Godzilla Minus Zero Review

Finding a screening of the latest installment in the "Godzilla" franchise, "Godzilla Minus Zero," was surprisingly difficult, especially considering I was able to see the last entry, "Shin Godzilla," theatrically twice. Why twice? Because I was so disappointed the first time that I thought, maybe, I had missed something.

Unfortunately, I hadn't.

When I did finally find a matinee (the real way to watch these films in the states, aside from maybe a UHF TV station), I was shocked that my local, usually premium, movie theater had it showing in one of those outdated arenas, one without those now-commonplace leather reclining chairs. It felt cramped and cheap, like the place didn't respect the literal King of the Monsters. All signs point to walking out, again, crestfallen, but I am more than pleased to say I walked out instead in awe.

"Godzilla Minus Zero" achieves the perfect balance of intimacy and spectacle, frequently simultaneously, something the franchise hasn't hit since the 1954 original (and no, not the one with Raymond Burr). Taking place during and after WW2, making this the literal first appearance of Godzilla, the narrative focuses on Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) a kamikaze pilot who cowards out of his mission, landing under the guise of mechanical problems on Odo Island. And like any good film in the series, Godzilla appears shortly after to cause destruction. He's the only gunner on the island, with only mechanics there during the battle, but he freezes behind the trigger, and all hell breaks loose.

But unlike almost every one of its predecessors, the titular monster doesn't just focus on environmental damage, but attacks like a dinosaur out of "Jurassic Park." It's the first time since I was a child that he'd been, for lack of a better word, scary.

Koichi makes it out alive, and is in shock of what happened. He suffers from survivors guilt, in addition to the shock of hearing his hometown was destroyed during the war, his parents killed too. Maybe he should have just done his mission, kamikaze or not. Maybe he'd stop the war. Or at least his mom and dad from dying. It is a dour opening, and a relentlessly cheerless film throughout, but what else could writer/director Takashi Yamazaki do? It's goddamn WW2! He understands what Godzilla means to the medium, and not the sullied reputation that the American dubs have been inflicting since the 50's.

Not long after first arriving, Koichi stumbles into thief Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe), who's looking after a newborn her dying mother gave to her. They form an unlikely and mostly platonic relationship, both outcasts and both struggling to keep themselves (and infant Akiko) alive. The laser-focus on so few principal characters means you really get to know these imaginary movie-people, something that Hollywood continues to fail at.

Most of the runtime is dedicated to their survival, and eventual success, which inevitably leads to long stretches of dialogue. Being subtitled instead of dubbed, there are numerous awkward pauses, where scenes linger with a few seconds of needless fat. Possibly a side-effect of the English localization, but as I cannot speak Japanese, I will never know, and I can only review the film I saw.

But that's OK, because it only means that when Godzilla returns to throw another hissy fit, that you root for our main cast. It's a remarkable feat when you consider that you have to not only read the subtitles but quickly glance back to soak up the imagery. In short, I really, really enjoyed "Godzilla Minus Zero." It might not be a perfect film, but it's the perfect "Godzilla" film. It's dark and damn depressing, but without time-travel, talking kaiju, space or gymnastic rubber suits, it perfectly fits the tone Tomoyuki Tanaka, Ishiro Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya intended way back when they first showed the world the cinematic horror of nuclear warfare.