Godzilla Minus One movie review

On 70th anniversary Toho Studios delivers franchise best film

Director Takashi Yamazaki directs not only one of the best films of 2023 but puts most American blockbusters that came out in 2023 to shame and sets the standard for how they should be made. The story is incredible for the first time watching a Godzilla film I really cared about the characters so when Godzilla does show up it is so much more impactful, and the film has such thoughtful themes of ptsd, survivor’s guilt, shame, desire to find connection but being fearful to connect out of fear of losing a connection like that again, what it means to come together when the government fails its citizens, and finding redemption. Godzilla in this film is terrifying and so awesome at the same time which is impressive and ties so well into what our main characters journey is which very other Godzilla film I’ve seen failed to do for me. The tension is so white knocked and has you on the edge of your seat is so satisfying to watch as a viewer its incredible.

It’s the final days of World War 2 as Koichi a kamikaze pilot is on this island where he is being found out for lying about his plane being broken where one guy shames him and another agrees with him not wanting to die when the war is clearly lost, as this is happening Godzilla shows up and destroys everything in his path. Koichi and his comrades are trying to escape they tell Koichi to get to the nearby plane to shoot and hopefully kill Godzilla. He can get inside of the plane and aim at Godzilla to shoot but as he does, he has a shaky hand and freezes and cannot shoot Godzilla. This sets up his journey as character so perfectly with the Koichi dealing with shame, survivors’ guilt, and needing a chance for redemption right from the beginning.

This is to me is what clearly makes Godzilla Minus One head and shoulders better than any Godzilla movie from the past 70 years is the characters are so well written and their journey is so well interwoven with the Godzilla destruction where in the past they were poorly written, and they didn’t tie into each other and felt disjointed and disconnected. Whereas in this film they complement and tie together. Koichi is not the only compelling human character Noriko a woman he meets when coming home from the war who has a baby that’s not hers but is taking care of and by circumstances, they form this makeshift beautiful family. When Koichi takes a job on a wooden boat to take out mines the guys he meets and works with on that boat are also fantastic characters and with not a lot of screentime feel like such fully realized characters, again when you watch the American movies that came out recently I don’t remember who any of the characters are and can care less if they lived or died but in this film it’s the opposite. What I love is even though Koichi has this found family and friends from his job he is struggling with the fear of loss from his family dying from the war and the ptsd he is going through it is earned throughout the film so by the end you are near tears.

The theme that comes through when the navy and some military must take on Godzilla is when the government lets the citizens down and they must be ones to band together to take out this threat

and I love that so much and when the main scientist is explaining the plan it really makes you feel like you’re with them. Takashi Yamazaki directed this film and does an incredible job with how he presents the characters and when the Godzilla destruction hits it’s so terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Takashi Yamazaki on top of writing and directing this movie is the vfx supervisor and they looked seamless to me and it is so mind blowing that this film with way less money that MCU, DC, and so many American blockbusters look better than most of those films the scenes of Godzilla chasing them in the boat or is destroying city’s and the final sequence when they are trying to trap Godzilla look amazing. Which speaking of is so clever, makes sense, and by this point you are so invested in the story and the characters you are on the edge of you’re seat and want Koichi to get his redemption and save the day, when he flies his plane into Godzilla’s mouth I believed he would sacrifice himself but the only other survivor fixes the ejection seat and is able to eject and you want to cheer when this happens and finds out that Noriko Survived the blast from Godzilla’s atomic breath he is finally opening himself to how he feels and about her and ready to move on from the pain and guilt he as felt the whole movie.

I loved this movie so much and I’m so surprised never been the biggest Godzilla fan, but this movie blew me away with how good the story, the characters, the direction, the music which them incorporating the classic theme was genius, and how rich it is thematically. Which proves once again you don’t have to sacrifice character and story for spectacle if you get the audience to care the action will hit so much harder. So when get a chance please see it in theaters if you can or when it comes on 4k Blu-ray or digital I think you will love it like I did I will give this film a 5 out of 5.