I Need to Rant About Godzilla Minus One

Sorry, X-Men. I’ll get back to you next week.

Godzilla movies stand on a spectrum. There’s the cheesy monster-vs-monster action movies, and then there’s the genuinely compelling solo movies. The further down either side of the spectrum, the better the movie.

In recent years, both sides of the spectrum have been occupied by separate countries. America has taken the cheesy side with their Legendary movies, while Japan has leaned towards the more serious movies. And now, we’re getting a brand-new Toho-made Japanese film: Godzilla Minus One!

As of this moment, we’ve only got a thirty second teaser to go off of. Yet that alone gives us plenty! All of which is enough to get me as excited as a little kid on Christmas!

The first is the writer, director, and head of VFX: Takashi Yamazaki. A Japanese filmmaker well-known for his incredible visuals. Some of his films include ‘Lupin III: The First’, ‘Dragon Quest: Your Story’, both parts of the live-action ‘Parasyte’ movie, ‘Always: Sunset on Third Street’, and many more. And from what we can see in this trailer, he’s bringing his A-game to Godzilla.

Second is the setting. Godzilla Minus One is set back in post-war Japan, seemingly not long after the nuclear bombs hit. The nation is at its weakest point already. It’s an interesting time to set a Godzilla film, as all the others take place at a time in which Japan is more or less stable and the signature kaiju shows up to ruin that. Even the original film took place in a Japan that had (mostly) recovered from the second World War.

Third is the tone. From the brief snippets we’ve seen, this movie has a very dark and oppressive tone. Fitting for the setting. This is a great sign; Godzilla movies are always at their absolute best when they take the subject matter seriously and approach it as a horror movie.

Finally, there’s the cherry on top: Godzilla himself.

In the trailer, we only see the legendary monster for a few brief seconds. A very promising few seconds to be sure, but that’s not much to go on. Luckily, thanks to the poster – as well as a new figurine that gives us a closer look – we can get a better view of this film’s take on the titular character. And I think he looks awesome!

I love the texture of his scales. Its got this lumpy, sickened, almost tumor-like texture to it. It could be alluding to the original movie, where the Godzilla suit was designed to have radiation scarring. Or I could be way off and they’re gonna be shooting for something else. Only time will tell!

I’m super excited for this movie! All the pieces are in place for this to be yet another new masterpiece for the franchise! A good director, amazing visuals, a grim tone, and an awesome Godzilla design! It’s all there!

Will it be able to stand next to the all-time greats, like the original film or Shin Godzilla? Again: time will tell. But I’m feeling optimistic! And even if it isn’t, I’m sure it’ll be an incredible film in its own right!

Whatever happens, we’ll have a new Godzilla movie. And for me, that’s always a win.