Godzilla Minus One Review (Some Spoilers)

Yesterday I saw the Japanese monster movie (kaiju) Godzilla Minus One. I’d have to put it at a cross between Jaws and It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s an excellent action movie as well as a tearjerker with a little comedy to boot. I saw it with my boyfriend Justin Favaro who says, “I am not a kaiju movie fan….I do not consider myself a kaiju aficionado. That being said, this movie really impressed me. You know, when I think of kaiju movies I really think of movies from the sixties and seventies that are the monster vs. monster movies. You come in for a cheesy fight, you might see Godzilla do a dropkick on a monster and then a victory dance at the end. This was not one of those movies. This really goes for the disaster/ catastrophe movie feel that  the original 1954 Godzilla movie is so well known for and the 2013 Godzilla movie was trying to go for but some people felt had mixed results”

“It’s kind of like a prequel to all the Godzilla movies that came out before this. It’s Japan’s first encounter with this monster and it’s scary, it's funny, it’s everything you love about going to the movies. You do have subtitles in the movies so if you aren’t a fan of subs you have been warned but I think it really adds to it because Godzilla is a very cherished property in Japan, this being the 70th anniversary of Godzilla. I loved this movie; I loved how they included the music in it”

“From what I understand, this movie wasn’t made with a hundred million dollars like I know the monster verse movies were and I’ll be honest, I think it is all the better for it. The atomic breath Godzilla shows off in this movie is probably the scariest atomic breath I’ve seen on Godzilla ever because it really looks like a nuclear bomb going off when he unleashes it. Performances were great, you really get the feeling the lead character is still fighting his own personal war even though it’s been a couple of  years since World War 2 has ended. I really enjoyed this movie. I’m excited for more.”

The movie takes place in Japan during World War 2. A Japanese kamikaze fighter pilot pretends his plane is faulty so he won’t have to die in battle. He lands it on Odo Island where a team of mechanics try to determine what is wrong with it. That night the monster Godzilla arises from the water and wipes out almost the entire mechanic team. The pilot survives but holds himself responsible. He returns home where he encounters a young woman (Noriko) and an infant she has adopted (Akiko). He takes them in in war-torn Japan where buildings have been ravished and the country is rebuilding itself. To earn money, he gets a job on a small rig blowing up American mines that have been planted in Japanese oceans. He forms camaraderie with these men and they become his closest friends.

Yet he is still tormented by Godzilla, who reappears one day while he is out on the boat. He is traumatized by that night on Odo Island convinced he is not meant to survive. His worst fears come true when Godzilla attacks Ginza during Noriko’s daily commute. She is killed in the nuclear blast and he is devastated, vowing to avenge her by any means necessary even if that means the ultimate sacrifice he was not willing to give in the first place.

This movie was a gem. It is a rare movie that makes me contemplate my own mortality. I thought it thoroughly explored themes such as war, sacrifice, bravery, and letting go. It is more than just a monster movie. Japan has a lot to be proud of.