Godzilla Minus Zero
I’m ashamed to admit that the only other time I’ve seen a Japanese Godzilla movie on the big screen was “Godzilla 2000.” I’m not ashamed to say I watched that film- it’s an absolute riot even now- but there are so many films outside of the American produced ones that I wish I had more experiences theatrically with the Japanese films. When I watched it earlier this year, I mourned not having seen Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One” theatrically; thankfully, I was able to catch “Godzilla Minus Zero” at our press screening. For now, I am sated.
One of the things that makes “Minus One” such a rich film in the franchise’s long legacy is how it truly taps into the cataclysm of what a Godzilla attack would look like. It’s no secret that Ishiro Honda’s 1954 film was made as a response to the nuclear attacks in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but “Minus One” was the first film I’d seen in the franchise to really capture that sense of loss, of hopelessness, since. Even in Gareth Edwards’s superb 2014 American film, nothing in his haunting imagery comes close. In “Minus Zero,” Yamazaki keeps that momentum going, and while I wouldn’t put it on the level of its predecessor, it is an epic, thrilling experience.
“Minus Zero” takes place two years after the events of the previous film. At the time, Japan is still coming out of the dual wreckage of both WWII, as well as its first run in with Godzilla. There is an organization in charge of disasters that is headed by Dr. Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), a former weapons designer who helped bring down Godzilla earlier. We have just witnessed an attack in the city of Matsumoto, but not by Godzilla, by a new monster. Among the survivors is Kanji Murakami, an old professor (played by Min Tanaka) who, once again, finds himself within the storm of disaster. Can he be of assistance with this new threat? What about Makoto Aoyama (Masami Nagasawa), a meteorologist who is well known for her accuracy, as well as a mistake more caused by political caution than her own abilities?
What of Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), the former kamikaze pilot who actually downed Godzilla? He is trying to live a tranquil life with his wife, Noriko Ôishi (Minami Hamabe) and their daughter, Akiko (Sae Nagatani). However, with a new kaiju threat, Dr. Noda asks for his assistance in training pilots for the mission, especially important given that this one has the capability to fly. As he leaves, he and Noriko teach Akiko that “Have a safe trip” is something of a spell to put on someone you want to return.
There is a lot I’d love to discuss with this film, and a lot that the studio would prefer not revealed. That makes it somewhat tricky to discuss the film from here, as it points to some of my favorite elements of “Minus Zero.” One thing I will say, however, is that you might be well served by brushing up on American geopolitics as the Cold War began with Russia. Even more so than “Minus One,” this feels like a spiritual successor to Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” in how it looks at American assistance and culpability with skepticism and anger. It’s a fascinating thread within the movie that leads to some of the strongest images and moments in the film. The visual effects in these films- still supervised by Yamazaki- remain upper tier and filled with weight. This film is R-rated, and when you see it, you’ll understand why; this is a film built on the weight of human loss, and we feel it every step of the way. All the while, we get another rich score by Naoki Sato that is operatic, exciting and thrilling every step of the way. What Yamazaki is bringing to the table with this take on the franchise is unique and entertaining. And well worth seeing on the big screen.
