It’s common kaiju knowledge that even though Godzilla has spent many years of his existence as a defender of Earth, he didn’t begin his cinematic life that way. Even early films like Godzilla Raids Again and Mothra vs Godzilla, installments that see Godzilla wrassle with other 15-story foes, frame Godzilla more as a grumpy creature trying to keep other monsters off his lawn rather than a noble warrior. That would change, though, with 1964’s Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster, a film that didn’t just introduce us to the idea of Godzilla as mankind’s savior, but is also extremely influential when it comes to the current line of American “MonsterVerse” blockbusters.
