Godzilla vs. Kong delivered on everything that was promised of the popcorn flick, and audiences loved how the lizard and ape went head-to-head on such a huge scale, so it’s no surprise that Legendary is making a Godzilla and Kong sequel. It’ll be fascinating to see how the studio ups the ante, as the destruction in the 2021 movie set a high benchmark.
The sequel is slated for 2024, but while that seems like a long time to wait, there are so many other exciting “vs.” movies to tide cinephiles over. Redditors’ favorite “vs.” movies don’t stop at franchise crossovers, superhero flicks, and MMA fights, but they delve into unorthodox existential romcoms too.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)
Sfeer1988 believes Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is the best “vs.” movie, and few others have embodied the spirit of a head-to-head grudge match more than the comic book movie. Scott Pilgrim is possibly the most “vs.” movie ever, not because he’s facing off against the biggest possible entity, the world, but because the movie feels and plays out like a beat-em-up video game.
The 2010 movie is almost like Street Fighter or Tekken in the way that the titular character works his way through each enemy. However, Scott isn’t literally facing off against the world, but he’s battling his girlfriend’s seven evil exes. Scott must defeat every ex to win over Ramona.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Loads of superheroes are in Civil War, most notably, Black Panther and Spider-Man are introduced in the movie in huge ways. However, the film is all about the breakdown of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark’s relationship and the brawl that follows. It was such a huge event that Marvel Cinematic Universe fans had already separated themselves into two different camps before the movie was even out, identifying as either Team Cap or Team Iron Man.
Will-Watches thinks that it wasn’t just exciting, but it worked well narratively too. The Redditor comments, “Captain America: Civil War works well because it makes sense within the narrative and we get to see the consequences after in later films.” The film didn’t even fall into the trap that most “vs.” movies do, which is where the enemies put aside their differences and team up against a common threat. However, just like most “vs.” movies, there’s no clear winner.
Ford V Ferrari (2019)
Ford v Ferrari isn’t a typical “vs.” movie that cinephiles would immediately think of, as there’s no huge battle in the film, but it is actually one of the most well-crafted, engaging, and intense rivalries found in a movie. The 2019 sports drama follows the two car manufacturers as they compete in the 1966 Le Mans race in France. Winkman thinks it’s the best “vs.” movie, simply stating, “Ford v Ferrari was really good.”
Racing movies tend to be the most thrilling white-knuckled vs. movies ever, even more than superhero movies and horror crossovers. 2013’s Rush also brilliantly depicts what racers are willing to put themselves through to beat their rivals. And Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s huge and borderline dangerous ongoing rivalry in Formula One, which has helped increase the sport’s popularity, would make an incredible “vs.” movie.
Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021)
ArtsOfBartz calls Godzilla vs. Kong the best “vs.” movie ever, positing, “It delivered on the promise of giant ape and lizard beating the s*** out of each other. The rest… meh.” The movie is ridiculous, over-the-top, nonsensical, and a million other things, and when Godzilla and King Kong aren’t on screen, it’s incoherent and messy. But the film totally delivers on exactly what audiences want to see and what it promised.
The two goliath beasts fight several times throughout the 2021 movie and destroy whole cities. And though the film doesn’t cover what must be the death toll of hundreds of thousands, it hardly matters, as all the skyscrapers and city streets are just collateral damage in the grand scheme of things.
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had the detriment of being released just a few months apart from Captain America: Civil War. And with both films having such similar themes, not only of two superheroes battling but the reasons why, the audience was always going to compare the two.
General audiences unanimously prefer the MCU movie, as Dawn of Justice tried to squeeze way too much into its runtime. So much that the actual fight between the titular heroes lasted less than 10 minutes. However, TheNameless00 is a big fan of the movie, noting, “My favorite one so far is Batman V Superman. Especially the Ultimate Edition.” In fairness, while the trailer gave away too much, the fight was entertaining while it lasted. And though they team together to fight Doomsday, there was a clear winner.
Warrior (2011)
Claiming that a boxing or mixed martial arts movie is the best “vs.” film almost feels like cheating, as they’re their own genre. But Warrior sees MMA lightweight Tom Conlon face off against his own brother in the octagon, and they have an extremely complicated history. If any MMA movie deserves to compete for the title of best “vs.” film, it’s Warrior.
Cronedog throws the movie’s hat in the ring, arguing, “Warrior was an amazing film because it’s the first time I really didn’t know who’d win.” As the film has two protagonists, both with equal amounts of shortcomings, there’s no hero, and it leaves viewers guessing all the way to the end. Warrior is one of the best ever box office bombs, as it failed to even make back its $25 million budget.
Joe Versus The Volcano (1990)
EqualContact has an extremely unorthodox choice for the best “vs.” movie, and if it didn’t have “versus” in the title nobody would even consider it. Joe Versus the Volcano is a romantic comedy that sees a man agree to jump into a live volcano after he has been diagnosed with a rare disease.
The Redditor adds, “I’m surprised no one has tried to remake this. It hits at a lot of themes that people still struggle with, and would benefit immensely from modern filmmaking techniques.” While it isn’t exactly a “vs.” film, it is an entertaining Tom Hanks movie, and it’s a perfect balance of screwball comedy and brave existential subject matter.
Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010)
BranWafr points to the 2010 comedy horror as the best “vs.” movie, noting, “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is brilliant.” The film follows the titular characters who buy a vacation home, which happens to be a cabin in the woods, and are then mistaken for serial killers. The movie brilliantly parodies overdone horror tropes while subverting expectations, and it’s a surprisingly clever black comedy.
The 2010 film was another box office bomb, but it’s even more devastating given that it had a micro-budget of $5 million. However, in the 12 years since its release, the film has gained a huge cult following, and there hasn’t been a comedy horror that hits this well since Evil Dead II.
Alien Vs. Predator (2004)
Alien vs. Predator should have been the biggest event of the decade, as it pits together two of the most terrifying horror antagonists in cinema history. Unfortunately, it was let down by a convoluted plot and too many human characters getting in the way of the title fight.
However, WindingRoad10 is a big fan of not only the 2004 movie but 2007’s Alien vs. Predator: Requiem too. The Redditor confesses, “I actually like the AvP films (love that they are set on Earth during contemporary times,) but I know fans of those franchises tend to place them at the bottom.” Alien vs. Predator had an amazing concept, and it could have been great; it was just terribly executed.
Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)
ShirtPants10 thinks the 2003 movie is the very best “vs.” film because of how unpretentious it is. The Redditor explains, “If you expected Freddy vs. Jason to be high art, I think you need to adjust your expectations.” It isn’t the most perfect movie in the world, but it does have its merits, and where Alien vs. Predator failed to capture the grueling and mortifying feeling of two horror villains meeting, Freddy vs. Jason does a good job at it.
Seeing the two iconic villains face off actually gives off a feeling of dread, but it’s also completely silly in other places too. The film could have been more experimental given that Freddy invades people’s dreams, and it could have made for a twisted psychedelic experience. But as it is, the 2003 movie delivers just enough scares and thrills to entertain fans of the series.
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