I'm a big fan of Godzilla, and I know I'm not the only fan here, so I thought I'd create this topic so we could discuss his movies, as well as Gamera's films and various other (dai)kaiju flicks.
This thread is meant primarily for Japanese giant monster movies; if you want to discuss Kamen Rider, Ultraman, or other tokusatsu series, there's already a thread for them.
Here's my (slightly revised and updated) review of Gojira from the early days of the Movies thread to get things started:
I highly recommend that everyone, daikaiju fan or not, see the original version of "Gojira" (The version without Raymond Burr) in all of its subtitled glory. Unlike the Godzilla movies of the 60's and 70's (and, to a lesser extant, unlike the ones from the 80's on), the original "Gojira" ("Godzilla") has a lot more going for it than the simple amusement of men in rubber suits destroying model cities while wrestling with one another. Akira Ifukube's legendary score is one of the most recognizable soundtracks in film and ranges from the propagandistic Japanese Army theme to the more somber Godzilla theme. "Gojira" is full of references to events of the time, including: the (then recent) tragedy of the Lucky Dragon fishing boat getting accidentally caught in American nuclear tests, the recently demilitarized Japan was also given a situation in which it could have a strong army, and the movie even captures/caricatures the typical attitude of postwar conservatives in the Japanese parliament (deny, deny, deny). The character of Dr. Serizawa struggles to ensure that his discovery, the oxygen destroyer (a weapon far more devastating than nuclear weapons), remains a secret and is never to be used by ANY military, including Japan's; this is in stark contrast to Americans deliberately using nuclear bombs on Japan. The monster, himself (Gojira), is of course a living representation of nuclear weapons, and Director Ishiro Honda's expertly crafted scenes of the survivors of Gojira's devastating attacks could be mistaken for video footage of the survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (which had occurred less than a decade prior to the release of the film). Many Japanese theater owners at the time reported widespread crying among theater goers following the conclusion of the film. The film is moving, in a way that no other daikaiju film is. Make no mistake, "Gojira" is one of the all time greats of cinema, regardless of genre. Put simply, it is a cinematic masterpiece.
The movie did so well subtitled in American Japanese theaters, that it was eventually licensed and brought over after heavy editing (approximately 1/3-1/2 of the original film, mostly the anti-American and deeper content, was cut out and replaced by inferior, American made footage, which turned the film classic "Gojira" into a regular monster b-movie); "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" (the bastardized version of "Gojira" released in America and elsewhere) is a very different movie from "Gojira" in many respects. Nevertheless, the existence of "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" made "Gorjira" into one of the oldest examples of a non-American film (and, quite possibly, THE oldest Japanese film) to find worldwide success. It would take 50 years until the unedited, Raymond Burr-less, original version of "Gojira" was made available to own in North America.
There have been a total of 28 Toho Godzilla films, one Tri-Star Zilla/GINO (Godzilla In Name Only) movie, and most recently, the 60th anniversary Godzilla film by Legendary, with at least two more Godzilla movies from Legendary on the way. With 29 films (30 counting GINO) and counting under his belt, Godzilla is the longest running film series to date. The later Godzilla/Gojira movies are popcorn flicks for the most part, ranging from truly horrible crap aimed solely at children (*ahem* Godzilla's Revenge) to decent kids' movies ("Son of Godzilla", "Destroy All Monsters") to entertaining sci-fi films appealing to young and old alike (the Heisei series which ran from 1984's "Return of Godzilla" [edited/butchered into "Godzilla 1985" for its American release] to 1995's "Godzilla vs Destroyah") to great movies, which are not quite "Gojira" great (2001's "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah"). Basically, what I'm getting at is that somewhere in Godzilla's vast collection of films is something for everyone. My advice: start with the original "Gojira". I've shown it to people who normally NEVER watch monster movies (or even sci-fi in general), and they've even said that they thought it was a brilliant movie. You will not be disappointed.
I recommend following Gojira up with the (mostly) excellent Heisei series of Godzilla films, which consists of the following titles:
-Return of Godzilla (aka Godzilla 1985, reestablishes Godzilla as a force of nature after the Showa series turned him into a hero).
-Godzilla vs Biollante (another serious movie, it introduces the character of Miki Saegusa, a character who would be in more Godzilla films than any other).
-Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (a bit of a throwback to the cheesy Showa movies, but still highly entertaining).
-Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (the highest grossing Godzilla movie, before inflation, until the recent Legendary movie).
-Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla II (cemented MechaGodzilla as Godzilla's deadliest foe, it also features fan favorite Rodan, and introduces Godzilla Junior, the Heisei series' answer to the annoying Minilla/Minya from the Showa films).
-Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (the 40th anniversary film and the only bad movie out of the Heisei series).
And finally, the last but certainly not the least of the Heisei Godzilla films is Godzilla vs. Destoroyah which ends the Heisei series in a glorious, albeit somber fashion: Godzilla dies, and the audience knows that it is coming from the very beginning of the film, and it is truly heartbreaking to watch Godzilla as he dies. Godzilla vs Destoroyah is one of only two Godzilla films than can truly challenge the original for the title of best Godzilla movie of all time. If you call yourself a Godzilla or Kaiju fan, you owe it to yourself to see it.
All of the Heisei Godzilla films, with the notable exception of 1985 (which is stuck in legal limbo until the American rights can be sorted out), are available on ridiculously affordable blu-ray releases, so buy them already, you will not be disappointed.