If there’s something I love, it’s old movies. Sure, a lot of old films don’t age well, but they have a certain nostalgic value that is unmatched by most modern cinema. The biggest example of this are “Kaiju/Giant Monster Movies”. Kaiju films often revolve around giant monsters destroying the world, or destroying other monsters.
The genre started with older films, like Godzilla and King Kong. To this day, giant monster movies are still around and getting made. Despite the updated technology newer films in the genre use, the movies have roughly stayed the same over the years. With a genre that doesn’t tend to innovate very often, it’s a wonder people still come back for these films year after year!
However, there’s a ton of really big reasons why “Kaiju Fascination” is so prevalent and never truly goes away. The biggest reason is that giant monster movies often show a lot of destruction. It’s rare to see a film that shows as much collateral damage as a Kaiju movie. Going to a film and seeing Godzilla destroy an entire city is something that never really gets old.
Mass destruction on a scale such as this is horrifying in real-life, but ends up being a ton of fun in a fictitious space. This is because film (and most forms of media) are “escapist” entertainment, which means they let us escape from reality. They let us see a fictitious account of what would otherwise be a dangerous scenario in real-life. It’s why “Disaster Movies” tend to be so big, people come to see them mostly for the explosions and destructive spectacles.
Another reason people like Kaiju are because of the designs. For example, Godzilla looks like a cross between a dragon and a T-Rex. His design is simple, which is why it’s remained mostly consistent over the years. It just works, and is often considered one of the most iconic giant monster designs of all time.
Characters like King Kong and Mothra are easily recognizable, while being landmarks of the genre in their own right. Another big pull when it comes to Kaiju are the scenarios it presents. Seeing 2 or more giant monsters duke it out in a city is an enticing premise, one that you don’t see too often in film.
I think this is also the pull of something like Ultraman or Power Rangers, which is just seeing these behemoths duking it out in all their glory. And with Kaiju movies, you just can’t get that kind of experience anywhere else. Be it CG or guys in rubber suits, giant monsters are always cool!
Syrup With A Side Of Writing 