Movie Review: Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Title: Godzilla Minus One
Release Date: November 3, 2023
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Production Company: Toho Studios | Robot Communications
Summary/Review:

The original Godzilla is a classic because it is a human drama metaphorically representing the trauma of war in age of atomic weapons.  Plus it has a terrifying monster rampaging through Tokyo.  Godzilla Minus One follows a similar premise, set at the end of World War II and in the immediate years afterwards as the survivors of the war deal with shame, loss, and stresses of everyday survival.  It also shows the resilience of a people who work together when they will receive no support from their own government or that of their victorious opponent.

Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is a kamikaze pilot who fakes a mechanical problem with his plane to avoid carrying out his mission.  He lands his fighter on Odo Island for repairs and overnight the base is devastated by Godzilla.  Only Kōichi and the mechanic Sōsaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki) survive.  Plagued by guilt and remorse, Kōichi returns to a devastated Tokyo where his family has not survived.  He takes in a young woman, Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe) and an orphan baby she is caring for, Akiko.  The form a found family, although Kōichi and Noriko are not romantically involved initially.

Kōichi finds work on a minesweeper ship and begins to rebuild his life.  But then Godzilla returns and attacks the mainland.  Turns out that a member of the minesweeper crew, Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), has a plan to destroy Godzilla which is both entirely practical and kind of hilarious.  Kenji forms a civilian organization to carry out his plan, while Kōichi plots his own revenge with a fighter restored by Sōsaku.

The movie has a lot of action and heroism worth of a popcorn flick.  But it also deals deeply with a lot of the emotions that the characters are dealing with going through multiple traumas.  The movie is both cynical about the society that let them get to such a low point while also optimistic about the power of the people working together.  In short, it’s just an absolutely brilliant film on multiple levels.  My only wish is that Noriko didn’t get sidetracked for a better part of the movie’s duration, because it’s a rather man-heavy film, and she’s an interesting character.

Rating: ****