Review: Godzilla Minus One
Can you believe Godzilla is almost 70? The first film was released in 1954 and Godzilla Minus One marks the 37th movie in the franchise.
This could be viewed as a reboot prequel of sorts as it’s set in postwar Japan, and deals with a country and it’s people struggling to come to terms with that. It’s a very anti-war and anti-government film which deals a lot with grief, guilt and trauma. But also Godzilla.
Our main character is Shikishima, a kamikaze pilot who faked plane trouble, only to land on an ill-fated island which is promptly destroyed by Godzilla, but he somehow survives.
He returns to Japan racked with guilt and shame, and ends up befriending a woman who has ended up with a baby and tries to put his life back together, but it’s not long till a certain giant lizard shows up and he has to face his past.
It’s a nice change to have an interesting story and characters you care about in a Godzilla movie, after the recent US ones where you just want the humans off the screen as quickly as possible.
Admittedly, the plot has several “you what?” moments that in a normal film might be considered a bit of a stretch, but I quickly reminded myself this was a Godzilla film so “far-fetched” is pretty par for the course.
The film looks amazing, deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible – which is fortunate as it’s getting an IMAX release. In a time where so many films cheap out on CGI it’s good to see a film looking so epic.
Godzilla Minus One manages to balance a good story with the absolute carnage and destruction you want from a monster movie – the scene where he first hits land is stunning – and it’s pretty cool this franchise continues to impress almost 70 years on.
Now opening on over 320 screens and only available to see in cinemas, GODZILLA MINUS ONE will also be available on IMAX, 4DX, Screen X and Dolby Cinemas nationwide from 15th December 2023.
Review by Thom from press access kindly supplied by Fetch Publicity.
