‘Godzilla Minus One’ Review – The Best Godzilla Picture Ever

The way Godzilla Minus One opens is why storytelling is so important. There’s not just terror lurking around the corner of a giant Kaiju beast with bad breath, but a mystery revolving around the central character that is engaging. One that sets the tone for the monster picture that grounds the story ever so slightly, allowing an out-of-this-world action adventure to feel more human-relatable than ever before.

The story follows a kamikaze pilot, Kōichi Shikishima (a terrific Ryunosuke Kamiki), who lands his ship at a small mechanics outpost under mysterious circumstances. Finding no empathy from the unit’s lead mechanic, Sōsaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki), Kōichi finds no solace in living another day. That’s all about to change when Godzilla shows up. Our pilot freezes when ordered to shoot the monster in the head. The result is that the entire group dies, except for Kōichi and Tachibana.

Kōichi returns home to find his family has been killed. He has nothing left except haunting memories and survivor’s guilt. Then, by fate, he meets a beautiful young woman, Noriko (Minami Hamabe), who has, quite literally, picked up an infant girl with no parents off the streets. They both move into his home without asking and form a partnership. As the story progresses and as the child grows, Shikishima now has a family but refuses to allow himself the joy of it or acknowledge he may deserve it.

Shikishima takes on a job locating and detonating deep ocean water mines. It’s a blatant attempt not just for money but to regain some pride and earn his courage. However, that’s when they learn of an American General named MacArthur (it’s archival footage and not Bruce Willis despite the military leader looking just like John McClane) setting off a nuclear test. Godzilla is now meaner, badder, and more indestructible than ever before. Now, Kōichi and his friends begin a plan to save their country (and the world) from total annihilation.

Godzilla Minus One is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki (Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura), who has a real knack for building tension and knowing how to frame a monstrous disaster picture. That being said, the dialogue—at least the English translation—is almost overtly melodramatic. Even though we can recognize this as a style (and even homage) to the culture the genre has created, almost every syllable, particularly between Kamiki’s Koichiu and Hamabe’s Noriko, is overwrought to the point of exhaustion.

However, this does create enough of an emotional resonance and a character story arc for Kōichi—mainly because of the end of a second act trope—that has an emotional heft that carries the audience throughout the picture. This storyline leads to a finale with valuable themes and solid messages. Ones like sacrifice, teamwork, courage, cultural pride, and how precious life is, some uncommon in previous entries.

What you are watching is a modernized version of Godzilla because we now live in a time where mental health is not about enduring the dark clouds in our lives and living there. It is about breaking through and leaving our monsters behind. That metaphor comes to a full realization with a deeply felt turn by Kamiki. He’s Japan’s version of Tom Cruise, starring in seven of the ten highest-grossing films in that country’s history. This is Kamiki’s moment, in full-star mode, and the best performance of the young actor’s career.

Yet, we know you did not come to watch Koichiu carry the burden of his fallen comrades. No, you are here for the giant lizard that will not die. For the film’s well-known limited budget, which was reportedly around 15 to 17 million dollars, there are some spectacular action sequences to “ooh” and “aww” over in the theater while you butter your fingers with some popcorn. Yamazaki also was in charge of special effects and deserves praise for his work here.

While the slower but still empowering scenes of Godzilla walking through city streets give the feeling of the old style of “suitmation,” you have the King of Monster’s riotous run-a-mok through Tokyo’s Ginza district, and ocean waters are awe-inspiring feats of cinematic bliss.

There is no debate: Godzilla Minus One is not just the best modern Kaiju film of all time but the best Godzilla film ever made.

Godzilla Minus One is currently playing in theaters courtesy of Toho.