A Reel Review: GODZILLA MINUS ONE

There are two things that must right away be known about GODZILLA MINUS ONE: the 37th film in the GODZILLA franchise that started way back in 1954. First, it has no connection whatsoever to the American-produced, Warner Bros. owned crap-tastic MonsterVerse franchise that has been stinking up theatres since 2014. MINUS ONE is a Japanese production by Toho Studios, who first created the big lizard 70 years ago. And second, it is the best GODZILLA film ever made. Here’s how: 

 

In 1945, near the end of WWII, Kamikaze pilot Koichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki), has an encounter with Godzilla which he barely survives. He returns home to a war-devasted Tokyo, where he befriends Noriko (Minami Hamabe), who is caring for an orphaned baby. As the two settle in together and try to rebuild, Godzilla emerges from the ocean and stomps his way towards Tokyo. 

 

Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, GODZILLA MINUS ONE avoids the two biggest pitfalls that big monster movies tend to fall into: either too many human characters that hog up the screentime or not enough humanity. A post-war Japan offers the film the chance to show the ground-level devastation of the war, where food is scarce, children starve, and everyone lives in shacks. The tragedy is compounded as just when things start to look up for the country, along comes Godzilla who stomps and burns it all down again. 

 

At the center of it all is Kochi, who returns home from the war in disgrace (Kamikaze pilots are expected to die, no exceptions). He is in a war that hasn’t ended yet, and is torn between finishing business with Godzilla or staying to care for his new family that he loves. There is a lot of heart here, and MINUS ONE finds ways to jerk the tears in many places. 

 

When the big guy does come, it is nothing short of spectacular. Godzilla’s rampages on land and sea are stunning with awesome visuals. Much of the happening devastation is shown from street-level and adds to the horror. Godzilla himself is frightening as all hell, and his battles with battleships and aircraft are a thrill a second. Director Takashi Yamazaki keeps the pacing tight, the emotional moments timed nicely, and the scale epic. The score by Naoki Sato is excellent. 

 

Acting is also excellent. Ryunosuke Kamiki goes through the emotional steps and carries it very well. The show is stolen by the beautiful Minami Hamabe. 

 

The final battle with Godzilla is big-screen greatness with the tension ramped up via some outstandingly staged set-pieces. When the dust settles, MINUS ONE goes for an emotional wallop, one that is very rare for a monster movie. The ending, the heart, and the spectacle all add up to a refreshing and welcome change for the GODZILLA franchise, and a towering film that will devastate for the next 70 years. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it