Just when you thought all the cinematic surprises were done for 2023, out of nowhere comes Godzilla Minus One. Much like Godzilla himself, the film appeared out of nowhere on our shows and has left a trail of destruction through other movie’s weekend box office hopes. If you’re confused about the title like I was, the director Takashi Yamazaki explained that at the end of WW2, which is when this movie takes place, Japan was at its lowest point ever, essentially zero. And then, a freakin’ dinosaur monster appears, bringing the country even lower. The title is doubtlessly less clunky in Japanese, but it still makes more sense than my initial thought of Godzilla dealing with a romantic breakup. Thankfully, smarter people than I worked on this film, and it shows through the strong direction, emotional acting, and a smarter screenplay than the recent Godzilla movies from Warner Bros. Pictures’ MonsterUniverse.
Godzilla Minus One Is not dubbed over with English, so get ready for some reading. I’m generally an anti-subtitles brat (it ruins timing, and I’m not sorry), but choosing to keep the original Japanese lines was the smart choice here, since it would have been a shame to miss out on the full performance from the actors. There’s not a weak link among the actors, and they create a much more memorable cast than whoever was in Godzilla vs. Kong. That’s because Godzilla Minus One is more focused on the human characters than the big G himself, a gamble that pays off in spades. The cast gets to do more than just fearfully react to a giant monster (although there’s still plenty of that), and the writing makes them feel like real, layered people, so when any of the main characters are put in danger, I was way more stressed out than I ever thought I’d be in a Godzilla movie.
In fact, this is easily the most emotionally-charged movie I’ve seen in a while. The WW2 setting already starts us from a dark time in Japanese history, taking us back to Godzilla’s roots of being a symbol of the destruction caused by nuclear weapons, or just being an avatar of darkness in the world and punishment. Ironically, we see some of the cultural devastation that was only hinted at earlier this year with Oppenheimer. The main character is Koichi Shikishima (played by Kamiki Ryunosuke), a coward who fled from his kamikaze pilot orders, and we follow him as he struggles to rebuild his life after the war with Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe) after they both lose their parents to the fire bombings. The film takes time to give us an intimate story of them and those close to them, making the resolve and sacrifice that comes later in the story to be an surprisingly emotional experience. Holding back tears while watching a Godzilla movie is not a thing I’m used to, okay??
On a lighter note, if you’ve missed the memes, it’s true that Godzilla Minus One had a budget of exactly one episode of She-Hulk, which means Disney could have made 9 great Godzilla movies instead of sinking their Marvel Cinematic Universe. I knew before watching that Godzilla Minus One was made with less than $15 million dollars, and I was still blown away how far they stretched a budget that’s comparatively tiny to most movies today, let alone a monster action movie. It’s the classic thick Godzilla with those wide hips, but he doesn’t look dated or cheap, nor do any of the action scenes and resulting devastation on sea and land.
Godzilla Minus One is also doing great at the American box office, by far the highest grossing non-English film this year. Not only that, but it’s already beaten out recent Hollywood movies Thanksgiving, Magic Mike’s Last Dance (thank goodness), and even Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. A subtitled Godzilla film from Japan outgrossed Beyoncé, y’all.
To sum up, if you’ve ever enjoyed a Godzilla or disaster movie, there’s no excuse to miss Godzilla Minus One before it leaves theaters. Or if you’re wanting a break from the typical Hollywood formula, there’s no excuse to miss Godzilla Minus One. At 2 hours, it doesn’t overstay its welcome (take note, recent blockbusters), and it’s still filled with a monster dose of human drama and cultural history. It may not be a bloated CGI-fest like Godzilla vs. Kong, but it’s well worth the watch, full of entertainment but also thoughtful themes that apply to all of us. Also, yes, the radioactive beams are still super cool.
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