2023’s Godzilla Minus One was an incredible reboot of Godzilla.
While our favourite kaiju was finding success under Legendary Pictures, its more heroic retelling steered away from Godzilla’s true…nature. Which is that it, was an answer for man vs. nature. The nuclear arms race. Pollution. War. And the big one: Trauma. Which is what Minus One delivered. The weight of trauma told through the lens of post-World War II Japan.
After the successful defeat of Godzilla 2 years ago, our heroes Koichi (reprised by Ryunosuke Kamiki) and Noriko (and Minami Hamabe) have resumed a mostly normal life raising Akiko. They still meet with their friends, Dr. Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) and the crew of the Shinsei Maru. And Sumiko (Sakura Ando) still helps them with Akiko should she ever need care. But as things are, the cost of winning one war, is waiting for the next to arrive. And it arrives in the form of a dragon-like kaiju attacking Matsumoto City.
The shift of Minus One to Zero is swift. While One was about trying to heal after so much loss. Zero asks what happens when loss intends to become a cycle? And this is told by the new character, Kanji Murakami (Min Tanaka). We also see more Godzilla lore built upon, as Masami Nagasawa‘s ‘Makoto Aoyama’ starts to bring in the more precognitive human characters who may build on how we communicate with the kaiju moving forward.
While I don’t think the feature is as strong as Minus One, it’s a suitable follow up to the 2023 hit. It is just as large, and just as loud. And includes some incredibly long set pieces. All created again by the same Oscar-winning team, who deliver again on the visual feast lay before your eyes.
Should you see Godzilla Minus Zero?
There’s no doubt you should. On the biggest screen if possible. While the American version might be fighting Kong, the original has gone back to its roots and found its foundation in what made Godzilla great. It wasn’t a hero. It was an answer for all of humanity’s misgivings. And if we were able to learn and grow from them, then maybe Godzilla may be able to rest again.
It's the classic theme, and the way their Atomic Breath now triggers. All told under the guise of humanity's struggles and flaws...damn. I love the Godzilla Minus series.
