When you want big action you can’t get much larger than
giant monster movies. We love these
movies because threat is often intensified and people need to find unique ways
of overcome colossal odds. Some are misunderstood creatures, others are just
creatures out of their element; regardless, they are dangerous. With that being said, here are the creatures
that bring the “badness” to the cinema in the biggest way.
10. The Kaiju –Pacific
Rim
The Kaiju are aliens that managed to come to our world
through cracks in the ocean. While there
are different varieties of Kaiju, humans developed giant robots called Jaegers
to defend against them. Pacific Rim showcases great scenes of
cheesy dialogue and incredible effects as giant monsters and giant robots duke
it out. The monster design is very impressive. It is the perfect cinematic
eye-candy to enjoy without having to think too deeply.
9. The Kraken- Clash
of the Titans (1981)
The Kraken is the mythical creature that is near
unstoppable. Only with the head of
Medusa can the hero Perseus stop the Kraken from killing the Princess Andromeda
or destroying the city of Joppa. The Kraken was one of the many bits of
stop-motion created by the genius Ray Harryhausen. His care and skill gave the illusion of life
and personality to each of his inanimate figures. The Kraken is an impressive
beast with multiple arms, which had to be a challenge to animate. It is a great
display of story and animation.
8. The Aliens- Monsters
Giant tentacled aliens that inhabit sections of Mexico are
leaving entire areas quarantined zoned. Two young people attempt to travel
though the restricted zone and slowly come across the creatures that they have
only heard stories about. They soon
discover that these creatures are not nearly the dumb monsters that the stories
report but are fascinated by electric light and actually show signs of
tenderness with one another. The film is a lovely story and is worth watching
for beautiful imagery and scenes that will leave you talking long after the
film is over.
7. The Creature- The
Host (2006)
A South Korean film about a large mutated fish-like creature
that leaps out of the Han River and takes a man’s young daughter. The movie follows his family as they search
the sewers for their missing kin. The
story faces elements of redemption and courage. The whole family must overcome
their weaknesses in order to fight this very literal monster. The effects are great, the story is well done,
and the actors do a great job making this situation seem plausible.
6. Cloverfield- Cloverfield
As a monster, Cloverfield is like watching a wild elephant
running amok. The movie shows that the creature is immense in size, incredibly
strong, and apparently covered in tiny creatures (which sometimes seem worse
than Cloverfield itself). It is capable of tearing the head off the statue of
liberty and hurling it like a baseball across New York. The movie as a whole is
interesting as far as P.O.V movies go. It is fairly clever and has wit and is
very entertaining. Sure there are a few
cheesy scenes, but it is a movie about a giant monster roaming around New
York. What do you really expect?
5. The Ants- Them!
The 1950s were a time when the fear of radiation was at its
peak. Them! was the first of the
giant insect movies. Atomic test sites yield giant ants which cause a great
deal of trouble for the military as they not only have to take out the nest but
find the queens and her hatchlings which can fly. The movie is fun and goofy
and is still a cautionary tale of the dangers of the atomic age. It is a corny
movie by today’s standards but looking at it for what it was in 1954, you can
see how this movie became nominated for an Oscar for its special effects.
4. The T-Rex- Jurassic
Park
The T-Rex from Jurassic
Park was what stole the show in that movie. Every scene, every roar, was
like watching something real. The movie itself is a bit goofy today, however
the effects still stand up. The story of
nature not being controlled and not fitting in our world still works (especially
as the science of DNA has advanced over the years). The T-Rex may not have the brains of the
velociraptors but it wins by being a huge killing machine.
3. The Graboids- Tremors
In Tremors a Southern
town is attacked by colossal worms that kill just about anything they can
swallow. The town is filled with many colorful characters and a great deal of
the fun and drama comes from seeing how they cope with these bizarre
creatures. The Graboids sense the tremors
on the surface but are otherwise blind. They have four large anaconda-like
tongues that they use to grab ahold of things and drag things into their gaping
maw. The movie has good effects, fun
humor and Kevin Bacon hamming it up. What is not to like?
2. Godzilla- Godzilla
(1954)
Godzilla, or Gojira in Japan, was a symbol for the nuclear
holocaust. He was unstoppable by conventional weapons, he breathes nuclear
flames, and he brings destruction wherever he goes. Over the years Godzilla would fight a great
many monsters as a good guy and a bad guy. In the beginning though, he was used
as a destroyer and as a warning that development of destructive weapons will
lead to greater suffering and death. The
movie is haunting and also very somber. This
is a very well made and still holds up as a classic of the monster movie genre.
1. King Kong- King
Kong (1933)
A couple of honorable mentions would be to both versions of The Blob films. Giant monsters have been
around since the first days of film. They will continue to be there rather it
be stop-motion or CGI. They are fun to see in the wake of their destructive
force. They can be cathartic in nature making us look inward at ourselves. Take a chance and see if there are any that
you like. Hopefully you will be in for a giant surprise.
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