10 Great Monster Movies You Should Watch Before Seeing 'Kong: Skull Island'

The one and only King Kong is back with "Kong: Skull Island." To help get you in the mood for the latest Kong reboot, here are ten classic monster movies everyone should add to their to-watch list.

'King Kong' (1933)

If you're going to watch any monster movie in preparation for "Kong: Skull Island," you might as well make it this one. "King Kong" is the granddaddy of the genre and the place moviegoers first encountered that giant, skyscraper-climbing ape. The special effects may be dated, but the sad saga of Kong gets us every time.

'Godzilla' (1954)

Next, you should probably make time for the other granddaddy of the giant monster scene. More than just a low-budget movie about a guy in a rubber suit crushing cardboard buildings, "Godzilla" is the perfect horror movie for the nuclear age. It also spawned one of the biggest and longest-lasting franchises in the world.

'Tremors' (1990)

Kevin Bacon may have had doubts about starring in a low-budget horror movie featuring gigantic worms, but it's a career risk that paid off. "Tremors" earned its cult-classic status, with just the right blend of B-movie cheese and genuine terror. 

'Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004)

Look, there are a lot of Godzilla movies to choose from. But if you want the most bang for your buck, look no further than the 29th (!) entry in the series. "Final Wars" hit on the 50th anniversary of the original, and it basically serves as a greatest hits album for Godzilla and the gang. 

'King Kong' (2005)

Peter Jackson's "King Kong" isn't the first time Hollywood tried to give the 1933 original a big-budget makeover, but at least this one actually captures some of what made it an enduring classic in the first place. It lacks the lean simplicity of the original, but this take on Kong still tugs at the heartstrings and looks fantastic.

'The Host' (2007)

One of the best giant monster movies of the 21st Century didn't come from Japan or America, but rather South Korea. In true "Godzilla" fashion, "The Host" works as both a creepy tale of a horribly mutated fish monster and a critique on the U.S. military's presence in the country. 

'Cloverfield' (2008)

"Cloverfield" took a novel approach to the monster movie formula by presenting a giant monster attack in found footage format. The "less is more" approach really helped in this case, resulting in a monster movie that's more about the innocent bystanders than the beast itself. 

'Monsters' (2010)

How do you make a giant monster movie on a $500,000 budget? Somehow, director Gareth Edwards pulled it off. "Monsters" follows a photojournalist who escorts his employer's daughter through a monster-infested wasteland back to the US/Mexico border. Lots of tentacle-y stuff ensues. 

'Pacific Rim' (2013)

No Hollywood blockbuster has done a better job of scratching that giant monster itch than "Pacific Rim." What's better than seeing gigantic robots shooting, stabbing, and crushing kaiju for two hours? It's amazing how far we've come since the days of rubber monster suits and cardboard buildings. 

'Godzilla' (2014)

Gareth Edwards accomplished a lot with a little in "Monsters." 2014's "Godzilla" showed what he could do with a blockbuster budget. This remake looks fantastic, even though the story is crap and we could care less about most of the human characters. But, hey, we'll take this one over the garbage 1998 remake any day.