“Godzilla Minus One”
Toho
Godzilla Minus One, the 37th film in Japan’s long-running giant monster film series, hits U.S. theaters on Friday – and the initial reaction from critics is enthusiastic.
“Godzilla Minus One isn’t just a good Godzilla movie,” writes ReelViews critic James Berardinelli in a characteristic take. “It’s an excellent Godzilla film – arguably one of the best ever to hit the screen.”
Written and directed by acclaimed CG animator and VFX artist Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One is a period film that returns the giant Kaiju to its roots and shows the creature emerging as Japan struggles to free itself from the The film stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando and Kuranosuke Sasaki.
US critics unanimously praised the film for the remarkable visual impact Yamazaki was able to achieve with the project’s relatively small budget, as well as the story’s moving human drama and the canonical use of the kaijiu as a metaphor for social criticism.
IGN Movies critic Katie Rife was full of praise for the film’s action aesthetic. “Despite being produced for a mere $15 million – less than 10% of the budget for Legendary’s last Monsterverse entry, Godzilla Vs. Kong – Godzilla Minus One looks expensive and makes smart use of period sets and drone footage shot across long stretches of the film ocean’s roar. The scenes of destruction caused by Kaiju are also impressive: a shot of a gigantic warship flying across the screen like a piece of wood is worth seeing in Imax alone.”
As of Thursday night, the film’s Rotten Tomatoes rating reached 98 percent from 48 reviews. The consensus read as follows: “Godzilla Minus One is a kaiju film that remains truly compelling between scenes as compelling human stories anchor the action of mass destruction.”
The new film’s release coincides with the 70th anniversary of the iconic monster franchise, which began with Toho Studio’s Godzilla in 1954. The series’ first entirely Japanese-produced title since 2016, Godzilla Minus One, was released at home on November 3rd and has already earned over $20 million there.
Among critics, “Godzilla Minus One” seems to be establishing itself particularly favorably compared to Hollywood’s recent franchise sequels – including both superhero bombs and real hits.
Washington Post critic Lucas Trevor says in his review: “In this remake of the 1954 Godzilla, filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki, juggling the duties of writer, director and visual effects supervisor, mixes the tried-and-tested beats of a modern blockbuster with the emotional and political tone of the original film. The result is nothing short of magical: a feast for the eyes, an entertaining epic in the truest sense of the word.
…Top Gun: Maverick showed us that there is still an audience for films that combine concise and creative action with emotional characters. Godzilla Minus One is another memoir – and possibly the better film of the two.”
The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager enjoyed seeing Godzilla return to his homeland in such electrifying fashion after mixed success in Legendary Entertainment’s Hollywood thriller films. “When it comes to bringing Godzilla to exciting, terrifying life, America’s track record is tenuous at best, marked by a few minor highs (Godzilla 2014, Godzilla vs. Kong 2021) and many lows (virtually everything else, including Apple TV+) . current Monarch: Legacy of Monsters). However, this is not the case in his homeland. As Toho Studios’ new Godzilla Minus One proves, the Japanese know how to get the legendary radioactive giant right.”
Schager adds, “By deftly balancing human and gigantic concerns and eschewing sociopolitical allegories in favor of brawn mayhem, it delivers pretty much everything fans could want from a sequel—including plenty of larger-than-life mayhem and insanity.”
Bob Strauss of the San Francisco Chronicle was impressed by both the film’s VFX brio and its poignant human drama. “Godzilla’s performances in Minus One are so visually and emotionally impressive that it’s almost impossible to miss the fact that the monster isn’t on screen very often,” he writes. “The main effect of this film’s commitment to emotional intelligence is to show us what the franchise has been missing all along. That and delivering a climax that will bring tears to your eyes – unless you’re a beast.”
Similarly, AV Club critic Matt Schimkowitz concludes his piece by emphasizing how much this innovative installment has reinvigorated the world’s longest-running film franchise: “Godzilla Minus One does what the best Godzillas strive for and exploits Godzilla successfully serves as the foundation for robust storytelling. With the drama as riveting as the action, the film proudly inhales its nuclear breath so the audience can feel the heat. The old tropes that have now become the stuff of tired parodies return with renewed vigor here, as Yamazaki finds the humanist message amid the rubble of a ruined Tokyo. “Godzilla Minus One” might be as good as Godzilla movies get, which means there’s still a lot of life left in this lizard.”
Rolling Stone’s Christopher Cruz adds: “Godzilla Minus One offers an alternative to shared universe syndrome. It’s an artfully crafted throwback to kaiju classics and probably the first Godzilla film that dares to make you cry. See it on the biggest screen possible.”