Godzilla Minus One now in the USA
This movie is really good in parts and eye-rolling in other parts. Godzilla Minus One (Minus1) is Japanese Toho production, and it’s just as good as some Hollywood releases in my opinion. There are some things in the movie unique to Japanese culture, which are over my head, but it didn’t take me out of the movie, and they kinda need that stuff because this is a character driven monster movie. It’s not like earlier Toho films such as in the 90s that were heavy on the monster exposition, but Minus1 has more developed characters than any other Godzilla movie I’ve ever seen. The movie also has some very interesting themes, such as honor, loyalty, and family, centered mostly around Ryunosuke Kamiki’s character Shikishima. The movie takes place during the days following World War II, where Japan is rebuliding from the war, and director Takashi Yamazaki takes advantage of this setting to use the movie as an analogy for Japanese courage and technological might, contrasting the original in some ways, instead of being simply about the destruction of war or nuclear weapons or some other menace to Japanese society. It’s not about the menace or the horror, it’s about the people.
Shikishima is a failed kamikaze pilot, a coward who lands on Odo Island and is caught up in an early attack by Godzilla. He carries his shame throughout the movie, and it impacts his relationships, motivating him to recover his honor somehow. At first, he does this by taking in Noriko and a child named Akiko, who are both on the streets after the bombing of Japan. Godzilla is not seen for long, long periods during movie as the story with Shikishima progresses, and the usual science or military characters just aren’t in the movie for exposition purposes or to look concerned as they plan out how to deal with Godzilla. Yamazaki’s new story is refreshing and original, making most old Godzilla tropes look outdated and stale by comparison. Still, there is something to be said for having a monster in your monster movie, but Godzilla does show up and does stomp stuff, plus even fires off a massive “heat ray” which looks spectacular in CGI.
Godzilla is akin to the 1954 original, albeit in stages, and he stomps part of Japan much like his predocessor. His menace is somewhat muted by the theme of Japanese ingenuity and technological superiority, which plays out in a lot more detail than your typical monster movie. The “science” for defeating Godzilla comes from low-level characters, who seem to be representing the talented Japanese everyman, who succeeds without government or military intervention. In some ways, Toho has made a character movie with some Godzilla stuff, instead of a Godzilla movie with some character stuff, which is fine because the character stuff works for the most part. There are a couple cop-outs at the end and convenient conclusions to character arcs, but it’s a minor complaint really. I think they really wanted a happy ending.
As for Godzilla himself, he looks great. He’s done in all CGI and looks a little like the 1954 version when he shows up to stomp Japan but there are some differences. For one, Godzilla’s scale is much smaller. A typical Japanese bomber is about the size of his head. Also, Godzilla doesn’t shrug off damage like the original which opens up some plot holes about why they can’t just form up and beat him off with artillery. The movie offers up some exposition that the US can’t really do crap right now because of the war so it is touched on. Godzilla also seems more dumb this time around, chasing around planes, and falls right into a trap which leads to his defeat, but there’s really no other way to do it if you’re going to celebrate your characters, not the monsters themselves and pure destruction for its own sake. This is the same dillemma horror franchises face in the USA, as an unstoppable Michael Myers isn’t that interesting without other characters we care about, but too much of those characters and their crap can get boring, because everyone wants to see Michael Myers stab stuff. Maybe that’s not how Japanese people think or maybe that thinking is also outdated, and a character drama in a monster universe can work.
Overall, this is a good movie and it’s very well-made. The acting is good and it works as a period piece, exploring a boat-load of things Japanese people had to deal with in a post-World War II world. Shikishima arrives home to find his parents dead and his home destroyed, for example. I like how the themes and the characters and the setting all tie together. The choice to focus on the lower level characters and follow Shikishima is a brave one in a monster movie but it works without becoming too tiresome. The best part is that the movie doesn’t have any stupid tropes like whacky aliens, crazy science, or military big wigs to rig up new weapons. All the ingenuity comes from the characters we learn about, and we’re right there with them as they struggle against Godzilla. I don’t think there’s one character I didn’t like, which really surprises me now that I think about it. Even the characters Shikishima argues with have their own good sides, and none of them are stereotypes like in other monster or horror movies. Most of them are veterans and are fighting for their home so they are all likeable in the end. The soundtrack is also excellent, using the classic Godzilla theme when the stomping kicks in, which had me excited and very happy to see my favorite monster in action again.
