Godzilla Minus One (2023)

I was definitely not expecting that.

Am I the only one who thought this after seeing Godzilla Minus One? Having been around for nearly seven decades and being in more than a dozen movies, Godzilla is nothing short of a cinematic icon.

Sadly, I would say I am more familiar with the American produced films than those from Japan (it should also be said I have, and always will be, a bigger fan of King Kong). None of this truly takes away from the newest Godzilla film, which is one of the best monster movies I have seen in years.

One of the key ingredients to the film is the human story is still intriguing even without the giant lizard. Set in the final days of the second world war, we meet disgraced Kōich (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a kamikaze pilot who opted out at the last minute, only to return home in despair. All that is left for him is Noriko (Minami Hamabe), a woman who he lets into his house with her adopted baby girl Akiko. To support them, Kōich becomes a mine sweeper at sea. A few years pass, and Godzilla (who Kōich encountered in the war) returns.

If it is just a city destroying monster you are looking for, then this film gives more than enough of the goods. The special effects are not on the same level as, say, James Cameron or Steven Spielberg films, but they still are passable. When Godzilla uses his awesome fire breath…well, my friend Bill next to me was simply geeking out like I had never seen him geek out before.

Director Takashi Yamazaki (who also wrote the film as well as do the special effects) does have some clear homages to classics. These include the original 1954 film (which I finally caught up with a few months ago), and (mainly in one boat scene) Jaws. The call back to Spielberg’s masterpiece in this film is so evident it almost makes you laugh (in a good way). There is, however, one thing that is missing. What easily made Jaws as scary as it was (aside from the legendary score from John Williams) was the fact that we never saw the shark for a good amount of the movie. In Godzilla Minus One, we see him in the first five minutes or so, and it is rather abrupt. Somehow, that choice actually works (perhaps because we already have a basic idea of what he will look like).

Parents, it is a PG-13 Godzilla movie. No sexual content, as all the rating is due to the violence (standard PG-13 fare) and some swearing. Make of it what you will.

Perhaps one of the most peculiar things about this movie is the time of release. The end of the year is normally not the time for a monster movie. It is for the awards contenders. Godzilla Minus One is not one of those films (despite the well wishes of my friend Rudy). Even so, the good amount of big Godzilla fans in my life can testify for their love of the film (it may be the most beautifully shot monster movie I have seen since the original King Kong). It has everything a Godzilla fanatic could want, and more so.

If you are a Godzilla fan and do not like Godzilla Minus One, you are not a Godzilla fan.

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