Godzilla Minus One
Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Sakura Ando, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Munetaka Aoki, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Yuya Endo, Kisuke Iida, Ozuno Nakamura, Makoto Araki
Directed by: Takashi Yamazaki
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Japan is stunned when an enormous creature emerges from the ocean and threatens their island with obliteration.

Review:

Tim: I've been so interested in the journey of Godzilla Minus One. I've lost count of how many movies in this franchise exist (37, according to the internet), and yet, this one seems to have surpassed all the others. I haven't seen every movie in the franchise yet, but this is the first Godzilla movie I've seen that I would call "great". The film became a bit of a global phenomenon, critically and at the box office. It even won an Academy Award! There's a lot to unpack here.

First off, the chief reason this is a great movie is because it does something very few movies in this franchise do- make the film narrative and character-driven. This is a Godzilla movie, yes. But, he's on screen for a surprisingly small amount of time. This isn't really about him. It's a character-driven drama about a failed kamikaze pilot, whose own cowardice saves his life. In postwar Japan, he struggles with his past demons, while tentatively inching towards rebuilding a life of his own. That's a remarkable feat- to take a Godzilla movie, but make it about one individual and his very personal journey from darkness and despair back into the light. This movie is as much about postwar Japan, struggling to move forward after their incredible loss and the devastation caused by the atomic bombs, than it is about a giant lizard. That couldn't have been an easy decision- would audiences revolt? Fortunately, the decision was brilliant and the script was strong enough. We care about Koichi Shikishima and his PTSD. We watch as he makes an unlikely friendship, shockingly being thrust into a surrogate father role. We see the decisions he makes with the weight of responsibility for his cobbled together family, and how it leads him onto the ocean. There, he makes new friends, begins connecting with others. As the film progresses, the characters in Koichi's orbit become essential characters to the story. We get to know them, connect with them, appreciate them. This is all the human drama, which works exceedingly well here. My biggest complaint about this franchise historically is that we're there to see giant monsters battling and the human component has always seemed like a distant afterthought. Who cares about weakly written characters when we have kaiju battling? Godzilla Minus One flips the switch. The whole movie is about these characters. That's what we care about, that's what the movie focuses on. Godzilla? He's a supporting character. This change was brilliant and it's one of the reasons this movie succeeds.

Another big win for this movie comes from the visual effects. They are quite frankly, astounding at times. You can tell the movie didn't have the endless budget that many Hollywood blockbusters have, but the visuals are impressive regardless. The movie is gorgeous to look at- Godzilla is stunning, but all the visual effects work exceptionally well. You're drawn into the film because the visuals are so remarkable. In a major upset, Godzilla Minus One captured the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Knowing the budget of the film, you have to be in AWE of what they created visually. This is the first Godzilla movie to ever win an Academy Award, and I couldn't be happier about that. This movie is great and it transcends franchises and genres.

The cast is really good. Ryunosuke Kamiki works well in the lead role, giving an emotional, vulnerable performance. Watching his character evolve throughout the film is the driving force behind it and Kamiki's performance is a big reason why this movie works. Minami Hamabe gives a heartfelt performance. She's so good, I only wish she had more screen time- I wish more attention was dedicated to her character. She works well with Kamiki and brings a great deal of heart to the role. Hidetaka Yoshioka gives perhaps the best supporting performance. I loved nearly everything he did on screen. Munetaka Aoki adds a nice supporting performance, too. As a whole, the cast was strong, perhaps the best I've ever seen in a Toho Godzilla film.

I believe the best Godzilla movies are when they're not just light entertainment, but meditations on something bigger. Gojira is such a good movie because it's really a reflection on the destruction of atomic weapons on Japanese cities. Godzilla Minus One is absolutely made in that same image- yes, a giant lizard attacks Japan and causes untold destruction. But, that's not really what this movie is about- it's a meditation on the individual and societal cost of war and atomic warfare. That is so much more powerful than just mindless destruction. This movie works on multiple levels- at least some of them fairly deep. That's a big reason why this movie differentiates itself and succeeds where so many others didn't.

Godzilla Minus One is one of the biggest surprises and best films of 2023. I certainly didn't expect a Godzilla movie to reach those heights, but I'm a huge fan and big supporter of it. Great movies can come from anywhere and Japan has a long history of exceptional cinema. For one of its biggest franchises to exceed the confines of its history, to deliver such an exceptional movie for worldwide audiences- it's just a tremendous success story. I had a blast with this movie and I appreciated the famous kajiu relegated to the sidelines. Visually, the movie is stunning and it's one of my favorite films of 2023.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Gojira, Shin Godzilla