Godzilla Minus One is rated PG-13 for creature violence and action.
Enhance Ticket Rating:
44/50 Tickets
- Director: Takashi Yamazaki
- Stars: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Munetaka Aoki and Hidetaka Yoshioka
- Written By: Takashi Yamazaki
- Music By: Naoki Satō
- Cinematography By: Kōzō Shibasaki
- Genre: Kaiju, Action-horror
- Runtime: 2 hr 5 m
- MPAA Rating: PG-13
- Enhance Ticket Rating: 44/50
Kamikaze fighter pilot Kōichi Shikishima lands on Odo Island and fakes technical issues with his plane and asks for repairs. The Japanese Navy Air Service base is then attacked by Godzilla killing everyone except for Shikishima and mechanic Sōsaku Tachibana who blames the former for fleeing instead of fighting. Two years later, Shikishima is dealing with survivor’s guilt. He takes in Noriko Ōishi and her adopted child Akiko. When the young former pilot finds work as a minesweeper, he encounters his old demon: Godzilla.
I am not the biggest fan of Godzilla, but I do enjoy the MonsterVerse movies for the most part as well as the original Godzilla. Godzilla Minus One caught my eye once I saw scenes with Godzilla with how awesome he looked. Any time I saw a scene from this film, I felt more inclined to see it because it looked really good. I do not think I could be happier with how this film turned out.
Godzilla Minus One is everything I wanted from a Godzilla movie and more. First of all, Godzilla here is at his best. Instead of being an anti-hero who takes on more threatening Kaijus, he is the threat here. This version of Godzilla actively targets humans in rage. The giant monster is frightening in this movie because of how malicious his attacks are on humanity.
Even Godzilla’s roar is more realistic and deafening. Then there is his devastating atomic breath which can wipe out a whole city. I have seen atomic breath before, but I did not know how strong it would be until Godzilla unleashed it. I love this version of Godzilla. His presence alone builds tension in this movie and when he is on screen, the destruction he causes is terrifying and awesome. Godzilla in this movie holds nothing back and I love anticipating his next appearance.
The human characters surprisingly are just as memorable. Shikishima is the kind of protagonist who is very flawed, but ultimately rootable. He deals with a lot of survivor guilt as a kamikaze pilot who deserted combat and fled from the first Godzilla attack. What makes him sympathetic is how badly he is affected by the attack of Godzilla and his status as a deserter. We see how much he suffers not just by people looking down on him, but the nightmares he has about his past. This pilot is a great, flawed character who I was rooting for to take down Godzilla.
The supporting cast are great as well. Shikishima’s buddies are all very likable and helpful toward the battle against Godzilla. Noriko, Shikishima’s partner, is probably my favorite character though. She seems like she would act as an annoying comedic relief, but she is the heart of the movie. Noriko has tiny character moments such as adopting a child inspite of her situation and comforting Shikishima when he has a nightmare about Godzilla that make her such a delight and just as rootable as the protagonist. Her presence gives the broken Shikishima hope. Not only is the protagonist great, but so are the other characters.
Tonal-wise, this movie is probably the darkest Godzilla film I have seen so far. The Monsterverse films while not lighthearted do have some cheesy or humorous elements to prevent the movies becoming too bleak. Godzilla Minus One on the other hand has hardly any comedic moments with the plot focusing on the wrath of Godzilla and the consequences of war, particularly on survivors. Normally, I would say the tone is too bleak for a movie like this and some fans could feel that way, but I think the tone improves the story.
One important theme in this movie is survivor’s guilt. The main character suffers from guilt ever since returning from combat. Shikishima not only faces ridicule from his peers, but he has several nightmares about his encounter with Godzilla. His conversations with Noriko where he tells her about his demons have her reassuring him that he is still alive for a reason. This sends a message how valuable a human’s life is and how survivors deserve to live normal lives. This movie excels on showing the humanity of the characters facing the wrath of Godzilla.
Visually, the movie looks amazing. Godzilla himself is huge and intimidating in his design. His design makes him look terrifying and his movement is perfect for a Kaiju. His atomic breath is devastating as well. It is a beautiful beam that causes massive destruction that rivals the bomb in Oppenheimer. The action is beautifully shot and edited. We can clearly see and enjoy the monster action without too many cuts or edits ruining the experience. The colors are a bit monochromatic at times, but it fits the tone and themes of the film. The movie puts the viewer in the setting of postwar Japan with its visuals and action.
The sound design makes the movie more intense as well. All of the action is very loud with the explosion and even the footsteps that the giant monster takes. Godzilla’s roar in this movie is noticeably different here than in other films. He sounds much more realistic which could be a subtracting point for people who like his classic roar, but it does fit the darker tone of this film so I liked it. The music is awesome. Hearing the remix of the Godzilla theme on the big screen is a treat for all Godzilla fans.
Godzilla Minus One is an awesome Godzilla movie. It is not only entertaining, but it has a lot of depth with the characters and themes without detracting from Godzilla himself. Watching this movie makes me excited for both upcoming Godzilla projects and curious to watch his older films. This is definitely my favorite Godzilla movie so far and I highly recommend it, even if you are not a Godzilla fan.
This article was written by Enhance’s friend Jared Jacoby and edited by team member Sidney J Floyd-Armstrong. Be sure to subscribe and keep an eye on the blog for more from our team and for more movie and video game reviews from Jared!
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