★★★★1/2 (out of 5)
Godzilla Minus One blew all my expectations away — what an incredible film! It. Freaking. Rules! It isn’t just an amazing Godzilla film, but one of the best films of the year! This truly puts Hollywood’s versions of Godzilla to shame. I’m by no means a Godzilla expert, but this was easily the best Godzilla movie I’ve ever seen! I haven’t seen an audience this excited and visibly satisfied by a movie in quite some time! This film showcases how to make the perfect Godzilla picture with a compelling human ensemble and breathtaking action that’s savoured from start to finish. Plus, it truly takes Godzilla back to being a truly horrifying monster! (And has the coolest use of the Atomic Breath I’ve ever seen!)
The action is incredible and brutal, and the VFX work is insanely good. I also really loved the cinematography and the killer sound design. Plus, the score is excellent and uses Akira Ifukube’s iconic Godzilla theme to great effect.
But the reason this film stands out is because of its combination of great storytelling mixed with great technical achievements. There’s reason to care about the characters and a deeply emotional side to this film that makes the monster even more haunting. This is a monster film where the human conflict is just as compelling, if not more so, than the tremendous action sequences. I loved the exploration of the traumas of war and cultural destruction in Japan following WWII, and the ways the characters connected to these themes made for such a strong emotional core. This film has the perfect blend of massive monster mayhem and compelling human drama that really worked. It’s so good that you could remove Godzilla from the film and still have a great film. This is a moving, thoughtful Japanese character drama set in post-war Japan that also happens to have a giant horrific monster in it. People are gonna talk about Godzilla Minus One’s amazing production and filmmaking, but what surprised me the most was the script. Every character has an arc and serves a purpose, and there are no wasted beats. There are so many great dilemmas and dramatic questions. Also a perfect example of using the monster as a greater metaphor. The result is a thrilling epic that feels grounded and meaningful, and so, so good.
Godzilla Minus One is a nigh-masterpiece. Not only is Godzilla terrifying again, but the film itself is a powerful drama with some daunting imagery, plenty of emotional moments, sound design to rock the theatre, and a moving character study on post-war guilt and PTSD. It’s a genuinely exciting, riveting, emotional disaster flick, delivering drama you care about and thunderous action spectacle. See Minus One on the loudest, biggest screen you can possibly find and enjoy the ride — it's incredible!
(I gotta add… it’s like Act One is Jurassic Park, Act Two is Jaws, and Act Three is Dunkirk. Just such an awesome movie!)
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