Just what IS the size limet on Kaiju, anyhoo?

[daveblackeye15]

Oh whoops. What I meant to say for requirment #3 was

Has to destroy a city and/or fight another monster.

[Dennis]

I always thought that...

#1) Has to be a Japanese movie.

#2) At LEAST 25 meters tall.

#3) Has to destroy AND/OR fight another monster.

I think that covers it pretty well.

I would add a fourth, must be able to withstand the firepower of at least an entire armoured division and then send the survivors running for their lives

[daveblackeye15]

That's good Denise I like that.

Guilila, Gamera, Godzilla, Gappa, Yongary, Rodan, and SO many others could not be killed by rifles or artierly.

[Dennis]

Dennis, the name is Dennis, Denise is the feminine form of Dennis, both are derived from the name Dionysious (probably spelled wrong) the god of wine and merriment. 

[Doc Daneeka]

I think we need to take off the "Japanese" requirement, there are tons of non-Japanese kaiju, including Gorgo and Reptilicus.

[Dennis]

You're absolutely right, there's even a sort of giant sasquatch in a Swedish movie, Attack of the Animal People, is the tittle I think.

[daveblackeye15]

Okay okay the Japanese part isn't a requirment. It's more like it makes it a 'shoe in' if the other three parts are present.

#1)At LEAST 25 meters tall

#2) Has to destroy AND/OR fight another monster.

#3) Must be able to withstand the firepower of at least an entire armoured division and then send the survivors running for their lives. *DENNIS'*

#3.5. Is the creature in a Japanese production?

[Scott]

• Able to toy with heavy armored vehicles
• Able to destroy buildings
• They all want to be signed by TOHO
• Must have club membership at Monster Island

[Just Plain Horse]

Okay, now I'm going to approach this from a different point of view... I always considered the Giant Leeches kaiju because for a leech to be man-sized is like a T-rex the size of a thirty story building. A giant flea the size of a car would be a kaiju as well, technically. If the flea were to then smash said car, kaiju status would probably be granted. And, this leads to my second unlikely candidate- Katahdin the mutant bear-thing from Prophecy (for all those unfamiliar with this movie, there's a review on this site). Why Katahdin? It's very destructive- for an animal with no special powers- and is played by a guy in a rubber suit.... a BAD rubber suit.

So here are my rules for a Kaiju:

1: Size is relatively larger than usual, proportions sometimes out of whack.

2: May be played by (A) a person in a rubber suit (B) a marionette, or in a pinch, (C) badly done computer graphics.

3: Must damage or destroy at least one man-made structure.

4: Must either fight an equally unlikely opponent monster or be seen chasing fleeing crowds of screaming people.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

I am not sure CGI is worthy of being kaiju.  I think practical effects are very important.  Anyone can do CGI monsters.
-Ed

[Doc Daneeka]

We're not saying good kaiju, we're just saying kaiju

[Just Plain Horse]

Exactly. I personally PREFER rubber suits made in Japan, but if we were going for quality, than Reptilicus and maybe even some of Gamera's lesser foes might not make the cut... (Zigra was one goofy one in my opinion- not as bad a Guiron, but still...)

[MonsterX]

I don't know.  I have a hard time thinking of western monsters as kaiju; its something I always associate with oriental giant monsters.  Monsters like the 50 Foot Man and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms are just big ass monsters to me while Godzilla and friends are kaiju.  Like they're a different species or something.

[Andrew]

There have been some good suggestions.  I can certainly agree that the Beast from 20,000 fathoms and King Kong do not fit my idea of a kaiju.  Maybe we can cobble all of this together and add in some ideas from the classification of tornadoes?

Able to destroy large buildings.
Fire from 20mm cannon (or smaller) is largely ineffective.  Can survive, at least for a limited time, fire from tanks, artillery, and air to ground missiles.
Size, at least 25 meters and over 100 tons.


I will avoid mentioning one possible trait:  that while leading world scientists will be mystified by the creature, a young child will know everything important about the monster.

Maybe getting the stats on some of the accepted kaiju would help with the size and weight figures?  Like the Gaos from the recent Gamera films.  Once full grown, they would qualify as kaiju to me.

[Dr. Whom]

King Kong did fight Godzilla once (and won by technical KO, if memory serves)