LOS ANGELES, Nov. 4 (UPI) — Godzilla Minus One was a new wartime allegory for the Toho Godzilla franchise. Godzilla Minus Zero, in theaters Friday, is a classic Godzilla Vs. sequel.
The film begins not with Godzilla but with another monster attacking a city. This monster will be recognizable to Godzilla fans, and when they name him, even novices will have heard its name.
Two years after Godzilla emerged from the ravages of World War II, Japan has established an entire department of its weather service for Godzilla sightings. Chief Nado (Hidetaka Yoshioka) runs the bureau and Dr. Aoyama (Masami Nagasawa) has established herself with keen predictions.
Minus One heroes Koichi (Ryûnosuke Kamiki) and Noriko (Minami Hamabe) return, now married and bearing the physical and emotional burden of their past Godzilla encounter. They have a daughter, Akiko (Sae Nagatani), whom they try to shield from the fears of more monster attacks.
In IMAX screenings, the screen expands not just for the monster destruction sequences. Even when the military meets on a U.S. Naval base, the IMAX screen captures the scale of the base and airplane hangars.
From left, Sae Nagatani, Ryûnosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe return in “Godzilla Minus Zero,” in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of GKIDS and Toho
But, Godzilla’s big entrance towers over the ocean itself in IMAX. Closeups can’t even contain Godzilla’s entire face.
The military’s aerial battle is all the more epic in IMAX. But, there is also a graphic Hiroshima flashback, where Prof. Murakami (Min Tanaka) lost his family, and of course Hiroshima was the inspiration for the original 1954 film.
Aoyama (Masami Nagasawa) reports to Chief Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) in “Godzilla Minus Zero,” in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Toho
Even though a Godzilla movie inevitably features the monsters fighting, Noda and his staff raise ethical concerns over facilitating such a battle. They point out that manipulating the creatures to fight, then attacking the injured victor, is still unethically interfering with nature.
Noriko and Koichi represent the bulk of the human drama amid the crisis. Not only are they unable to hide reality from Akiko, but they have to wade into another crisis like the trauma they survived years ago.
Godzilla readys for battle in “Godzilla Minus Zero,” in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Toho
That’s not to say Godzilla Minus Zero is heavy. It’s still fun and satisfying, but it deals with the themes and emotions dramatically, not with camp.
When the classic monster themes begin, it’s irresistible to get giddy at the impending destruction or battle. The monster battles are bloody, with each creature biting chunks off the other.
Godzilla emerges from the ocean in “Godzilla Minus Zeo,” in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Toho
There are so many classic Godzilla creatures who would be exciting to see in this new, modern franchise. Full disclosure of biases, hopefully Mothra is next in line.
Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.
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