
Wow, so I just watched the 1921 short animated film "The Pet." I don't think this gets nearly enough credit for being the first kaiju film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNxkFh3YYm0
It ticks ALL the boxes:
>Weird unnatural creature.
>Horror elements.
>City-wide destruction of property and architecture.
>Engagement with modern military forces.
This was in 1921, 4 years before The Lost World, 10 years before King Kong, 20 years before The Arctic Giant, 32 years before Beast. Hell, it was 7 years before Call of Cthulhu was written. This is absolutely the first Kaiju *film*.
*EDIT*
I meant first *film* specifically, there are certainly arguments for other stories.