Godzilla Minus One

Combining gigantic spectacle with emotional action, this first live-action Godzilla film from Japan since Shin Godzilla, Godzilla Minus One, sets it oceans apart from its predecessors.

An expressive rollercoaster encounter with city-stomping, heat-ray-breathing action, and a strong emotional core, it centres around former pilot Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki). After betraying his nation at the end of World War II, he encounters Godzilla, and works as a minehunter, where he meets a young woman named Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe), who’s raising her baby Akiko (Sae Nagatani).

PTSD and guilt prevent him from bonding with Noriko, who befriends him even though he keeps his distance. There is constant struggle in the life of our hero, he lives an unhappy life, his shame weighing him down. 

Endearing human relationships are what drive Godzilla Minus One. The story distinguishes this film from the other recent attempts to adapt Godzilla for the big screen.  Although the Godzilla action is riveting and terrifying, our heroes’ plan to defeat the monster is modest and crafty . 

The human sub-plot in Godzilla Minus One is intriguing and skilfully manages to integrate several serious issues and ideas into the narrative. It deals with the more intricate themes of war and loss, and superior to American Godzilla flicks in terms of narrative and visuals, outstanding character development, production design, sound design, and cinematography.

Not that this Godzilla is endearing. Irate and totally unfathomable, he’s not motivated by hunger, desire, or retaliation.

Godzilla Minus One captivates viewers with compelling human stories acting as the basis for the action. In the tradition of Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru (1952), which follows a sick bureaucrat on his final quest for meaning in life, or Steven Spielberg’s iconic monster film, Jaws (1975), that also honours the dimensions between man and beast trying to outwit one another.

This imaginative artistic film about Godzilla has characters that arouse intense emotions that will be remembered long after the credits roll.

Godzilla is as inevitable as history; his role as the planet destroyer and the personification of death is celestial and sets this movie apart from others in its genre.

Godzilla Minus One is now streaming on Netflix.

-Dirk Lombard Fourie