A recommendation: Godzilla Minus One
Go see this movie now!! It’s only playing in theaters for the rest of this week in December. It’s a must watch on the big screen!! Truly. An awesome surprise at the end of 2023, Japan’s Godzilla Minus One is one of the greatest big screen experiences of 2023. An exhilarating-to-watch, emotionally-grounded, fully entertaining, crowd-pleasing Godzilla movie that might just be better than anything Hollywood has ever produced featuring this giant atomic monster. Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, and produced by Toho in Japan, Godzilla Minus One is an impressive reinvention of the original Gojira kaiju monster, while also acting as a sort of follow-up to the original 1954 film (Opens in a new window). The title, Gojira -1.0, is a reference to Japan being at “0” following the devastating events of WWII, and Godzilla sending them back even further to negative 1. Post-war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb. The story follows a group of Japanese people as they realize the only way to fight back is to come together and use their intelligence to outwit, outsmart, and defeat this monster so they can get back to rebuilding Japan. It may not sound exciting, but many critics have been saying over and over now - it’s one of the best monster movies all year. In fact, it’s one of the best movies of the year. Period.
“This is what a Godzilla movie should be like.” –This is what Godzilla (2014) director Gareth Edwards said after watching Godzilla Minus One. Feeling as if he unfairly cheated death too many times, Shikishima (starring Ryunosuke Kamiki), a surviving Kamikaze pilot is attacked on Odo Island along with many war plane engineers by a gargantuan monster, leaving almost everyone else dead. Shikishima, now on a personal mission back in Tokyo, teams up with a large group of veterans to finally take down the monster known as Godzilla. The movie features some incredible VFX, along with another new Godzilla design reminiscent of the old days. Godzilla Minus One has an old school feeling to it, following a similar plot the original movie, but with modern day sensibilities and thrills. It’s not a big smash & crash Hollywood movie with non-stop mayhem, it’s more of an intimate drama based around authentic emotions and genuine concern for other human beings. And yes of course, the big ol’ Godzilla monster is badass and does do some smashing & crashing. I went to watch it at a small neighborhood cinema and everyone was caught up in it, applauding at the end which is not common around here. I can’t recommend it enough, especially if you love big screen spectacles. Godzilla Minus One is playing right now in theaters around the world - check your local listings.
For more info and theater listings, visit the official site at tickets.godzilla.com (Opens in a new window).
