Godzilla Minus One – Review
I have watched more Godzilla movies in the last ten years than I have in the previous forty-five years. And I definitely watched Godzilla movies as a kid. The most recent I watched was Godzilla Minus One.
I was not sure how to anticipate this movie. There has already been a number of Godzilla movies within the shared universe that has been called the Monsterverse. It includes other totals as well as King Kong.
Godzilla Minus One is not a part of the Monsterverse. It is a standalone movie, although it probably will get a sequel.
See The History of Godzilla: From Nuclear Nightmare to King of the Monsters
Is Godzilla Minus One any good? It is very good but it is a bit of a jolt after the more recent American-made Godzilla movies. It may be most helpful to contrast this Japanese-made version with the American versions.
In the American versions, Godzilla is a scary but misunderstood force of nature. Godzilla really wants to protect the planet from other titans. When humans get hurt, it is collateral damage rather than any antagonism on Godzilla’s part. In the Monsterverse, both Godzilla and King Kong are sort of heroes, even if they cause a lot of destruction in their wake.
In Godzilla Minus One, Godzilla is a monster. He kills people because they are near him. He destroys cities to mark them as his territory. We do not root for Godzilla, we root for the people who are trying to kill him. In some ways, this felt like a cross between a Godzilla and a Jaws movie.
The other difference with Godzilla is that he plays a relatively small part in the movie. It could be argued that the primary struggle for the main character is not how to deal with Godzilla but rather how to deal with his past. There are times in the movie that we forget that this is a Godzilla movie.
I did enjoy the human element as it focuses on a Japanese man from the closing years of the Second World War into the years just after. I appreciated the struggle of dealing with some chaotic circumstances beyond expectation. I also liked the relationships that we developed and his struggle to let himself go.
I say this is a Japanese-made Godzilla movie and it has an all Japanese cast. The original language was Japanese and it is English dubbed. In many ways it reminded my of the Godzilla movies of my youth. It just has a deeper story and much better special effects.
I do enjoy the Monsterverse movies, but I am glad that I was able to see Godzilla Minus One. It is a much different kind of movie that has its own contribution to the Godzilla legacy.
Feeling really nostalgic? Why not rent the 1954 Godzilla movie from this Amazon affiliate link.
