“Without King Kong and Godzilla”: films about giant monsters (13 photos)

Kaiju is a Japanese word that translates to "monster" or "strange beast". It is also a branch of Japanese folklore that describes various mythological creatures and beings, both good and evil. Of course, kaiju were destined for success in cinema. As a result, an entire subgenre of epic fantasy has emerged, the main distinguishing feature of which is huge monsters that destroy entire cities. And who immediately comes to mind? Yes, of course, Her Majesty Godzilla and all her friends. The birth of this subgenre is credited to Japan, but there is a nuance. The United States was the first with its 1933 King Kong. And 20 years later, another landmark film was shot - “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms” - an adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s story about the super giant lizard Rhedosaurus, who woke up from a multimillion-dollar sleep after the explosion of an atomic bomb in the Arctic. It was this film that inspired Ishiro Honda to create the original “Godzilla”; the film about it was shot only in 1954. Oh, we started chatting, because the topic is really interesting! If you like films about giant monsters, but are tired of all sorts of Godzillas and remakes of King Kong, then keep a list about other, no less cool kaiju.

"Trollhunter" (2010)





Name: Jotnar

Plot of the film: A group of students encounters a mysterious and massive death of bears. The guys are trying to figure out this issue on their own. They soon learn that the government is hiding from the public the fact of the existence of trolls, who pose a real danger to humanity. Brave guys and girls are trying to independently destroy the giants, as well as Jotnar, the most dangerous of them.

"Clash of the Titans" (2010)



Name: Kraken

The plot of the film: Perseus needs to defeat the ruler of the underworld - Hades. To do this, the fearless warrior will need to defeat a whole lot of enemies and the Kraken. The ruthless monster destroyed the Titans and the habitats of the Stygian witches, so finding justice for him will not be easy.

"Pacific Rim" (2013)



Name: Kaiju

The plot of the film: Kaiju have risen from the depths of the sea and are ready to destroy all of humanity. Giant robots called huntsmen are actively fighting against them. However, all their attempts to stop the creatures fail. To put an end to the invasion of monsters, the defenders of the Earth decide to turn to a former pilot and an inexperienced trainee who know how to cope with the impending apocalypse.

"Monstro" (2008)



Name: Clover

The plot of the film: New York is attacked by a strange creature that destroys everything around and devours people. The army turns out to be powerless against the monster, so the government decides to take drastic measures.

Atoragon: The Flying Super Submarine (1963)



Name: Manda (so, gallery, don’t laugh!)

The plot of the film: The underwater city of the once powerful empire Mu wants to enslave the surface world. They do everything possible to make life unbearable for humanity - they kidnap people and flood entire cities. The Japanese government decides to use the supernova submarine Atragon, which should help in the fight against enemies. However, the inhabitants of the Mu Empire respond by releasing their sea dragon Mandu, who does not intend to retreat from the battle.

"Gamera: Defender of the Universe" (1995)



Name: Gamera

Plot of the film: A race of flying reptiles-cannibals Gaos attacks the Earth. The super turtle Gamera comes to the aid of humanity, trying to protect it from terrible creatures.

"The Incredibly Huge Man" (1957)



Name: Glenn Manning

The plot of the film: Glen Manning is exposed to strong radiation exposure. It not only survives, but also rapidly increases in size. Due to a mutation, a man is overcome by madness, which forces him to do terrible things and cause irreparable destruction to the city.

"Pulgasari" (1985)



Name: Pulgasari

Plot of the film: The Joseon ruler orders the confiscation of all metal tools from the peasants in order toforge weapons from them and suppress the uprising. The blacksmith refuses to carry out the assignment, for which he pays with his own head. His latest creation, a figurine of the monster Pulgasari, intends to avenge the death of its creator.

"The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" (1958)



Name: Cyclops

The plot of the film: To save his bride from witchcraft, Sinbad must defeat a huge dragon, a black sorcerer and a terrible Cyclops.

"It Came from the Bottom of the Sea" (1955)



Name: Giant Octopus

Plot of the film: Scientists notice a huge living object of unknown origin in the ocean. They soon realize that it is a giant octopus that has mutated due to recent nuclear tests.

"My Girlfriend is a Monster" (2016)



Name: Gloria

The plot of the film: A terrible monster attacks Seoul. The girl Gloria, living in New York, understands that she is somehow connected with the antics of this terrible creature and with himself.

"They" (1954)



Name: Giant Ant

Plot of the film: After nuclear tests carried out in 1945 at the Alamogordo test site, ants turn into real monsters. They kidnap people and brutally kill them. Now the military will have to think carefully about how to destroy the monsters created by their own hands.

"Mothra" (1961)



Name: Mothra

The plot of the film: On the island of Beiro, where nuclear tests were recently carried out, scientists discover two mysterious fairies. The researchers decide to take the strange creatures with them for further research. However, a giant moth named Mothra flies to the rescue of the fairies, who has a telepathic connection with them.