‘Godzilla Minus One’ Film review: A Supreme Spectacle of Monster Movie Excellence

All hail Yamazaki Takashi! The writer/director understands the essence of the Godzilla pictures, recognizing how the best of them were always more than just kaiju carnage. Set in the aftermath of World War II, and having something potent to say about the lasting effects of war, “Godzilla Minus One” roars into theaters and takes its place as not only one of the great monster movies, but the finest Godzilla film of them all.

70(!) years ago, the famous monster was born from Japan’s fears of nuclear warfare. Toho Studios has always desired to keep their creation alive and relevant, taking great care to assure Godzilla’s popularity is immortal. In today’s CGI-heavy cinema, it may be difficult for viewers under 40 to understand the sheer delight of seeing a man in a Godzilla suit lay waste to a Tokyo that is all miniatures and fighting other monsters that are obviously people in rubber suits. Although there was more humor found in the films as the years went on, the creators of the Godzilla pictures never saw them as silly and consistantly assured audiences they were in for an entertaining experience.

Director Ishirô Honda got the ball rolling with his classic 1954 original, going on to direct a few more Godzilla entries and some of the other kaiju spinoff pictures such as 1961’s “Mothra” and “Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster” from 1964. Through the decades, Japanese filmmakers such as Jun Fukuda, Koji Hashimoto, Takao Okawara, and Hideaki Anno have kept Godzilla’s title as “King of the Monsters” alive. In America, (with the exception of Rolland Emmerich’s 1998 travesty) directors Gareth Edwards, Michael Dougherty, and Adam Wingard have been working to keep things fresh with an updated series of films that are respectful to the originals and to the Godzilla legend.

With “Godzilla Minus One”, Yamazaki Takashi turns back the dial to the monster’s origins, adding to the creature’s myth while crafting a devastating tale of human kindness and forgiveness that becomes surprisingly moving.

After the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, “Godzilla Minus One” begins in 1945 as kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) lands on Odo Island. Claiming his plane to be in need of repair, Shikishima does not wish to die in a wartime sacrifice of his life. This is a well-designed character who will come to learn how the weight of shame and guilt can be worse than dying, as many would brand him a coward. Shikishima soon finds the island is no more safe than the battlefield as a ferocious (and younger) Godzilla attacks, chomping and stomping through a platoon of soldiers with only Kōichi and Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki) left alive. This first attack is exciting and sets the tone for the mayhem to come. Godzilla smashes and devours men and machines with a savagery long missing from these films. The iconic kaiju has never been more monstrous.

Kôichi reaches his home only to find his family dead and his surviving neighbor shunning him for his cowardice. He meets a homeless girl, Noriko (Hamabe Minami), and an abandoned child named Akiko, who become a makeshift family for Kôichi. In a couple of years (1947) Kôichi has restored his house and is helping to raise Akiko, although his guilt prevents him from accepting Noriko as a life partner. As he says to more than one character, “My war isn’t over.”

Finding a job clearing mines from the waters near Tokyo, he meets three men who will become friends and, eventually, join the fight to destroy Godzilla. Kenji (Yoshioka Hidetaka), Yōji (Kuranosuke Sasaki), and Shirō (Yuki Yamada) are wonderfully written characters that add to the screenplay’s humanity; each actor bringing a natural sweetness to their camaraderie. The film does extremely well in establishing its characters; building an emotional foundation that will be crucial to the final act. Lest we forget, beyond the emotions that come from the well-defined characters and situations, “Godzilla Minus One” is a monster movie and director Yamazaki Takashi brings on the epic spectacle with style and originality. After a bomb explosion by the American Army in the South Pacific, Godzilla is reborn. Tripling in size (and now seemingly indestructible) the monster begins to move towards Tokyo, where the ex-military and regular citizens will rise to the occasion to stop him.

Yamazaki not only writes and directs, but is also in charge of the superior visual effects. The filmmaker sustains the sociopolitical undercurrents of the original Godzilla movies while creating an epic feast for the eyes that entertains on levels long missing from modern motion pictures. There is a sense of awe when witnessing the spectacle of the titular monster’s attacks. Captured by Kozo Shibasaki’s spectacular cinematography, the large-scale mayhem makes quite an impact, while an infectious excitement erupts thanks to their design.

In the film’s most incredible sequence, Godzilla swims after Kôichi and his crew as they release their collected mines in the hopes of blowing the creature to bits. As nothing seems to stop him, the monster swims right behind them, his head barely peeking out of the water and his scales cutting through the waves like shark fins. Whether the sequence was inspired by “Jaws” matters not, as it gives one the same visceral thrills found in Spielberg’s classic high seas monster film and is one of the most excitingly original moments in modern cinema.

Another fantastic scene finds Godzilla tearing through the people and places of Tokyo’s Ginza district, smashing buildings to dust, ripping apart trains, and stomping on its citizens. It is here where the audience will witness the majesty Godzilla’s atomic breath. As the famous blue light begins to rise from the bottom of his tail, his scales multiply, moving up his spine until, with full devastating force, the blast of power explodes from his mouth. For Godzilla fans young and old, this scene is pure rousing excitement. By the time the film reaches its climax, all the Godzilla pageantry and human emotional arcs come full circle in a tremendous and thrilling battle between man and beast.

Crucial to the film’s artistic success is the beautiful and thunderous score from Naoki Satô. The composer uses a full orchestra (a rarity in modern pictures) to enhance the power of Godzilla and the emotional resonance of the characters. Blending themes from different Godzilla pictures into his own work, Naoki Satô has composed one of the finest film scores of the decade.

Of course, there is Godzilla himself. The design is terrific, finding a balance between the movements of the “man in the suit” styles with expert CGI rendering. This Godzilla is indeed the king of the monsters.

Yamazaki Takashi guides the flow of emotion and smashing combat like a refined conductor. He knows when to make it big, yet is skilled enough to never let the human drama become crushed under the weight of the Godzilla carnage. With the director’s flawless hold over story, character, and spectacle, “Godzilla Minus One” explodes into a symphony of crowd pleasing excellence.

Sound the alarm. It’s G Day!