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Rating: 5 out of 5
Yo. Yoooo. YOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I finally saw Godzilla Minus One, and it was honestly the best movie I have seen in a long ass time. The film was made on a budget of $15 million. You read that right! $15 million freaking dollars, and it was AWESOME. If you love those old-school Godzilla films, this is the film for you. The movie brought me back to all those times I watched Godzilla with my dad and fell in love with the character. Forget those big-budget Godzilla or monster films; bring back old-school films like this. This was by far one of the best and most entertaining films of 2023.
Takashi Yamazaki, who wrote, directed, and even did the visuals, presented a phenomenal film. Godzilla Minus One follows kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima (Kamiki). Towards the end of World War II, Shikishima landed on Odo Island, claiming he had technical issues with his plane. When it is discovered that his plane is okay, lead mechanic Tachibana (Aoki) questions if Shikishima deserted his duty. That night, a dinosaur-like creature attacks and kills many engineers stationed on the island. The only surviving members are Shikishima and Tachibana. Tachibana blames Shikishima for the deaths as he would fire from his plane. Shikishima returns home a year later with major survival guilt from his service in the war. After seeing his hometown bombed to rubble and learning that his parents were killed in the bombing of Tokyo. Shikishima meets Noriko Oishi (Hamabe), whose parents also died in the bombing, and rescues an orphaned baby by the name of Akiko. Shikishima becomes a minesweeper to make money, and life begins to flourish with Oishi and Akiko. However, the demons of the past still haunt him. When he finally believes he can leave the past behind, Godzilla appears against an already beatdown nation. Will the country rise or fall to the massive weight of the King of Monsters?
I want to give MAJOR PROPS and accolades to Takashi Yamazaki. I applaud you and bow down to your movie-making abilities with this film. You created a film that was truly special and brought back the old-school feel of Godzilla. I appreciate how you wrote the story to have many themes and passions. I also appreciate you saying, “I want that old-school Godzilla music to bring back the feelings of when you first saw the King of Monsters.” You also showed that you don’t need mind-blowing special effects to show how terrifying a monster can be. I don’t know if you will win an Academy Award, but you need to be nominated in every single category.
Where this film excels is with the story. Holy shit, the story was amazing and intense to watch. First, Yamazaki set the movie after Japan is at its lowest point after losing the war. He introduces a kamikaze pilot, Kōichi Shikishima, a “coward” who goes on a redemption arc. Shikishima doesn’t fire when a little Godzilla attacks the base, losing many lives. He is burdened and haunted by the war and his failure to be a soldier. The film shows Shikishima moving into a shitty home in his war-torn home with Noriko Ōishi, who also has an orphaned baby named Akiko. In the two years, Shikishima becomes a minesweeper and builds a life for himself. You think he can move on when Godzilla attacks. Only this time, the radiation made the little Godzilla the new King of the Monsters. When Godzilla attacks Ginza, and Shikishima thinks Noriko is killed in the attack, homeboy loses his mind. You see the rage and the realization that he will give up his life all over his face. This is what makes this film so freakin good. It has the human emotions of regret, forgiveness, and acceptance.
The visual effects were amazing. First, Godzilla had that old-school look when he walked on land. He had that robotic look, but if you watched the old films, it was precisely the same. Godzilla walked like he had no knees. My mouth dropped in several scenes because it was fantastic to watch. The first was when the boat crew had to lure Godzilla and drop a mine in his mouth. That was terrifying but fun to watch. When Godzilla had his mouth blown up, to watch the regeneration of Godzilla was crazy. The one scene that was freakin AWESOME was when Godzilla used his Heat Ray in the City. For only a $15 million film, Yamazaki made it look like a high-budget film. The way Godzilla’s scales turned blue slowly up its back was intense. When he blew his attack, and it erupted into a nuclear bomb, I said, “HOLY FUCK!” It was that crazy to look at.
What I loved about this film, and I said it before, is that the music is great because it pays homage to the past. Yamazaki went with his frequent collaborator Naoki Satō, who did a masterful job. What I liked and needs to be appreciated is that they used tracks composed by Akira Ifukube, who did the sounds for the 1954 Godzilla film. When Godzilla appeared and the original music played, I almost cried because the past was respected.
The acting in this film was top-notch. Ryunosuke Kamiki as Kōichi Shikishima was terrific. I really liked him in this film and the character he played. Playing a person with deep regret who decides to risk it all to take down the monster is a great character arc. Minami Hamabe, as Noriko Ōishi, showed depth in Kamiki’s character. A person who seemed to be a thief but developed a bond with Shikishima. Everyone did a fantastic job in this film, and I don’t want to waste too much time because I REALLY WANT YOU TO WATCH THIS FILM!
I am telling you right now, don’t wait for Godzilla vs. Kong or any other film. Get off your ass and go watch this film. You will highly enjoy it. It pays significant homage to the old movies and is better than the high-budget films made today. This film was made on a $15 million budget and exceeded expectations. Watch this film and give honor to GODZILLA!!!!
