It might be seen as blasphemous putting the new Legendary film this high. Godzilla vs. Gigan introduces one of the coolest Godzilla villains, the terrifying Gigan. The final film in the this cycle of the character, 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla, marked the last Godzilla movie in what has been dubbed the "Shōwa era," and his last appearance until the 1984 reboot. Currently the 2014 Godzilla and 2016's Kong: Skull Island cannot be watched on the platform, but like the classic Godzilla movies they're also not required view to understand the film. 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Movie Review: In ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ the two classic monsters fight each other while a wasted cast, including Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, … By Spencer Perry ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Box Office Makes HBO Max Seem Less Threatening to Theaters "Raya and the Last Dragon" makes a strong debut on VOD charts, but "Godzilla… These films rank among the most violent of the Showa Era Godzilla films, with many fights featuring blood and brutal beat-downs. In addition the 1998 Sony remake of Godzilla can also be viewed on Netflix if you wish to do that. And while it also features Godzilla teaming up with Anguirus and Gigan teaming up with Ghidorah, it never stops feeling painfully generic. New to HBO Max in March 2021 March 1: 10 Years, 2012 (HBO) A Mouse Tale, 2012 (HBO) Adventureland, 2009 (HBO) Assault On Precinct 13, 1976 (HBO) Assault On Precinct 13, 2005 (HBO) Bandits, 2001 (HBO) A full list of all the movies leaving HBO Max in April 2021, including Godzilla vs. Kong, The Invisible Man, and Jojo Rabbit. Though younger audience members may not be as interested in this version, it stands the test of time and remains one of the best movies in the franchise. The final fight is particularly creative with how every monster feels necessary to the resolution of the battle. Many regard Godzilla's son Minilla to be one of the worst characters in the entire franchise. is not just a great film in the series: it's a great film. Here's everything to know. HBO Max's collection is incomplete, but it does have most of the Showa Era available alongside 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The long-awaited mash-up of these two Legendary monster franchises will be bashing its way onto HBO Max. HBO Max is now streaming Godzilla vs. Kong, the latest big-screen movie available the same time it's in theaters, alongside lots of other movies and shows. The big-budget kaiju showdown — the latest in Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment’s series of “Monsterverse” films — debuts in theaters and on HBO Max on Wednesday. There is a mythic quality to Mothra, with her being framed as a positive representative of nature. Yet the film, outside the monster fights, is kind of boring. Worse still, the English dub of the film features plenty of absurd scenes where we hear translated versions of what Godzilla and Anguirus are saying, which makes scenes featuring the two so absurd it's hard to take seriously. There is something happening in every second of this film, really elevating Godzilla and his lore to a mythic status come the finale. Of the large selection of Godzilla movies currently available to HBO Max subscribers, there's the original 1954 film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Destroy All Monsters, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and more. At the same time, “Godzilla vs. Kong” was offered on HBO Max, ... For a big-budget movie like “Godzilla vs. Kong,” which cost $165 million to produce, the results are even more significant. 'Godzilla vs. Kong' was a hit at the box office and on HBO Max, and it shows why the post-pandemic terms between studios and theaters are far from settled Travis Clark 2021-04-06T21:07:40Z Godzilla has been stomping cities on the big screen since 1954, with a lot of great movies and just as many duds since then. #Godzilla; 8 best Godzilla movies on HBO Max you need to watch ASAP; 8 best Godzilla movies on HBO Max you need to watch ASAP. HBO Max is not home to every Godzilla movie, with Netflix being the sole home to the three Toho animated movies Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle, and Godzilla: The Planet Eater. Most of the sequels that followed King Kong vs Godzilla are available on HBO Max including Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Invasion of Astro-Monster (aka Monster Zero), Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (aka Godzilla Versus the Sea Monster), Son of Godzilla, and the ultimate kaiju throw down, Destroy All Monsters. Currently the 1962 showdown between Japan's champion and the American king is NOT available on HBO Max, nor The Criterion Channel. This 1955 follow-up introduces the first monster that Godzilla will fight in the spiked Anguirus, but can't hold a candle to the first movie. The film is incredibly dull and features very stiff, very dull monster fights. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Most of the comedy hones in on two things: Minilla is a terrible monster and Godzilla is a terrible father. The film depicts Godzilla as a cosmic force of nature, striking down mankind for its hubris. Godzilla has made HBO Max its new home. You get snippets of kaiju at the start and a brawl at the end. Fans more familiar with monster brawls and battles might not be prepared for this film's somber tone. With the launch of HBO Max, the new streaming service has already set itself apart from much of its competition in one clear way: classic movies. Most of the Godzilla movies from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s cannot be watched on HBO Max, or anywhere for that matter. Not sure where to start? While the film does have somewhat heartwarming sequences of growth between the two, it's ultimately a very strange, less-than-stellar film in the franchise. Because Mothra and her larva are comparatively squishy monsters, they fight using strategy rather than strength, making things interesting. Inverse - Bryan Lawver • 25d. The film has some of the most breathtaking sequences of kaiju in the entire franchise, including the unforgettable scene where Godzilla literally emerges from the Earth itself. Sony's Crackle has the film Godzilla 2000 available as well. The film already opened in theaters in Australia and other countries, but some, including France and Japan, won't get it until May. This film has some of the best monsters, yet some of the dullest sequences ever put on film. Watch Godzilla vs. Kong on HBO Max March 31. In addition the award winning 2016 movie Shin Godzilla can't be watched online other than as a digital rental from some platforms. Kong on HBO Max in its first five days on service from March 31-April 4. The film, the first Godzilla movie to be shot in color, isn't available anywhere for streaming currently as its American distribution is owned by Universal Pictures. It's fun to watch all the monsters on-screen, but it gets sad watching everyone beat-down Ghidorah without the dragon getting in any good shots. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster - The first major kaiju battle movie, pitting four monsters in a major brawl. Is Godzilla Canon In The Magic: The Gathering Multiverse? The fourth film in the franchise remains even decades later among the greatest in the franchise. Godzilla has been stomping cities on the big screen since 1954, with a lot of great movies and just as many duds since then. Destroy All Monsters is widely remembered for its admittedly amazing final battle where every monster gangs up on Ghidorah, but this fight lacks tension. The film has a bizarre human subplot that's more distracting than interesting, but when the monsters show up, all of them play off one another's strength. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla - The first appearance of the robot antagonist. Godzilla vs. Kong is bringing in monster viewing figures for HBO Max, scoring the biggest audience on the streamer to date following its release on March 31. In an interview Monday with Deadline, “Godzilla vs. Kong” director Adam Wingard talked about the unique position of having his film test the waters of Warner Bros.’ 2021 HBO Max strategy. All three guest monsters in this film, including Jaguar, are some of the most distinct and memorable monsters in the franchise. Godzilla vs Kong, the monster movie whose plot needs no explanation, released on March 31 in the US simultaneously in cinemas and on HBO Max.. … No Godzilla film has ever surpassed the original. Since the 1950s, Godzilla has been rampaging around Tokyo, Japan, and the rest of the planet, brawling all who come in its path. However, with multiple timelines, franchises, and continuities, as well as changes to the style and focus of each film, Godzilla has had a tumultuous history over the years. We’re so close now to finally seeing “Godzilla vs Kong,” the apex predator battle royale between King Kong and Godzilla on HBO Max. The introduction to Ghidorah features the first major team-up between kaiju. While it's a novelty to see another film in the franchise in black-and-white, it also feels incredibly weak, especially following the amazing original film. However, it must be understood that this is a ranking of just the films available at launch for HBO Max. RELATED: Godzilla: Why Rodan Chose Ghidorah's Side In King Of The Monsters. Godzilla and Rodan fight for the majority of this movie, with the awakened Ghirorah causing pandemonium. It should, in theory, have been the closest to the original in terms of quality, since this film came out before Godzilla became a monster-brawl saga. It's essentially up to Mothra to make things work. In addition the 1966 movies The War of the Gargantuas can also be seen on HBO Max. Click the button below to start this article in quick view. In-between, it's humans talking and humanoid aliens in labs talking. HBO Max includes both versions of the movie: the Japanese version from filmmaker Ishirō Honda (simply titled "Godzilla" on the service) and the American version of the film featuring new material with US actor Raymond Burr (titled "Godzilla, King of the Monsters!," not to be confused with the 2019 film). The Japanese version is rightly considered the superior version and comes only subtitled on HBO Max. There is very little destruction or combat throughout the film. HBO has the Showa Collection among its films. The 2019 movie from director Michael Dougherty is the only film from Legendary's Monster-verse available for streaming on HBO Max. Written for The Mary Sue, ScreenRant, The Anime Feminist, The Gamer, and Vocal. HBO Max is the streaming service to have if you love giant monster movies… It's absurd and silly, which could be exactly what you're looking for. It's an excellent brawl film featuring some of the most entertaining and insane monster fights ever. Terror of Mechagodzilla - The final film in the Shōwa era from Toho and features the underrated monster, Titanosaurus. Here are the best Godzilla movies you can watch now on HBO Max. They are also among the best films in the franchise, but due to them being so similar, it's best to just group them together. While it's far from the worst this franchise has to offer, it's the worst one you'll find on HBO Max. CNET - HBO Max is now streaming Godzilla vs. Kong, the latest big-screen movie available the same time it's in theaters, alongside lots of other movies and shows. In addition to ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ HBO Max subscribers will have access to other new releases coming out in the theaters, including ‘Matrix 4,’ ‘Space Jam 2’ and ‘Dune’. You get snippets of kaiju at the start and a brawl at the end. So which films are the best or worst? Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla are two incredibly similar films that were released back-to-back, closing off the Showa Period of Godzilla. Of the fifteen films we've cited above, there are some stands outs in particular: Godzilla (1954) - A general great movie and the start of the franchise. KEEP READING: Is Godzilla Canon In The Magic: The Gathering Multiverse? 1 like • 8 shares. A one-stop shop for all things video games. RELATED: Godzilla 1998: Why Zilla Was Controversial (And Better Than You Remember). Copyright 2020 ComicBook.com. Lifelong lover of comics, anime, and weird films. We know the movie … Luckily there's not a very strict continuity for the earlier Godzilla movies, so leaping around as you see fit and watching whichever sounds the most interesting to you is an entirely appropriate way to watch. Perhaps the even better news for HBO Max is that, despite access for Godzilla vs. Kong on a popular SVOD, the film still generated $285.4 million in opening weekend global box office. What makes this film so memorable is one scene, however, where Godzilla drop-kicks Megalon while Jet Jaguar holds him in place. All of the 1970s Godzilla movies from Toho are available for streaming on HBO Max including Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. Gigan , Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, … The Monarch Agency seen in Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla: King of the Monsters returns here, for a story that looks to finally crash those two major monsters into the same modern story. Simply searching for "Godzilla" will not bring up all of the movies featuring the character, which could be a hurdle as some classic movies with the kaiju don't have his name in the title. The connection between that movie and the Godzilla franchise is a little tenuous (it's a sequel to the unavailable Frankenstein Conquers the World which featured the kaiju Baragon, a monster that appears in Destroy All Monsters), but it's a cult classic monster movie and was previously noted by director Guillermo del Toro as a major inspiration for Pacific Rim. In-between, it's humans talking and humanoid aliens in labs talking. Earned my MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. The direct sequel to the 1954 movie, Godzilla Raids Again, is present and available to watch with no sign of its American counterpart (the poorly dubbed "Gigantis, the Fire Monster"). Godzilla Vs. Kong will debut in U.S. theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously on Wednesday, March 31. It's not great cinema, but at no point is it ever boring. Unclear about what movies are spin-offs and what's unrelated? With an entire branch of the service dedicated to films from the Turner Classic Movies brand, and an overlap with The Criterion Collection, which happens to include most of the classic Godzilla movies from the legendary Toho Studios. Of course, Godzilla vs Kong is streaming on HBO Max for those who cannot make it to a cinema, and a new report says the movie has broken an important record for the streaming service. The 1956 solo movie Rodan, which introduced the world to the flying kaijiu that would go on to appear in Godzilla movies, is available to be watched. However, with multiple timelines, franchises, and continuities, as well as changes to the style and focus of each film, Godzilla has had a tumultuous history over the years. Loves different varieties of coffee. War of the Gargantuas - Semi-unrelated to the larger franchise but a Toho movie worth seeking out. RELATED: Godzilla Once Wrecked An Omega-Level Mutant, A Demigod AND An Avenger. The movie will stream on HBO Max, free to all subscribers, for one month, or 31 days. Only a few of Toho Studios' other kaiju movies are available on HBO Max but luckily they're both winners. We'll also note that, seemingly due to limitations in the search function of HBO Max, currently the specific titles must be typed out into the search bar in order to find them. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. They ask the alien Gigan to help them out, which forces Godzilla to stop the two of them with the Ultraman knock-off Jet Jaguar. From the Snyder Cut to 'Godzilla vs. Kong' to a double dose of Keanu Reeves! People forget that Godzilla is not just a great film in the series: it's a great film. All of the 1970s Godzilla movies from Toho are available for streaming on HBO Max including Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Terror of Mechagodzilla. Godzilla vs. Kong will be available to HBO Max subscribers the same day as the theatrical release at no extra cost. We've included a list of our favorites if you just want to hit the highlights, along with the movies in the series that aren't on HBO Max for one reason or another. There are multiple disturbing scenes of people dying in hospitals. Rodan - A kaiju movie that will keep you guessing all the way to the final frame. Sign up now! Unfortunately, that was not the case. RELATED: Godzilla: How The Movie Monster Crashed Into The Marvel Universe. The rest of the film is a rip-off of the superior Invasion of Astro-Monster. While the films introduce several iconic monsters, from King Caesar to Titanosaurus, the real star is Mechagodzilla, a mechanical counter-part to Godzilla that's even stronger than the King of the Monsters. Here's everything to know. . All rights reserved. Since the 1950s, Godzilla has been rampaging around Tokyo, Japan, and the rest of the planet, brawling all who come in its path. Godzilla Vs. Kong Is HBO Max's Biggest Streaming Release Yet. The seemingly lopsided competition between Mothra and Godzilla features some of the most creative monster brawls in the entire Showa Era. Up first is the movie that start it all, the somber and stoutly anti-nuclear war Gojira. We've got a full guide to Toho's kaiju movies and everything Godzilla adjacent below! New data suggests Godzilla vs. Kong beat other massive movies like Wonder Woman 1984 and Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max. Godzilla vs. Kong is out now in the US in cinemas and on HBO Max. The second Godzilla film is also the introduction to the popular monster Anguirus. This is primarily thanks to Minilla's later, talking appearance in Godzilla's Revenge, but Son of Godzilla isn't exactly a fun watch, either. HBO Max's collection is incomplete, but it does have most of the Showa Era available alongside 2019's. This genuinely haunting depiction of the terrors of nuclear war reflects the pain and fear many Japanese people felt in the wake of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Godzilla Movies Streaming Guide for HBO Max, Attack on Titan Fans Really Aren't Ready for the Manga to End, Studio Ghibli Producer Reveals Surprising Fact About Its Films' Heroines, One Piece Gets Emotional with a Big Season One Throwback, Dragon Ball Star Challenges Godzilla vs Kong with Great Ape Meme, My Hero Academia Season 5 Sets Up a Historic One For All Reveal, Boruto Assembles the Kage for Naruto's Biggest Meeting Yet, One Piece Artwork Gives Wano's Yonkos a Classical Makeover. Megalon is an evil space cockroach sent by underground people who are sick of their upstairs neighbors causing such a racket. Justice League's Early Darkseid Concept Art Was Even More Menacing, HBO Max's Best (and Worst) Classic Godzilla Movies, Godzilla: Why Rodan Chose Ghidorah's Side In King Of The Monsters, Godzilla 1998: Why Zilla Was Controversial (And Better Than You Remember), Godzilla Once Wrecked An Omega-Level Mutant, A Demigod AND An Avenger, Godzilla: How The Movie Monster Crashed Into The Marvel Universe. Long live the King. - May 29, 2020 05:00 pm EDT. The film focuses on Godzilla raising Minilla on Monster Island, with their father-son relationship being the core of the film. Godzilla has made HBO Max its new home. Without competition like Shin Godzilla or Godzilla vs. Ghidorah, Godzilla: King of the Monsters easily breaks the Top 5 films. Here are some of the best monster movies you can stream on HBO Max, including King Kong and Godzilla. Absent from HBO Max (but still available on The Criterion Channel) is the 1969 All Monsters Attack, derided by some Godzilla fans for being entirely too focused on being a movie for children but not without its vocal supporters as well. What are the best classic Godzilla films -- and which are the worst?