There is something profoundly amazing about the Godzilla franchise that I don’t really see talked about, and it’s how Toho has taken this creature and made him fit many, many molds over the years.
The first film was a science fiction horror story, and that carried into the next. As other monsters were introduced, the series slowly began to appeal more to children, so the franchise leaned into that and gave kids something wild to cheer for. In the 1990s, the series got darker, with scarier monsters and deeper, interconnected stories. The modern American versions of Big G are action-adventure films with big monsters and big budgets. “Sin Godzilla” was an experimental body horror film. And with the two newest entries, “Godzilla Minus One” and “Godzilla Minus Zero,” we have emotional films about the costs of war, the heartache of family, and oh, yeah, a giant monster mucking about.
I have seen fans grumbling that this is a ‘boring’ film, and I think that means there’s been a disconnect between what they want out of a Godzilla film and what’s being offered. I feel the same way about “Shin-Godzilla,” which didn’t connect with me. And that’s fine. Just as it’s fine for folks not to enjoy this new film, or either of the new films. It’s all a matter of taste, and we like what we like.
Cool.
To me, though, the new films treat viewers as adults and tell mature stories about the impact of war on a community, and part of that story is Godzilla. These films have LOTS of action and offer the scariest portrayal of Godzilla I can think of. While the films can get a little maudlin, it fits the story. You also have to keep in mind these are Japanese films, so they handle storytelling beats differently. Even with some moments that tug a little too hard on the heartstrings, I wish more action and action horror/sci-fi films invested in their characters as much as these do.
It’s nice to be treated like an adult.
It’s nice when filmmakers don’t feel like they have to give me a sugary treat to make the medicine go down easier.
“Godzilla Minus Zero” picks up some time after the first film, with Japan trying in futility to pick up the pieces after the war, and the appearance of Godzilla. There is no respite, though, as something new darkens the horizon: another creature has appeared and threatens to be just as dangerous as Godzilla. Japan has learned much after Godzilla, and with the promised aid of the United States, they feel they can take on this new danger and defeat it. What they don’t realize, though, is that this threat is nothing like what they have faced before, and may in fact be even more horrifying and deadly than even Godzilla.
I was able to go into this film pretty clean, though a big surprise was spoiled before I went in – something I am sure has been spoiled for everyone now. Even so, this isn’t a film about twists, but about consequences. We see a nation grappling with rebuilding after the devastation of war, and trying to fight beings that are beyond belief or nightmare, while still facing the consequences of their actions during World War 2. The United States offers assistance as a friend, but has other ideas in mind, something that is clear to the beleaguered Japanese.
It’s always interesting to see how the U.S. is portrayed in films, as it’s good to get a taste of medicine we so gladly doled out in the past with our heavy-handed representations of other cultures and peoples.
As a continuation of the first film, the heart remains intact. Scarred by the terror of Godzilla, marked by him both body and soul, the survivors live in a world of perpetual fear that he will return and continue his violence upon Japan.
This is a wonderful film, and it stands alongside the first film as a feat, especially considering these are monster movies. We have seen it before, though, in “Host” and others, where what, for most films, would be a simple monster story becomes a human story about surviving a monster.
It’s beautifully made; you cannot tell the budget – which is great considering we love to make so much out of what was spent on these films – and it leaves an impact. Yeah, there are some moments that the emotions are pushed to the breaking point, but I’ll forgive that. This is a big movie, and as such, everything is amplified.
This is a film about war, love, and fear.
It is a film about giant monsters.
And it’s brilliant.
TL;DR: Japan throws a housewarming, and Godzilla crashes it.
4 out of 5
