Godzilla Minus One - Terrible Title...

...for probably the best Godzilla movie, ever.

Let me start by saying, I love a good Kaiju film.  Big monsters, big 'splosions, lotsa runnin', screamin' extras and did I mention big monsters?

Fun stuff, simple formula.  Whether it's a man in a suit or millions of dollars in CGI, I will probably enjoy it.

And just as soon forget it.

Godzilla movies struggle with a balance of human vs. monster action.  Too much human stuff and it's not much fun to watch.  Too much monster and it's sexy, 'splosion filled eye candy, good for a couple of hours of mindless fun, but forgotten within a few minutes of leaving the theatre.

Rare is the big monster film that finds the balance.  Does anyone remember much of the "plot" of the last Godzilla vs. Kong flick?  I own a DVD copy that I've watched within the last year or so and I couldn't tell you anything about it except that at one point King Kong starts using an axe.  Or was it a hammer?  I can't even recall if they were eventually on the same side or just kicked each other through a city for a couple of hours.  I remember it was fun, but not much else, obviously.

I remember more about the 90s Matthew Broderick version, not much more.  Again, fun, but not particularly moving or powerful beyond some cool visuals.

 

This changes EVERYTHING.

Enter Godzilla Minus One.

It finds that balance I talked about.  There is just enough human and just enough Godzilla to make this more than just another kaiju popcorn flick.  Even more impressive, there's a real story here that goes beyond "humans create monster, monster attacks humans, humans fight back" plot line of most Godzilla versions.  Not just a tacked on, "we can't just do 2 hours of monsters and 'splosions" backgrounder, but a real, powerful, engaging, human driven plot that is at least as compelling as the giant nuclear monster. 

Godzilla Minus One also doesn't veer into the "Godzilla really is a good guy at heart" territory of most of the versions seem to lean into.  He's the threat from start to finish.

For some, it will be disconcerting to learn that a WWII Japanese Kamikaze pilot is the hero.  That's that "story" part I was talking about.  Writer/Director Takashi Yamazaki backs up the clock to start the story at the tail end of WWII and introduces Godzilla not as the 30 story nuclear kaiju we know and love but rather as a T-Rex(ish) sized creature from a local legend on a small Japanese island.  The bulk of the film is set in post-WWII Japan, right after the war ends and follows the hero as he tries to rebuild a life from the rubble up, only to have a bigger, scarier version of Godzilla emerge to once again try and destroy his life.

Everything hangs together.  Despite the subtitled dialog, the acting is Hollywood level good, the visuals are spectacular, buildings get flattened, there are lots of running, screaming extras and even with plenty of 'splosions, this is the one Godzilla film I can think of that has actual heart.  If you don't find yourself moved by the ending, I worry for your emotional well-being.

If you only see one blockbuster this year (last year?), do yourself a favour and make it Godzilla Minus One.  There's a Hollywood Godzilla movie due this year and I'll see it too, but would wager real money that at this time next year I won't remember a thing about it, but I'll still be able to relate a pretty solid outline of Godzilla Minus One from start to finish.  

That's what happens when you make a movie, not a popcorn flick.