Godzilla vs Kong Director Reveals His Favorite Toho Godzilla Movies

[ShadeShadow]

Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard reveals his favorite Godzilla films from the early era of the long-running Japanese series. Across over 30 movies, the iconic reptile has seen his fair share of battles. Most recently, he collided with King Kong for the first time in over 50 years. Godzilla vs. Kong brought the Titans together in spectacular fashion, delivering a slugfest audiences have continued to enjoy.

Among Godzilla fans, discussing one's favorite films from the series is a fun challenge. The Japanese movies are separated into four distinct eras: Showa, Heisei, Millennium, and Reiwa. The Showa era encompasses the movies between 1954 and 1975, from Gojira to Terror of Mechagodzilla. The Heisei era features all the movies between 1984 and 1995, from The Return of Godzilla to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. The Millennium era goes from 1999 to 2004, from Godzilla 2000 to Godzilla: Final Wars. Finally, the Reiwa era began with 2016's Shin Godzilla, and is the current era for the series. Unsurprisingly, MonsterVerse directors have been asked which Godzilla films they enjoy the most. Godzilla (2014) director Gareth Edwards and Godzilla: King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty both cite the 1954 classic as their favorite.

Continue Scrolling To Keep ReadingClick the button below to start this article in quick view.

START NOW

RELATED:Every Toho Monster That Could Live Inside Godzilla Vs Kong's Hollow Earth

Recently, Adam Wingard participated in an "Ask Me Anything" thread on Reddit, fielding various Godzilla vs. Kong questions. One user asked the director what his favorite Godzilla films were, specifically from the Showa era. Wingard brought up 1971's Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster and 1965's Invasion of Astro-Monster.

"Smog Monster and Astro Monster are my current tops! Love the style of both and those aliens from Planet X have such cool/sexy uniforms!"

Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster is one of the most divisive films in the series. The movie has some iconic imagery, such as Hedorah feeding from a smokestack, and Godzilla using his atomic breath to soar through the air. The movie leaves a lasting impression, whether good or bad. On the flip side, one would be hard-pressed to find a fan who doesn't enjoy Invasion of Astro-Monster, which is also known as Monster Zero. The film featured a memorable science fiction story with likable leads Akira Takarada and Nick Adams. Kumi Mizuno as Miss Namikawa remains a fan favorite. Of course, it's also the only film to have Godzilla and Rodan battle King Ghidorah in outer space.

It's always interesting learning filmmakers' favorite movies, and also what film references or callbacks are featured in their work. One Godzilla vs. Kong scene was a homage to Die Hard. Going back to Godzilla specifically, the MonsterVerse showdown features callbacks to the original King Kong vs. Godzilla, such as King being carried via the air. Hopefully one day, should the MonsterVerse continue, it will bring in aliens like the Xiliens from Planet X