The big guy has had so many iterations that there are film historians dedicated to chronicling the various versions of the King of All Monsters. He’s been a metaphor for the atomic bomb. He’s been Earth’s protector. He’s been a WWE wrestler. And recently his western application is that of a force of nature. Godzilla, like many franchises nowadays, is rebooting back to the origin story. And by that, this is immediate post-war Japan. What was old is new again. Like Batman, like Michael Myers, and like Dracula every now and again you have to reset your franchise centerpieces to give another team to present a vision of a classic.
Japan has been devastated by World War II. The government is in shambles. The military was crippled. The infrastructure is in ruins. And up from the depths, a very large creature has arrived in the home islands, angry and scarred from being nuked. Lashing out at the nearest large population, he promptly stomps all over a nation that is still reeling, adding insult to injury and kicking the poor island nation while it is down. Telling Godzilla that the bomb was done by somebody else is probably not going to be a winning argument here. Godzilla once again is the world-destroying apocalyptic creature of the original movie from 1954.
Screaming throngs of panicking civilians and trains and boats being tossed around like bath toys, it’s all made more convincing with some impressive digital effects work. It may not be up to the FX level of the Warner Brothers/Legendary production, but it’s close. The movie is being produced in IMAX for the optimal rumble and splendor of Godzilla.
Considerable effort has been made to recreate this period-piece film, recalling a time when the nation was on its knees. It will be very interesting to see how this movie tackles how to address containing Godzilla. Will the American occupying forces play a role? In a post-Oppenheimer movie environment, what will be the attitude of the War’s conclusion?
This movie looks to be making a bigger political statement and is taking lessons from history. Japan has been a country at peace for nearly eighty years and has taken a largely pacifistic view of the world over this period. But, with the looming presence of an increasingly aggressive China, and the uncertainty of an unruly and imperialistic Russia, Japan has begun to re-arm itself. Will this be a movie to wade into that political environment?
Takashi Yamazaki (The Fighter Pilot, Parasyte I and II Space Battleship Yamato) is new to the franchise. Toho has reached out for some new blood to help reinvigorate the franchise. Yamazaki is an experienced director but has not done anything resembling a Kaiju film, so there are real risks and benefits to this director selection. Godzilla is such an institution in Japanese myth and lore, that he is to Japan what Superman has become to America. Iconic. Godzilla IS Japan, and you would expect that Yamazaki has some reservoir of ideas for the monster. So hey… no pressure, right?
The last Japanese version of Godzilla was Shin Godzilla back in 2016, which was a respectable effort set in contemporary Japan, and pulled away from the more kid-friendly kaiju punch-out, which the franchise had become known for. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Megalon and Hedora, but the opportunity to play Godzilla straight up is the proper handling of the monster. I think Gareth Edward’s 2014 effort was terrific in restoring the majesty and scale of Godzilla, but honestly, this is a Japanese legend, and I will always default to the best version that Japan can offer.
Here’s hoping this one turns out as good as it looks.
Godzilla Minus One will star Ryonosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe as the nominal human leads in the movie. It is slated for a Japanese release date of November 3, and an American release date of December 1. The film is not yet rated, but I would be surprised if it were not a PG-13 movie.
