Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) was released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the franchise. It is a high-octane, stylistic departure from previous entries, blending giant monster mayhem with “Matrix-style” martial arts and global-scale sci-fi warfare.
Directed by Masaaki Tezuka, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) is a direct sequel to the previous year’s Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla. It is a rare occurrence in the Millennium era, which usually reset the timeline with every film, and serves as a poignant crossover with the legendary 1961 film Mothra.
Directed by Masaaki Tezuka, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) is a fan-favorite entry from the Millennium era. It once again resets the timeline, serving as a direct sequel to the 1954 original while acknowledging the existence of other classic Toho monsters like Mothra and Gaiugan in this universe’s history.
Directed by Masaaki Tezuka, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) is the second entry in the Millennium series. Like its predecessor, it ignores all previous films except the 1954 original, but it takes place in an alternate timeline where the capital of Japan was moved to Osaka after Godzilla devastated Tokyo in the 50s.
Directed by Takao Okawara, Godzilla 2000 (1999) was Toho’s immediate response to the 1998 American film. It served as a fresh reboot, ignoring all previous continuities except for the 1954 original, and kicked off the “Millennium” era with a sharper, more aggressive look for the King of the Monsters.