Call it coincidence, but this year’s midterm elections fell on Godzilla’s birthday. Japan’s most iconic kaiju roared into cinemas on Tuesday as “Godzilla Minus Zero” debuted in early IMAX screenings across the country. I'm not saying Godzilla influenced U.S. elections, but that blue wave he rides in the movie did feel a bit prophetic.
In 2023, "Godzilla Minus One" rebooted the veteran monster in a wildly successful film that had both an epic scale and a genuine sense of human tragedy. The film won the franchise its first Oscar (for visual effects created on a meager $15 million budget).
Now the sequel, "Godzilla Minus Zero," stomps into cinemas to prove once again that Japan understands Godzilla far better than Americans.
I decided to see the film on Godzilla's birthday, and I have to say, the senior kaiju was in fine form and seemed nowhere near ready to retire. The afternoon screening was close to sold out, and the audience applauded at the end of the film. People even hung out in the mall theater to eagerly discuss the film. And when I got back to my car, someone had left some McDonald's Godzilla/Hello Kitty toys on my hood! I guess it was because my car is covered in Godzilla stickers.
I mention all this because Godzilla has created not just a fandom but a community, and I love being a part of it.
"Minus Zero" begins two years after "Minus One" ended, when the world believes Godzilla is dead. But a new kaiju has risen, and it turns out that humanity might need to call on Godzilla to fight the new monster, Ghidorah.
This is not a spoiler, since the kaiju's identity is signaled in the trailer, and when you see him, you'll be impressed by his appearance. He has not been radically redesigned, but his reveal and his scenes are spectacular.
"Minus Zero" begins with a stock movie premise of setting two monsters against each other. But filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki (the creative force behind "Minus One") endows the formula with well-drawn characters, emotional richness and moral questions.
Unlike American filmmakers, Yamazaki understands that Godzilla is not just a monster; he’s a metaphor, and he was born out of an atomic blast. "Minus Zero" delves deeply into the trauma the Japanese people suffered after the United States dropped atomic bombs on two of its cities. "Minus Zero" conveys the horrors of an atomic blast — whether caused by Godzilla or the U.S. bombs — in graphic and disturbing scenes that convey a Japanese perspective that Americans do not often see.
We have been taught that the bombs were dropped to bring an end to the war and save American lives, but we receive little or no information on how devastating the bombings were for Japan and how their impact was felt for decades. "Minus Zero" also addresses a Japanese desire for revenge or some kind of acknowledgment of the trauma they caused.
The film also raises questions about other kinds of responsibility. Characters have to come to terms with the role they played in the war and now the role they are about to play in battling not just Godzilla but multiple kaiju. There are also questions about making personal sacrifices and trying to balance duty to the country with one's responsibility to one's family.
But Yamazaki does not forget to deliver on the pop entertainment. He gives us epic kaiju action with sequences that make you look up in awe at the scale of these creatures. If any film merits IMAX, this is it. What Yamazaki understands is that he does not need to create massive scenes of destruction with thousands of ant-like humans under attack (something DC and Marvel frequently do). Instead, he can get more impact, tension and engagement from making us care about a single person in danger and showing us what that feels like at ground level during a kaiju attack.
Yamazaki finds a good balance between creating something fresh and paying respect to all that has come before. So, if you are a fan of Godzilla, you will have a great time finding all the references and Easter eggs in the film.
"Minus One" was a more tightly constructed film, with the human drama better scripted and Godzilla getting more and better screen time. But "Minus Zero" still delivers an awesome Godzilla outing that entertains but also engages your emotions and your intellect. Chalk up another win for Big G.
I have a lot more to say and need to see it again. And I plan to have more on Godzilla and "Minus Zero" later this month when I speak with Erik Homenick, author of the new book, "Scoring Godzilla: An Analysis of Akira Ifukube's Musical Narratives." At that time, I will be able to talk more freely and discuss spoilers about the film. There's a lot to unpack and appreciate.
