The release of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire confirms two things: one, there's nothing cooler than two giant monsters kicking butt on the big screen, and two, the MonsterVerse is here to stay. Beginning in 2014 with the release of Gareth Edwards' Godzilla, the MonsterVerse has produced five movies starring the undisputed King of the Monsters alongside King Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Each film in this bombastic franchise is sillier than the one before, and audiences wouldn't want it any other way. In fact, the louder the roars and the tougher the punches, the better. Each MonsterVerse movie is entertaining in its own way, but some have a far higher rewatch value, whether because of the exciting action sequences, cool monster design, impressive visual effects, or a combination of all. And while fans will surely watch all 5 at least once, a few MonsterVerse movies are more deserving of multiple viewings.

5 'Godzilla' (2014)

Director: Gareth Edwards

2014 saw the birth of the MonsterVerse with the release of Gareth Edwards' Godzilla. Starring an ensemble cast, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, David Strathairn, Elizabeth Olsen, Sally Hawkins, and Bryan Cranston, the film follows a group of people, including soldiers and scientists, as they find themselves in the middle of a battle between Godzilla and two dangerous monsters called MUTOs.

Godzilla tries to ground the drama in its human characters with very mixed results. Although Aaron Taylor-Johnson is quite a good actor, his character here is boring despite his valiant efforts to make it work; Olsen and Hawkins are on the same boat, and Cranston, who has by far the best role, dies absurdly early. Godzilla's greatest sin is sidelining the titular monster, with the legendary kaiju having only 8 minutes (!) of screentime in his own movie. Keeping Godzilla in the shadows for most of the film's duration is a bafflingly dumb idea that results in the 2014 movie being a cinematic slugfest for fans of the Japanese monster. Edwards' efforts to make the film more humane are understandable, but sacrificing Godzilla to do so was probably the worst possible way to approach it.

4 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' (2019)

Director: Michael Dougherty

Five years after the first film's release, Godzilla came back to the big screen to defend his crown as the King of the Monsters. Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars an ensemble, with Watanabe, Strathairn, and Hawkins reprising their roles from the original. New cast members include Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Charles Dance, and Zhang Ziyi. The film sees an eco-terrorist organization awakening King Ghidorah, who in turn summons other monsters, forcing Godzilla to wage war against them.

Like its predecessor, the film tries to ground the action in human drama and also falls short of achieving it. However, Godzilla: King of the Monsters ups the ante regarding the monster battles, even if Godzilla also has a shockingly low amount of screen time again. Seeing him battle some of his most famous enemies, including the vicious King Ghidorah, is a treat indeed, and the visual effects to bring the three-headed dragon and the equally brutal Rodan to life are impressive. Alas, all these elements are not enough to make the film a particularly entertaining or even interesting rewatch; the story is weak, the human characters one-dimensional, and Godzilla remains in the background to the disappointment of millions.

3 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' (2024)

Director: Adam Wingard

The King of the Monsters and the Eight Wonder of the World share the screen again—for a while, anyway—in Adam Wingard's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The latest entry into the MonsterVerse, The New Empire sees Kong struggling to adapt to his new life on Hollow Earth. When a new danger emerges from Earth's bowels, the giant ape and the radioactive lizard must put their differences aside and join forces to fight a common enemy,

As per usual, Godzilla takes a backseat in this new film, with Kong taking center stage. The film spends large portions of its screen time with the ape, managing to make him more compelling. The same can't be said for Godzilla x Kong's weak human characters, who luckily don't have enough screen time to derail the film, even if they also don't improve it. Godzilla x Kong benefits from some impressive action sequences and an increased interest in developing Kong as an actual character rather than just an angry monster. The film is also far more self-aware than its predecessors, embracing the silliness and having a blast with it. Kong fans will be delighted; Godzilla fans, not so much.

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2 'Kong: Skull Island' (2017)

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

2017's Kong: Skull Island was a pleasant surprise. Set in 1973 and starring an impressive ensemble cast, including Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John C. Rilley, John Goodman, and Samuel L. Jackson, the film follows a crew of scientists and soldiers traveling to the uncharted Skull Island. There, they meet the gigantic ape known as Kong and enter a fight for survival as Kong fights the island's dangerous creatures.

Objectively speaking, Kung: Skull Island is the best film in the MonsterVerse, offering the best mix of human drama and monster action. The cast makes a Herculean effort to sell their storylines, and they mostly achieve it, especially Reilly and Goodman. Because of his expressiveness and the film's willingness to actually spend time with him, Kong is also much better served than Godzilla. Ultimately, Kong: Skull Island delivers enough thrilling monster action to leave kaiju fans satisfied while also presenting a compelling enough human story to make the actors' time worth it. More importantly, Skull Island understands Kong is the real star of this particular show, and it treats its simian juggernaut with the respect he deserves.

1 'Godzilla vs. Kong' (2021)

Director: Adam Wingard

Adam Wingard's first venture into the MonsterVerse sees him bringing two of cinema's greatest titans together. 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong finds the titular characters in a brutal and potentially world-ending battle that could very well lead to humanity's extinction. The ensemble features the return of Brown and Chandler, joined by Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Eiza González, and Demián Bichir.

Simply put, Godzilla vs. Kong is loud, thrilling, mindless fun. As the title implies, the characters have a few spectacular rounds on the big screen, and the action is impressive enough to do both of them justice. Kong is again the more interesting character, but Godzilla finally gets his dues here. The film sees Kong wielding an axe and landing a few good blows, making the two monsters seem more on par than many thought possible. Godzilla vs. Kong culminates with a spectacular showdown where the titular kaiju battle Mechagodzilla, a visual feast that should satisfy the cravings of every fan. Although far from perfect, Godzilla vs. Kong has enough well-executed fan service to make for a perfect rewatch, especially as the MonsterVerse's other entries are far more stingy when it comes to their monster-on-monster action.

NEXT: The 10 Best Monsters in the MonsterVerse, Ranked