Directed by:
Takashi YamazakiScreenplay:
Takashi YamazakiCinematography:
柴崎幸三Composer:
佐藤直紀Cast:
Ryūnosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, 青木崇高, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Andō, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Miō Tanaka, Yûya Endô, 飯田基祐, Sae Nagatani, Tsubaki ŌmuraVOD (3)
Plots(1)
Set in a post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One will once again show us a Godzilla that is a terrifying and overwhelming force, which you already get a sense of from the teaser trailer and poster," Koji Ueda, President of Toho International, said in a statement. "The concept is that Japan, which had already been devastated by the war, faces a new threat with Godzilla, bringing the country into the 'minus.'" (Toho International)
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Reviews (15)
The fact that a Japanese film is making it into the best films of 2023 lists is noteworthy in itself. The Japanese have returned to their globally iconic monster, creating a fascinating film set in the aftermath of World War II. The atmosphere is fittingly historical, and while the digital effects are quite wild, the storytelling is where this film truly shines. It masterfully blends the collective mindset and struggles of a nation grappling with its post-war identity. This, in my opinion, is the most compelling aspect of the film. It's a total catharsis for a nation, embodied in a monster movie that defines a genre and aids in the purification of the Japanese spirit.
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This year, it seems to me that perhaps all the films around which there is general hype seem to be slightly above average at best, and Japan's Godzilla -1.0 is another one of those. As long as it deals with the intimate fates of individuals in post-war Japan and the lizard is only seen in waves, it's fine. Once the lizard makes landfall, the Japanese get a chance to use their over-the-top acting, and the characters start hatching crazy plans, but it in the end it turns that the lizard is enough (... well, you'll see), so it goes down the tubes, at least for me. I can appreciate how it looks given its budget, but I can't enjoy it authentically.
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A return to the roots of a monster that grew out of traumatic guilt, a feeling of failure and the rise of the atomic age, which Japan felt on its body like no other nation. Yamazaki and co. have filmed an organic blend of post-war family drama and Jaws on steroids, making clever and aesthetically economical use of their limited budget. Even though those limits are perceptible, they are always in service of the whole, which is both intimate and epic at the same time. Godzilla Minus One is the kind of blockbuster that Gareth Edwards tried to make, i.e. unencumbered by compromises and pressure from the studio. It is depressing and uplifting, naïve and touching. Everything that I require from a blockbuster!
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On the occasion of his almost seventieth birthday, Gojira got a film that goes down well with the majority of the audience. That isn't a bad thing, but if you're expecting a procedural social critique like Shin Godzilla or over the top giant kaiju like in later Japanese works, you'll come away disappointed. A more fitting title would have been "how my post-war life was repeatedly affected by a monster" (the inspiration in the concept from the Godzilla comics: “Half Century War” is evident), because this time around it's stingy on Godzilla, he sort of plays third fiddle. When he does arrive, it's worth it (traditional design, origin and abilities, scale and action), but for most of its running time it's a tear-jerking melodrama about a kamikaze who failed in his duty and suffers from post-traumatic syndrome. He struggles to piece together a life in the ruins of Tokyo and a decimated post-war Japanese society that is also undergoing a fundamental transformation. Only that occasionally they (he and Japan) are shaken by Gojira's claw. Ironically, it's closer to the Pohlywood-ized kaiju variant on Jaws mixed with Pearl Harbor than to the previous Japanese Godzilla films (but the serious ones and the B-movie ones). Another installment is on the cards, but I'd personally prefer a sequel to Shin Godzilla. Perhaps as a satire on the Japanese government's bureaucratic mishandling of covid and the Olympics.
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Godzilla -1.0 is a film about the tragedy of inaction and fear and the motivation that drives individuals to action and the ultimate sacrifice. The opposite of the cheerful American fooling around, made for relaxing entertainment I saw a few days ago. The Japanese open old wounds here, using a metaphor derived from the two nuclear bombs that Oppenheimer served up to the US military for quick use. Broken people slowly getting back on their feet after a lost war, only to be trampled by another disaster. Stunning destruction, backed by a roaring musical score, vivid characters where you care who survives and who doesn't. Surprisingly, the main character, a coward, lives.
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Gallery (29)
Photo © 2023 TOHO CO.,LTD.
![Godzilla Minus One - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/168/305/168305576_xtmali.jpg)
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