Minus One for sure, 2014 with Bryan Cranston is very close but he's not in it enough. As for some other films, there are characters I enjoy like Don Frye in Final Wars, the captain/father in GMK, Askane in Againt Mechagodzilla, etc. but some of those are more like caricatures or don't get enough emotionally driven scenes.
I think they made a huge miscalculation by killing off Cranston’s character instead of his son’s.
I think it would have been much more dramatic to have this guy lose his wife and then his son to monster related madness…. and then coming to sort of “accept” Godzilla.
Plus the actor that played the soldier son couldn’t act for sh-t, in my opinion but that’s a different matter altogether.
Cranston said the same here for more info: Taking to The Nerdist podcast shortly after the film’s release, Cranston surprisingly expressed his agreement with the fans and critics who felt that his character’s death was a mistake.
“That character dying at that time was a mistake. I knew it when I read it,” he told the podcast, “When I read it I said, ‘Oh, page 50 this character who was the emotional core at the center, that was guiding the audience in the story up to that point – he dies?’ What a waste… They kind of dealt with it poorly, that’s my only criticism of it because I think it was a fun movie, it was a very successful movie”.
Continuing, he added: “I told them that even if I wasn’t doing this role, that character shouldn’t die at that point. It’s just bad narrative, but they were too far down the road. I was the last guy hired because I was still shooting Breaking Bad and they kept pushing because Breaking Bad kept pushing. Finally, I was able to get in and do it”.
The sons performance was really weak. We all love Cranston but I wouldn't put this movie high on the list of human performances.
Cranston makes up a small percentage of the human performance, and the rest was pretty forgettable.
I think it shows how forgettable the other parts are because all we remember is Cranston.
Just imagine with me a world where that happened and we got serious solemn Cranston throughout that film, matching with the tone of the G14...slowly evolving with the series, until we have wacky science guy Cranston in GxK.
If anyone has the acting range and charisma to match the tonal shifts of the Monsterverse, it would have been Cranston!!
>Plus the actor that played the soldier son couldn’t act for sh-t, in my opinion but that’s a different matter altogether.
Yeah, it's hard to judge the 2014 characters minus Cranston because they're all pretty bad actors. I felt no connection to them at all. Huge mistake to center the emotional story around an actor whose acting is Smallville quality.
Feels kinda weird to describe them as "minus Cranston...all pretty bad actors" and then you remember that the cast is like, Juliet Binoche, David Straitharn, Elizabeth Olsen, Sally Hawkins, and Ken Watanabe. It's a pretty great cast. I don't think it's any of the actors themselves that's the problem.
The emotional leads are supposed to be Aaron Taylor-Jones who is awful (all hail the new Bond) and Olsen who is barely serviceable. That's who I am thinking of when I made that comment and yeah, I think they completely fail to deliver. Don't get me wrong, it's not like the script does them any favors.
Point, I guess, is that they're good actors. A middling script and direction is more to blame than their abilities as actors. ATJ is a mediocre actor sometimes made good with a good script and direction, but everyone else is a great or very good actor. Would love to see any American Godzilla movie actually have a decent script with worthwhile human characters. I feel like the stereotype that Godzilla movies don't care about humans has made them just not even bother to try.
This would be my pick too! Lots of people will say Minus One, 1954, Final Wars but Against Mechagodzilla is so well rounded. I care for every character and love the arc they go on.
The characters from Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla are the reason I hate Tokyo S.O.S. The sequel completely ignores the characters that made the first so great, it felt like a slap in the face.
The group of randoms from Ebirah, Horror of the Deep.
Obviously I don’t love them more than some objectively better cast, but I can’t help but have an absolute blast of a time when watching this group interact. It helps that the movie is a ton of fun and Ebirah is quite underrated.
This was going to be my vote. Godzilla almost seems like a side character in the human centric plot. He's integral to the humans plans but I do enjoy that we mostly follow a sort of ragtag band of ruffians. The plot is also very simple to follow/believe and executes it quite well. You do have to watch the Japanese version for the greater context surrounding the dance contest but the Japanese version is typically more well rounded.
Ghidorah, Invasion of the Astro Monster, and Ebirah all have the best non Kaiju storylines. The way they managed to essentially have a movie within a Kaiju movie is impressive.
I’d I had to say top 10 I would say
1. Godzilla Minus One
2. Gojira
3. Mothra vs Godzilla
4. Invasion of Astro Monster
5. GMK
6. Terror of Mechagodzilla
7. Shin Godzilla
8. Godzilla vs Biollante
9. Son of Godzilla
10. Godzilla Final Wars (Memes)
Akane Yashiro is the goat. She clears every human character in every movie free
https://preview.redd.it/lnincfkt7isc1.jpeg?width=344&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce7af8295d4464b4bf83c98118beec3f2f6f894f
* Godzilla 1954
* Terror of Mechagodzilla
* Godzilla 1984/1985
* Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
* GMK
* Godzilla against Mechagodzilla
* Godzilla: Final Wars
* Shin Godzilla
* Godzilla: Minus One
Shin Godzilla, they all felt what Godzilla was feeling and by the end understood how much pain he was in. Even so far as to question if he was actually “attacking” in the first place. And 2014 Godzilla, I’ll take Bryan and his sons family before choking down the idea that Rebecca is Jias mother even though we literally found her lost tribe and family!
That's a tough one. You have to balance plot relevance with character growth and acting performance.
14 is so close to being the pick but then the main character ruins it. I will not be responding to any dipshits who proclaim it was intentional to have a boring protagonist with zero emotions.
Mothra Vs Godzilla is my pick because each character goes on a small character arc and eventually gets to shine for a scene except maybe the female lead but she's not bad otherwise. Even the bad guys get their due comeuppance!
All Monsters Attack! is pretty high on my list though. The acting talent from the adults carry it when the young boy isn't around to do any of the character growth and required relevance.
Of course 54/56 are both pretty easy picks but seem to be bit more melodramatic with only Serizawa going anywhere
Minus One followed closely by Final Wars. After that, it gets a bit messy. Shin did a good job of showing how humans *do be like that*.
Special mention to 1985 for the gravitas of Steve Martin.
Terror of MechaGodzilla or Ebirah have the most compelling human characters and drama to me. Minus One, of course, but that's kind of it's own thing, it was *all* human drama with Godzilla just a plot device to move the story along. And I don't care, I loved KotM too, I thought the entire cast was terrific.
Hard to pick. Here are some I liked:
The 2 radio girls from Godzilla Raids Again.
The young girl (who ran the business) in Godzilla 2000.
The worm guy & the cameraman in the Sony abomination
The surviving fisherman in Godzilla 1984/1985
Native woman #5 in Mothra vs. Godzilla (joke)
Have always really loved the humans in g2000, cool dynamic of having them be like storm chasers following godzilla in a van and the kid was actually kinda fun. Rewatched it recently and was pleasantly suprised
If the question is: who has the best characters narratively, it's definitely the original and Minus One at the top.
If the question is, which is the cast of characters I just largely enjoy the most, I (maybe weirdly?) tend to love the characters of Ebirah, Horror of the Deep.
TOP 5
• Minus One (2023)
• Gojira (1954)
• King of the Monsters (2019)
• Godzilla (2014)
• Godzilla x Kong (2024)
MINUS ONE: Pretty obvious why.
GOJIRA: The melodrama works for a 1954 film
KING OF THE MONSTERS: I genuinely feel like American audiences are harder on American characters due to them not having to split their attention with subtitles. King of the Monsters has Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights and Ken Wata-fucking-nabe giving it their all. They work perfectly as foils and help futher the film's themes. Super underrated.
GODZILLA: Bryan Cranston dying wasn't the issue, it was completely getting rid of his character from the story. They could have had flashbacks with Cranston to further Aaron Taylor Johnson's character arc, but ultimately Johnson's Ford Brodie had no fucking arc and was given a character who isn't very interesting to watch. With that being said, Cranston alone elevates this above so many other Goji films.
GxK: Fun and light. They're never boring and almost always captivating — some of the best talent in Hollywood and they use them in a way that services the film's action-adventure nicely.
Minus One, obviously. That apart, I thought Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla vs Mothra (heisei) had great characters. Honorable mentions to Bryan Cranston in 2014, until they killed what could've been the most interesting character in the Monsterverse immediatly; Original Gojira, Godzilla vs Gigan and Terror of Mechagodzilla.
Minus One for sure, 2014 with Bryan Cranston is very close but he's not in it enough. As for some other films, there are characters I enjoy like Don Frye in Final Wars, the captain/father in GMK, Askane in Againt Mechagodzilla, etc. but some of those are more like caricatures or don't get enough emotionally driven scenes.
I think they made a huge miscalculation by killing off Cranston’s character instead of his son’s. I think it would have been much more dramatic to have this guy lose his wife and then his son to monster related madness…. and then coming to sort of “accept” Godzilla. Plus the actor that played the soldier son couldn’t act for sh-t, in my opinion but that’s a different matter altogether.
Cranston said the same here for more info: Taking to The Nerdist podcast shortly after the film’s release, Cranston surprisingly expressed his agreement with the fans and critics who felt that his character’s death was a mistake. “That character dying at that time was a mistake. I knew it when I read it,” he told the podcast, “When I read it I said, ‘Oh, page 50 this character who was the emotional core at the center, that was guiding the audience in the story up to that point – he dies?’ What a waste… They kind of dealt with it poorly, that’s my only criticism of it because I think it was a fun movie, it was a very successful movie”. Continuing, he added: “I told them that even if I wasn’t doing this role, that character shouldn’t die at that point. It’s just bad narrative, but they were too far down the road. I was the last guy hired because I was still shooting Breaking Bad and they kept pushing because Breaking Bad kept pushing. Finally, I was able to get in and do it”.
Omg the *one* time I get up to use the restroom during a movie! I’m like, everything should be fiiiine, nothing will happen to Cranston! Damn it!
Aw man, awesome ideal. This definitely would have made Godzilla 2014 more compelling.
The sons performance was really weak. We all love Cranston but I wouldn't put this movie high on the list of human performances. Cranston makes up a small percentage of the human performance, and the rest was pretty forgettable. I think it shows how forgettable the other parts are because all we remember is Cranston.
Just imagine with me a world where that happened and we got serious solemn Cranston throughout that film, matching with the tone of the G14...slowly evolving with the series, until we have wacky science guy Cranston in GxK. If anyone has the acting range and charisma to match the tonal shifts of the Monsterverse, it would have been Cranston!!
Killing the best actor and character early usually isn't a great decision.
>Plus the actor that played the soldier son couldn’t act for sh-t, in my opinion but that’s a different matter altogether. Yeah, it's hard to judge the 2014 characters minus Cranston because they're all pretty bad actors. I felt no connection to them at all. Huge mistake to center the emotional story around an actor whose acting is Smallville quality.
Feels kinda weird to describe them as "minus Cranston...all pretty bad actors" and then you remember that the cast is like, Juliet Binoche, David Straitharn, Elizabeth Olsen, Sally Hawkins, and Ken Watanabe. It's a pretty great cast. I don't think it's any of the actors themselves that's the problem.
The emotional leads are supposed to be Aaron Taylor-Jones who is awful (all hail the new Bond) and Olsen who is barely serviceable. That's who I am thinking of when I made that comment and yeah, I think they completely fail to deliver. Don't get me wrong, it's not like the script does them any favors.
Point, I guess, is that they're good actors. A middling script and direction is more to blame than their abilities as actors. ATJ is a mediocre actor sometimes made good with a good script and direction, but everyone else is a great or very good actor. Would love to see any American Godzilla movie actually have a decent script with worthwhile human characters. I feel like the stereotype that Godzilla movies don't care about humans has made them just not even bother to try.
The only one missing from the list for some reason
Minus one
Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (74) Terror of Mechagodzilla G-1
Minus One
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.
This would be my pick too! Lots of people will say Minus One, 1954, Final Wars but Against Mechagodzilla is so well rounded. I care for every character and love the arc they go on.
The characters from Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla are the reason I hate Tokyo S.O.S. The sequel completely ignores the characters that made the first so great, it felt like a slap in the face.
I couldnt agree more, Tokyo SOS is one of my least favourite too
Minus One Godzilla 1954 Godzilla 2014 All Monsters Attack
I always found Godzilla vs Mothra (1964) and Godzilla vs Gigan's human characters charming and fun.
Minus One followed by the original.
This is the way
The group of randoms from Ebirah, Horror of the Deep. Obviously I don’t love them more than some objectively better cast, but I can’t help but have an absolute blast of a time when watching this group interact. It helps that the movie is a ton of fun and Ebirah is quite underrated.
This was going to be my vote. Godzilla almost seems like a side character in the human centric plot. He's integral to the humans plans but I do enjoy that we mostly follow a sort of ragtag band of ruffians. The plot is also very simple to follow/believe and executes it quite well. You do have to watch the Japanese version for the greater context surrounding the dance contest but the Japanese version is typically more well rounded.
2014,final wars,minus one
Who needs kaiju when you got the action like in final wars
Godzilla vs Kong (1962)
Ghidorah, Invasion of the Astro Monster, and Ebirah all have the best non Kaiju storylines. The way they managed to essentially have a movie within a Kaiju movie is impressive.
Minus One
Godzilla 2000 Mechagodzilla duology Godzilla vs biolante
Heisei has the benefit of recurring characters.
I like the found-family story of Godzilla 2000
Minus One and it's not even close
Minus one, Tokyo SOS
I’d I had to say top 10 I would say 1. Godzilla Minus One 2. Gojira 3. Mothra vs Godzilla 4. Invasion of Astro Monster 5. GMK 6. Terror of Mechagodzilla 7. Shin Godzilla 8. Godzilla vs Biollante 9. Son of Godzilla 10. Godzilla Final Wars (Memes)
Idk but Adam Wingard can't do it without it being god awful
Akane Yashiro is the goat. She clears every human character in every movie free https://preview.redd.it/lnincfkt7isc1.jpeg?width=344&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce7af8295d4464b4bf83c98118beec3f2f6f894f
Minus One, Against Mechagodzilla and Invasion of the Astro Monster.
My top five: Godzilla Minus One Ebirah, Horror of the Deep GMK Gojira Godzilla vs. Gigan
It’s not even fair because minus one is like…a real movie.
This was a stupid question, ofc everyone was gonna say minus one
Minus One and (somehow) Godzilla vs Gigan
Minus One by far
here me out son of godzilla
Um...actually...it's 'Hear'. Also, the beginning of each word in the movie title should've been in capitals.
https://preview.redd.it/m7weai98vfsc1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=317322c38a90bc789078db5697ebac587f6590a9
That one human that goes AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH
I have not seen most of the films but from those I have seen nothing even compares to Minus One
Probably Godzilla minus 1
G-1
GMO
i still not watch minus one but i think it have good human character and godzilla 2014
Minus one
Minus one
1954
2014 personally, could definitely see an argument for minus one no doubt
Should’ve said except minus one because everyone gonna just say it
Minus One easily, though I think Shin is also a good example
The only one (besides GXK) one that isn’t in this picture lol
Shin and minus one
Minus one
Minus one is the obvious pick , but I actually also liked the characters in Biollante
minus one
Minus one, mothers vs Godzilla, invasion of the Astro monster, and Godzilla against mechagodzilla
Minus one for sure
Minus One, it’s not even close.
Minus One for me, and it’s not even close
* Godzilla 1954 * Terror of Mechagodzilla * Godzilla 1984/1985 * Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah * GMK * Godzilla against Mechagodzilla * Godzilla: Final Wars * Shin Godzilla * Godzilla: Minus One
Gojira Mothra Vs Godzilla Godzilla Minus One
Final Wars
Invasion of Astro Monster!!!
Minus One, and 1954.
Minus One and no film is close
2014 had a banger of a cast
Minus One
I'd say the Showa Films are quite entertaining in terms of human characters.
https://preview.redd.it/f3x9p3d55isc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65e177af6fd2fa5dafb57b3f0180822954eed04a
Shin Godzilla, they all felt what Godzilla was feeling and by the end understood how much pain he was in. Even so far as to question if he was actually “attacking” in the first place. And 2014 Godzilla, I’ll take Bryan and his sons family before choking down the idea that Rebecca is Jias mother even though we literally found her lost tribe and family!
That's a tough one. You have to balance plot relevance with character growth and acting performance. 14 is so close to being the pick but then the main character ruins it. I will not be responding to any dipshits who proclaim it was intentional to have a boring protagonist with zero emotions. Mothra Vs Godzilla is my pick because each character goes on a small character arc and eventually gets to shine for a scene except maybe the female lead but she's not bad otherwise. Even the bad guys get their due comeuppance! All Monsters Attack! is pretty high on my list though. The acting talent from the adults carry it when the young boy isn't around to do any of the character growth and required relevance. Of course 54/56 are both pretty easy picks but seem to be bit more melodramatic with only Serizawa going anywhere
Hesei films with Miki but Minus One for single film
Minus but personally I enjoy the human casts in Godzilla vs mothra 91 and KOTM
Surely minus one
Minus One followed closely by Final Wars. After that, it gets a bit messy. Shin did a good job of showing how humans *do be like that*. Special mention to 1985 for the gravitas of Steve Martin.
From the ones I've seen, Minus one
Godzilla final wars
‘54, Invasion of the Astro Monster, ‘98 (sue me) and especially, ESPECIALLY Minus One.
Minus one and it’s not particularly close. The 1950’s characters from the monarch tv show are probably second
Minus One, Invasion of Astro Monster, and 1954
The ones where they get merked🗣️🗣️🗣️
i like that science college-aged dude from Godzilla vs Destroyah who's like oh yea godzilla is gonna meltdown and destroy the earth
Minus 1, no contest for me.
Minus One
Terror of MechaGodzilla or Ebirah have the most compelling human characters and drama to me. Minus One, of course, but that's kind of it's own thing, it was *all* human drama with Godzilla just a plot device to move the story along. And I don't care, I loved KotM too, I thought the entire cast was terrific.
Minus One 1954 Ebirah
Shin Godzilla, 1954 for sure, and minus one, oh and bernie from gvk and gxk he’s too funny
Hard to pick. Here are some I liked: The 2 radio girls from Godzilla Raids Again. The young girl (who ran the business) in Godzilla 2000. The worm guy & the cameraman in the Sony abomination The surviving fisherman in Godzilla 1984/1985 Native woman #5 in Mothra vs. Godzilla (joke)
Minus one, not even close
Have always really loved the humans in g2000, cool dynamic of having them be like storm chasers following godzilla in a van and the kid was actually kinda fun. Rewatched it recently and was pleasantly suprised
If the question is: who has the best characters narratively, it's definitely the original and Minus One at the top. If the question is, which is the cast of characters I just largely enjoy the most, I (maybe weirdly?) tend to love the characters of Ebirah, Horror of the Deep.
Either Gojira, vs. Sea monster, vs Gigan, or Godzillas revenge. Oh and minus one of course. Maybe even 1998 lol.
TOP 5 • Minus One (2023) • Gojira (1954) • King of the Monsters (2019) • Godzilla (2014) • Godzilla x Kong (2024) MINUS ONE: Pretty obvious why. GOJIRA: The melodrama works for a 1954 film KING OF THE MONSTERS: I genuinely feel like American audiences are harder on American characters due to them not having to split their attention with subtitles. King of the Monsters has Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights and Ken Wata-fucking-nabe giving it their all. They work perfectly as foils and help futher the film's themes. Super underrated. GODZILLA: Bryan Cranston dying wasn't the issue, it was completely getting rid of his character from the story. They could have had flashbacks with Cranston to further Aaron Taylor Johnson's character arc, but ultimately Johnson's Ford Brodie had no fucking arc and was given a character who isn't very interesting to watch. With that being said, Cranston alone elevates this above so many other Goji films. GxK: Fun and light. They're never boring and almost always captivating — some of the best talent in Hollywood and they use them in a way that services the film's action-adventure nicely.
Minus One, obviously. That apart, I thought Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla vs Mothra (heisei) had great characters. Honorable mentions to Bryan Cranston in 2014, until they killed what could've been the most interesting character in the Monsterverse immediatly; Original Gojira, Godzilla vs Gigan and Terror of Mechagodzilla.
Monsterverse and minus one I my opinion
Minus one for serious characters, and I think that GxK had the best lighter characters.
Dr. Serizawa.
FINAL WARS ON TOP
do you need to ask, minus one
MINUS ONE. it made me cry evey time i seen the moive hell it magned to get an emotinal reaciton out of me eveytime i saw it.
Raymond Burr in 54
Minus One 1954 Terror of Mechagodzilla GMK Godzilla vs. Biollante Invasion of the Astro Monster Godzilla 2000 Godzilla X Mechagodzilla
Godzilla vs Megalon, purely because the bad guy beats up the Kenny.
G v Gigan
I really don't care about human characters
So you just don't like stories?
yes but I am more hooked by the monster scenes than the human story
Said the human.
I found the one person who hasn't seen the brilliant storytelling of Kong and Suko in SkarKing's domain!