It only took until the grand finale of the Heisei era, but with "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah," a Godzilla film finally managed to surpass the original from 1954. The giant lizard has never been as cool and menacing as he is here in meltdown mode. And Destoroyah, as the second monster in focus, is strong in its own way, with the icky design being a clear selling point.

However, the monster action has rarely been the problem in previous films in the series. What elevates this installment above the others is the story, which finally has a more serious tone and features some compelling human characters. Ultimately, the ambition here was obviously to find a conclusion for the series, which is why connections to the original are omnipresent. The stakes are much higher: the world is clearly in danger this time, without having to resort to any kind of alien invasion or the like.

The result is one of the more well-rounded Godzilla films. Because all the elements complement each other effectively here. Both the monsters and the humans are convincing, the production and destruction have rarely been so elaborate, and the score has also been tweaked to make Meltdown Godzilla seem extra menacing. The finale is also quite satisfying, so I, for one, am definitely impressed.