Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

It's easy to see why Final Wars split fan opinion so much. Kitamura made a kaijū film that's packed with outside influences, and even though it references much of the series history it's not always complementary to the tone.
It's a sci-fi adventure set on Earth, with at least a dozen creatures pulled from retirement for an all out monster brawl that's pure insanity. Just when you think it can't possibly have any more deus ex machinas in its arsenal it pulls another one from somewhere, bundled with stupid-fun and a pre-made 'Why the hell not?' coupon for the viewer to immediately redeem.
It's a two-hour film, but the pace rarely slows down because it sacrifices character development to keep the excitement thundering along.

It's the 28th film in the series overall and the 6th and final entry in the Millennium era (i.e. standalone, alternative sequels to the 1954 original).

3½ giant wake up calls out of 5

Destroy All Monsters (1968)

The ninth* Godzilla movie has eleven kaijū in all, gathered together and housed on an island named Monsterland (not to be confused with Monster Island). The world will be in trouble if the high tech (i.e. piss-poor) barriers ever break, so let’s hope that never happens, eh?
If that wasn't enough, there’s a second threat that may well have had a hand in orchestrating the first. It never rains but it pours.
It’s fun but some of the kaijū are wasted; they're relegated to a spectator role while the usual suspects screech and thump their way to the finale.

3 invasions out of 5

*Rodan’s fourth and Mothra’s fifth. I'm not going to mention all the others. I’d be here all day if I had to list their origins and appearances.

Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

aka Monster Zero / Godzilla vs. Monster Zero

Where did King Ghidorah go after his attack on Japan? He flew into the next Godzilla movie, of course, which is the sixth in the series.*
The previous entries used elements of science fiction, but none of them went as far or fit the label quite as well as Astro-Monster. It’s less of a typical Godzilla film and more like an average mid-sixties science fiction flick with some creature guest stars thrown in.
Unfortunately, it also plummets Godzilla further into the realms of dodgy credibility by having him/her/it do something ridiculous.

*For Rodan fans who want to see his stints in order, Astro is third.

3 dangerous exports out of 5

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

If proof were needed that adding more monsters to a film doesn't necessarily make it better, look upon exhibit A. It’s the first to feature King Ghidorah, but what’s not evident from the title is that it’s also the fifth Godzilla film and continues the story of Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964).*
A storm of meteorites lights up the night sky, bringing with them the three-headed King of destruction. Meanwhile, the big G and Rodan are going head to head, dragging the franchise into new territory. There are elements of slapstick creeping into the bouts. Nut shots were okay, but did we really need a game of keepie-uppie with a rock? Bloody hell.

*If you want to keep track of the other monsters, it's the third outing for Mothra and the second for Rodan who each had their own series.

2½ stubborn creatures out of 5

Rodan (1956)

Turn the events of Rodan into a simple flowchart and it’ll read like many of the less inventive kaijū eiga: Human story | Creature(s) awaken(s) | Atomic power is mentioned | Creature(s) rampage during last 30 mins | JSDF shoot monster repeatedly to no avail | Quick fix | End. What sets Rodan apart is that the human story it offers up is better than most. There’s a feeling of genuine concern between the folks of the small mining village. The terror they experience is shared among the workers and the decision makers.
The film's end leaves the viewer with more than just a feeling that the job was adequately done; there’s a lingering sadness.

2½ bug snacks out of 5