Godzilla: Minus One

This is an enjoyable film to watch, and if you're on the tail end of its theater run or considering if it's worth streaming, the short answer is it's worth seeing. I do feel like among certain fan circles the movie is slightly 'overhyped' but that doesn't make the movie bad, it is in fact quite good. I think the exploration of the main character's relationship with kamikaze piloting, and in turn both Japan's historical understanding of that phenomenon as well as the West's, is actually still more poignant and worth exploring than perhaps we might be inclined to give it credit for. It's hard to overstate how culturally significant the kamikaze pilots were during and in the immediate aftermath of World War 2; although we had Oppenheimer to remind us of the cultural impact of the bomb, for soldiers that lived during World War 2, it was the stories of the kamikaze pilots that left a huge impact, even for people not in the Pacific theater. Likewise, Japan has long struggled to articulate its historical relationship to kamikaze pilots, with the memorial there being a kind of hot-button issue for multiple decades now. This film perhaps doesn't offer a searing insight, but rather a kind of wishful alternate path to how Japan and the west feels about kamikaze pilots. I think what's particularly remarkable about this film, frankly, is the way it pushes against the grain--a lot of Japanese cinema, especially that designed for view by western audiences, tends toward a construction of victimhood due to the bomb. This film tries to grapple with the echoes of imperial desire both immediately after the war and, perhaps, now.

Honestly, come for the big cool depiction of Godzilla, but leave with a reflection of Japan's relationship to World War 2.

I love monster movies. I enjoy big, dumb, fun action movies. So it shouldn't be difficult for me to like Godzilla-related movies. Let's look at what Hollywood has put out (with my rating):

Godzilla (2014) - 7 stars.

Kong: Skull Island - 5 stars.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters - 3 stars.

Godzilla vs. Kong - 4 stars.

Aside from the 2014 version, all of my reviews mention decent action surrounded by a terrible movie. But I can't remember a single action scene from them. Comparatively, the action scenes in Godzilla Minus One are INCREDIBLE. They are fully memorable and had my jaw dropped as far as it would go.

BUT... this movie is 90% drama, only 10% Godzilla scenes. So you will fail unless you have a great story with fully developed characters and arcs, with full investment in those characters, with deep themes of trauma and remorse, and with emotionally powerful setups and payoffs.

Who in the world would have expected that to be the case.

This movie isn't just BEASTLY, it's sooooo good. Nearly every filmmaking aspect is well-done.

Hollywood, please learn from this. I'm begging you.

(1 viewing, 1/18/2024)

Those wondering, according to Yamazaki, "Minus One" refers to the level of where Japan had to start when rebuilding Japan after WWII. If the atomic bombing of Japan was the countries lowest point in history ("0"), then the emergence of Godzilla puts them lower ("-1").

As many have mentioned, this movie goes back to Godzilla being the bad guy versus a hero/antihero that Hollywood has been making in the last 10+ years.

Unlike more recent Godzilla movies made in the US, the human story is very specific on how to deal and overcome Godzilla and the aftermath of WWII, which is good; not too overbearing as other Godzilla movies with the human element to it.

If you can ignore the Japanese only speaking and some bad CGI (here and there, not too bad), then this is a good movie to go see during a thin month (Dec 2023) of blockbuster movies.

My biggest criticism, wished the hospital scene was more dire or devastating (you'll know what I mean when you see the film).

And yes, there is a post-credit.

Set at the end of World War 2 and Japan is defeated and in ruins. Our protagonist is Koichi, a pilot who returns to his devastated hometown in Tokyo. He is unwelcome and guilt ridden for sneaking out of a kamikaze raid in the pacific. Japan is at its lowest point and then Godzilla arrives.

This is a brilliant setup for this period story that sees a country without the military might, technology and morale to face this new enemy. The film also leans into the drama and emotion that made the first film so iconic and sets it apart from the family fun films of the 70s and 80s as well as the recent American blockbuster treatments. My Japanese is not good enough to understand all of the film so there will be lots that I didn't get. However it manages to be a strong, emotional story with a scary and ferocious Godzilla. In my mind it is far superior to Shin Godzilla which I found dull and goofy. This is the best Godzilla film in many years and perhaps the best since the 1954 original.

I'm a huge fan of Godzilla, I think the original from 1954 is a genuine classic and a great film (not just a great "monster" movie). The Heisei era is my overall favorite, and I thought Shin Godzilla was weird in all the right ways. It was one of my favorite movies from that year.

This one might be even better. You actually care about the characters. It deals with some very serious topics, such as survivors guilt and the aftermath of war violence on civilians and conflicting emotions around national pride and feeling betrayed by your government. Yet the film is also exciting and optimistic and has some of the best Godzilla sequences ever put to screen. My favorite depiction of Godzilla is as a force of nature, representing the power of the atomic bomb or the fury of war itself. That's the Godzilla you get here. I think this film can very favorably be compared to American classics like Jaws and Jurassic Park, too.

I don't want to say too much, it's best to just experience the movie for yourself. The only part that felt a little false to me was the very end, but I understand why the director wanted to do it that way. The special effects look great for the most part, but there are a couple of shots here and there that aren't perfect when compared to some Hollywood movies. However, it hardly matters. This is an incredible film.

9/10 easily, probably closer to 9.5

My current Godzilla rankings:

1) Gojira (1954) 2) Godzilla Minus One (2023) 3) Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) 4) Shin Godzilla (2016) 5) Return of Godzilla (1984)

Special mentions to GMK, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) and Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)