I grew up on the Japanese Godzilla movies. In my small town in upstate New York, there was a cable channel or a local network that would play the films from the 1950s through the 1980s quite regularly. GODZILLA (1954), GODZILLA VS. MOTHRA (1964), and GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA (1974) are some of my favorites. Up until this past weekend, I had never seen a Japanese Godzilla movie on the big screen and that’s a big mistake on my part. We may not get the full distribution in the United States of new films in theaters, but I’ve had plenty of chances to see the older films at special screenings. I almost didn’t see GODZILLA MINUS ONE in theaters, but I am so happy I did.
GODZILLA MINUS ONE is the “Nolan” of Godzilla movies. Christopher Nolan is my favorite director and this film is as big and epic as many of his films. Now if you’re not a Nolan fan, think of your favorite film, director, or whatever your “best of the best” of anything is. Unfortunately, American audiences are less likely to see a movie with subtitles because GODZILLA MINUS ONE deserves a spot on the Top 10 lists alongside the blockbuster OPPENHEIMER or indie-darling THE HOLDOVERS.
In almost every Godzilla movie I watch, whether Japanese or American, I tend to root for the monsters. Godzilla vs. humans = root for Godzilla. Godzilla vs. King Kong (vs. Mechagodzilla) = root for Godzilla or King Kong because the human characters didn’t matter. GODZILLA MINUS ONE was the first time I legitimately cared about the human characters. There’s real plot development and character arcs. It’s an Oscar-level drama that just happens to have Godzilla as the centerpiece.
GODZILLA MINUS ONE retcons our favorite kaiju’s beginnings in what I believe is the fourth reboot of the Japanese language film franchise. It also features a lot of wonderful callbacks to the 1954 original. Whether you’re an original Godzilla fan or a new one, this film is for you!
GODZILLA MINUS ONE is currently playing exclusively in theatres.
