Toho launched a lawsuit against Voltage Pictures over a planned picture starring Anne Hathaway. Promotional material released at the Cannes Film Festival used images of Godzilla.[122]

Steven Spielberg cited Godzilla as an inspiration for Jurassic Park (1993), specifically Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), which he grew up watching.[123] Spielberg described Godzilla as "the most masterful of all the dinosaur movies because it made you believe it was really happening."[124] Godzilla also influenced the Spielberg film Jaws (1995).[125][126]

The main-belt asteroid 101781 Gojira, discovered by American astronomer Roy Tucker at the Goodricke-Pigott Observatory in 1999, was named in honor of the creature.[127] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 11 July 2018 (M.P.C. 110635).[128]

Cultural ambassador To encourage tourism in April 2015 the central Shinjuku ward of Tokyo named Godzilla an official cultural ambassador. During an unveiling of a giant Godzilla bust at Toho headquarters, Shinjuku mayor Kenichi Yoshizumi stated "Godzilla is a character that is the pride of Japan." The mayor extended a residency certificate to an actor in a rubber suit representing Godzilla, but as the suit's hands were not designed for grasping, it was accepted on Godzilla's behalf by a Toho executive. Reporters noted that Shinjuku ward has been flattened by Godzilla in three Toho movies.[129][130]

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Archived from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019. "Making of the Godzilla Suit". Gojira - Classic Media 2006 Blu-ray/DVD Release. Retrieved April 6, 2018. Kalat 2010, p. 29. Solomon 2017, p. 32. Honda 1970, 21:57. Godzila, Mothra, and King Ghidorah (2001). Directed by Shusuke Kaneko. Toho DeSentis, John (July 4, 2010). "Godzilla Soundtrack Perfect Collection Box 6". SciFi Japan. Retrieved November 23, 2014. Brothers 2009. Barr 2016, p. 83. Robbie Collin (May 13, 2014). "Gareth Edwards interview: 'I wanted Godzilla to reflect the questions raised by Fukushima'". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 19, 2016. Godzilla, King of the Monsters (vol. 1) #1 (Marvel Comics, 1977) Godzilla, King of the Monsters (vol. 1) #20 (Marvel Comics, 1979) Godzilla, King of the Monsters (vol. 1) #23 (Marvel Comics, 1979) Ryfle 1998, p. 22. "Gojira Media". Godzila Gojimm. Toho Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2010. Ryfle 1998, p. 23. Ryfle 1998, p. 74. Peter Bradshaw (October 14, 2005). "Godzilla | Culture". London: The Guardian. Retrieved September 25, 2013. Biondi, R, "The Evolution of Godzilla – G-Suit Variations Throughout the Monster King's Twenty-One Films", G-Fan #16, July/August 1995 Greenberger, R. (2005). Meet Godzilla. Rosen Pub Group. p. 15. ISBN 1404202692 Kishikawa, O. (1994), Godzilla First, 1954 ~ 1955, Big Japanese Painting, ASIN B0014M3KJ6 Kravets, David (November 24, 2008). "Think Godzilla's Scary? Meet His Lawyers". Wired. Retrieved May 21, 2013. Snider, Mike (August 29, 2006). "Godzilla arouses atomic terror". USA Today. Retrieved May 30, 2013. Tsutsui 2003, p. 23. "Gojira". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 2, 2013. Making of the Godzilla Suit!. Ed Godziszewski. YouTube (December 24, 2010) An Anatomical Guide to Monsters, Shoji Otomo, 1967 "Interview with Haruo Nakajima". Godzilla - Criterion Collection 2012 Blu-ray/DVD Release. Missing or empty |url= (help); |access-date= requires |url= (help) The Art of Suit Acting - Classic Media Godzilla Raids Again DVD featurette Godzilla 2000 (1999). Directed by Takao Okawara. Toho. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). Directed by Kazuki Ōmori. Toho Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974). Directed by Jun Fukuda. Toho Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989). Directed by Kazuki Ōmori. Toho Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (2002). Pipeworks Software CR Godzilla Pachinko (2006). Newgin Zone Fighter (1973). Directed by Ishirō Honda et al. Toho The Godzilla Power Hour (1978). Directed by Ray Patterson and Carl Urbano. Hanna-Barbera Productions Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971). Directed by Yoshimitsu Banno. Toho Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964). Directed by Ishirō Honda. Toho. Godzilla: Unleashed - Godzilla 2000 character profile "Ryuhei Ktamura & Shogo Tomiyama interview - Godzilla Final Wars premiere - PennyBlood.com". Web.archive.org. February 3, 2005. Archived from the original on February 3, 2005. Retrieved September 25, 2013. The Return of Godzilla (1985). Directed by Koji Hashimoto. Toho Milliron, K. & Eggleton, B. (1998), Godzilla Likes to Roar!, Random House Books for Young Readers, ISBN 0679891250 Peter H. Brothers. Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda. Author House. 2009. Pgs. 47-48 Tsutsui 2003, p. 12. Ryfle 1998, p. 336. Kalat 2010, p. 225. Seibold, Witney (May 26, 2014). "Godzilla Goodness: Godzilla (1998)". Nerdist. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Stradley, R., Adams, A., et al. Godzilla: Age of Monsters (February 18, 1998), Dark Horse Comics; Gph edition. ISBN 1569712778 Various. Godzilla: Past Present Future (March 5, 1998), Dark Horse Comics; Gph edition. ISBN 1569712786 NPR Staff. "What's In A Roar? Crafting Godzilla's Iconic Sound". National Public Radio. Retrieved September 7, 2015. David Milner, "Takao Okawara Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1993) Ray, Amber (May 22, 2014). "'Godzilla': The secrets behind the roar". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 19, 2016. "Godzilla". Gvsdestoroyah.dulcemichaelanya.com. Retrieved September 25, 2013. "Amazing and Interesting Facts about Godzilla Special Effects - Special Effects in Godzilla Movies - Hi-tech - Kids". Web Japan. Retrieved September 25, 2013. "Godzilla (1954) stats and bio page". www.tohokingdom.com. Retrieved March 8, 2013. Tsutsui 2003, p. 54-55. "Godzilla (1991) stats and bio page". www.tohokingdom.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015. "Godzilla Ultimate Trivia". The Movie Bit. Retrieved May 21, 2014. Owusu, Kwame (February 28, 2014). "The New Godzilla is 350 Feet Tall! Biggest Godzilla Ever!". MovieTribute. Retrieved February 20, 2018. "2016年新作『ゴジラ』　脚本・総監督：庵野秀明氏＆監督：樋口真嗣氏からメッセージ". oricon.co.jp. Retrieved April 1, 2015. Ragone, August (December 9, 2015). "Japanese Press Reveals Shin Godzilla's Size". The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla. Retrieved February 20, 2018. Miska, Brad. "The Latest Godzilla is Three Times the Size of its Predecessors!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved April 20, 2019. Failes, Ian (October 14, 2016). "The History of Godzilla Is the History of Special Effects". Inverse. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Ryūsuke, Hikawa (June 26, 2014). "Godzilla's Analog Mayhem and the Japanese Special Effects Tradition". Nippon.com. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Kalat 2010, p. 36. Kalat 2010, p. 160. Ryfle 1998, p. 254-257. Clements, J. (2010), Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade, A-Net Digital LLC, pp. 117-118, ISBN 0984593748 Kalat 2010, p. 258. Ryfle 1998, p. 298. Ryfle 1998, p. 232. Rickitt, Richard (2006). Designing Movie Creatures and Characters: Behind the Scenes With the Movie Masters. Focal Press. pp. 74–76. ISBN 0-240-80846-0. Rickitt, Richard (2000). Special Effects: The History and Technique. Billboard Books. p. 174. ISBN 0-8230-7733-0. "Godzilla Lives! - page 1". Theasc.com. Retrieved January 22, 2014. Ryfle 1998, p. 337-339. Dudek, Duane (November 8, 2013). "Oscar winner & Kenosha native Jim Rygiel gets UWM award". Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013. Carolyn Giardina (December 25, 2014). "Oscars: 'Interstellar,' 'Hobbit' Visual Effects Artists Reveal How They Did It". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 28, 2014. Sharp, Jasper (2011). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema. Scarecrow Press. p. 67. ISBN 9780810857957. West, Mark (2008). The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture: From Godzilla to Miyazaki. Scarecrow Press. p. vii. ISBN 9780810851214. "Interview with Tadao Sato". Godzilla - Criterion Collection 2012 Blu-ray/DVD Release. Missing or empty |url= (help); |access-date= requires |url= (help) "The Psychological Appeal of Movie Monsters" (PDF). Calstatela.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 19, 2007. Retrieved September 28, 2013. Kalat 2010, p. 92. Demoss, David (June 18, 2010). "Yongary, Monster from the Deep". And You Thought It Was...Safe(?). Retrieved March 19, 2018. Rafferty, T., The Monster That Morphed Into a Metaphor, NYTimes (May 2, 2004) Lankes, Kevin (June 22, 2014). "Godzilla's Secret History". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Goldstein, Rich (May 18, 2014). "A Comprehensive History of Toho's Original Kaiju (and Atomic Allegory) Godzilla". Daily Beast. Retrieved March 19, 2018. "Godzilla Wins The MTV Lifetime Achievement Award In 1996 – Godzilla video". Fanpop. November 3, 1954. Retrieved April 13, 2010. "USATODAY.com - Godzilla gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. November 30, 2004. Retrieved September 25, 2013. Beck, Jerry (ed.) (1994). The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals. Atlanta: Turner Publishing. ISBN 1-878685-49-X. "Godzilla Genealogy Bop" - MST3K season 2, episode 13, aired February 2, 1991 Song Review by Donald A. Guarisco. "Godzilla - Blue Öyster Cult | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 25, 2013. Martha T. Moore. "Godzilla Meets Barkley on MTV". USA Today. September 9, 1992. 1.B. Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury. Holy Sh*t! The World's Weirdest Comic Books. St. Martin's Press, 2008. 104. Kalat 2010, p. 23. Phipps, Keith (June 2, 2010). "Gamera: The Giant Monster". AV Club. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Don (June 16, 2015). "Reptilicus: Godzilla Goes To Denmark". Schlockmania. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Romano, Nick (April 6, 2015). "How Kim Jong Il Kidnapped a Director, Made a Godzilla Knockoff, and Created a Cult Hit". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Murray, Noel (May 8, 2014). "Meet Gorgo, the "British Godzilla"". The Dissolve. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Monetti, Sandro (January 13, 2008). "Cloverfield: Making of a monster". Express. Retrieved March 19, 2018. K. Carpenter, 1997, "A giant coelophysoid (Ceratosauria) theropod from the Upper Triassic of New Mexico, USA", Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 205 (#2): 189-208 Gasparini Z, Pol D, Spalletti LA. 2006. An unusual marine crocodyliform from the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary of Patagonia. Science 311: 70-73. Naish, Darren (November 1, 2010). "The science of Godzilla, 2010 – Tetrapod Zoology". Scienceblogs.com. Retrieved September 25, 2013. Toho sues Subway over unauthorized Godzilla ads, The Japan Times (April 18, 2008) Toho suing Honda over Godzilla, TokyoHive (February 12, 2011) "Sea Shepherd Conservation Society :: The Beast Transforms into a Beauty as Godzilla Becomes the Brigitte Bardot". Seashepherd.org. May 25, 2011. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2013. Gojira htm Biography and Band at the Gauntlet, The Gauntlet "Voltage Pictures Sued For Copyright Infringement". torrentfreak.com. Retrieved July 9, 2015. Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G". ECW Press. p. 15. ISBN 9781550223484. Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G". ECW Press. p. 17. ISBN 9781550223484. Freer, Ian (2001). The Complete Spielberg. Virgin Books. p. 48. ISBN 9780753505564. Derry, Charles (1977). Dark Dreams: A Psychological History of the Modern Horror Film. A. S. Barnes. p. 82. ISBN 9780498019159. "(101781) Gojira". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved July 19, 2018. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved July 19, 2018. "Godzilla recruited as tourism ambassador for Tokyo". The Guardian. April 9, 2015. "Godzilla is Tokyo's newest resident and ambassador". New York Post. April 9, 2015. Sources Barr, Jason (2016). The Kaiju Film: A Critical Study of Cinema's Biggest Monsters. McFarland. ISBN 1476623953. Brothers, Peter H. (2009). Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda. CreateSpace Books. ISBN 1492790354. Edwards, Gareth (2014). Godzilla. Warner Bros. Pictures. Galbraith IV, Stuart (1998). Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo! The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films. Feral House. ISBN 0922915474. Godziszewski, Ed (1994). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Godzilla. Daikaiju Enterprises. Honda, Ishiro (1970). Monster Zero (English version). Toho Co., Ltd/United Productions of America. Kalat, David (2010). A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series (second edition). McFarland. ISBN 9780786447497. Lees, J.D.; Cerasini, Marc (1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. ISBN 0-679-88822-5. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 1538103737. Ragone, August (2007). Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-6078-9. Rhoads & McCorkle, Sean & Brooke (2018). Japan's Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema. McFarland. ISBN 9781476663906. Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan’s Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G. ECW Press. ISBN 1550223488. Ryfle, Steve; Godziszewski, Ed (2017). Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 978-0-8195-7087-1. Solomon, Brian (2017). Godzilla FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the King of the Monsters. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. ISBN 9781495045684. Tsutsui, William M. (2003). Godzilla On My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1403964742. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Godzilla. Wikiquote has quotations related to: Godzilla (franchise) Official website of Toho (Japanese) Godzilla on IMDb

#godzilla #gojira #toho #japanese #king of the monsters #wiki #wikipedia

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marsjapanjacksykes · 4 years

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Kaiju: Godzilla

The term kaijū translates literally as "strange beast". Kaiju characters can be considered giant science fiction and fantasy creatures, and can be depicted as antagonistic, protagonistic, or a neutral force of nature. Godzilla has taken on all three roles at various points in the Godzilla franchise. Other examples of kaiju include Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Gigan, Gaira and Sanda, King Kong, Gamera, Daimajin, Gappa, and Guilala. Mecha characters, such as Mechagodzilla and M.O.G.U.E.R.A., have also been referred to as kaiju. The term urutora-kaijū ("ultra-kaiju") is longhand for kaijū in the Ultra Series.

Godzilla is depicted as an enormous, destructive, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Lucky Dragon 5 incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. As the film series expanded, some stories took on less serious undertones, portraying Godzilla as an antihero, or a lesser threat who defends humanity. With the end of the Cold War, several post-1984 Godzilla films shifted the character's portrayal to themes including Japan's forgetfulness over its imperial past, natural disasters and the human condition.

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marsjapanmantasvenskunas · 4 years

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Godzilla

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or kaiju, originating from a series of Japanese films of the same name. The character first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produced by Toho, three Hollywood films and numerous video games, novels, comic books and television shows. Godzilla has been dubbed the King of the Monsters, a phrase first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, the Americanized version of the original film.

Godzilla is depicted as an enormous, destructive, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Lucky Dragon 5 incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. As the film series expanded, some stories took on less serious undertones, portraying Godzilla as an antihero, or a lesser threat who defends humanity. With the end of the Cold War, several post-1984 Godzilla films shifted the character's portrayal to themes including Japan's forgetfulness over its imperial past, natural disasters and the human condition.

Godzilla has been featured alongside many supporting characters. It has faced human opponents such as the JSDF, or other monsters, including King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla and Gigan. Godzilla sometimes has allies, such as Rodan, Mothra and Anguirus, and offspring, such as Minilla and Godzilla Junior. Godzilla has also fought characters from other franchises in crossover media, such as the RKO Pictures/Universal Studios movie monster King Kong, as well as various Marvel Comics characters, including S.H.I.E.L.D., the Fantastic Four and the Avengers.

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three-golden-kings · 7 months

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Mwah

Ichi raised a brow and tilted his head

Ni looked away

San: “Gay”

#((💀💀💀#((i love them myself I would kiss them so many times and they probably would react the same way DHJFJD #King Ghidorah #ichi #san #ni #anon #antihero ghidorah

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madmanjive · 5 years

Video

youtube

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T4fgD3GRTY)

#rodan #toho #godzilla #mortha #king ghidorah #monsterverse #deadpool #marvel #avengers #angry #antihero

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comiccrusaders · 7 years

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Diamond, X-Plus Bring Back a Monstrous Pop Culture Icon with a New PX Exclusive Godzilla Figure

The King of Monsters smashes into comic shops as Diamond Comic Distributors and X-Plus present a new PREVIEWS Exclusive (PX) Godzilla Figure. Citizens will have to protect themselves from the likes of Gigan and King Ghidorah with this Godzilla figure, based off 2014’s Godzilla. Godzilla rejoins the X-Plus figure line, with new features like the jagged blue spines going down his back. The antihero…

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#diamond #Godzilla #Gojira #toys

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kuwaiti-kid · 4 years

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The Complete Guide to Godzilla Monsters

Godzilla has become a worldwide cultural icon since first gracing the screen in the 1954 Japanese film Godzilla.

He even has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The film led to the creation of a new Japanese genre of films featuring giant monsters, or kaiju.

Godzilla also sparked 32 further Japanese films (produced by Toho), 3 Hollywood films (and one more to come in 2021), along with a plethora of novels, comic books, video games, TV shows, and even a hit single for Blue Oyster Cult.

“Ohhhhhh, no, there goes Tokyo. Go, go, Godzilla!”

Anyone?

Godzilla has been featured as both a protector of Earth and a destructive monster over the years, depending on the era of the film.

Despite Godzilla’s ever-shifting role, one thing has remained consistent throughout almost all of the films: Godzilla must battle some invading monster(s) that is hell-bent on destroying humanity.

And against all the odds, he almost always manages to come out on top.

While Godzilla is the big dog of the group, the kaiju genre led to the creation of numerous other giant monsters that served as both friends and foes to Godzilla over the years.

Fan favorites like Rodan, King Ghidorah, and Mothra were featured in multiple films throughout multiple eras, while many others were seen only once.

Whether the main staple or a one-off performance, the kaiju genre sparked the creation of a myriad of bizarre, and often silly, monsters.

This article is the complete guide to Godzilla monsters featured in the films. We’ve broken the list down into the various Godzilla film eras, including the 3 American films. Each of the Godzilla monsters will be discussed once under the era of films for which they first appeared.

Enjoy!

The Complete Guide to Godzilla Monsters

Showa Era

The Showa era of films spans from 1954 to 1975 and includes 15 Godzilla films.

While initially portrayed as a destructive monster created by radiation from the atomic bombs dropped in World War II, Godzilla quickly transformed into a protector of Earth.

This era saw some of the silliest Godzilla movies and the introduction of some of Godzilla’s most-loved kaiju friends and foes.

Godzilla

Godzilla, from the 1954 movie Godzilla, A guide to Godzilla monsters, wouldn’t be complete without a feature of the main man himself.

Godzilla, or Gojira in Japanese, was created in the aftermath of World War II and served as a metaphor for nuclear weapons in the original film.

Godzilla’s role shifted throughout the years. As more films were made, Godzilla became a hero of sorts, defending humanity from threats from monsters and alien civilizations looking to take over the world.

By the end of the Cold War, Godzilla’s role had reverted to the destructive force depicted in the original films. Except for the 1998 Godzilla, American film portrayals of Godzilla have again shifted toward a protector of Earth, albeit as more of an antihero.

While Godzilla’s appearance has shifted throughout the years along with his personality, the overall appearance and features remain the same (let’s just pretend the 1998 Godzilla doesn’t exist, shall we). He is portrayed as a muscular dark green/grey/black Tyrannosaurus-like creature with dorsal plates.

Another unique Godzilla trait, his iconic roar, has also been largely consistent, albeit with some variation. Even with minor variation, the roar is unmistakably Godzilla.

Godzilla’s signature weapon, his atomic breath, has also been consistent throughout the eras. A further link to nuclear weapons, the atomic breath is generated from inside his body and shot from his mouth in a blue or red radioactive beam.

Godzilla also feeds on nuclear energy, which is the main motivator for many of his destructive rampages. When not feeding on radiation or battling other monsters, Godzilla resides in the Pacific Ocean, presumably slumbering until next awakened.

Anguirus

Anguirus is a notable monster for many reasons.

He is the first kaiju other than Godzilla to be seen in the film (other than the American original King Kong), appearing in the second film of the franchise called Godzilla Raids Again. He is also the first monster to battle Godzilla, setting up a reoccurring theme throughout the entirety of the franchise.

While Anguirus is originally pitted against Godzilla, he quickly becomes an ally and is seen fighting alongside Godzilla in several subsequent films.

Anguirus is an irradiated dinosaur that looks similar to an ankylosaurus. It has horns on its head and a spike-covered shell on its back. Anguirus can move incredibly fast due to multiple brains, can burrow underground, and often attacks by jumping backward into its opponent to hit them with its spiked back.

Anguirus first appeared in the 1955 film Godzilla Raids Again and has been featured in a total of 6 Godzilla movies.

King Kong

Kong in the 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla

Although not known primarily for his role in the Godzilla franchise, King Kong is a headlining monster and will be making another appearance in the upcoming American film Godzilla vs. Kong (2021).

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) was the third film in the Godzilla franchise and the first to feature the monsters in color.

Mothra

Mothra is a fan-favorite of the Godzilla monsters and is second only to Godzilla in film appearances with 15. She is also notable as the only confirmed female kaiju.

Mothra appears in two forms: as a giant caterpillar and as a giant moth. Unlike other Godzilla monsters, Mothra is almost always portrayed as a protective character, protecting her island, Japan, and Earth. She is often accompanied by twin fairies who speak on her behalf.

Mothra first appeared in the 1961 film Mothra and made her Godzilla debut in 1964’s Mothra vs. Godzilla.

Rodan

Rodan is another fan-favorite that was featured in his own film, the 1956 movie Rodan. Rodan later went on to be featured in 11 other movies, including 10 Godzilla movies.

Rodan is typically featured as an ally to Godzilla but has also been a foe. He is an irradiated Pteranodon who can produce shockwaves when flying and powerful winds by flapping his wings.

He was initially named Radon, a contraction of Pteranodon, but had his name changed to Rodan for English-speaking markets so as not to be confused with the element radon.

Rodan made his Godzilla debut in the 1964 film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.

King Ghidorah (Monster Zero)

King Ghidorah, also known as Monster Zero, is known for being one of Godzilla’s most prominent foes and appears in 9 Godzilla films.

Ghidorah is said to be inspired by the ancient Japanese dragon Yamata no Orochi. He is a three-headed, golden flying dragon kaiju that can shoot “gravity beams” that look like lightning bolts from its mouths. He also has two tails and no arms.

Ghidorah has several origin stories. In one version, he is an extraterrestrial planet-killing dragon. In another, he’s a genetically engineered monster from the future, and in yet another, he’s a guardian monster of ancient Japan.

King Ghidorah first appeared in the 1964 film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.

Ebirah

Ebirah is a giant lobster kaiju that appears as an antagonist in 3 Godzilla films.

Ebirah first appeared in the 1966 film Ebirah, Horror of the Deep.

Kamacuras

Kamacuras (derived from the Japanese word for mantis “kamakiri”) is a giant mantis mutated as a result of a radioactive accident.

Kamacuras makes relatively brief appearances in a few Godzilla movies, primarily as the monsters who tried to eat baby Godzilla. They live on Monster Island in the Showa era and are one of the alien-controlled monsters in the Millennium era.

Kamacuras first appeared in Son of Godzilla in 1967.

Minilla (son of Godzilla)

Minilla is the adopted son of Godzilla, who saved him from the Kamacuras after his egg was cracked open by them.

Minilla appears in a total of 4 Godzilla movies, the first being Son of Godzilla in 1967.

Kumonga

Kumonga is a giant spider kaiju that has served as both friend and foe to Godzilla.

His main weapons include the ability to shoot a spider web and use a poison stinger. Some versions also show him with incredible leaping ability.

Kumonga first appeared in Son of Godzilla in 1967 and also appeared in 4 other Godzilla films.

Manda

Although not one of the most memorable Godzilla monsters, Manda appeared in a minor role in several Godzilla films as well as one non-Godzilla sci-fi film.

Manda is based on a Japanese dragon and is a sea-dwelling serpent kaiju that can also live on land. He is one of the monsters living on Monsterland (an island monsters live on in many films).

Manda first appeared in the 1963 film Atragon and made his Godzilla debut in 1968’s Destroy All Monsters.

Gorosaurus

Gorosaurus is a dinosaur kaiju based on an Allosaurus. Like many other Godzilla monsters in this list, Gorosaurus has appeared in multiple films as both friend and foe.

While Gorosaurus doesn’t have any special powers, he can perform a leaping kick when attacking. This maneuver, along with his strength, greatly help in the defeat of King Ghidorah in the giant monster battle in Destroy All Monsters.

Gorosaurus first appeared as an antagonist in the 1967 film King Kong Escapes, and later as a friend in 3 Godzilla movies.

Baragon

Baragon is yet another monster appearing in multiple films throughout the eras.

He is a dinosaur-like kaiju with large ears and a face resembling a bat. He is said to have burrowed underground to avoid the dinosaur extinction and to have adapted.

Baragon is one of three guardian monsters who battle Godzilla to save the Earth in Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack in 2001.

Baragon first appeared in Frankenstein Conquers the World in 1965 and later in 5 other films, including Pacific Rim Uprising.

Varan

Varan is another monster that appeared in both Godzilla films and other sci-fi films. He is based on a Draco lizard, Godzilla, and a kappa (demon found in Japanese folklore).

The only special ability Varan has is the ability to glide at high speeds. He also has protective spikes on his back and tail.

Varan first appeared in Varan the Unvelievable in 1958, as well as 2 Godzilla films.

Gabara

Gabara only appeared in one Godzilla film as an irradiated toad in the dreams of the main character. He also resembles the Oni in Japanese folklore.

Gabara first appeared in 1969’s All Monsters Attack and well as two non-Godzilla films.

Maneater

Maneater is a flesh-eating plant that is a minor character in the film All Monsters Attack. This is also the only film in which it is featured.

Maneater has the body shape of a person but is made of leaves, which lets it blend in with the jungle on Monster Island.

Hedorah

Hedorah is a notable monster because, like Godzilla, he is representative of a world problem.

Hedorah is derived from the Japanese word for sludge and was representative of the growing pollution facing Japan and the world. He wreaks havoc on Japan, killing people, destroying buildings, and feeding on toxic waste and gas emissions before eventually being killed by Godzilla.

He first appears in Godzilla vs. Hedorah in 1971 and again in Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004.

Gigan

Gigan is another notorious Godzilla enemy known for being particularly violent in his actions, although he only appeared in 3 films.

Gigan is a space cyborg monster that can fly, has large metal hooks for hands, and a buzzsaw on his front.

Gigan first appeared in Godzilla vs. Gigan in 1972.

Jet Jaguar

Jet Jaguar is not really a monster, but rather a mecha (or giant machine), that helps Godzilla defeat invading monsters and protect Earth.

Jet Jaguar only appeared in one film but is notable because he is the result of a contest held by Toho for fans to come up with a new hero to be used in their movies. The contest-winning robot was called Red Alone but was renamed Jet Jaguar and originally slated to star in its own film. However, producers didn’t think Jet Jaguar alone would be enough and instead made him a sidekick to Godzilla.

Jet Jaguar was featured in Godzilla vs. Megalon in 1973.

Megalon

Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) was also the only film in which Megalon appeared.

Megalon is a giant burrowing insect that looks most like a beetle. He has spinning drill-like appendages for arms, can shoot firebombs from its mouth, as well as produce lightning from its horn. Megalon can also fly.

He, along with Gigan, are the antagonists of the film.

Mechagodzilla

Perhaps the most notorious mecha of the kaiju genre, Mechagodzilla is an alien or human-made Godzilla-like robot used to try and defeat Godzilla in several films.

Although Mechagodzilla has appeared in a few different versions, he’s always well-armed and employs a vast range of weaponry. He can shoot missiles from his hands, knees, and feet, as well as beams from his eyes and chest. He can also fly and create a force field around himself.

Later versions of Mechagodzilla also introduce a weapon called the Absolute Zero cannon, which shoots out of his chest and flash-freezes enemies.

Mechagodzilla first appeared in the 1974 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla as well as in 7 other films, including Ready Player One.

King Caesar

King Caesar is a lion-like kaiju that first teams up with Godzilla to defeat Mechagodzilla and the alien invaders who control it in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974).

He is a guardian based on Shisa, which are stone lion statues found commonly in Okinawa. King Caesar possesses speed, agility, and strength. He can also absorb the energy attacks of enemies and shoot them back through his eyes.

King Caesar first appeared in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and later in 2 other Godzilla films.

Titanosaurus

The last monster of the Showa era, Titanosaurus is a dinosaur kaiju resembling a Spinosaurus. Although there is an actual dinosaur named Titanosaurus, they have little else in common.

Titanosaurus is a secondary villain next to a redesigned Mechagodzilla. He is controlled by aliens and a mad scientist who wants revenge on humankind.

Titanosaurus can use his tail as a fan, create whirlpools, and holds his own with Godzilla in hand-to-hand combat.

He appeared in 1975’s Terror of Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004).

Heisei Era

Following Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), the franchise took almost a 10-year break. The resumption of the franchise and the following seven films would be known as the Heisei era.

The Heisei era spans 1984’s The Return of Godzilla (meant to be a direct sequel to the 1954 film) to 1995’s Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. The Heisei era films are set in a single timeline, with each having continuity with the others.

The Haisei Era also gave rise to new, and scarier, Godzilla monsters.

Shockirus

Shockirus is not a monster who’ll do much damage to other kaiju’s, but it does do a fair amount of damage to humans.

Akin to a kaiju pest, Shockirus is a giant crap or louse-like creature that jumps off Godzilla and onto a boat. It kills several humans on the boat before being killed itself.

Shockirus makes its only appearance in The Return of Godzilla (1984).

Biollante

Biollante is the result of another Toho fan contest, albeit a much more terrifying one. It is an engineered clone of Godzilla with the genes of a rose and a human thrown in and was meant as a symbol of the controversy of genetic engineering that characterized that period.

Biollante first appeared in Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) and made a cameo appearance in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994).

Dorat

The Dorat’s are briefly shown in one Heisei era film but play a much more significant role in the background.

The Dorat’s are genetically engineered futuristic pets, with source material coming from the corpse of King Ghidorah. In Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), the 3 Dorat’s are left on Lagos Island to be later exposed to radiation from nuclear testing in the Pacific.

The testing combined and mutated the Dorat’s into King Ghidorah.

Godzillasaurus

Godzillasaurus provides another origin story in the Heisei era.

Godzillasaurus is a dinosaur living on Lagos Island that is later irradiated by nuclear testing, turning it into Godzilla.

Godzillasaurus appears in the 1991 film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.

Mecha-King Ghidorah

In the film Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla can defeat and badly wound King Ghidorah before rampaging around Japan.

Japan then asks a futuristic people if they can revive Ghidorah in the future and bring him back to stop Godzilla. Ghidorah is revived and made into a cyborg, becoming Mecha-King Ghidorah.

Mecha-King Ghidorah had the added ability to use grappling cables to attach itself to enemies and electrify them.

Battra

Battra is good and bad. On the one hand, Battra is a guardian of Earth who seeks to protect it. On the other, he sees humans as a threat to Earth and therefore tries to destroy them.

In his only appearance in Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992), Battra is originally an enemy to both Mothra and Godzilla, and battles both. However, Battra has a change of heart and eventually teams up with Mothra to defeat Godzilla and save Earth.

Battra is seen in both a larval stage and a moth stage. He is black and red, with red eyes and horns. Battra can fly at great speed, shoot energy pulses from his horn, as well as use a stinger-like appendage on his tail.

Godzilla Junior

Known as Godzilla Junior, Baby Godzilla, or Little Godzilla, depending on the film, Junior is another Godzilla monster adopted by Godzilla. He is thought to be the offspring of a Godzillasaurus and is found by humans in a Rodan nest.

Godzilla Junior is initially raised with humans but eventually ends up with Godzilla. Throughout the three films he’s featured in, we see Godzilla Junior grow from the height of a human to another fully formed Godzilla, although he is much friendlier toward humans than his father.

Godzilla Junior first appeared in the 1993 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.

Fairy Mothra

Fairy Mothra is a small divine moth spawned by Mothra in space and sent to Earth to warn the people of the arrival of SpaceGodzilla.

Fairy Mothra appears in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) as well as the Rebirth of Mothra Trilogy, which did not include Godzilla.

SpaceGodzilla

SpaceGodzilla only made one film appearance, but it’s a notable monster.

Although the origins are unclear, it’s been theorized that SpaceGodzilla was formed after Godzilla cells were carried into space by another monster and irradiated through exposure to a black hole.

SpaceGodzilla is also one of Godzilla’s most formidable foes, perhaps because he is a Godzilla clone of sorts. He can fly, shoot a beam from his mouth, as well as bolts of energy through his shoulder crystals. SpaceGodzilla can also powerup by being near crystals he creates, can create a shield, and has regenerative powers.

SpaceGodzilla made his only film appearance in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994).

M.O.G.U.E.R.A.

M.O.G.U.E.R.A. (which stands for Mobile Operations G-Force Universal Expert Robot: Aero-Type) is another mecha featured in many kaiju movies, including Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994).

Like other mecha’s, he has an extensive array of weapons, the most-used of which are plasma cannons in its eyes. Other weapons include a plasma maser cannon in its chest, a drill bit, grenade missiles, and the ability to fly.

M.O.G.U.E.R.A. first appeared in The Mysterians (1957).

Destoroyah

Although it only appeared in one film, Destroyah has been labeled one of the most malevolent of the Godzilla monsters because it seemed to enjoy the destruction it caused. Destroyah even seems like it’s laughing in some of the fight scenes with Godzilla and Godzilla Junior.

It is also one of the scariest monsters. Destroyah develops through several forms throughout the film, finally reaching its most developed and powerful form at the end of the movie. It evolved from a colony of microscopic crustaceans that mutated when the Oxygen Destroyer used to kill the first Godzilla was detonated.

Destroyah can fly, has a laser horn, and can produce micro-oxygen beams. He was featured only once in Godzilla vs. Destroyah (1995).

Millennium Era

The Millennium era of Godzilla films spans from 1999 to 2004 and includes six films. Unlike the preceding era, the films of the Millennium era are not continuous with one another. This era also saw the development of some strange new Godzilla monsters.

Millennian

The Millennians are an alien species that intend to establish themselves on Earth. They seek to gather as much information as possible about technology and biology through telepathy. Unlike other kaiju, they are reluctant to fight.

Millennian appears in Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999).

Orga

After absorbing Godzilla’s DNA, the Millennians mutate and combine to form Orga.

Orga is also reluctant to fight Godzilla and instead tries to mostly avoid him, only getting closer to continue absorbing Godzilla’s DNA. Aside from absorbing DNA, Orga can regenerate, jump very high or far, and detach its lower jaw to make its mouth larger.

Orga only appeared in Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999).

Megaguirus

Megaguirus is a mutated form of Meganulon, which appeared as early as the 1956 film Rodan.

Megaguirus is formed after a swarm of Meganulon absorb energy from Godzilla and then transfer that energy to Megaguirus, who is considered a queen of the species.

Megaguirus can fly at incredible speeds, create shock waves with its wings, and stab opponents with a stinger at the end of its tail. This stinger can also absorb energy from its opponent.

Megaguirus appears in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000), and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) but the Meganulon also appear in Rodan (1957).

Kamoebas

Kamoebas makes a brief appearance in the film Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) after having been killed by Godzilla.

It is a turtle kaiju that first appeared in Space Amoeba (1970).

Monster X

The last new Godzilla monster of the Millennium era is Monster X, also called Keizer Ghidorah.

He is a skeletal kaiju from space, although it is never made clear whether he was made or discovered. He is brought to Earth under the mind control of aliens attempting to take over.

Monster X has several weapons at his disposal. He can shoot electric beams from his eyes, beams from his mouth, and drain energy from opponents through his bite.

Monster X appeared in the 2004 film Godzilla: Final Wars.

American Films

The last major set of films to feature Godzilla monsters are American films.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll be focusing on the Legendary films being the only other monsters featured in the 1998 Godzilla was baby Godzilla’s.

Furthermore, the majority of these new monsters were only briefly featured, with the exception being the MUTOs. However, with another upcoming Legendary Godzilla film, it remains to be seen whether these and other monsters mentioned but not displayed on film, will take more of a prominent role.

Aside from the creation of new monsters, the Legendary films are also notable for breaking from the label of kaiju, instead of deeming the Godzilla monsters Titans.

MUTO

MUTOs, which stands for Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism, served as the main antagonists in Godzilla (2014) and played a minor role in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).

The MUTOs are parasitic insect-like Titans that are focused on consuming radiation and reproducing. They prove themselves formidable adversaries against Godzilla, especially when teamed up. They also show protectiveness toward each other and their nest.

Methuselah

Methuselah made a brief appearance in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). It is an animal-plant-rock hybrid Titan with a forest growing on its back and large horns on either side of its head.

While the significance of its name is not entirely known, Methuselah refers to a figure in the Bible who lived an incredibly long time.

Scylla

Scylla is a cephalopod Titan (like an octopus or squid) with six legs ending in claws with spikes. The name refers to a female sea monster in Greek mythology.

Scylla makes a brief appearance in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).

Behemoth

Behemoth is the last new monster featured in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). It resembles a woolly mammoth or prehistoric sloth and has large tusks, claws and spines down its back.

Final Thoughts

With 35 film appearances and at least one more to come, Godzilla is easily one of the most recognized and beloved characters of cinema.

But Godzilla wouldn’t be nearly so famous without the massive list of Godzilla monsters who accompanied him on the silver screen as friends, foes, and sometimes, both.

Some starred in their films while others made only one appearance. Many even made the final cut through multiple eras.

Now that you have the complete guide to Godzilla monsters, which kaiju is your favorite?

The post The Complete Guide to Godzilla Monsters appeared first on Your Money Geek.

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thelastresidents · 4 years

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hey polterkitty its zach tell hellen im doing good and that is the truth im glad at least some of my evil family cares about me wesker has tortured me king ghidorah doesnt like me except for kevin hes totally ok with me deadpool and i are basically brothers we get along so well yes i know deadpool is an antihero but he was formerly a villain so he does count if you want to know who im related to just look at villains wiki thats basically my family tree XD

“Wait, I’m looking it up on my phone, this Ghidorah? This Gleeok-looking son of a b… gun? I thought you were mostly humanoid villains, in roughly human size… Duchess, how big is this guy? I mean, he never actually specified, but I just assumed you were big spoon because you were in your big form.”

{Relax, he’s human sized... although many villains, including myself, can transform. He can probably go all kaiju if he wants to. Or he might simply be a shapeshifter... I never sat down and interviewed him about his powers.}

“It’s just, I’ve come to the realization that I’ve never seen Zach... with pieces of every monster ever, he must make Discord look like... some really... normal looking thing.”

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netunleashed-blog · 6 years

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10 massive movie, film and game reveals from San Diego Comic-Con 2018

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=15352 10 massive movie, film and game reveals from San Diego Comic-Con 2018 - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=15352 San Diego Comic-Con is a wonderful place where dreams come true – unless you’re a fan of The Walking Dead and have had your heart smashed to a million pieces by the confirmed departure of Andrew Lincoln. But we digress! It can also be an exhausting place, whether you’re actually there covering some serious footfall, or at home, most likely glued to social media awaiting all the latest news. Well, never fear, your mates at NME have done you a solid and picked out a bite sized taster of the best new offerings. We didn’t make popcorn, mind. Don’t be greedy. The Walking Dead will rumble on without Rick Geekometer: 7/10 The new series of AMC’s long running zombie apocalypse show – we’re now on season nine, quite remarkably – arrives on October 7 carrying a weight of expectation. The general consensus is that season eight was poor, and, according to Nielsen Live+Same Day data, its midseason premiere drew a 3.6 rating in adults 18 to 49 and 8.3 million viewers. That’s the lowest-rated midseason premiere to date. Still, there remains a sizeable and avid fandom. The news Rick Grimes is leaving at some point during the season has hit the community hard, but if you’ve come this far, are you really going to bail out now? Godzilla: King Of The Monsters will have more of the big fella – and Eleven Geekometer: 9/10 Again, a franchise that really needs to deliver. 2014’s Gareth Edwards directed series reboot Godzilla was an uneven movie, with poor dialogue and nowhere near enough screentime for the big green fella. This time round, Michael Dougherty, writer/director of the fun horror comedy Krampus is the big cheese. And speaking of big, the sequel features kajui legends King Ghidorah, Morthra and Rodan, as well as the titular antihero. In this case, more is definitely more. Nightflyers is the new one from Thrones man George RR Martin Geekometer: 8/10 So apparently George R.R Martin has written other books, ones not about dragons! No, we knew this, and in fact, are fans of the 1987 film adaptation of GRRM’s 1980 novella. But we’re well up for this forthcoming Netflix adaptation, which looks like the kind of messed up space horror that will salivate us until someone remembers how to make a good Alien movie again. In space, no-one can hear you stream… DC’s Titans is gonna be dark AF Geeokometer: 10/10 If you’ve ever found yourself watching Teen Titans GO! on the Cartoon Network, you’ll know it’s a very funny, very cute, very kid-friendly take on the DC Comics series, which first debuted as far back as 1964. Well ignore everything you know about that, because DC’s forthcoming live-action series, simply titled Titans, is brutal. There’s broken bones, generous splashes of crimson, oh, and within about a minute of the trailer starting, Robin growls “Fuck Batman” and murders a load of wrong uns. If that kind of grit doesn’t distinguish this series from the cartoons that came prior (and it does), as well as Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy featuring, Dove turns up, and she’s only ever been in the comics. The new Doctor Who is going to be the most inclusive yet Geekometer: 7/10 Yeah, we got to see the new screwdriver, and somewhat excitingly, it appears Jodie Whittaker is planning to play her role as the Thirteenth Doctor as a sort of Time Lord take on the late Victoria Wood. But the big reveal is that it seems an episode of the new Who will be exploring the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. In the new trailer, you can just about make out the words ‘Montgomery Motor Trailer’ – Montgomery being the U.S. city where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger in 1955. Fitting subject matter for the most inclusive cast and crew Doctor Who has seen yet. M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass might actually be OK Geekometer:8/10 After 2015’s excellent low budget horror The Visit and 2016’s hugely successful Split, the words ‘From M. Night Shyamalan’ have stopped feeling like so much of a threat and more of a promise again, and so expectation is high for the 47-year-old twistmeisters new film, Glass. Shyamalan has raided his back catalogue to reunite James McAvoy’s The Beast from Split and Bruce Willis’ David Dunn and Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass from 2000’s Unbreakable. We’re getting strong Watchmen vibes. American Horror Story stalwart Sarah Paulson also stars. Star Wars: The Clone Wars will finally be resolved Geekometer: 9/10 A huge surprise this one. And so many unanswered questions! Not since 2013 have we heard anything from the brilliant Star Wars animated series, and, with season six ending with a vague-not-at-all-satisfactory-semi-cliff-hanger, we’re finally going to get some resolution when the series comes to Disney’s as-yet-untitled new streaming service in 2019. Oh, and this is cool, it appears Anakin Skywalkers’ apprentice Ahsoka Tano is back. That can only mean much cosmic badassery. The new Spider-Man game looks set to be pretty great Geekometer: 6/10 With the possible exception of Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last Of Us 2, and really, it depends whether you like web slinging, brain bursting or lasso, um, throwing, no videogame is as feverishly anticipated as Insomniac Games forthcoming Spider-Man title, due September 7. Comic-Con did reveal that the tweener character Silver Sable will appear, while the list of villains featured is starting to appear pretty exhaustive; Mister Negative, Kingpin, Shocker, Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, Taskmaster… and we swear we saw the briefest of cameos from Vulture in there too. Not long to wait now! Johnny Depp is going method for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald Geekometer: 7/10 Though this film’s Comic-Con panel saw a host of the forthcoming features stars – Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law and Ezra Miller – all eyes were on Jonny Depp, who plays the titular Gellert Grindelwald. Depp’s inclusion in the ongoing Harry Potter spin-off, has proved so controversial, owing to the actors alleged domestic violence, that J.K Rowling issued a statement last December, defending his involvement. Depp didn’t attend the panel discussion, and instead showed up at the end of the presentation dressed in character. He said; “The great gift of your applause is not for me but for yourselves,” he said, waving his wand. “Magic blooms only in rare souls. It is granted to those who live for higher purposes. What a world we would make for all of humanity. We, who live for freedom, for truth — the moment has come to rise up and take our rightful place in the world.” The lights went out and he exited. There’s a SHAZAM! film. You know, Shazam!. Shazam!? Geekometer: 8/10 Yeah it’s a DC Extended Universe production, but hold your speeding bullets. This, the seventh movie in the sometimes wretched series, actually looks pretty good. Shazam! is a pretty niche character within DC Comics lore – this will actually be the first appearance of the character – a teenage boy who can turn into an adult superhero via the utterance of the magic word in the title – on film, since the 1941 serial The Adventures Of Captain Marvel. Zachary Levi stars. We like him. Source link

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