When it comes to giant monster movies, everyone knows about the megastars of the genre. Godzilla and King Kong are undoubtedly the two biggest, but there are other beloved names within the sub-genre, including Gamera, Mothra, and King Ghidorah. It's a great deal of fun to see giant monsters (often portrayed by actors in rubber suits) stomp around cities, fight other giant monsters, and pose existential threats to the human race as a whole.

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Monster movie fans who've already burnt through all the big guns should take comfort in the fact that there's a world of obscure giant monster movies out there. The following films are among some of the strangest and most underrated within the giant monster (or kaiju) genre, and make for good alternatives for viewers who want to see the genre's wilder, less predictable side.

1 'Yongary, Monster from the Deep' (1967)

Yongary, Monster from the Deep - 1967

There were many movies released during the 1960s and 1970s that clearly took inspiration from Godzilla, and Yongary, Monster from the Deep is one of them. It's not fair to be too harsh on Yongary, though, because those early Godzilla films were iconic and seemed to make decent money, meaning other filmmakers understandably wanted in on the kaiju movie train.

This is a South Korean film with a fairly standard misunderstood monster on a rampage story, and can be compared pretty easily to Godzilla because of the design of the titular character. However, it does prove entertaining thanks to its wild and often quite silly tone, where some scenes are shockingly violent, and others involve things like Yongary himself dancing with a young kid to 60s rock music.

2 'Death Kappa' (2010)

Death Kappa - 2010

As its wacky-sounding title might imply, Death Kappa is a wonderfully silly movie. It serves as a modern-day homage/parody to kaiju movies of old, featuring a particularly strange-looking title monster who's roughly human-sized in the first half, and then the size of a skyscraper in the second half.

This means the titular Kappa is one of the few monsters who gets to fight both human and giant monster foes. Whichever type of bad guy he's combating, Death Kappa is gleefully stupid fun, with action sequences that need to be seen to be believed, and a hilarious title song that defies both explanation and logic.

3 'Gorgo' (1961)

Gorgo - 1961

While the central monster of Gorgo might look a great deal like Godzilla, the plot of Gorgo owes far more to the original King Kong. Its core premise is near-identical, as it centers on a group of opportunistic people who capture a giant creature, and then plan to sell it off so that they can profit (here, they do it by selling the monster to the circus).

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Things do take a turn away from King Kong by the time the final act comes around, though. Gorgo's mother doesn't take kindly to this, however, and destroys much of London in her attempts to get her son back. It's decently entertaining stuff, even if neither its monster design nor its core premise is particularly original.

4 'War Of The God Monsters' (1985)

War Of The God Monsters - 1985

Not every monster movie can be a great time simply because it has giant monsters, which War Of The God Monsters regrettably proves. Even die-hard fans of kaiju movies will find little to enjoy here, mainly because it recycles footage of monster destruction from the Ultraman series, meaning very little of what's contained in the big scenes are original.

This might not be a huge problem if the old footage was integrated well with the new, human-focused footage, but it really isn't. A boring human storyline collides awkwardly with chaotic footage from an older Japanese TV series, making for a watch that while weird and out-there, is ultimately also disappointing.

5 'Howl from Beyond the Fog' (2019)

Howl from Beyond the Fog - 2019

Howl from Beyond the Fog is unlike much else within the broader giant monster movie genre. There are several key reasons for this: one is the fact it's a short film that only runs about half an hour long, one's the fact it's all animated using puppets, and another factor contributing to its uniqueness is the way it emphasizes awe and mysticism over action and destruction.

Its unique animated style and scenes featuring the monster make it quite spectacular for a short film. It's not perfect, with the less animated human characters feeling a little awkward, and the brevity leaving you wishing more. However, there's a ton it does really well, and it all makes for one of the most strikingly different kaiju movies out there.

6 The 'Deep Sea Monster Raiga' Trilogy (2008-2020)

Deep Sea Monster Raiga - 2008 - 2020

For anyone who likes seeing a film trilogy get progressively weirder with each movie, the Deep Sea Monster Raiga trilogy is for you. The first movie sees the titular monster taking on a Japanese battleship during World War Two, the second sees him leading an army of monsters to attack Japan, and the third has him fighting another giant monster called Ohga while the army struggles to take both out.

The escalation of this trilogy has to be experienced to be believed. The first movie is always ludicrous enough, but then the second pushes things even further, and by the time the third movie comes around, it begins to feel like a parody of itself. The Raiga movies (or Reigo, as he's sometimes called) represent cinema at its most gloriously unhinged.

7 'The Mighty Peking Man' (1977)

The Mighty Peking Man - 1977

While the Shaw Brothers production studio is best known for its exceptional martial arts movies, that's far from the only type of movie it produced during its time as Hong Kong's biggest film production group. The Mighty Peking Man is evidence of this, as it's essentially a crazier version of the original King Kong updated for the 1970s and set in India at first, and later in Hong Kong.

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It's got all the things you'd want out of a wild giant monster movie, including charmingly dated special effects and a heap of over-the-top action. And sure, it doesn't match up to the movie that clearly influenced it, but it's still silly fun for those who've watched all the King Kong movies and still want to see more giant apes rampaging around a city.

8 'Daigoro vs. Goliath' (1972)

Daigoro vs. Goliath - 1972

The main monster of Daigoro vs. Goliath, Daigoro, has to be among the most ridiculous-looking giant monsters of all time. The plot of his movie is equally crazy, with it centering on the giant anthropomorphic hippo Daigoro and his peaceful existence on an island, which becomes threatened when the humans who take care of him start running out of money to sufficiently feed Daigoro's giant appetite.

However, the more pressing concern ends up being the other monster from the film's title: Goliath. He emerges and poses a threat to humanity, with the human race needing to rely on the reluctant Daigoro to save them. It's a very goofy and kid-friendly kaiju movie, but does more or less succeed in what it sets out to do.

9 'Pulgasari' (1985)

Pulgasari - 1985

The story behind Pulgasari might well be more interesting than the movie itself, but that's not to say the movie has nothing to offer. It's a North Korean kaiju movie set long in the past, and centering on a group of villagers who start a revolution against a greedy king with the assistance of a giant monster.

It stands out simply for being a North Korean film with a wide release, as the nation hasn't put out many that are known worldwide. It's a deeply strange movie that some may find dull and a chore to sit through, but giant monster movie fans after something that's really gone off the deep end should probably check it out.

10 'Daimajin' (1966)

Daimajin - 1966

Pulgasari certainly isn't the only kaiju movie with a setting in the distant past, as demonstrated by Daimajin and its sequels. The original - from 1966 - demonstrates how to more or less do the premise correctly, as its plot is also about a giant creature that comes to life to protect a group of downtrodden villagers against a brutal warlord.

Daimajin also stands out because its monster isn't flesh and blood; it's made of stone, and overall has a pretty cool design. It's a film that works both as a kaiju movie and a samurai drama with a historical setting (combined of course with fantastical elements), making it unique among movies featuring giant monsters.

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