@thearmageddon here with yet Another Movie Review You Didn’t Ask For:
High-level Spoilers abound here so tread very carefully, unlike Iguana Godzilla itself in the 1998 cinematic masterpiece that confused itself for a Jurassic Park sequel.
The world lately has been a bit of a confusing place. I pay attention to the rhythms of pop and geek culture obviously but I was a bit, I don’t know what, when I heard folks raving about the new Godzilla movie. Wait? There’s another one? I thought they just dropped a TV show? Wait, now there’s another Kong vs Godzilla movie? Wait. And now Godzilla Minus One? WHAT IS HAPPENING? I’m not going to get into it but rights and blah blah blah, Godzilla Minus One is a Japanese production, including a version of the original look of the famous monster, set in Japan in and after World War 2. A reimagining if you will. But don’t let that word trigger you. After all, we’ve been reimagining King Arthur for about 1500 years by now, and we can’t blame Hollywood either as this is a Japanese production, so I’m guessing you don’t know which way is up right now. Don’t fight it you reactionary film snob you, free your mind and let the sweet atomic sonic roar of Japan’s most iconic monster take you away.
If you’re like me you’re probably a casual Godzilla fan that shows up for mostly monster mayhem, kaiju style. My high-level memories growing up of watching Godzilla movies were witnessing some building stomping, monster punching, and occasional giant moth with crazy twins in tow. And let’s not forget Godzuuukiiii. You know, the stuff that makes the world go round. But as I grew older I became aware that Godzilla, the original film anyway, was sort of a function of the then recent history of Japan and their relationship with some of the darkest moments in human history.
It’s about to get deep. So Buckle up.
Normally when I do these reviews you didn’t ask for I sit down almost immediately after finishing whatever it is I’ve watched to give my in the moment thoughts without too much polish. But it’s been a few days since I viewed this film and it’s because…well…it deserved a bit more than just my off-the-cuff sprinkling of random thoughts.
Godzilla from the start was the enemy, a force of nature that functioned as a metaphor as retribution for the acts of brutality in war both perpetuated, enacted, and suffered from in the name of national pride. Over time, Godzilla shifted, transformed, and changed into a kind of anti-hero, and even sometimes, a straight up protagonist as the pantheon and rogues gallery of its foes and allies grew with the likes of Rodan, Megalon, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla. Even when Godzilla was the antagonist, the audience still felt a tinge of support with a dash of hope that it would succeed. This was because Godzilla became the focus, as opposed to the humans that suffered at the monster’s hands. This has continued up to the present day with the recent Legendary’s MonsterVerse movies which, there is definitely a place for them, if you want to see building smashing, monster punching, and general kaiju mayhem.
Godzilla Minus One however takes us back to that original film’s core principle but does it even one better. The monster Godzilla is absolutely NOT a hero of any kind or sort here. There is no rooting for it or some turn where we hope it comes out as a misunderstood hero. Minus One returns to the root idea of reckoning with the guilt, horrors, and suffering of war manifested as a large monster randomly and indiscriminately preying and wrecking havok on the everyday citizens caught up in the theater of tragedy that is War.
And it does this, so very smartly and effectively, by centering a veteran of war itself. A veteran who is very much human and relatable, even for those of us 75 years later, some of us from a completely different culture with a different set of values and history. And that’s the brilliance of Godzilla Minus One. It uses the struggle against a monster to show us the universality of being human.
I will say that, Godzilla Minus One is the kind of movie where you definitely should adjust your expectations. Going into it expecting the hijinks I mentioned earlier where Jet Jaguar enters to help save the day is absolutely not going to be on the menu. This is a thoughtful, dramatic, contemplative examination of the effects of war, trauma, and purpose not only on a personal scale but also a nationalistic one. Sort of like Andor, it removes the trappings of what we’ve always thought the world to be and strips it down to the core of the human condition instead. And as with the mention of Andor, you might be fully engaged or you might find yourself a bit zoned out. It’s really up to you, but the expectations going in might help you see the beauty of this movie that it often is.
Godzilla Minus One’s focus is the humans of the story where the characters continuously ask a question. “Who are we?” And the monster serves to be the catalyst to help them discover that answer.
Having said all of that, I would like to reiterate to not necessarily go in thinking you will absolutely be blown away with a barrage of explosions. I don’t want to set you up for thinking that your life will be forever altered by the film. For some of you, you might register it as boring, as the appearances of Godzilla are actually pretty sparse, so much so that sometimes I forgot I was watching a Godzilla movie. But this tactic excels in this where 2014’s Gareth Edward’s American version of Godzilla didn’t (a film I still very much enjoy on a certain level by the way.) The journey of the characters carried the film as their journey was a personal one and not physical from place to place. It was about the nation of Japan perhaps once and for all exercising the demon of a history of war that they both insitged and also suffered from. Yet still having said all of that, it stil has some edge of your seat moments and truly awe inspiring imagery.
A bit like when I discuss the reimagining of Battlestar Galactica (a show that debuted 20 yarhns ago….ugh I’m old) it is a drama first that happens to have sci-fi/kaiju elements.
And well, with that perspective… It definitely is worth your time to check it out.
I still don’t know what Minus One stands for….or maybe I do. Hmmm Anyway…
I give Godzilla Minus One 5 Weird Phallic Prehistoric Fish Thingees Out of 5
Until the next review no one asked for, @thearmag3ddon signing off.