By: Rodger Moss
As a lifelong Godzilla fan, I have been with some highs and lows of a franchise that has lasted 70 years now. There is not one movie that I hate but a lot that I skip during a rewatch I’m looking at you All Monsters Attack. There has never been a Godzilla that has scared me, I can understand the fear from the original uncut 1954 Japanese film (if you only seen the American version take the time) but never felt fear from the monster itself... That has changed with Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One.
Starting at the end of WW2 we meet Kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima a man trying to understand the value of life in a time that it seems so meaningless. After certain events that will for ever change this young mans life, we see him return to a recently bombed Tokyo where his entire life before the war is gone. This is the meat of the movie trying to rebuild and move on while holding on to the traditions of the past in a new world that cannot accept what once was and must adapt to what is. As we meet our main cast of characters, we see a Japan that has never been put on film. A Japan that is not strong but weak and humbled. We also see traditions make way for simple survival since this is spoiler territory, I’ll refrain from going into depth but when you watch it look at how accepting everyone has become of what family really means, and how mental health, such as PTSD can impact everyone in a person’s life not just the individual suffering. A strong statement from a country who has always struggled with this aspect of life.
Not long after finding work and starting on a new and unforeseen life the force of nature that is Godzilla appears. This is not your fathers are even my Godzilla but instead of being a weapon of mass destruction (1954), or a warning for bioengineering (Godzilla v Biollante), or even a God reincarnated (Shin Godzilla) we get a force of nature and much like the shark from Jaws this Godzilla is brutal, fast, and awe inspiring. At this point in all other Godzilla movies, we switch from main character to the Japanese government and how to stop or detour the big G from Tokyo. And this is the first of many differences in this movie and all others. There is no government intervention, and it is up to the civilians to come together and save a country they no longer believe in. This is where the two main themes collide of past duty and future endeavors, and it is a spectacle to be held. I will do a deeper dive on the symbolism and commentary of society that this move portrays in a future article but I want everyone to see this movie with harts and minds open to the judgment of themselves.
It is obvious where the director put the money for this movie and it is in the special effects not taking anything away from the amazing actors that made me feel even with the language barrier . For the first time we get a fully CGI Godzilla, Shin did a lot of CGI but it was mapping over a guy in a Goji suit. Marvel, Disney, and other main studios can take a note here, the fear comes from not knowing what is coming. When we see the full monster for the first time awe inspiring doesn’t cover the feeling. There were times I squeezed my partners hand not out of fear but pure excitement for what the screen was displaying. By setting the movie mostly in one home the director allowed us to how small we are all in the events that transpire around us. Godzilla has never looked this good and I’m including the American Monsterverse in this statement. The destruction that was shown on screen had a real impact unlike other Godzilla movies there is no joy in seeing this. It is a horror that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Shin Godzilla Toho’s last big screen outing directed by Hideaki Anno of Evangillon fame showed the beauty of destruction the pureness that it can bring. Minus One showed the terror of what it is. For the first time we see people crushed by Godzilla. This is not a movie for young children.
For those who like a lot of screen time to giant monsters and rampages across a city skyline this is not the movie for you. I recommend Godzilla Final Wars for Kaiju battle royals. But if you are looking for a movie that has a message and one that does make you think I cannot think of a better movie that has come out in the last 15 years. To me Godzilla works best when it stands for something other than big monster smash. I can understand why some may think this is a bad Godzilla movie I would say it’s not really a great Godzilla movie, but as far as a film goes this is Toho’s Godfather a wonderful movie. A film that not only excited me but made me care for the characters in this movie something that this genre has struggled with for the past 70 years. The ending maybe very foreseeable but it was well earned and forgivable due to the emotional roller coaster of the last two hours.
I am giving Godzilla Minus One a Crit Hit it is a must see not only for fans of Godzilla but fans of great film. Truly a future classic that may in my humble mind passes Ishiro Honda’s original 1954 masterpiece that is Godzilla.
Stay Geeky my friends!
Rodger out
Movie rating scale
Fumble- rolling a one on a d20
Failure- not hitting the target no but no real damage done.
Success- Target no hit a good time.
Nat 20- almost perfect
Crit hit- here at entertain the geeky we still confirm our crits.