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'''Godzilla''' (from the Japanese: ''Gojira'' meaning, approximately, [[gorilla]]-[[whale]]), is a fictional creature ([[kaiju]]) featured in a number of popular [[Japan]]ese films made by Toho Studios since 1954. Its backstory was that it was a prehistoric sea creature that ended up significantly mutated as a result of underwater hydrogen bomb testing, and proceeding to lash out as a result of being irradiated before ultimately being destroyed by the Oxygen Destroyer.

'''Godzilla''' (Japanese: ゴジラ, Hepburn: ''Gojira''), is a fictional monster, or [[kaiju]], originating from a series of [[Japan]]ese films made by Toho Studios since 1954. Since then, Godzilla has become a worldwide popular culture icon, appearing in a variety of media, including 32 Japanese-made films by Toho Studios, 5 different American films, as well as different TV shows, video games, and comic books.

A 300-foot high, 20,000 ton, fire-breathing [[dinosaur]], he typically emerges from hibernation to demolish major cities, especially [[Tokyo]], and fight hand-to-hand with a selection of monstrous foes, notable amongst whom are Mothra (a gigantic [[moth]]), King Ghidorah (a three-headed golden space [[dragon]]), and Rodan (a huge [[pterodactyl]]). In the original 1954 film and many subsequent films, Godzilla has been portrayed as a menace to humanity, while in others he acts as a savior and guardian. In Son of Godzilla, he is shown to be a stern but conscientious father.

Godzilla is an enormous, destructive, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the ''Lucky Dragon 5'' incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for [[nuclear weapons]]. Others have suggested that Godzilla is a metaphor for the United States, a giant beast woken from its slumber which then takes terrible vengeance on Japan. As the film series expanded, some stories took on less serious undertones, portraying Godzilla as an antihero, or a lesser threat who defends humanity. Later films address themes including Japan's forgetfulness over its imperial past, natural disasters, and the human condition.

Being traditionally portrayed by a man in a suit, in contrast to the [[stop-motion animation]] techniques used for films such as [[King Kong]], allows Godzilla an almost human range of dramatic expression, at the expense of entirely convincing special effects. Though the versions commonly available in the West are often badly edited and cheaply [[dubbing|dubbed]], production values for Godzilla films are surprisingly high.  

Godzilla has featured alongside many supporting characters. It has faced human opponents such as the JSDF, or other monsters, including King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla and Gigan. Godzilla sometimes has allies, such as Rodan, Mothra and Anguirus, and offspring, such as Minilla and Godzilla Junior. Godzilla has also fought characters from other franchises in crossover media, such as the RKO Pictures/Universal Studios movie monster King Kong, as well as various Marvel Comics characters, including S.H.I.E.L.D., the Fantastic Four and the Avengers.

 

In addition to city-trampling and monster fights, [[science fiction]] themes such as [[robotics]], [[mind control]], and [[alien invasion]] are commonly featured. Leading human characters typically exhibit extreme devotion to duty and a readiness to make heroic self-sacrifices.

==''Godzilla'' (1998)==

==''Godzilla'' (1998)==

==''Godzilla: Final Wars'' (2004)==

==''Godzilla: Final Wars'' (2004)==

In 2004, Toho produced ''Godzilla: Final Wars'' in which they showed their disapproval of the 1998 version. In this film, an organization called the EDF (Earth Defense Force), which is composed of humans called "mutants", has been formed to counter the monster attacks that take place periodically. However, an alien race known as the Xilians takes control of many of the monsters on earth (one of which is the Roland Emmerich version of Godzilla, now called "Zilla") and directs them to attack many of Earth's major cities. Then they capture them, appearing to mankind as benevolent. However, when their true intentions of eating humans is revealed, they release the monsters on the cities to continue their destruction. Eventually, Godzilla (who was imprisoned in the ice) is freed, and proceeds to defeat each and every one of the monsters. He starts with "Zilla", who he defeats in 45 seconds (to show how much "better" the original Godzilla is). He then goes on to destroy the rest of them, ending the Xilian threat.

In 2004, Toho produced ''Godzilla: Final Wars''. In this film, an organization called the EDF (Earth Defense Force), which is composed of humans called "mutants", has been formed to counter the monster attacks that take place periodically. However, an alien race known as the Xilians takes control of many of the monsters on earth (one of which is the Roland Emmerich version of Godzilla, now called "Zilla") and directs them to attack many of Earth's major cities. Then they capture them, appearing to mankind as benevolent. However, when their true intentions of eating humans is revealed, they release the monsters on the cities to continue their destruction. Eventually, Godzilla (who was imprisoned in the ice) is freed, and proceeds to defeat each and every one of the monsters. He starts with "Zilla", who he defeats in 45 seconds (to show how much "better" the original Godzilla is). He then goes on to destroy the rest of them, ending the Xilian threat.

==''Godzilla'' (2014)==

==''Godzilla'' (2014)==

In 2014, another remake was released, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Ken Watanabe.  The film garnered mostly positive reviews, as the Godzilla in this film resembled the original design of the character, as opposed to the 1998 film.  However, some were critical as Godzilla does not get much screentime in the film. This version of Godzilla later reappeared with more screentime in ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (where he fought against several hyperfauna from the other Japanese films and ultimately against King Ghidorah), and later in the crossover film ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' (crossing over with character Kong from ''Kong: Skull Island'').  

In 2014, another remake was released, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Ken Watanabe.  The film garnered mostly positive reviews, as the Godzilla in this film resembled the original design of the character, as opposed to the 1998 film.  However, some were critical as Godzilla does not get much screentime in the film. This version of Godzilla later reappeared with more screentime in ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (where he fought against several hyperfauna from the other Japanese films and ultimately against King Ghidorah), and later in the film ''Godzilla vs. Kong''.

==Filmography==

==Filmography==

*''Godzilla''/''Godzilla, King of the Monsters!'' (1954)

*''Godzilla'' (1954)

*''Godzilla Raids Again'' (aka ''Gigantis, the Fire Monster'') (1955)

*''Godzilla Raids Again'' (1955)

*''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962)

*''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962)

*''Mothra vs. Godzilla'' (aka ''Godzilla Vs. The Thing'') (1964)

*''Mothra vs. Godzilla'' (1964)

*''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'' (1964)

*''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'' (1964)

*''Invasion of Astro-Monster'' (aka ''Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero'') (1965)

*''Invasion of Astro-Monster'' (1965)

*''Ebirah, Horror of the Deep'' (aka ''Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster'') (1966)

*''Ebirah, Horror of the Deep'' (1966)

*''Son of Godzilla'' (1967)

*''Son of Godzilla'' (1967)

*''Destroy All Monsters'' (1968)

*''Destroy All Monsters'' (1968)

*''All Monsters Attack'' (aka ''Godzilla's Revenge'') (1969)

*''All Monsters Attack'' (1969)

*''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'' (aka ''Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster'') (1971)

*''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'' (1971)

*''Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (aka ''Godzilla on Monster Island'') (1972)

*''Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (1972)

*''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' (1973)

*''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' (1973)

*''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla'' (aka ''Godzilla Vs the Bionic/Cosmic Monster'') (1974)

*''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla'' (1974)

*''Terror of Mechagodzilla'' (1975)

*''Terror of Mechagodzilla'' (1975)

*''The Return of Godzilla''/''Godzilla 1985'' (1984)

*''The Return of Godzilla'' (1984)

*''Godzilla vs. Biollante'' (1989)

*''Godzilla vs. Biollante'' (1989)

*''Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah'' (1991)

*''Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah'' (1991)

*''Godzilla vs. Mothra'' (aka ''Godzilla Vs. Queen Mothra'', ''Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth'') (1992)

*''Godzilla vs. Mothra'' (1992)

*''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'' (1993)

*''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'' (1993)

*''Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla'' (1994)

*''Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla'' (1994)

*''Godzilla vs. Destroyah'' (1995)

*''Godzilla vs. Destroyah'' (1995)

*''GODZILLA'' (1998) - American remake

*''GODZILLA'' (1998) - American remake

*''Godzilla 2000: Millennium'' (aka ''Godzilla 2000'') (1999)

*''Godzilla 2000: Millennium'' (1999)

*''Godzilla vs. Megaguirus'' (2000)

*''Godzilla vs. Megaguirus'' (2000)

*''Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' (aka GMK (fan acronym)) (2001)

*''Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' (aka GMK (fan acronym)) (2001)

*''Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla'' (aka ''Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla III'')(Japanese Title)(2002)

*''Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla'' (2002)

*''Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'' (aka ''Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla/Kiryu: Tokyo SOS'') (2003)

*''Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.'' (2003)

*''Godzilla: Final Wars'' (2004)

*''Godzilla: Final Wars'' (2004)

*''Godzilla'' (2014)

*''Godzilla'' (2014)

*''Shin Godzilla'' (2016)

*''Shin Godzilla'' (2016)

*''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019)

*''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019)

*''Godzilla vs. Kong'' (2021)

*''Godzilla vs. Kong'' (2021)