Since Godzilla’s re-emergence to the American audience in 2014’s self-titled blockbuster, there have been seven more films released, both from Japanese and American production companies. Warner Bros. has started building its “MonsterVerse”, teaming Godzilla up with Kong against other monsters and human threats. At the same time, Japan has focused more on a villainous side of the giant reptile, both in Netflix’s animated trilogy, and stand-alone films.
While Japan’s Godzilla films are no strangers to metaphors and societal messaging, they have typically bounced back and forth between serious and silly over the years. 2016’s Shin Godzilla, the last Japanese-made live-action movie, was one of the first films in the franchise to marry the messaging of environmental protection importance with an exceptionally angry Godzilla.
Many fans thought the newest film in the franchise, Godzilla Minus One, would go a little lighter, but they were very wrong.
Godzilla Minus One was both written and directed by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki and produced by Toho, the company responsible for Godzilla films since the franchise started in 1954. The film stars Ryunosuke Kamiki (Your Name. Spirited Away) in the lead role, and he’s supported by Minami Hamabe (Shin Kamen Rider), Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki.
The film follows Koichi Shikishima, a Japanese Kamikaze pilot during World War II, who, instead of following through with his suicidal duty, retreats to a nearby repair base under the false pretense that his plane is malfunctioning.
While there, the base is attacked by a giant mutated lizard the locals know as Godzilla, and after surviving the encounter, Shikishima returns home to find his family has been killed in the air raids.
Shikishima, trying to fight against his shame and embarrassment, allows a woman and baby to move into his home, and he tries to help give them better lives. However, a growing Godzilla has other plans for Japan, and starts attacking the country, doing atomic levels of damage. Shikishima must protect his newly found family and help destroy the monster threatening to take everything away from him.
Many of Japan’s Godzilla films bring a certain amount of sympathy for the giant lizard, but rarely do we get human characters that not only have deep development and growth, but that we are actively invested in, and successfully take over the main focus.
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Kamiki’s performance as Shikishima is incredible, presenting a deeply damaged, war-torn man who struggles with PTSD daily. As he works to forgive himself and keep moving through life, we can’t help but feel for him and those who try to lift him up, especially his friend Noriko (Hamabe), and the close-knit group of work friends he meets along the way.
Each character has their own charm and likability, so when death seems inescapable for every character, we as the audience are legitimately scared to lose them. This is possibly the only time I’ve ever felt so connected to human characters in the entire Godzilla franchise. Every supporting performance is fantastic, and they all feed off Kamiki’s talent throughout the entire film.
Alongside the obvious focus on post-war PTSD, Godzilla Minus One’s messaging is highly metaphorical for Japan’s absolute devastation after the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The effects on Japan aren’t often explored in media, especially in mainstream films that are shown in America, but Godzilla’s atomic breath as a symbol of nuclear destruction in the film actually takes your breath, in a way that Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer didn’t even bother touching on. There were multiple moments throughout the film where Godzilla’s havoc is shocking and heartbreaking.
Not only are the human elements of the story well done, but there’s an awesome scientific element to the giant monster side of it. The humans’ way of dealing with Godzilla is creative and hasn’t been used thus far in the creature’s 35+ movies.
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From a technical standpoint, Godzilla Minus One fires on all cylinders. The sound editing and Naoki Satô’s booming, inspirational score are equally impressive, and combined with an excellent mix of practical and digital effects, this is the perfect theater watch.
One of the few complaints about 2016’s Shin Godzilla was about the CGI silliness of the monster. That complaint has been completely squashed in this film. Godzilla is hulking, angry, and terrifying. He looks great, both in dark, night shots and in bright daytime shots. There has never been a Godzilla this pissed off.
I won’t go into any spoiler-y details about the ending of the story, but just know there is plenty of potential for tears throughout several moments in the film, whether it’s regarding the characters themselves, or their outcomes. The final act is an explosive, intense showdown between Godzilla and humanity, and you can’t really ask for a better film climax.
If you’re like me, you pretty much love anything that’s giant monster-related, regardless of the quality of the film. While the Warner Bros. MonsterVerse movies have a lot of fun, spectacle-focused scenes, the stories and acting sometimes leave a lot to be desired. Godzilla Minus Zero is the exact opposite. Critics and audiences seem to agree (for once), as the film has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and has already made $52 million, paving the way for an extended theater stay.
It’s a legitimately all-around great film, one of the best giant monster movies of all time, and possibly the greatest Godzilla film ever made.
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