Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One takes place in Postwar Japan which at its lowest point faces a new crisis in the form of a giant monster called Godzilla, who was baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.
It has been 69 years since Godzilla made his first appearance in film and since then he has become one the most iconic and versatile kaiju characters in history. His popularity in media has remained strong across nearly every project he has been in, including the recently successful Monsterverse films by Legendary Entertainment, which have mostly depicted him as a heroic figure. But now Toho, the Japanese studio that was responsible for making the iconic character, is back once again, having made a new Godzilla film, marking it as the 37th installment in the franchise, now helmed by director Takashi Yamazaki.
I have been a long-time fan of Godzilla, having watched pretty much every single Godzilla film in existence, and after finally getting the chance to see this one on the big screen I can honestly say that this is hands down the best Godzilla film that has been made in recent years. This grand reimagining of the original 1954 story is masterful in every single way possible, having the King of Monsters return to his original roots with several new spins and phenomenal technical work, making for a Godzilla film that stands out massively from what has come out before, including the higher budget Monsterverse installments. The film perfectly interweaves the pure terror and total devastation of the monstrous Godzilla with a serious and tragic war story that covers a variety of themes, all given to us through extremely compelling human characters that you are with every step of the way and truly care for.
One of the most consistent issues with most Godzilla films over the years has always been the human characters who to most would always be the most boring aspect of these films. This film changes all of that by giving us some of the best-written and acted characters in any Godzilla film in existence that you feel surprisingly emotionally invested in from start to finish. I loved every single character that was involved in this story and the performances were phenomenal across the board.
The major stand out amongst them is Ryunosuke Kamiki as the lead character Kōichi Shikishima, a former kamikaze pilot burdened with survivor’s guilt and PTSD after not only abandoning his mission but surviving the first contact with Godzilla that resulted in the deaths of several of his military comrades, who he had the chance to save but couldn’t out of fear. His inability to act haunts him to the point that he can’t find the strength to start a new life and struggles to mentally cope with his survival, given that he was bound by honor to die for his country.
Things do change for him when he meets a young woman named Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe) as well as her adopted daughter Akiko (Sae Nagatani) and with them we see a beautiful story unfold with them trying to find a new purpose as a found family in a post-war society. This becomes threatened when Godzilla returns to terrorize Japan, resulting in Köichi needing to face his greatest fears and help stop the beast from taking away everything he has built in his new life.
The journey Kōichi goes through is extremely emotional and heartbreaking in every single way and I loved his character, thanks largely to the writing and Kamiki’s magnificent performance that truly anchored this film, alongside the other characters that are part of his journey, including Noriko and his seafaring crew, composed mainly of former Japanese military veterans. Each one of the cast members brings these characters to life in such beautiful ways, really getting you to root for them and practically beg for their survival as they are thrust into the deadly path of Godzilla.
And speaking of the titular monster, this may be one of the best and most terrifying depictions of him that I have seen amongst all his appearances. He may not be the super-powered titan that we are used to seeing by now but he is still a force of nature in this film, capable of bringing absolute death and destruction wherever he goes. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt tension, fear, and dread every time Godzilla appeared rather than excitement because this is not the heroic version of the iconic monster but instead a truly unholy beast that is ready to destroy Japan and potentially the entire world without a second thought.
He is treated like a terrifying horror figure both narratively and visually with the way he is filmed and designed, as well as with the absolute obliteration he delivers in major action sequences that are simultaneously awe-inspiring and terrifying. Even the way his atomic breath is built up in this film is simultaneously epic and shocking, especially with an incredible end result that decimates so much in its path leaving nothing alive.
The design, movement, and actions of this film’s Godzilla include elements we have seen in previous interpretations of him but Takashi Yamazaki adds some new elements of his own to make this Godzilla stand out. One design choice that I found uniquely satisfying is how Godzilla’s dorsal spikes pop out as he charges up his atomic breath, which creatively enhances the aforementioned build-up of his atomic breath, making it feel like an actual weapon being charged up rather than something he can just release at any time. This film makes Godzilla a true scary monster again, which I know is something a lot of people have been wanting to see for years and I believe this film really delivers on that.
The story as I mentioned is mostly a reimagining of the 1954 original with some significant changes, and is not connected to any previous installments in Toho’s lineup. But unlike other reboots and reimaginings from Toho, director Takashi Yamazaki decided to greatly change things up this time by giving audiences a very compelling narrative to follow, full of fantastic characters and incredible themes that feel incredibly relevant not to just to the people of Japan but everyone in the world. Some of the themes this film delves into and handles beautifully include survivor’s guilt, shame, PTSD, the fallout of war as well as several other familiar themes from the 1954 original film that are revisited here but in a different and honestly better way. This is not a turn-your-brain-off kaiju romp but a deeply layered monster story that looks epic in scale yet feels very grounded and impactful.
I was so emotionally invested in this story that I am not afraid to admit that this was legitimately the first Godzilla film in years to trigger many emotional reactions from me including making me cry. Yes, you read that right! A Godzilla film made me cry! I did not expect it at all when going into this film but I’m so glad it surprised me as emotionally as it did, which shows that Takashi Yamazaki created something truly special with this film and understood that this was what the franchise needed after nearly 70 years.
This film features some truly exceptional and devastating action sequences, all of which are enhanced by phenomenal technical elements including cinematography, sound design, CGI, and VFX which director Takashi Yamazaki was heavily involved with. Now there were some initial reports that this film was made on an estimated $15 million budget, but at the time of writing this, the reported budget might not be as accurate as some have claimed. But I think regardless of whatever the budget was this film looks absolutely gorgeous and majestic in every single frame, making this visually the best Godzilla film ever made under the Toho banner. No poorly aged effects or guys in suits with visible zippers are in this film but instead, we get grand set pieces all made through a combination of practical effects, CGI, and exemplary VFX, all shown through stellar cinematography.
This film visually captures the horrific devastation Godzilla causes in his rampages both on land and at sea, really capturing the horror of it all in such a fantastic fashion that connects with the major themes of the film’s story. The story and technical elements work completely hand in hand with each other which could largely be due to Takashi Yamazaki’s huge amount of creative control on every level of this film. It’s clear that he wanted every single element of this film to be perfect and in tune with each other which is something that I feel every director should do especially when it comes to VFX.
On top of all this, we also get an absolutely amazing and incredibly haunting score by composer Naoki Sato who truly elevates every element of this film. Some of the original tracks he does in this film really stay with you both during and after certain sequences, but by far the most haunting and thrilling track he delivers is his take on the original Godzilla theme in three different suites. The very second that theme kicked in I had complete chills down my spine and serious goosebumps all over me. It truly is a nostalgic theme that really hits hard when done right and Naoki Sato truly gave it his all to have it done right.
Godzilla is a timeless and versatile character that is beloved no matter what kind of installment he is in, but I am seriously glad I got to witness someone take the iconic character and bring him back to his roots in masterful fashion, while also adding something new and compelling to make it stand out from previous installments. Takashi Yamazaki has made a phenomenal film that I can say is both one of the best Godzilla films of all time but also one of the best and most surprising films of 2023 that needs to be seen by everyone. I’m going to give Godzilla Minus One an A+ = 100.
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