Introduction
I was never the biggest fan of the classic Godzilla, with a dude running around in a rubber suit. The 1998 Godzilla was not for me, nor has the more recent American Godzilla series done much for me. I did enjoy Shin Godzilla (2016), however. Then along came Godzilla Minus One (2023), and suddenly I had a Godzilla movie I could really get behind. It had exceptional acting and a grand story about the plight of Japanese soldiers following World War II. Godzilla himself was amazing, menacing, and downright terrifying. So, after all that buildup, how was the new Godzilla Minus Zero? Well, let’s see where I end up by the end of this review.
Synopsis
The story picks up shortly after the events of the previous film. We jump right into the action with the introduction of Ghidorah as it destroys a town. We briefly follow a pair of monster hunters, Professor Kanji Murakami (Min Tanaka) and his assistant Akira (Ko Maehara). They barely survive Ghidorah’s first assault but manage to come away with firsthand footage of the monster. Ghidorah initially resembles the Hydra from Greek mythology. The pair eventually report their findings to the Disaster Response Unit. Of course, the discovery of yet another destructive monster does not go over particularly well with the unit. They immediately get to work trying to learn everything they can about this new threat.
Meanwhile, we are reintroduced to Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), his partner Noriko (Minami Hamabe), and their annoying adopted daughter, Akiko. We catch up with them at the orphanage where Noriko works. They have built a pretty solid life for themselves and believe they have finally settled down. That is, until word reaches them that another monster has appeared. Naturally, they become concerned that they will be pulled back into the hunt, but Koichi insists he isn’t getting involved. HA! Joke’s on you, buddy.
At their regular group dinner, Shikishima, Akitsu, and Tachibana wait to hear what Dr. Noda has to say, and, of course, it isn’t good. He wants Shikishima to return and train a new generation of monster-fighting pilots. That’s it. Just train them. What a knucklehead if he actually believes this new group of pilots can cut it.
We meet the American military commander in the region, a major who has other plans for the monster. He thinks that perhaps they can capture it and use it to further American interests. Around this time, we also learn that Dr. Murakami is a survivor of Hiroshima. His family was not so fortunate, and he harbors a deep hatred of the Americans. I believe this is intended to provide the emotional foundation of the story, much as the plight of the Japanese soldier did in the first film.
Discussion
If you’re detecting a bit of incredulity in my voice here, you’re absolutely correct. While this movie looks great, the writing at the beginning feels like a by-the-numbers, cookie-cutter version of the first film. I was a little disappointed. I had hoped for a more nuanced approach, like the one that made the previous film so effective.
This time, however, the driving force is anger toward the American government. I also think this is a rather heavy-handed attempt to draw parallels with aspects of our current government. While I’m certainly no great fan of the current administration, I don’t particularly see the point of directing our attention there in this film.
It’s a reasonable attempt to give the movie some emotional context beyond simply being another monster movie, but I think there was a stronger story waiting to be told. Why not focus on what the destruction wrought by these monsters actually does to the people who survive it? Yamazaki shows us the physical devastation in extraordinary detail but doesn’t give the human devastation the same attention. The comparison to Hiroshima is obvious, but we only get a small glimpse of the lasting consequences.
Instead of exploring the suffering and devastation caused by the monsters themselves, the film seems more interested in pointing fingers at the Americans. As an American, I found this approach less palatable, particularly when the historical circumstances surrounding the bombing are left unexplored. I’m sure some viewers won’t mind, but for me, it was a missed opportunity.
Further Analysis
After their first attempt to stop Ghidorah fails, the team comes up with another plan. New team member and meteorologist Makoto Aoyama suggests using the weather against the monster. The idea is to turn Ghidorah into a giant lightning rod and shock it into submission. Unfortunately, this backfires spectacularly. Rather than taking Ghidorah down, the lightning actually strengthens the creature, causing it to transform into an enormous three-headed monster! All the pilots are killed except for Shikishima. With their options rapidly disappearing, the team decides that their only remaining hope is to resurrect Godzilla, use him to defeat this titanic new threat, and take Godzilla down all over again.
I know I’m making this film sound bad, and in reality, it isn’t nearly as bad as I’ve made it out to be. It’s actually a solidly made film, but it truly lacks the heart of its predecessor. The emotional story surrounding Murakami never resonated with me the way Shikishima’s struggle did in Godzilla Minus One. I found myself increasingly frustrated by the direction of the story, even as I continued to admire the filmmaking.
I think the direction of returning writer and director Takashi Yamazaki is exceptional. Godzilla and Ghidorah look genuinely menacing, and the destruction is massive. The acting is really good, despite the rather ham-handed nature of the overall script. I also enjoyed the brainstorming sessions as the characters attempted to devise ways to defeat the monsters.
The use of actual scientific concepts, such as weather manipulation and lightning, was interesting and unique. The idea of incorporating the natural abilities of certain animals and birds to detect one another, almost like a built-in radar system, was rather ingenious. Unfortunately, for all these clever touches, the film feels like a rather flat retread of the first movie, without the emotional power that made its predecessor so memorable.
Conclusion
Godzilla Minus Zero is a beautiful, well-acted mess of a film. I had such a difficult time with the story that the overall experience left me disappointed. If you can overlook the plot issues and are simply looking for a good monster movie, then this will probably appeal to you. The monsters are superb, the effects are stellar, and the destruction is both interesting and horrifying. One thing I particularly appreciated was that we actually see the aftermath of the monsters’ rampages.
Unlike many films of this type, this movie doesn’t simply gloss over the devastation. The film presents the destruction as something genuinely horrific, almost reminiscent of the aftermath of the atomic bomb itself. If you’re looking for spectacular monster battles and massive destruction, this movie certainly delivers. I just wish there had been a more compelling human story beneath all that rubble.
