Top 10 Most Destructive Godzilla Rampages
Script Written by George Pacheco
#10: New York City
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"Godzilla (1998) & "Destroy All Monsters" (1968)
OK, so Godzilla isn't exactly known for his rampages across the USA, but New York City has actually served as ground zero for two different Big G attacks over the years. The fan favorite entry "Destroy All Monsters" from 1968 featured monster action all over the world, from Mothra attacking China to Gorosaurus in France. Godzilla devastates the Big Apple with an Atomic Breath attack in that film, but he would return to the city thirty years later in the poorly received Americanized 1998 reboot. The film, more of a "Jurassic Park" riff than anything respectful to the franchise, DOES feature plenty of quality G time in the city... it's just a shame that it couldn't have taken place in a better film.
#9: Hong Kong
"Godzilla vs. Destoroyah” (1995)
1995's "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah" was a noteworthy entry in Big G's franchise, if only for the dramatic "Death of Godzilla" angle that was hyped-up at the time. But, the film is also the setting for a memorable opening attack on Hong Kong, by a Godzilla that's red, glowing and primed for a major meltdown. Yup, the mighty Godzilla is set for a radioactive self-destruction, and his irrational anger is taken out on the city's airport and waterfront areas with chaotic atomic blasts. We can't help but pity the King of the Monsters here, despite the level of aggression on display, and by the film's end, we're reminded of just how epic a journey the original Godzilla enjoyed since first debuting in 1954.
#8: Boston
"Godzilla: King of the Monsters" (2019)
We return to the US of A here for our next entry, a continuation of the modern day "MonsterVerse" franchise of kaiju films. "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" improved upon 2014's "Godzilla" by featuring more big monster action, from a wider variety of CGI creature characters. The climax of the film takes place in Boston, Massachusetts – for a nice change of pace – and features an all out monster bash with Mothra and a revived Godzilla against Rodan and King Ghidorah. Godzilla is radioactive with rage, and the resulting fracas results in a whole lot of collateral damage, as the city's iconic Fenway Park teeters on the edge of destruction.
#7: Tokyo
"The Return of Godzilla" (1984) & "Godzilla 1985" (1985)
We're getting ready for a double shot of Tokyo terror now, people, the first of which took place in what's referred to as Godzilla's "Heisei Series." "The Return of Godzilla" was a direct sequel to the first film, ignoring the period where Godzilla was portrayed as Earth's defender. Here, Big G is once again presented as a threat that must be neutralized, and he returns to his old stomping grounds: Tokyo. The film, which was re-cut a year later as "Godzilla 1985," features tons of Tokyo terror in the city, as Godzilla goes buck wild in the city's business district before a date with a volcano makes the world safe once again... for now.
#6: Tokyo
"Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" (1991)
"Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" has a complex and somewhat confusing plot involving aliens, time travel and World War II, but, perhaps more importantly, it also features one memorable attack on Tokyo City. There's one specific moment that occurs near the film's climax where Godzilla, who has just entered the city limits, comes face to face with a human from his past. Yasuaki Shindo was a young Japanese soldier whose life was saved by Godzilla during an attack by American forces. Fast forward to the modern day, and Shindo is sure that Godzilla will recognize him. He gets his wish, as The King of the Monsters stares him down, hesitates... and then annihilates the entire building with a blast of Atomic Breath.
#5: San Francisco
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"Godzilla" (2014)
Fans were split on the 2014 iteration of Godzilla, with many complaining that the human story was uninteresting. But, thankfully, there were at least two memorable set pieces that saved this film from being a complete loss. An early battle between Godzilla and one of the MUTOs in Honolulu serves as an appetizer, but it's the climactic rampage on the streets of San Francisco that's the film's main course. Godzilla's arrival not only results in the destruction of the Golden Gate Bridge, but the downtown area of the city, as well, leaving San Francisco battered and bruised.
#4: Atami Castle
"King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962)
It was the ultimate grudge match, a battle between two titans of the giant monster game in an East-meets-West classic. We're talking, of course, about "King Kong vs. Godzilla," the 1962 classic that attempted to put an end to schoolyard conjecture once and for all. Today, the film may seem... well, it may seem a little hokey frankly, but there's nothing funny about the final showdown between Kong and Godzilla, with the landmark Atami Castle serving as some unintentional collateral damage. The castle has roots dating all the way back to the 1500s, but it crumbles to dust as a casualty of Kong and Godzilla's rampage, torn down as the monsters fight each other tooth and nail.
#3: Sydney
"Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004)
Hey, did you hate "Godzilla" '98? Well, then you'll love this. The plot of "Godzilla: Final Wars" is a cluttered but fun mish-mash, as kaiju from across the Godzilla universe are tasked by aliens to attack major cities around the world. The Godzilla from 1998, here hippily renamed "Zilla," marches on Sydney, Australia, but he has one major problem standing in his way, namely the real Godzilla. The G Man makes short work of Zilla, side stepping a frontal assault and blasting it straight into the iconic Sydney Opera House. Call us crazy, but we can't help but find the sight of this major world landmark buckling under the destruction of this ignoble Godzilla photocopy to be strangely satisfying.
#2: Tokyo
"Gojira" (1954)
Our penultimate pick is the one that started it all, the iconic "Gojira" from 1954, the first film that introduced Godzilla to the world. The King of the Monsters is lean, mean and not to be trifled with here, as the shadow of World War II still looms large over this film and its narrative. The horror that defined the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is present in every Godzilla stomp, each harrowing roar and all of the frightened reactions of the Tokyo populous. The destruction here is NOT played for laughs, and should not be celebrated, but instead treated with the sort of reverence intended by the filmmakers; a rampaging cautionary tale that still works so incredibly well to this day.
Before we name our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions!
Tokyo
"Godzilla 2000" (1999)
Hakone
"Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack!" (2001)
Kyoto
"Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II" (1993)
#1: Tokyo
"Shin Godzilla" (2016)
Our number one pick could be considered something of a bookend for the Godzilla franchise, a companion piece to the 1954 original that hits upon similar beats, while at the same time existing as its own animal. The origin story for "Shin Gojira" is updated a bit to reference nuclear waste and human carelessness, but the destruction is treated with a similarly stoic tone. Tokyo's destruction is apocalyptic in scope, and Godzilla's emergence from the ocean depths isn't hokey or humorous in the slightest. Crushed boats and bridges, ruined city streets, countless dead from the public and private sector..."Shin Godzilla" takes no prisoners.
