GODZILLA MINUS ONE
Godzilla Minus One is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 11.
STORY: B+
A throwback to the original version.
This definitely isn’t your grandparents’ Godzilla. It’s much more similar to the 1954 version than any of the recent American franchise films.
Those newer films prioritized thrills and action ahead of meaningful storytelling. This film - which still has plenty of thrills and action - taps into the monster’s symbolism that made the original so memorable (more about that later).
PEOPLE: B
Strong emotions simmer beneath some hammy acting.
If the actors brought nothing more to their roles than hyperbolic overacting, Godzilla Minus One might have been nothing more than a silly, forgettable action movie.
The acting is cheesier than an Empire State Building-sized grilled cheese sandwich. And while that’s fun to watch, there’s a lot more to these performances.
An iron steel center lives inside every character. Koichi (played by Ryunosuke Kamiki) shines brightest here. You can feel his despair and self-shame smoldering inside him like the remnants of an angry campfire.
FILM NERD STUFF: B+
This is an unforgettable monster.
On one hand, the CGI artists make this monster terrifying. Its jagged plates slash through the water like a sequoia sized prehistoric shark. Its eyes stayed glued on us, hinting that even we in the audience may not be safe from its vicious fangs.
Yet once the beast reaches land, it looks … dare I say … a bit silly. It marches around the ravaged city like a grandmother who - after arriving late to church - finds her usual seat taken and bitterly stomps around the whole place until she finds an acceptable pew. Which can be a terrifying thing to behold in its own way.
WHO’S THE MONSTER? (Elective Class): A+
Godzilla is the bomb (not the good kind).
The original Godzilla movie was made in Japan, about ten years after WWII. Japan was still reeling from being attacked by a weapon that for all intents and purposes was unstoppable: the atomic bomb.
Many people (like myself) believe Godzilla was first created to be a symbol. Of what, though?
Is Godzilla supposed to be the atomic bomb? The unstoppable force that killed thousands and wiped out entire cities? Or is Godzilla supposed to be the victim of the bomb? A monster accidentally created as a by-product of the atomic bomb (Godzilla was created by radiation from the atomic bomb tests)?
Stories are the way people make sense of the world. The original certainly helped the Japanese work through the trauma from the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This film goes even further, addressing the effects of WWII that linger in our world to this day.
FINAL COMMENTS:
If you want to watch and enjoy this film as a special effects/dinosaur-driven disaster film, you won’t be disappointed. But running just below its surface is a deep meditation on the human condition.
People who take a little time to ponder what this story tells us about war, shame, and perseverance will find huge rewards. I suggest you try it. I’m pretty sure you’ll like the film even more.