Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla Minus One has been out for weeks in South Africa and even longer elsewhere, but I only just saw it yesterday and I simply had to share a few quick thoughts on it.

For context, I've seen a few of the American Godzilla movies, but I've always felt like I should enjoy Godzilla, and Kaiju (giant monster) movies in general, more than I actually do. I have no real connection with these movies and may well have skipped right past Godzilla Minus One as I wasn't asked to review it by my editor at News 24 were it not for the exceptionally good reviews and enthusiastic word-of-mouth. And let me tell you, the glowing reception to the film could not be more deserved: I was blown away by this truly brilliant film.

I may not be a major fan of the approximately seven million Godzilla films that have come out since 1954, but even I know that a large part of what made the original Japanese version of the film such a hit was that it was about a giant lizard monster rampaging through Japan, yes, but it was also a metaphor for post-war Japan entering the nuclear age. Godzilla Minus One, which is set directly after the second world war (the title refers to Japan being at its lowest - or at "zero" - after its defeat and complicity in the war, with the appearance of Godzilla dragging them even lower: or to "minus one") follows that trend by being a thrilling movie about a giant lizard monster, yes, but also a tale steeped in themes as rich as survivor's guilt, Japan's rejection of its Bushido death-warrior code, and the effects of war on innocent civilians. 

Post-war Japan is fascinating in and of itself and it serves as a timely message for a certain conflict happening right now in the world as a people defeated in war and occupied by their victors, rejected violence and worked with those very occupiers to build a thriving nation that is still the envy of most of the world, and when filtered through the layers of metaphor and allegory in a film as vibrant, heartfelt and, yes, fun as Godzilla Minus One it infuses matters of historical interest with a serious emotional charge.

In short, Godzilla is a far more substantive film than many, perhaps even most of the big "serious" awards contenders being released now. Certainly, in comparison to Ferrari, which I saw the day before and my review of it should be up on News 24 any minute now, it has infinitely more depth and substance to it.

But, even with that said, this is still a giant monster movie and just on that level, it's a rip-roaring success that puts the Hollywood "monsterverse" to absolute shame - and, for that matter, Hollywood in general. It has human characters that you genuinely care about (unlike so many monster movies where they're mostly just there as cannon fodder), a killer score, nail-biting action set pieces, epic sound design, and stunning visuals. Godzilla himself has also never been better realized than he is here as this genuinely monstrous force of nature, nor has the scale and totality of the destruction wrought on everything he comes in contact with been so brutally depicted, especially in terms of his famed atomic "light ray". 

That this was all done on a $15 million budget is especially astounding and just makes something like the Flash with its $200 million budget and pre-Terminator-looking special effects all that more of an embarrassment on fiscal waste. Obviously, this lacks big Hollywood stars (though these really very good actors may be huge in Japan), but if Hollywood wants to end the trend of massive flops that have been plaguing the industry for the past couple of years, they should really look here for inspiration.

Regardless, I simply cannot recommend Godzilla Minus One enough. And of course, this goes without saying, it should absolutely be seen at the cinema. Even if you don't like subtitles. Or, for that matter, silly monster movies. It's brilliant.

9 stars