Imaginary adventures and magical fights of epic proportions fill childhood memories. Most adults can still remember building elaborate cities out of pillows or blocks and pitting their strongest toys against each other. Monster films satisfy the child in each of us by bringing to life these imaginary places and creatures. Even if these scenes are not the most realistic or intellectually complex, the often groundbreaking special effects are worth praise and attention.
Early monster battles used stop-motion and puppets to push the boundaries of film and create large scale fights. Since then special effects have come a long way in making the monsters bigger, badder, and more lifelike. While there is no shortage of unique creatures in horror and thriller movies to explore, this article focuses on larger than life creatures brought to Earth unnaturally. Whether they be aliens, engineered in a lab, or fantastical creatures from another realm, when these monsters turn on one another, they render humans helpless and bring cities to their knees. Here are some of the biggest monster battles from the 2000s.
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6 Stone Giants Fight (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
Warner Brothers
The Tolkien book paints this moment as a friendly dodgeball fight between giants. For the film version of The Hobbit, Peter Jackson raised the stakes to be a serious confrontation between two stone giants. Although our main heroes never need to fight the giants, their fight literally shatters the earth, making passage difficult. Thankfully this perilous scene proves fatal only to the rock giants and not to Bilbo and his party.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Colossal
Neon
What this scene lacks in punches and explosions it makes up for in emotion and creativity. The monsters in this scene manage to go toe to toe from opposite sides of the world thanks to their human avatars, played by Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis. The final battle not only showcases the monsters’ power, but also the strength of their human counterparts. Viewers love Colossal for its touching, complicated themes underneath its fun monster movie premise.
4 Jaegers vs. Kaiju (Pacific Rim Uprising)
Universal Pictures
The Jaegers are less monsters and more massive robots. But their larger than life operations and human brains (or pilots) qualify them for this list. The first Pacific Rim film made a big splash with its large scale fight scenes. Pacific Rim Uprising further explores the unique abilities of each Jaeger and the distinct powers of each Kaiju (alien monsters of epic proportions). In this climactic scene, viewers get to see multiple players converge on one-another. The moment feels less like a fight, and more like an all out battle between the massive machines and the powerful alien species.
3 Hulk Vs. Abomination (The Incredible Hulk)
The Incredible Hulk film from 2008 gets much less attention since Mark Ruffalo reshaped the character in the MCU. Not to mention that there are so many new superhero movies to choose from with updated visual effects. However, this film’s final battle still stands as one of this era’s best monster fights. While the newer films in the MCU show Professor Hulk as intelligent and human — even in Hulk state — this early film focuses on the mindless rage and monster-like qualities of the hero’s early days.
We are used to seeing Hulk smash through all of his enemies effortlessly (although emotionally). His fantastic strength makes it easy for him to defeat even the biggest monsters with just one punch. However, Abomination’s bigger size and even more powerful strength make him a difficult match even for Hulk. In this fight our favorite green and growling hero must use more than his strength to save the woman he loves.
2 Indominus Rex Vs. T-Rex (Jurassic World)
Fans of the franchise love Jurassic Park and Jurassic World for the awesome terror it creates through its monsters. The beauty of the ancient creatures inspires interest in science and the natural world. Yet the veracity of the seemingly unstoppable beasts stirs up an equally powerful feeling of helplessness and fear. There’s a duality to them, both natural and magnificent, but scientifically man-made and monstrous.
No fight showcases this classic dichotomy quite as well as the fight between the Indominus Rex and the T-Rex in the first Jurassic World movie. The park’s scientists specifically designed the Indominus Rex to be scarier and deadlier than any “naturally occurring” dinosaur before it. While some may consider the dinosaurs to be ancient animals, the creatures’ terrifying design and the use of human technology to resurrect them qualifies these creatures to join the monster group. As such, no man or beast can take on the Indominus Rex alone. The T-Rex teams up with a velociraptor to pin down the Indominus Rex. The small dinosaur’s cunning paired with the large dinosaur’s strength makes for an engaging fight on multiple different levels.
1 Godzilla Vs. Kong (Godzilla Vs. Kong 2021)
Legendary EntertainmentWarner Brothers
Godzilla and Kong each defined (and practically created) this genre of epic monster battles, so it only makes sense that the battle between them would top the list. Arguably some of the most recognizable monsters on this list, Godzilla and Kong’s rivalry stretches back generations. According to Screen Rant, battles between these two species took place more than once, but ultimately ended with Kong losing and leaving hollow Earth. A lifetime on skull island did little to cool Kong’s temper. When the two come in contact again in the 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong, neither of them pull their punches.
In this battle, Godzilla and Kong tear through Hong Kong’s dazzling nighttime cityscape. Godzilla’s burning blue breath and Kong’s flaming axe illuminate the fight’s consequences. Their hatred for one another crushes vehicles, topples skyscrapers, and demolishes the entire city. Both monsters almost die at different points of the fight. Ultimately the fight ends in a monstrous screaming match, and in a later scene they come back together to protect man kind from a greater threat.
