Summary

Godzilla Minus One brings the franchise back to glory with quality and entertainment, taking us back to post-war Japan and a new crisis with a gigantic monster. The film’s narrative focuses on compelling characters, particularly Koichi’s mental health and guilt, creating an emotionally engaging experience. The movie successfully nods to earlier Godzilla films, showcasing stunning cinematography and reminding us of the terrifying and thrilling nature of Godzilla.

Since its first appearance onscreen in 1954, the kaiju monster Godzilla has taken the film industry by storm. While some of the earlier entries in the franchise gave us quality blockbusters, more recent films failed to live up to their epic potential. Godzilla Minus One, the 37th Godzilla film, brings the franchise back to glory in both quality and entertainment. Japanese director Takashi Yamazaki takes us back to the beginning — a post-war Japan, where the horrors of the atomic bomb yield a new crisis in the form of a gigantic monster that won’t go down easily. If there was ever a time to rally behind a Godzilla film, it’s now with Godzilla Minus One.

In the film’s opening sequence, we meet Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a World War II Japanese fighter pilot who has recently landed on Odo Island for repairs. As nearby military heroes assist with the mechanics, their progress is rudely interrupted by Godzilla, a dinosaur-like monster that was once an urban legend. Godzilla wipes out everyone on the island, leaving only Koichi and Sosaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki) alive. This would be the day that would haunt Koichi forever, as he cowered away from shooting the kaiju and opted for safety instead. When Koichi returns to Tokyo, his days and evenings consist of extreme guilt and nightmares, neither of which prevent him from forming a small family with a local woman named Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe) and an orphan Akiko (Sae Nagatini). But with Godzilla threatening to destroy his newfound livelihood, especially as he approaches Tokyo full of rage and ferocity, Koichi battles between his guilt and the desire to survive.

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Minami Hamabe as Noriko in Godzilla Minus One

This sets the stage for a beautifully human and compelling narrative, right in the middle of a highly entertaining and thrilling ride. When it comes to Godzilla films, many don’t really care for the human elements and would rather see Godzilla create carnage and destruction. Yet, Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One is so rich with compelling characters that it’s easy to emotionally gravitate to its central story. Not a single second in the film is wasted on silly dialogue or unfunny jokes, which seems to plague recent American Godzilla movies. Instead, there’s an urgent focus on Koichi’s mental health and well-being, as he struggles to deal with PTSD and the guilt he feels after abandoning his position. What’s exciting about this narrative is that Godzilla is still the main character even when he isn’t onscreen. As a result, there’s always a sense of danger, or a nightmarish sequence lurking.

Godzilla Minus One is a visual and thrilling ride, bringing the monster back to his blockbuster glory.

One of the best parts about Godzilla Minus One is its nod to earlier Godzilla films and the acknowledgment of the kaiju’s history. Perhaps that is a testament to Kôzô Shibasaki’s cinematography and the visual effects. The set pieces accentuate mid-1940s Japan in a way that feels integral to the story. The country is recovering from its lowest point, after all, but just when there’s a glimmer of hope and recovery, Godzilla, whose design brings about an equal amount of horror and curiosity, is there to remind them of the lurking threat and despondence to come, whether at sea or land. In these sequences, the film also reminds us of how terrifying Godzilla is, a component that has been lacking in recent films for me. Godzilla Minus One is a visual and thrilling ride, bringing the monster back to his blockbuster glory.

Of course, in a film that spends much of its time balanced between Godzilla and the human characters, it’s important to note that it suffers from some pacing issues. This mostly occurs at the hour mark, during which Koichi struggles between his guilt and wanting to live for his newfound family. Fortunately, the pacing issues don’t last very long thanks to remarkable performances from the entire cast. Not a single character was wasted, which was exactly what audiences needed.

If there’s one thing you need to know heading into Godzilla Minus One, it’s that this 125-minute feature is well worth seeing on the big screen. The storytelling is exactly what we need from a Godzilla film, balancing Godzilla’s on and off-screen presence with the sheer anguish and terror that the human characters are feeling. It doesn’t always nail its inspirational tones thanks to some over-the-top and predictable sequencing, but it is a stunning Godzilla film nonetheless. Lastly, the film’s final 30 minutes is simply phenomenal filmmaking, emphasizing Yamazaki’s ability to bring quality back to the franchise and showcase a stunning achievement of human storytelling.

Godzilla Minus One releases in theaters on December 1. The film is 125 minutes long and rated PG-13 for creature violence and action.

Godzilla: Minus One Release Date: 2023-12-01 Director: Takashi Yamazaki Cast: Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yûki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Andō, Kuranosuke Sasaki Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 125 Minutes Genres: Action, Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi Writers: Takashi Yamazaki Studio(s): Toho Studios, Robot Distributor(s): Toho prequel(s): Shin Godzilla Franchise(s): Godzilla