Film Review - GODZILLA MINUS ONE
Images courtesy of Sugoi Co.
With nearly forty films under its massive belt, the Godzilla franchise is the longest continually running series of all time. Harkening all the way back to the 1954 classic Gojira, the gigantic lizard has gone through more than his fair share of phases, from fearsome, antagonistic roles, to the people’s hero, from ultra-serious allegory for the horrors of war, to campy reptilian wrestler. We've seen him rampage through cities, ignite buildings, suffer a nuclear meltdown, use his atomic breath to fly, turn into a laser disco ball, and give a giant robot a handshake to rival Weathers and Schwarzenegger’s (immediately after delivering a sliding dropkick). Needless to say, Godzilla’s seen some shit.
Directed by Takashia Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One uses the current momentum of Legendary’s MonsterVerse films and Hideaki Anno’s Shin Gojira before it to take the king of the monsters back to his origins, delivering another horrific metaphor for war while also attempting to ground this 37th entry with heartfelt drama. The film follows Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a kamikaze pilot who encounters Godzilla for the first time in 1945 (nine years before the setting of the original, hence Minus One). He survives the attack, but is wrought with survivor’s guilt. Two years later, he meets Noriko (Minami Hamabe), a woman who lost her family in a firebombing raid, and the orphaned Akiko. Their lives are turned upside down when Godzilla resurfaces, mutated by nuclear testing in Bikini Atoll, and unleashes his wrath on the district of Ginza.
Godzilla Minus One owes a lot to the original 1954 film, exploring themes of loss, guilt, redemption, and survival through the eyes of the human characters caught in the crossfire of Godzilla’s rampage and the military’s response (or lack thereof). The film’s postwar Japan is well-realised, depicting the widespread poverty and suffering that the nation endured through sets dominated by smouldering grey rubble and aged costumes. Minus One’s strongest aspect is no doubt its visual effects, which are stunning and realistic without ever feeling like it's pushing the setpieces too far into chest-pumping bravado. The monster himself is impressive and terrifying, and while I'll admit I usually prefer the more campy, pro wrestler Godzilla, his presence here is as powerful as ever, with an atomic breath sequence that's up there with Shin and 2014’s.
However, the film’s weakness is its emotional beats, which though occasionally effective, are often trite and melodramatic. Though I appreciate the attempt to bring the series back to what made ‘54 such a masterpiece, Minus doesn't fully earn its sentimental nature and I found its insistence on the found family main plot to really drag it down at points, whereas the original film’s close proximity to the actual world war felt entirely earnest and a lot more raw. It does seem to be working for the majority of audiences and critics, but personally, I feel like taking this approach whilst also completely removing any sympathy for Godzilla is a bit of a misfire. The big G is shown to be a fearsome and terrifying creature even before he gets hit with a nuke, and though the destruction on screen is appropriately devastating, I'd appreciate some shades of grey even when painting him as an outright villain.
As much as I appreciated this latest attempt at bringing Godzilla back to his roots, I found myself wanting more of the creativity and originality that made the franchise so iconic and memorable. For fans and newcomers alike, I can see Godzilla Minus One being a decent watch, thanks to its impressive visuals and action, but for me, it's not particularly memorable. Even if it is quite faithful to the spirit of the original masterpiece that is Gojira, it also feels like a bit of a step backwards considering all the exciting directions the series has gone in since, lacking the raw potency of Shin, the sympathetic nature of Godzilla vs Destoroyah, or the campy fun of Tokyo SOS. Between Minus One, Apple’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the franchise is still going strong, with plenty to look forward to for diehard Godzilla fans such as myself, and I would recommend it as an entry point for those who are avertent to the 50s film’s stylisation.
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GODZILLA MINUS ONE is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.