The Godzilla movies are part of one of the longest running film franchises of all time, so it’s only logical that there is a lot of variance in their quality. Of course, there are good Godzilla movies and there are bad Godzilla movies, but on the other hand, there are also many great entries that were unfairly judged by most viewers.

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Whether they were received poorly because they reused characters from a previous movie, or they were ignored because their ideas didn’t seem interesting enough to most people, this is a list of different films from the Godzilla franchise that deserve a second opportunity from general audiences and G-Fans alike.

6 Invasion Of Astro-Monster

IMDb Rating: 6.2/10

• Released: December 19, 1965
• Era: Showa
• Studio: Toho Pictures
• Director: Ishiro Honda

1964’s Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster was a monumental film for the franchise, since it marked the first appearance of Godzilla’s longtime rival, King Ghidorah. A year later, Invasion of Astro-Monster came out, a direct sequel in which Godzilla has to join forces with Rodan in order to fight King Ghidorah yet again. Because of the similar concept and reuse of the same monsters, this film is often ignored by most fans.

It's unfortunate, because the plot of Invasion of Astro-Monster is very different from its predecessor, and it feels quite refreshing in comparison. This is a quintessential alien invasion movie, with an intriguing mystery and a thrilling espionage plot woven in, so even the human characters are memorable. It also features some solid action and memorable scenes – like Godzilla’s victory dance – that turn it into a worthwhile entry in this series.

5 Godzilla Vs Hedorah

IMDb Rating: 6.1/10

• Released: July 24, 1971
• Era: Showa
• Studio: Toho Pictures
• Director: Yoshimitsu Banno

There’s no shortage of Godzilla movies that are so bizarre that they end up being accidentally entertaining, like Godzilla vs. Gigan or Godzilla vs. Megalon. The film that kick-started this trend, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, is often grouped with those two, when it’s actually a really creative and more serious project that has a lot to say.

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Director Yoshimitsu Banno’s surreal style may seem shocking at first, but it’s truly unique, and it helps this movie stand out from the rest of the franchise. While the titular kaiju, Hedorah, has an extravagant design, it’s actually one of Godzilla’s most dangerous foes, and it gave the King of the Monsters a rough time. This movie is also very iconic for featuring a scene of Godzilla flying with his own radioactive breath. Not to mention that this film has a solid anti-pollution message that has aged extremely well.

4 Terror Of Mechagodzilla

IMDb Rating: 6.1/10

• Released: March 15, 1975
• Era: Showa
• Studio: Toho Pictures
• Director: Ishiro Honda

Another one of Godzilla’s most legendary enemies, Mechagodzilla, was introduced in 1974 with the excellent Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Similarly to King Ghidorah, this villain immediately reappeared in a sequel that was released the following year, but this second film is often seen as a cheap rehash of the same monster, when it’s actually one of the most emotional entries in the entire franchise.

Terror of Mechagodzilla has what might be one of the most gripping human narratives in the series, thanks to the tragic tale of Dr. Mafune and his cyborg daughter, Katsuna. The monster elements were also stepped up a notch, with Titanosaurus joining Mechagodzilla in the fight against Godzilla, which resulted in one of the most entertaining and violent monster brawls in the franchise. This was such a perfect way to end the Showa Era.

3 Godzilla Vs Megaguirus

IMDb Rating: 6/10

• Released: December 16, 2000
• Era: Millennium
• Studio: Toho Pictures
• Director: Masaaki Tezuka

The Millennium Era of Godzilla films is quite odd, since most of the movies are disconnected from one another and rely on bringing back classic characters, like Mechagodzilla or King Ghidorah. But the second entry of this era, known as Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, is undoubtedly one of the most forgotten and severely underappreciated releases in the franchise.

The titular Megaguirus may not be as intimidating as other kaiju, but she and her swarm of Meganula pose a significant threat to Godzilla. This results in some really fun and goofy fight scenes that are reminiscent of the classic Showa Era films, which was a breath of fresh air when compared to the more serious movies from the Millennium Era. On top of that, the subplot of humans trying to defeat Godzilla by firing a black hole at him was actually very interesting.

2 Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

IMDb Rating: 6/10

• Released: May 31, 2019
• Era: Monsterverse
• Studio: Legendary Pictures
• Director: Michael Dougherty

Legendary Pictures’ Monsterverse has received mostly positive reviews from general audiences, but there’s one movie in this cinematic universe that has not resonated with most people: 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. It’s a shame because this feels like a movie that was made for Godzilla fans, by Godzilla fans. For once, an American studio got the rights for the iconic monsters Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah, and they managed to create some of the most impressive visual incarnations of these characters, with a great amount of respect for their legacies.

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The design of Godzilla himself was also greatly improved, and the giant monster action is a big step up from the previous entry, 2014’s Godzilla. Even the soundtrack is filled to the brim with clever references and homages to previous films. While some of the human characters are uninteresting, as they’re there to mainly expand on the intriguing lore of this universe, and are not enough to take away from all the good elements of this movie. King of the Monsters is an underappreciated movie that deserves another look.

1 Godzilla: The Planet Eater

IMDb Rating: 5.1

• Released: November 3, 2018
• Era: Reiwa
• Studio: Polygon Pictures
• Director: Kobun Shizuno & Hiroyuki Seshita

The trilogy of animated Godzilla films are disliked by a lot of series fans, as they’re weird, experimental, and don’t put much of their focus on the monsters themselves. While there’s some truth in these criticisms, the third and final entry, known as Godzilla: Planet Eater, deserves more appreciation, because it is one of the most mind-blowing movies in the entire franchise.

The previous films established Godzilla Earth as this gigantic creature that took over the Earth and was literally impossible to defeat, so this one reintroduces King Ghidorah as a terrifying eldritch horror that exists between dimensions. It’s a really fascinating concept that pays off in some chilling horror scenes and an epic giant battle during the climax. While there are some questionable plot points on the human side of things, this entry is way more interesting than the other two films. The entire anime trilogy may be divisive, but The Planet Eater deserves to be remembered as one of the most distinctive Godzilla movies ever made.

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