Everyone’s favorite monster, Godzilla, makes his return to the big screen like NEVER before in Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One.”
In recent years, we have grown accustomed to kaiju following the same formula with the goal to be loud, destructive and a mindless popcorn flick. However, “Godzilla Minus One” is so much more than watching the scaled icon stomp around and wreak havoc.
Set after the horrors of World War II, the film follows a group of ex-military men who rally together against the terrors of Godzilla. At the center of the group is Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a disgraced kamikaze pilot suffering survivor’s guilt from an early Godzilla attack. Shikishima’s trauma and his struggle to “live” his life becomes the core of the story. And this emotionally rich narrative is the reason “Godzilla Minus One” is so damn compelling. We FINALLY have people to care about.
Yes. Don’t fret. Godzilla is there too and he’s brutal. Yamazaki creatively builds suspense similarly to Spielberg’s “Jaws” in spectacular action sequences filled with all the mass destruction a Godzilla fan would want.
But it’s the heartfelt narrative woven throughout that makes “Godzilla Minus One” an instant classic.
When the film ended, I turned to my partner and said, “…did a Godzilla movie just give me “the feels?”
Heather's Hot Takes 