I live in Japan and saw this a few days ago. People here don't normally react much in theaters, since laughing, cheering, and other noise are seen as disruptive to the viewing experience. This was the first time I've ever seen or heard people cry in a Japanese theater; the ending had surreptitious sniffles coming from all directions and the businessman in front of me was dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. And the audience was mainly men, too! This film was good enough to get people to break their code on theater etiquette.
l:,) I'm moved reading this. I had a hard emotional reaction to the ending in my theater in colorado too, buht am particularly happy to hear it's positively moving Japanese natives to the point of letting their emotions out in a public setting like this. Thaynks for sharing.
@@bradleyleavitt9886It was a little ridiculous but i liked how it tied together his whole arc about self sacrifice vs throwing a life away and how it validated him by showing that if he had done his duty and killed himself then he would have truly lost everything
They made us care about human characters in a monster movie. That's a feat in of itself! This movie 100% delivers. Even though Godzilla is actually much smaller, he is considerably more fearsome. That heat ray gave me chills!
Bro, usually when it comes to Monster movies or Alien Movies or Transformer movies or something like that i usually LOATH the human charecters. They are usually just filler space for in between shots of the Monster/Transformer/etc. And i havent seem this movie yet, but I actually want to. Even though like 75% of movies now a days are either crappy Marvel movies, or unwarrented remakes nobody wants. (Im looking at you Wonka🤬) and if everyone else here thinks its worth watching, ill definitly watch this movie.
He’s actually pretty close to the height he was in the original film from 1954. He wasn’t all that tall compared to his later incarnations. If memory serves, he was around 50 meters tall give or take in the original movie. Still a giant by any standard but considered quite short when you consider the monsterverse Godzilla being over 100 meters.
@@sherekaweston8495 I always root for him too. It's funny because I didn't see much of Godzilla when I was a kid, but I saw a Kong movie and at one point he stepped on like a dozen people... I was so disgusted I had to stop watching right then. As a kid I just couldn't stand the thought of the casual destruction of so much humanity. Now when they say Godzilla killed 30,000 people I'm giving him a pep talk in my head like "OK Big G, good effort, you're on the scoreboard but you need to really bring it home next time. You've got to show these humans who's boss!"
The scene where the former navy servicemen agree to band together to fight Godzilla, because nobody else will and they have not lost their sense of duty was amazing. In a monster movie with some incredible moments, I thought this was the best scene. It would bring a tear to a glass eye.
Think it was the fourth Due Hard film where John McClane says something like that he does the heroic stuff until somebody better turns up. Sounds pretty much like the attitude of the guys in the GM1 except nobody better was turning up and it was left to them
I even sympathized with the guys who walked out. They already suffered enough and had families to think about. They didn’t owe any more sacrifice. What a well-thought out scene. A well-thought out movie. I asked myself what I would have done if I had my wife and 3 kids and honestly I don’t know if I would have stayed.
I loved that scene because it also showed true service. They didn't fight Godzilla simply because they were forced to or because the government conscripted them. They fought Godzilla on their own. They didn't owe it, They didn't need to, Yet they still did.
The atomic breath in this movie isn't just the strongest but also the coolest with how its implemented. It is so strong that he actively injures himself using it and the reason he can't spam it is because he has to heal first. Metal as hell.
@@j.vinton4039Not just the mushroom cloud, the black rain after he uses it in Tokyo, black rain sometimes happens after a nuclear bomb goes off and all the dust shot into the atmosphere goes into the clouds and comes down in the rain, such a great detail, was very surprised to see that
Turns out the budget wasn't 15 million, but 11 million per the director, which makes this even more impressive. When the director heard that everyone was saying it was 15M, he responded by saying "I wish it were that much."
it's not that bad. There's a couple scenes where its a little lackluster but its fine. I've certainly enjoyed movies with way shittier fx lmao.@@legendarygodzillatheking3049
The low budget is no miracle when you consider how Toho underpays its talent. The movie is so good that Toho should put a crowbar in their wallet and pay their crew real money.
@@legendarygodzillatheking3049 it was spotty at times but honestly in a weird way more tolerable than marvel/dc/other bs video game level cgi we've been getting despite the latter technically being "better". The movements were a bit off, but you could tell the designers and programmers put some love into it kind of reminded me of dragons from got
I did not expect a Godzilla movie to hit me right in the feels with its portrayal of PTSD and survivor's guilt. As a veteran who doesn't feel he had any business surviving the war that he did, this movie really resonated with me.
The first atomic breath against the ship was a "woah cool" moment but then the atomic breath on land made the entire movie theater go silent and the rumble rolled through. It was the first time in a while most of the audience was speechless and actually fearful for the characters on screen.
My jaw literally dropped open. Also when Noriko was hanging from the train, I realized I was unconsciously whispering "no no nonono" because I actually feared for her safety. I can't remember the last time I've felt that kind of suspension of disbelief from a movie.
In the showings I went to, each time when it went silent I could hear someone say something in shock or surprise (always a swear word 😂) at the sheer magnitude of it. It's like you can feel the air get sucked out of the room.
@@ravenwda007 It was a nuke, the government agents' geiger counters go off when they were in the square and told people not to approach due to radiation.
I absolutely love that the design team didn’t chicken out from designing Godzilla reminiscent of the original. We all know what Godzilla looks like, so don’t try and recreate him.
Bruh it's a mythical creature. Ofc it can be recreated. It's not a woke recreation, it's creative recreation. And for all y'all who put down monster verse Godzilla, it alone changed the script and introduced human drama into Godzilla. Even this director would say that 2014 Godzilla revitalized the kaiju. All credit to that film.
And it set up the ejector seat finale, perfectly as it helps exonorate our main character of any thought cowardice in the audiences eyes. You find out the pilots we're being made to die senselessly becuase the government didn't see fit to install ejector seats in thier planes and completely view the Kouichi's struggle differently. I almost wish they made the end an after credit thing so we could hold onto the feeling that Godzilla was defeated much longer.
Mourning the wasteful use of your own soldiers, but not even mentioning the hundreds of thousands of civilians that the japanese killed during their conquest and all the war crimes committed by their soldiers is very hypocritical though.
@@World12356 That's outside the scope of the movie. And what happened in the past is something that should stay in the history books. It should not be something you use to bludgeon people over the head with for things that happened before their parents were even born.
@colincampbell767 WW2 also happened in the past. Why did the movie mourn the dead soldiers? That is a bad argument. You don't need a full history lesson, but there would be ways to be not so comically ignorant to all the crimes committed. "The Japanese government didn't value any human life, friend or foe. We need to be better" Something like that.
In my mind, this is a love letter to the original movie from 1954. In 1954 “Gojira” gave us, if I’m not mistaken, the longest running film franchise in existence and one of the most enduring characters in cinema. This is the big guy’s magnum opus. I’m just tickled to see it getting the praise it deserves.
This Film definitely takes us back in a sense to the original 1954 Godzilla, which was also a human character interest story in many ways, though perhaps not quite as well developed.My point is the original Godzilla Film was a "Monster Movie" that used the Monster as a social commentary on the risks of atomic weapons and their then unknown possible effects on the planet, nature, and on human kind. In short, this film is the perfect, modern day tip of the hat to the original Film, and it is glorious in it's execution and storytelling.
@@mikebryant614 the original had a lot of things that have fallen out of favor today such as the slow burn and the eeriness of surviving the natural disaster where you are powerless to deal against the onslaught of nuclear destruction. Modern films today want to speed toward the car crash scene instead of the slow build that was standard of those days.
My wife and I both speak fluent Japanese, and we were impressed with how very well the English subtitles were done. We have seen the movie twice so far in the the theater. Both times we were moved to tears. This is the finest filmmaking I have seen all year. So glad that _Godzilla Minus One_ is getting the praise and respect it deserves. I wholeheartedly agree with The Drinker, I can't recommend it enough.
I am especially glad to hear that. Because in the Anime industry it feels that the subtitles get worse and worse thx to especially activist in the english departments like Crunchyroll etc. Sadly in Switzerland all the Cinemas near me show it dubbed in german. I have no interest to watch this dubbed but I gladly will pick up the 4k blu ray when it comes out
They really did a fine job of not only translating but making sure it made sense. The jokes landed, the nuance of Japanese expression was preserved well, and there was no misunderstanding at any point. Loved it.
Thank you, OP. I've been interested in seeing this, but get irritated at goofy captioning. I'd like to take my son and daughter-in-law to see it, so this makes me happy to hear!
The sound design on this movie reigned supreme. Every gunshot, every earth-shaking footstep, every atomic breath that caused dead silence, followed by bass-booming explosions just felt powerful. The fact that this movie was done on a $15 million budget is INSANE.
@@TXAslingrI agree! The quiet parts(which are a lot) are so quiet! Sometimes the incidental music sounds like it’s in the next room. Sure as heck ain’t quiet when Godzilla gets pissed, which seems his lot in life.
I decided to treat my 11 and 7-year-old nephews to a movie night, knowing how much they adore Godzilla. Naturally, I anticipated a typical, run-of-the-mill Godzilla flick. However, to my utter astonishment and delight, I found myself immersed in a captivating masterpiece of a film. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that this movie was not only well-written but also incredibly intriguing. In fact, it even managed to tug at my heartstrings, leaving me with a few tears by the end. Definitely recommend it.
Godzilla is genuinely terrifying from his first appearance. I felt such grief for the human characters when he attacked, and pride when they banded together to stop him.
Agreed. I was surprised by how small he was, but that actually made it scarier, since it made him feel like a creature that could actually exist. I found it significantly more difficult to suspend my disbelief for the skyscraper-sized version of Godzilla that we saw later in the movie.
I feel this is hands down the best all-around movie I've seen this year, and for it to get the official "Drinker Recommends" badge makes me smile to no end
The fact that they made such a good-looking film is mind-blowing given the budget. Hollywood needs to take notes, they made something that looks better than any M-She-U project with characters you actually care about for a fraction of the cost.
It'd not mind blowing when you already knew Hollywood is corrupt and inflating the cost of producing. That money never went into the movie. It when into leadership off shore accts.
I haven't seen it yet but I read it uses practical effects. Is that true? If so I can ee why it looks great. Lots of times simple practical effects go so much farther. Disney movies and shows lately have all been in that CGI bubble room and it shows. Actors look out of place. They don't know how to interact with the things they are supposed to because it doesn't exist and lastly the budget balloons because you need someone CGI smaller effects that surely would cost less if you just did them practically.
I was blown away by this film. As a lifelong Godzilla fan I would have never thought one of the movies would have made me feel emotional. This movie has great character moments and a monster that is terrifying. Toho took it's time from 2004's "Final Wars" to make 2016's "Shin Godzilla" and from there to this movie. I think they have been intentional and thoughtful with their iconic character. They are not just trying to slap together something for a deadline the way WB/Legendary is with their version of Godzilla. I love the confidence of Toho for basically saying, "Yeah, it's cute what you guys are trying to do, but let us show you why this is OUR character".
Toho also had it's share of trash tier godzilla movies. Let's not pretend otherwise. But i was glad to finally see a good godzilla movie for a change. Shin Godzilla was decent but this was top tier.
@@majinraptor Exactly. Shin had a good story, but was at best, outside of two scenes, visually awkward. Godzilla 2014 was good (best of the Legendary G's), but I found it hard to connect with the characters, let alone root for them...which had a lot to do with script and acting.
@@majinraptor I actually think the concept of Godzilla in Shin was the best part of the movie. It was an excellent horror-esque take on the creature, but I agree that it was unfortunately *only* decent. I'd love to see it taken further, though.
Seriously. It was a very nationalistic movie all about Japan, staring Japanese people, and guess what? I was still able to relate perfectly fine because it told a HUMAN story. I didn't need to see any white Americans to be able to emotionally connect with them. By the end of the movie I felt like all these people were my friends and I really wanted everything to turn out okay for them. I became so invested in their lives, I would actually forget I was watching a Godzilla movie and when he showed up I was like "leave them alone you stupid nuclear dinosaur, they're just trying to live!"
Koichi meets Norkiko first and THEN gets the dangerous mine clearing job to support her and the child. A great example of doing dangerous or undesirable work to support your family. When Noriko gets her job to also support the family it’s not a ding against Koichi, it’s her wanting to contribute as well, and not be a burden on someone (though Koichi really needed to get off his ass and propose before she was nuked, as his friends said!). Really great examples of people who love each other trying to get by in a broken world.
This also plays a part, in Japan they are having issues where men and women don't want to marry or have kids due to two different and ignored societal issues. The fact they side step this by having both people agree and not be related, and both work to help each other, this really addresses both issues there as well. Issue one, men are treated as slaves by work and family and never see their family, men are not interested in that anymore. Women used to really on men for money, but now work big jobs, not an issue except the women still want the men to bring in tons of money, but the jobs aren't there, women take them, people aren't retiring, so women refuse to marry such men. This fits nicely with issue one. Japan even with govt paying women to have kids is still massively screwed for even more reasons.
Went and saw this last night on a whim and boy was I shocked at the stark contrast between modern U.S. film and a modern Japanese film. I think my favorite thing about this movie was that they didn't pull any punches with letting you sit in the raw emotional moments with the characters. No swooping in with some one liner quip or cheesy joke. There was lots of tears in that theater man. I thought it was really good. Definitely recommend.
Kōichi screaming in pain and despair at Godzilla after the Ginza attack was brutal but perfect. You gotta portray those raw emotions to create a gripping emotional story
I gotta go see this then! You have no idea how sick I am of earnest, genuine motion being sidestepped in favor of snarky quips and frivolous mood killing.
@@DepravedCoTApologistYup, as he fell to his knees crying it even starts raining as he screamed.. That really hit me hard! Such a beautifully done scene
This film was SO MUCH BETTER than it had any right to be. Sound production, visuals, writing, acting (!!!!), all top-notch. I particularly loved Shikishima's arc. His abdication of "duty to country" made him seek to live through fear; he sought to redeem that by suicidal attack; and the mechanic (!!!) convinced him to transcend "duty to country" (which didn't care about him beyond him being a resource to exploit) into "duty to family" which made him seek to live through bravery. So nice!! (I also smiled in childish glee when the classic Godzilla theme played during the train scene)
That was very well stated, yes! The film succeeds on many levels, eschewing the woke agenda permeating a lot of entertainment for good 'ol great, melodramatic (and yes, at times moving) storytelling.
Bro me and my friend got moving chairs because they were in the best spot and I didn't think it would matter that they move BEST DECISION EVER it added so much to the movie that already had a godlike sounds imagine your chair swaying with the water or plane god that was an experience
Two of the characters hated him for being a coward. Then they learned to love and care for him as a human being whose life mattered, and they wanted him to live. When I rolled it all back in my head, I got more emotional about it.
As a Japanese myself I’m very proud people overseas are enjoying our movie. We don’t put a lot of money on it but we compensate for it with heart and passion for the messages we want to pass on.
i would say... thank you to the japanese people who put this together. my family and many more will be going to the theatre to see this one! well worth the ticket price. starts on friday dec 8th for us!! i live 2 minutes away from cineplex :) cant wait!!
@@tenkmusou542 thank you :) i will reply to this for sure and let you know. im sure we will be super happy with it. the reviews online are stellar for this movie. everyone likes it. i grew up watching old godzilla movies..... so im super pumped . my 9 and 13 year old sons want to go too.... its a family event for us .
As opposed to Hollywood (I refuse to dignify them by calling them 'American') movies, that just throw money at the project to replace any heart or passion that might have been involved in the pitch.
The historical detail in this movie already makes it great. If a good movie is meant to entertain you, then this movie definitely hit that mark right on point with all the small details and historical references. The appearance of the rare type 4 Chi-To meant for the defense of the Japanese homeland, the use of the infamous Yukikaze which survived and participated in many major campaigns and battles, and the J7W Shinden fighter plane which was meant to be utilized as a land-based interceptor against the American B-29 bomber planes, were all great homages to the historical background that this movie takes place in. Also, the fact the directors of this film put German letters in the ejection seat of the Shinden was such great fan-service to those who know that the Germans were the first to standardize the use of ejection seats for their pilots. Man, this film is probably like S-tier just for the historical aspects alone.
I loved the historical stuff, but whoever did the English subtitles had no clue what they were doing. They kept referring to "jet fighters" even though the planes were props.
@@GeraltofRivia22 Oh my fucking god, it was horrible. I was watching the movie in theatres with my Japanese friend and whenever they referred to the Shinden as a "Jet fighter" we both died inside.
@@GeraltofRivia22 I obviously noticed that but was completely able to let it go. So long as the entire story wasn't derailed by a bad translation, it was fine. Maybe they'll go back and fix that later for a subsequent release? Maybe not. But the alternative history fate of the Takao was a really creative and bold idea. It's recognisably our world and our history, but it's not *our* timeline - just a very close one. It would be interesting to speculate that the Unebi didn't just founder in a typhoon in December 1886 on her delivery voyage, as is supposed, but in fact encountered Godzilla when near the island in the movie (Ido Island?).
As a casual general aviation and military aviation enthusiast my eyes lit up when I saw the J7W Shinden. I was totally unaware of the existence of the plane, it looked plausible, it had the right aesthetics and proportions for a plane of the era, and it was a canard plane like the plane I would like to own one day, Rutan Long Ez, which would be totally futuristic for the 1940s but it was a time of rapid advancement and the Germans already had jets and a flying wing prototype so it seemed plausible to me that the Japanese also must have been cooking something. To my surprise its an actual plane that existed as a prototype. S-tier indeed.
Their splatterpunk movies are unique. They come up with the weirdest movie concepts, and has the ability to SOMEHOW make it work regardless of how absurd the concept might be. As you can tell, I'm a fan. XD
@fffwe3876 Japan does have a bad habit of cash grabs with popular talents at the time, even if not actors. Those movies are usually hit or miss. I remember watching Quill. The story was touching, and the actors did great. The Ken Watanabe movie, Memories of Tomorrow, was also great. I also recommend After the Rain, too. Unfortunately, I haven't seen Drive My Car yet.
I was in awe in the theatre when I realized this movie works on multiple levels. As a (post-)war drama, as a war movie, as a creature feature and as a disaster movie all at once. Toho outdid themselves with Godzilla Minus One. Especially the sound design and the soundtrack are perfect. Hollywood can learn some lessons from international cinema. Easy 10/10 for me. One of the best movies in recent history, in my humble opinion.
It's a really ambitious thing to set a movie in that time period, I can't recall anyone else who's tried it. It would have been so easy to just make WW2 with Godzilla, but, instead, they did something more difficult and closer to their souls, and man did they pull it off.
This movie on the big screen made me pause. When the huge things fly across the screen from the human point of view. It was an augh inspiring moment. You can imagine the weight of the half a ship flying by the building when it was on the movie screen. That might not feel the same on a 50 inch TV. No matter how good that TV is.
When we're first introduced to the character of Sumiko, and she immediately shames Koichi for failing his "duty" as a kamikaze pilot, I thought she would spend the rest of the movie as a full-fledged Karen. However, I realized I was wrong about her when she gave up her stash of rice to feed Akiko. Her anger at Koichi was really grief over her dead children. By movie's end, watching her care for Akiko while Noriko worked and Koichi dealt with Godzilla, I really grew to respect her. Nice arc for a supporting character.
Also, at first she goes "Why are you still alive" then become "Don't you dare dying" after becoming close to him and the family. Her attitude not really change, but her heart is
if the movie gets any Oscar attention at all, I'd love to see Sakura Ando who played Sumiko get a best supporting nod...she really managed to take a caricature of a character and turn her into someone with real depth despite having very few lines of dialogue.
@@hafirenggayudait makes sense for her to react that way at first though because all Japanese people at the time firmly believed that there was honor in dying for one's country, they were brainwashed into thinking that being a Kamikaze pilot was the greatest sacrifice one could ever make.... So not only is it historically accurate about the mindset of Japanese people during ww2 but the way her character develops is also very good since Japan was destitute and in ruin after the war, the mindset became one of unity and rebuilding, there was no longer any honor in dying for a worthless cause like war
More wholesome ending than any Disney movie. My 7 year old and 11 year old boys watched this without saying a word, read every subtitle, absorbed every scene and moral message of the many this film conveyed. The youngest even started saying "Arigato" afterwards haha. Asian cinema may save the movie industry.
If this movie had a $15M budget, perhaps, just maybe a gathering of creative and caritative souls may do an alternative Star Wars sequel trilogy… A man can dream…
@@animezilla4486 Or perhaps Hollywood pays way too much for what it's getting! How exactly does any actor earning 30 million plus PER Movie sleep at night!?! Why do you think there's not been a Star Trek movie since Beyond despite the fact that that movie made a respectable for Trek 335 mil worldwide - It's because by the time they've paid the main cast they've already spent well over 100 mil and a Star Trek movie now needs to make 500 mil+ just to break even and Star Trek movies have rarely made that sort of money even taking into account Inflation! Disney are actually LOSING money on Star Wars despite making approx 6 billion at the box office off those five movies! - Once you take away the theatre's cut of the box office and account for out of control marketing budgets they haven't even broken even!
"Godzilla: Minus One" is the quintessential example of how you balance an engaging human story with riveting monster action sequences. I have seen my fair share of Godzilla and King Kong films in my time and the human stories are always so insipid that I didn't care of if the people survived. "Godzilla: Minus One" had me care for the human characters. Hollywood should take note of this film, not only for how it is able to adeptly juggle bombastic spectacle while also displaying a great understanding of humanity, but how it did so with a modest budget!
Watched this film twice because I noticed I was so fully engaged in the human stories that I was watching with anxiety the poor crowds of humans at Godzilla’s feet instead of Godzilla himself! My second watch I enjoyed seeing this marvelous creation and his immense power. Best heat beam ever! Amazing film. The human scenes reminded me a bit of the master Akira Kurosawa.
Shin Godzilla was also great on the human side. It's a bit dry and political (since it does focus a lot on politicians) but it works really fucking well, and its version of Godzilla itself is one of the most interesting in the franchise as far as how humans need to adapt to how it functions as a creature.
I think what makes this stand out is that they made a great movie that you could insert a number of natural catastrophes in, and they would still have a great movie. I think if Godzilla was replaced with a massive earthquake, we would still have a narratively similar movie with the same themes. The humans and the drama would still be there.
I thought it was brilliant to set most of the film in a destroyed Tokyo. Most westerners don't know to what extend the Allies reduced Tokyo to rubble & ash in WWII.
I watch this movie back on Saturday with my older brother. It was so good that, we wanted our dad, who grew up on the orginals, to see it. When we did, felt like I was watching it for the first time again. I looked at my dad every time Godzilla being badass, he fanboyed the hell out of it. Afterwards, my dad said that this was the BEST Godzilla movie ever, even better than the original, he said. He was saying that after all the installments, remakes, and Sequels he didn't care for... He felt like a kid again....
Imagine having a renowned franchise - and treating it with reverence and its audience with respect. For the western entertainment industry, I guess that really is a foreign concept.
@@ba2724 It's not a Star Wars problem, it's a Hollywood problem. The generation of kids who grew up on classic 80s movies are now shitting out movie scripts based on the terrible fanfic they wrote when they were teens. (I know because I am one of them, although none of my fanfic has been made into a movie-yet.)
As a single father who raised a daughter from age 1 years old, being 8 now. I totally connected to the relationship formed by the main character with the little girl. Reminded me so much of my little one and how important it is to be there for your children. Great movie. A++++++++
that is because unlike modern hollywood - a good story really matters. without a good coherent story you cannot execute either. This explains the bad fx and budget overruns with Disney. without a good story and clear image of what you want to put to the screen its like building a house with no foundation and no blueprints
If you didn't think Godzilla could deliver a compelling story before this and you enjoy older movies, go watch the original from 1954. Minus One feels like a spiritual remake of that film, as the underlying themes are largely the same. Knowing the older film makes me appreciate the new one and all its triumphs even more.
I also recommend Shin Godzilla. It’s a story about the inefficacies of bureaucracy and Japan’s place in international politics carried on the shoulders of a gigantic plasma-breathing reptile.
I watched it today. Director Yamazaki's film is designed to be a tearjerker, so I went in determined not to cry, but I ended up crying anyway. For Japanese people, the reality is that many still struggle with the guilt of having survived the Great East Japan Earthquake, feeling like "I should not have been the only one to survive", and some have even taken their own lives because they couldn't bear this guilt. The film was good in that it offered hope to live in such a society. As for Minami Hamabe, I hadn't thought much of her as an actress before, but she delivered a really great performance.
As someone who's loved Godzilla their entire life, it's immensely satisfying to see him go from just a goofy joke of a character back into being such a powerful and awe-inspiring preasence. It really is a great time in history to be a Godzilla fan.
@@oniplus4545 He's just come full circle. He started off like he is in this one. Got a bit too kid friendly/cheezy though with some simplified messaging, moved back into more serious including Shin Godzilla now back to his beginnings. Anyway you look at it, it's still a good thing.
This was similar to my feeling leaving the theater. My very first movies as a child were Godzilla movies. The average normie of course doesn't think too much of the giant lizard. He's a lovable and fun guy, sure, but not exactly high quality cinema. At best, people will acknowledge the quality in 1954 Goji. But here he stands long into my adulthood, once again reminding the entirety of the Earth that he is, indeed, the King of the Monsters. He can weather the decades, re-imaginings and still pull off an actual good story, right when cinema needs him to. Out of all the childhood interests I've outgrown... I don't think the Big G will ever be one of 'em.
Watched it today. Fantastic movie. As a WWII nerd, I liked the accuracy of the tanks, the destroyers have the names of real destroyers that survived the war, and seeing a Shinden fly was a treat. The train sequence done with models and not CGI was a tribute to the old japanese monster movies. Great movie
I was blown away watching this in IMAX. America, Hollywood, Marvel and DC should be embarrassed. This is epic filmmaking and epic storytelling without telling you that you are a misogynist, a racist or socially problematic. Great story with a soul and great actors (not Hollywood activists).Best movie I have seen in almost 8-9 years. 10 out of 10 for me. Yes, its that great.
I genuinely teared up at multiple parts of this movie. The characters were all likeable, relatable, and had amazing chemistry with each other. But the part that truly made the waterworks act up, was before the climax. Seeing all the Japanese people work together to prepare for Godzilla. The simple act of people working together got me so inspired!
I was surprised at how invested I was in the human characters in this film. I was genuinely concerned for Shikishima's found family. His friends from the boat were awesome too. This is the best Godzilla film I've ever seen.
Nearly every character in this movie is so likeable. Its just so full of compassion, empathy and everyone communicates so clearly. It's refreshing to watch a movie without a single narcissistic character in it for once. Just genuine human beings.
@@Tbone.357 If you've watched enough anime or live action, it's just how Japanese actors act. Something that you get used to. American films have been criticized for the overused "punching" sound effect. But to us, it's normal fare.
I took my kids to see this movie. I went mostly blind after reading up on the IMDB parents guide, and I had to explain what a Kamikazi pilot did in the war to them before the movie. My usually very energetic and hyper short attention span kids were dead silent the entire film until the credits rolled. My youngest leaned over her seat to look at me and said with a huge smile on her face, “THAT WAS AWESOME!” My oldest responded to her with, “YEAH!!” Easily the best movie theater experience I’ve had in a very long time
My husband and I wanted to see the replica Shinden aircraft. We thought it would be a cheesy "turn off your brain" popcorn movie. What we got was an engaging, well-written, well-acted period drama that sucked us in within the first minutes and kept us enthralled for the entire story. The Shinden footage was fantastic, and mostly live-action. AND a terrifying Godzilla! Go see it in the theater--you won't be disappointed.
The Shinden replica is now in the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum in Fukuoka Prefecture, up close it looks real right down to the rivets and information on the manufacturer's plates.
This film moved me to tears. The human characters and story were so compelling that I didn't even need to wonder when I'd see Godzilla again. The story of a found family rebuilding their lives in the wake of war was emotional, dramatic, and uplifting. I loved it. Of course, Godzilla was the cherry on top. The film really reminded me of Oppenheimer in the sense that it really knew how to tell compelling drama without relying to much on flashy visual and things that go boom.
Same I've seen it 3 times and the my most recent viewing i was crying, a fucking Godzilla movie made me cry! Who would have thought. But i have to say this is the best Godzilla movie i have ever seen. And everyone I talked to who has seen it say they love it. 10/10 bravo Toho bravo!
Took my fiancé to see this movie, she went with little interest in Godzilla or the genre overall and walked out of the movie loving it! Goes to show what good writing, pacing, and storytelling can do for any film. If you haven't seen it yet, you should! Now you know!
I took my mom to see it. She was definitely hesitant on even going, since it was with subtitles and she's not a big monster movie woman, however, this movie blew her away. She was on the edge of her seat multiple times during the movie, and for a smoker for over 30 years, this is the first movie where she didn't get up to take a smoke break. This movie is so damn good that it can help people stop smoking for a short time.
Thing about Godzillas scenes in Minus One is that its is truly horrifying. The attack in Ginza you can not only see the devastation of the city but people actually dying. There's a scene where Godzilla steps on some people and you can hear the "squish" in the sound effect and see the red spraying out from his feet. The human cost is told unapologetically while in the Western Godzilla movies its all brushed aside and the audience is just shown the "hey! look at the cool lizard destroying buildings!" part.
As much as I like the movie, you're not being objective with your comparison. Through most of the dozens of Godzilla movies, no matter if Showa, Heisei or Milennium era, the death of people has been implicit - with some exceptions. The Gareth Edwards movie, on the other hand, showed loads of people being swepped away by the floods.
Almost all of the human aspect of the carnage was removed in every Hollywood Godzilla movie. In the later movies it's just big monsters fighting in giant, miraculously abandoned cities. The lack of humans for scale, and the lack of camera shots from the perspective of people on the ground, kills any emotional impact. And, in the end, it really does just seem like two action figures battling it out with no real consequences whatsoever-we don't even get to see how challenging it would be to completely rebuild a city.
I love how it grappled with Japan's relationship with the war and how pointless it was. The theme that there are things worth dying for and war isn't always one is fantastic. I also love how intrinsic the guilt and anger is. It's not about what they did to other countries in WW2, but what they did to their own people. The main character even suffers from PTSD and survivors guilt. This is kind of refreshing coming from an American perspective, as we tend to self-flagellate extrinsically (how our actions hurt other countries and not our own people). Instead, they found common ground in fighting a real threat that they found honor and purpose in fighting, and they focused on surviving as opposed to dying a glorious heroes death. Very interesting view of WW2 and the aftermath that gave me a lot to think about.
I'm paraphrasing, but the line of, "Not fighting in war is something to be proud of." was one of the most striking lines I've ever heard. This movie went hard, and I love it for that
It's generally really hard for Japanese citizens to criticize their government without getting major pressure from their government, but I think they found a great balance with this film. Going to generalities of war and universals that everyone can relate to, and keeping direct criticism of their government to a minimum to not distract from the story or get themselves in too much hot water.
@@kengo7273 Oh, is that so? I was under the impression that when Japanese citizens criticize their government, particularly for their WWII involvement, they face pressures of various sorts. Is that not the case?
Yet the Drinker never reviewed that movie as well... I guess it could become repetitive on this beautiful channel and I, for one, completely understand that.
I had to watch Shin Godzilla after seeing Godzilla Minus One. Shin Godzilla was lame in comparison. It had no really character story. It was just flashing back and forth between government people talking about how to deal with Godzilla and scary Godzilla wrecking stuff. Godzilla Minus One is a drama with Godzilla.
@ScottEgan69 nah I like shin that was the whole point, a reflection of the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 that was very devastating on the nation and the citizens blamed the Japanese government for taking too long to help and do anything about it instead trying to reassurance the public rather than do anything that was what shin godzilla was meant to reflect as well as reflect the horror of what it really is to be a mutated monster
I went to the theater to see this movie with my husband just to humor him. I fully expected to hate every minute. Instead I was memorized by the story. It is definitely the best movie I have seen this year and possibly several years.
I took my Mom with me (she also said she mostly came be cause she knew I was excited to see it) she has never liked Godzilla. I’ve been a fan for 40 years and could never get her to watch any but once or twice. She LOVED this movie, as soon as I suggested seeing it again she signed up and talked my dad into going too (he also liked it, though he joked that it needed baby Godzilla in it). Finally having family members love something I’ve spent a lifetime invested in has been an experience in its own right.
I just saw this last night & I think the thing that shocked me the most about it was how well regarded & well served it’s male characters were, it was a weird, almost surreal experience to see a contemporary movie that doesn’t actively _despise_ the men in it’s own story.
Unfortunately, there are so many despicable men around that the need for representation (not for the men but the experience of them) is profound. Probably what you liked most about the movie that hasn't occurred to you yet is the complete lack of sexualization. That's something Hollywood will never let us escape. In that regard, they are Godzilla.
Can't remember the last time i saw a movie where I was 100% fully invested. Cheering for the characters and their survival, crying because of the human condition in such circumstances, dreading the violent nature that is Godzillaz, surprised and amazed at how things unfolded. Man, what a movie!
This Godzilla movie made me actually care about the humans. Hollywood Godzilla movies are great, but whenever scenes involving humans come, my mind checks out until Godzilla comes back on. This movie made me resonate with each character and worry about them when Godzilla showed up. Insane and amazing 10/10 movie.
Hollywood godzilla is a neutral or anti hero hence he is the star of the show . In the Japanese version godzilla is a monster from the atom bomb and wants to kill humanity hence u feel worried foe the humans
Well, Minus One was a powerful drama, while the Hollywood versions are made by hacks who only know the silly later G films and have no respect for the original or its serious themes because they think we're as stupid as they are.
It worked as a post war survival movie all on it's own, without Godzilla. The monster served as a metaphor for war and the drastic changes brought on by war, bringing it closer to the original 1950's classic. My buddy and I went to see this movie mostly to kill time, with no expectations. What I saw was a serious film about the human spirit, that just happened to have Godzilla in it.
To me, the emotional MVP was baby Akiko. Everytime she called out "daddy" or "mommy," despite being an orphan, just completely broke me. I didn't want koichi, or his girl to get hurt. But I was genuinely concerned for the baby over anyone else. And shout-out to the neighbor for looking out for her too.
I have 3 daughters. Akiko hit hard, and I gotta be honest, she would not have hit the 20 year old me the same way. When she called him Dad and he said I told you I am not your father I felt that.
@@Enigma75614I hope some day you are. My daughters are getting older and 1 is in college and another headed across country for college in August. My life is meaningless without fatherhood. Akiko gave his life purpose and meaning, even when his PTSD and sense of a bad fate coming for him wouldn’t allow him to openly admit it.
Well to her, she wasn't an orphan. She's a child and has no concept of what that means. But the adults do, so her calling Koichi daddy that first time hits super hard.
The thing people need to get, if you haven't seen this: this is not what you expect from a Godzilla film. It's not goofy, it's not campy, it's deadly serious, and in reality it is a period piece set in post-WWII Japan just after the war ended, and a compelling one dealing with poignant, real, heavy human themes that resonate with all of us and you CARE - you truly CARE - about these characters and what will happen to them. Godzilla? He's a force of nature here. He's a reminder, a shadow of war, a looming mushroom cloud of death to be feared and fled from, but never truly defeated. He's terrifying as f##k, too. Godzilla in this film is the physical embodiment of atomic war, of death, of fear, of loss, of suffering, of pain, dread, and basically he is humanity's punishment for engaging in war and inventing such terrible weapons, AND he is Kouichi's white whale - an obstacle, a reminder of his failure - something to be overcome at all cost. THAT is why it is good. BECAUSE the story even WITHOUT Godzilla is good, PLUS Godzilla himself is a terrifying incarnation of all those terrible things we fear most deep down in our souls. Kouichi's quest for internal peace and redemption of self resonates with ALL humans of ALL nationalities, too, which is why this film is hitting home with people all over the planet. So, don't make the mistake of thinking this is a "big monster smashes things up" film. Oh, he DOES, to be sure, but THAT is only one piece and it serves the story. The destruction ACTUALLY has a place in the story. Godzilla ACTUALLY has a place in the character development of the lead. This is 90% compelling human drama done in the best way, 10% scary-as-shit monster that is actually symbolic of very real issues in the world, so Godzilla's presence is not just to be cool but has MEANING. It's art. Go see it, RIGHT now, if you have not. Really. Bring anyone you can get to go with, too. It deserves your ticket more than any film frankly in a LONG time has. If you like GOOD movies, and you want to send a message that we, the public, LIKE good movies and yes, please, would very much like more like that, GO SEE IT. Do not pirate it. Do not wait for it to go to digital. It won't be the same. PROMISE you that. This of all films NEEDS to be seen on the big screen with big sound for maximum effect. It's Godzilla - you do not go small home screen with Godzilla. You go BIG. BIg monster, big themes, big resonance with a global audience. Go see it.
The sheer amount of intensity and storytelling coming from this movie in IMAX was unforgettable. Highly recommend watching this film at your local IMAX theatre. 10/10
After watching the original 1954 film and Shin Godzilla with my Mom, we were super excited for Minus One and ended up super attached to its story before being utterly blown away emotionally
Fun fact, the main character and the mechanic who blamed him for everyone's deaths in the beginning were also stars in the Rurouni Kenshin movies! :) It was so cool to see them again!
I felt like I was in my 20’s again, like it was 20-30 years ago. I kept thinking “this is what movies should be, how they used to be.” Is it a perfect movie, no, but did I care about the characters, the store, did I enjoy myself, was I taken to a different world? YES.
Guys. I mean this when I say that this is the BEST film I’ve seen in the past ten years. It’s not a Godzilla film, it’s a deep, well written drama that Godzilla happens to be in as well. GO WATCH THIS ASAP.
Majority of Japan's Godzilla films are like that (except for the 70s).... But most of them are always commentary on some societal issue, the very first black and white Godzilla film was a commentary on the dangers of nuclear arms build after ww2 which led to the Cold War, there was one Godzilla vs Kong movie from the 70s which was a commentary on television ratings, Shin Godzilla from 2015 was a commentary on the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and a criticism of the Japanese governments incompetence during the crisis.... Asian countries do have a lot of crappy, corporate, just for profit films too, but I think in terms of telling meaningful, impactful films, they've been doing it waaaay better than Hollywood for quite some time now... I myself am a huge fan of Chinese action and martial arts films
@@cyborgchicken3502I recall that Shin Godzilla had a massive number of 'meetings to plan meetings which are the basis for other meetings that will hopefully culminate in something', and it was there to show the incompetence of the government. There’s a massive, unstoppable, rapidly-evolving force attacking people and destroying towns across the country, but the government and military basically sit down and casually discuss this threat far longer than they need to rather than stop it sooner.
@@cyborgchicken3502GMK is my favorite out of the series, for it's depiction of Godzilla (and therefore the bombs dropped on Hiroshima/Nagasaki) as penance and God's Wrath for the sins of WW2 and the Pacific War with China, in a time when Japan's government was trying erase that history. Very interesting film. Minus One is for sure in my top 3. Hands down.
@@paradox2210 That's not really a critique specifically against the Japanese government though, that's basically the way every organization does every meeting, from your local schoolboard to the national government. It's pretty bizarre. And usually meetings are never even meant to yield results, because actual results are achieved by certain people ascertaining everyone's views beforehand, then talking to everyone individually and making sure that everyone eventually is on the same page, in order to avoid any embarrassing conflict at the actual meeting where decisions are made official, which just means, where everyone confirms that they agree. Making actual change very difficult.
That was basically meant to show the inefficiency and uselessness of the governmental bureaucracy during a crisis, not entirely specific to any one. Godzilla is running rampant and instead of doing anything they hold a press conference or a meeting, or moving from one meeting room to another meeting room. When that gets swept aside and they actually put action into motion, that's when the tides turn. Also drinker complains minus one has no joint efforts between nations to take down Godzilla, Shin Actually has a Japan and US coalition. And a much more devastating atomic breath. I'm fine with the goofy ass Hollywood adaptations since they make me think of tail sliding drop kicking Godzilla Era, as long as we keep getting great films like shin and minus one.
Halfway into the film I thought they were going to shy away from using the ominous Godzilla theme music. Then they used it at the perfect tense point, and the the theater CHEERED. I cannot remember the last time I heard a movie audience actually cheer together. This was an amazing movie and one I'm glad I saw with all my sons.
Watched the movie last week. It is a fantastic film. Japan shows that this is their monster myth and that they do it best. They know what godzilla is supposed to represent and how to put it on screen. Enjoyed it a lot.
I never thought that my most favorite fictional film character that would be considered very niche some years ago would get this much critical acclaim. It's truly an incredible time to be a Godzilla fan
This movie felt like a really rare all timer, like alien or jaws you just get this feeling that you're watching something truly exceptional here, utterly incredible
This is a modern classic. I knew it was going to have emotional moments but the bonding in the ruins of Japan, just trying to get by, hit a lot harder than I expected. The whole thing was top tier and people who didn't see it in the theaters will wish they had when it comes to digital. After having thought the trailer had spoiled the atomic breath scene, it floored me when that thing hit.
Saw this movie on your recommendation today, and loved it. There were at least 20 people in my small-town theater as well, which was nice to see. This film is proof that the climax of your story doesn't have to be unpredictable to be powerful. The final battle against Godzilla unfolded pretty much the way I expected it to, minus a few minor details. It didn't matter. The way the film was shot, that eerie silence when Godzilla is about to vaporize everyone, and the emotional investment the film had instilled in me by that point meant that arc of the film was tension-filled and immensely satisfying. I also admit to getting a bit misty-eyed at the end, which is unusual for me. It's amazing what a group of actual creatives who understand character development can do. Hollywood could learn something...but they probably won't. Sign my ass up for more Japanese films.
I saw this in raw Japanese at the Toho theater in Kawasaki on opening day and even with a shaky grasp of basic Japanese I was able to understand the main threads of the story. I was not prepared for how good it was. I took my family to see it in Sakuragicho the following week and they were blown away as well. It's definitely our favorite movie of the year.
It really is crazy, I’ve not heard a bad thing about this film. When you think about it, Godzilla as a whole from America and from Japan could be the saving grace for entertainment. In 2020 Godzilla vs Kong single handed showed companies during Covid people still had a appetite for the big screen and getting out for a couple hours when everyone thought streaming services were what was next. Now, Godzilla minus one shows Hollywood that people want good stories, regardless of language barrier. I don’t think it’s coincidence after a week of Godzilla being out and the overall positive reception in both what they did with the budget and story, Bob Iger comes out and says movies should be more polished and less preachy about things that don’t resonate with most people before they’re released and Disney should focus on making good films. Not only was Godzilla solidified before hand as a sci-fi masterpiece and good fun, but now it seemingly trampled Hollywoods idea of what they think people want after years of them ignoring the audience, to only be shown by a overseas movie with a fraction of what the usually work with what consumers actually want. Godzilla is a marvel of a franchise.
The fact that Godzilla vs Kong was still a financial success in theaters despite simultaneously being released on streaming makes Bob Iger’s excuse that The Marvels failed (so spectacularly too) because it was shot during Covid that much more hilarious. Bigwigs will blame their shitty movies failing on Covid and not the movies being shitty.
Only bad thing is TOHO insist to release it on entire asian theathe, claim that would be too much cuz its involve former imperial japan military, which i said wtf TOHO those who screaming fascist japan barely made 1 % of entire audiance waiting for this movie and you ditch this great potential for not involving the drama of that 1% ppl will cause to them
I wasn't even aware this Godzilla would be in Japanese the whole way. I just have a friend who is stuck on Godzilla; every single one of them. I wasn't going to watch Minus 1 because I thought it would be more Godzilla 2014, which was great, but I also know he's going to have this one on dvd in a few months AND he's going to force our group to watch it so there wasn't much reason to go to the theatre. SO glad I did go the theatre though
My one issue with the movie has spoilers, so if you don't want them, don't click the Read more option. No character with a name dies, with one getting a fake out death. Odd considering that Godzilla is supposed to be an unstoppable force of destruction, but he doesn't kill anyone with a name.
Worst thing ive heard is some of the cgi shots are shoddy, fair enough i guess but i didnt mind any of the effects i thought it was spectacular, far better than marvels effects that cost 10x
I had zero interest in this movie until the reviews between both critics and audiences exploded recently. I just got back from the theater and I have to say, this movie truly lived up to and exceeded the hype. I had no idea a Japanese low budget Godzilla movie could make me cry, make me scared, and feel as epic and high stakes as it did. Godzilla 2014 was already good, but Minus One is what that movie tried to be. This is the greatest Godzilla movie ever made, and I fully expect it to win at the Oscars.
Even though I'm still looking forward to the Monsterverse, I really love that Minus One recaptured that gut-wretching drama from the '54 film. If Shin was about the political allegory of the original , then Minus One was about the emotional side of it.
i pretty much like all Godzilla films and they pretty much run the spectrum. of different style. I am enjoy the monsterverse the same way i enjoy Final Wars. At the same token i also enjoy the dramatic of the original' 1984 and shin godzilla. am pretty sure their hasn't been one godzilla film that hasn't at least put a smile on my face.
Godzillas atomic breath is literally him unleashing his own atomic bomb. It's fucking genius. I still can't believe they did this on 15 mil. Absolutely Insane
One of my favorite scenes is when he's looking at the family photos of the men who died and then glances at his parents shrine. Realizing that he survived but had nothing to go home to, while all those men's families would never see them come home again.
I saw it last night and boy some jerk in the audience was cutting up lots of onions by the end of the film. When the naval operation got underway and they cranked up the OG theme song a wave of emotions came over me. I love this film and now looking to go see it several more times over the next few weeks.
"If you give your audience a compelling story with likeable characters, then you don't have to work so hard to distract them with flashy visuals because they don't NEED to be distracted. They're already having fun." THANK YOU!!
Grew up as a Godzilla fan thanks to my mother introducing me to the old 60s and 70s Godzilla films. So I took her with me to see this and we both loved it.
What I love about this Godzilla movie is that while we left the theater taking about the monster story, we spent as much time, if not more, talking about the human story. A great achievement!
So I finally saw Minus One last night and it's safe to say I left the cinema beaming! I heard a lot of good things about the movie and I was praying the movie would deliver and yes... It more than delivered! The hype is real, boys and girls! It was also nice to finally see a movie in the cinema that's two hours long instead of a two and a half to three hour long slugfest where my arse falls asleep and I feel like I'm on the verge of pissing myself by the time the credits roll! You get just the right amount of Godzilla destruction, a simple yet engaging plot and a cast of like-able characters that you care about and want to see live! Simply lovely stuff! Take note Hollywood. Hell Western movie makers in general should take note! So yeah, go and see this movie if you can. Minus One deserves your money and your time! I think I'm gonna check out Shin Godzilla next!
As a Godzilla fan and even someone who still enjoys the Monsterverse, Godzilla Minus One is such a phenomenal (probably my favorite movie of the year) and it’s great to see Toho embracing the more villainous roots of the character.
*Toho likewise :) I was blown away by this one, easily my favorite movie of the year and the more I think about it, this movie keeps rising in my ranking of favorite movies in general
Yes, spell check should have given him Toga. Toga!......Toga!......Toga! Not quite Animal House, and certainly better than Tranformers 3-9. @@atomicvinylreviews3420
I was unaware of how far along the last couple decades have dragged me into Hollywood nonsense until I watched this. No social justice preaching, no diversity for its own sake, gratuitous sex absent, and on and on. It was a story set in a compelling, historic time, and that was fun to watch. A stark contrast to modern Hollywood efforts, which resemble nothing more than a collection of scenes designed to make the main characters look as cool as possible. You get hints of the modest budget here and there, but the action scenes packed some heavy punches, too.
So true. I've become so used to Hollywood pandering to chronically online teenagers that I almost forgot you could have a movie without a token girlboss in it and without characters undermining every sincere moment with a meme
I had the same visceral experience in the theater lx) I haven't been properly engaged in a movie's story for... Geeze I don't know, 6-7+ years maybe? Anytime some woke bullshit comes up in a movie or some form of media, I'm immediately disconnected from the narrative and am forced to try to ignore it and stay invested in the story, but it's always in the back of my mind, as it's an un-mistakable pull to present day socio-political issues usually. Not a smidgen of that here, just a historically authentic piece of cinema, with it's message for certain, but it's primary focus is on telling a good story with engaging characters and scenarios.
@@BrentARJThe cool thing about Godzilla is that it’s been around for 70 years. By making it a period piece, there was something for old fans and new fans to connect with.
@benjaminclaxton145”no diversity for its own sake” is what the original commenter said. You can have a diverse cast, but it’s got to be either because the plot demands the character look a certain way, or because that was simply the best actor that auditioned. Obviously a film set in Japan will have a Japanese cast.
If you are fan of Japanese cinema, particularly postwar cinema, this really comes across as a love letter to movies like Natto Wada's Fires on the Plain, Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru, and Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story and Record of a Tenement Gentleman. Themes like the horror of an existential conflict lost, the imperative to live despite the desire to die, and the absurdity of returning to normality are all present. The biggest difference being that, with the benefit of nearly 80 years of historical hindsight, we now know things will be okay and that depicting a happy ending doesn't appear irrational. Folks saying they aren't impressed with this film should go back and watch these movies for the context that makes G -1 so powerful. It really is a masterpiece and by far my favorite movie of 2023.
I grew up on the Legendary movies, and I thought those were pretty good, and I saw the older Toho ones later on, but after seeing this last Friday I can say that this is the best Godzilla movie that has even been created. It balances everything perfectly and makes a movie that isnt just a good Godzilla movie, but a good movie. The characters are way better, along with the writing, than any of Legendary's movies, and the action with Godzilla is some of the most insanely epic there is. I love this movie so much and I love how they were able to accomplish this masterpiece on a 15 million budget. Goes to show that bad effects in movies that have 15-20 times the budget have no reason to bad, because this movie was able to have amazing CGI. Im glad that Godzilla is getting in the spot and people are recognizing just how cool he can be. Thanks for the review Drinker! You never dissapoint!
I'm from Poland, but for me Godzilla films were primarily an allegory to the atomic bomb and the destruction it brings. The Japanese approach this topic as a therapy, they show us all their fears and traumas related to it. I appreciate and respect it, much more than an American film with the same (directly) subject. All it takes is a serious tone and the story of people in the background of a huge beast takes on a completely different meaning. I wish all of us to see as many such valuable films as possible, without unnecessary sex scenes. A good story, convincing actors... and here you go, this is how real art is created. Let the actors shine by writing them good scripts.
I really love how Godzilla's design looks in this film, it combines the head shape and arms of the original Godzilla with the body of the recent ones. Combining the old with the new.
Best-looking Godzilla ever in my opinion. And good job on the writer/director's part for not falling into the silliness that made the series a joke to alot of people.
@@nathandrake9737i do think my one issue with minus one is that godzilla moves like a literal robot He walks the same exact way every time in this oddly stiff fashion and he doesnt even try to move any faster Maybe its just because im used to Legendary Godzilla being able to sprint while being over twice as large as minus one's godzilla but idk
The eyes really sold this version of Godzilla. While the American version is selling kaiju as mindless animals, Minus One gave Godzilla a sense of evil intelligence that made his appearance frightening.
I took my son to this, we were both so happy walking out of the movie. Talking to reach other about all the small nuances in the story and characters. Thoroughly impressed
Took my gf to see this & she absolutely loved this film as much as I did. We still talk about it. We laughed, we cried, we sighed, on the edge of our seats! This film is hands down the best Godzilla film in modern times. Studios take notes! This is how you make an instant classic!
This film straight up deserves a Best Picture nomination. If Parasite could win it so can this. Also what other franchise can say it just had arguably it's best film 70 years in?
Seconded. I watched it in IMAX and was blown away at every level. But what made me know it was special is my theater was about 60% filled on a Tuesday night (not a high-water mark time frame for any flick), and even in the slower bits you could have heard a pin drop. Every single person was clued in and 100% percent invested. I don't remember the last time I saw a movie and that was true.
It also deserves to be a movie that earns if box office success of over $500 million. Seriously, if a film can look this good, with its short budget, then it deserves the money.
Something that I feel has gone unmentioned is how well this movie delivers for an old franchise IP. As someone who has had to endure franchise disappointment after disappointment, to have a franchise deliver this big in this era of film, and for it to be Godzilla, a franchise I have loved since I was 10, has made this a special moment for me.
Japan has always offered up much more interesting human actors in the Godzilla films produced over there than what American studios offer. Really looking forward to seeing this one!
I would argue that early MonsterVerse films did have two or three interesting human characters... Only issue now is, just like their creativity, they killed them all off already (':
Lol! Yep agreed! They managed to do fan service for the original movie fans all while giving it modern depth and spending the CGI where it counted, brilliant effort.
I saw this last night with my 20 year old daughter, I’m 63, we saw it in IMAX I like some of the Godzilla films the ‘54 film being my favorite. She had only seen 1 Godzilla movie the 2014 one with Brian Cranston. We both really liked this movie. We were both really invested in the characters of Koichi, Noriko and Akiko as well as the supporting characters of Dr. Noda and the other shipmates. Unlike other Godzilla films, where Godzilla is a bit ambiguous as to whether or not he is good or bad. There is no doubt that Godzilla is a deadly malevolent force out to cause death and destruction on the people of Japan. Because of the character development there is a high level of tension when Godzilla shows up, you care whether or not the characters survive his onslaught. It was a highly entertaining and surprisingly emotional film. Drinkers review is spot on. If you liked the film Jaws then you will like this. It was similar in a lot of ways. See it in IMAX you will be blown away.
I was hoping you would cover this one. It was so compelling of a movie, I totally forgot that it was in Japanese and I was reading English subtitles. Absolutely loved it! Also it honored the original Godzilla movie and I find that refreshing. Trigger warning... strong male leads are included!
Sounds silly, but the fact that the film background was so historically grounded the Godzilla the most accurate, the most believable, the most powerful and the most scary Godzilla that I have ever seen. Plus the way they fought Godzilla was believable both in the military response and the science. Showing parts Japan as the bombed out wreck that it would have been at the time, showing the naval ships de-armed as they would have been as Japan had just lost the war, explaining the operational cruiser as it had been captured in Singapore and was being returned to be be de-armed, explaining that the US couldn’t get involved because of the rising tensions with the USSR. Every ing made sense, there was no magic BS science or convenient MacGuffins, it made a monster story so believable. Fantastic film. And how the hell could they do all that for $15 million when Hollywood needs 13x that amount to produce trash. Puts Hollywood to shame, both artistically and commercially.
I live in Japan and saw this a few days ago. People here don't normally react much in theaters, since laughing, cheering, and other noise are seen as disruptive to the viewing experience. This was the first time I've ever seen or heard people cry in a Japanese theater; the ending had surreptitious sniffles coming from all directions and the businessman in front of me was dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. And the audience was mainly men, too! This film was good enough to get people to break their code on theater etiquette.
Americans cheering and yelling in cinemas is disgusting.
l:,) I'm moved reading this. I had a hard emotional reaction to the ending in my theater in colorado too, buht am particularly happy to hear it's positively moving Japanese natives to the point of letting their emotions out in a public setting like this. Thaynks for sharing.
Loved the movie, but my theatre was hysterically laughing when we saw the woman alive in an arm sling after being previously eviscerated
@@bradleyleavitt9886It was a little ridiculous but i liked how it tied together his whole arc about self sacrifice vs throwing a life away and how it validated him by showing that if he had done his duty and killed himself then he would have truly lost everything
Nobody ever really makes noises in cinema where I live in England the loudest it’s been was in barbie movie
They made us care about human characters in a monster movie. That's a feat in of itself! This movie 100% delivers. Even though Godzilla is actually much smaller, he is considerably more fearsome. That heat ray gave me chills!
Bro, usually when it comes to Monster movies or Alien Movies or Transformer movies or something like that i usually LOATH the human charecters. They are usually just filler space for in between shots of the Monster/Transformer/etc. And i havent seem this movie yet, but I actually want to. Even though like 75% of movies now a days are either crappy Marvel movies, or unwarrented remakes nobody wants. (Im looking at you Wonka🤬) and if everyone else here thinks its worth watching, ill definitly watch this movie.
He’s actually pretty close to the height he was in the original film from 1954. He wasn’t all that tall compared to his later incarnations.
If memory serves, he was around 50 meters tall give or take in the original movie. Still a giant by any standard but considered quite short when you consider the monsterverse Godzilla being over 100 meters.
@@zackaryhaselius2226you're gonna love it. And bring a tissue.
@@shawncarter7188that final battle made me tear up a bit
The swimming part was so cool too.
I loved that this Godzilla was more of a villain rather than some likeable menace.
I love him regardless, I always root for him.
@@sherekaweston8495 I always root for him too. It's funny because I didn't see much of Godzilla when I was a kid, but I saw a Kong movie and at one point he stepped on like a dozen people... I was so disgusted I had to stop watching right then. As a kid I just couldn't stand the thought of the casual destruction of so much humanity. Now when they say Godzilla killed 30,000 people I'm giving him a pep talk in my head like "OK Big G, good effort, you're on the scoreboard but you need to really bring it home next time. You've got to show these humans who's boss!"
@@aaronsomerville2124 Lol same, He better not be real because if he starts walking I'm gonna be rooting for him squashing a lot of humans.
He's always a victim.
@@sherekaweston8495 Same! Even if its a "Godzilla bad guy" movie, I hate when he finally loses at the end.
The scene where the former navy servicemen agree to band together to fight Godzilla, because nobody else will and they have not lost their sense of duty was amazing. In a monster movie with some incredible moments, I thought this was the best scene. It would bring a tear to a glass eye.
Think it was the fourth Due Hard film where John McClane says something like that he does the heroic stuff until somebody better turns up.
Sounds pretty much like the attitude of the guys in the GM1 except nobody better was turning up and it was left to them
it was an outstanding scene
I even sympathized with the guys who walked out. They already suffered enough and had families to think about. They didn’t owe any more sacrifice. What a well-thought out scene. A well-thought out movie. I asked myself what I would have done if I had my wife and 3 kids and honestly I don’t know if I would have stayed.
I loved that scene because it also showed true service. They didn't fight Godzilla simply because they were forced to or because the government conscripted them. They fought Godzilla on their own. They didn't owe it, They didn't need to, Yet they still did.
Funny that a Godzilla move was more historically accurate than a Napoleon movie 😂
Beat me to it. Kudos.
Omg you are right! Well spotted!
2nd least expected thing about the movie beside 1st atomic breath...
😂
It is total warship porn!! A Takao class cruiser fighting Godzilla? TAKE MY MONEY, PLEASE!!
The atomic breath in this movie isn't just the strongest but also the coolest with how its implemented. It is so strong that he actively injures himself using it and the reason he can't spam it is because he has to heal first. Metal as hell.
That's pretty cool. Gotta watch this one soon.
Yea I thought Shin’s was powerful, holy fuck. Minus One Goji’s atomic blast is just that, an Atomic Blast. The mushroom cloud was a nice touch.
so fucking true
@@j.vinton4039Not just the mushroom cloud, the black rain after he uses it in Tokyo, black rain sometimes happens after a nuclear bomb goes off and all the dust shot into the atmosphere goes into the clouds and comes down in the rain, such a great detail, was very surprised to see that
It even had an afterwind, just like an atomic blast. Talk about a double whammy
This isn't just a great creature feature. This is an all time great movie.
I am so mad I can't watch this in any theater near me, gotta wait till it releases online to watch it 😢
Yeah me too man I gotta wait. I’ve been watching shin Godzilla and older Godzilla movies during the wait.
You had me about to throw hands in for the first half of this comment. Then I read the second half lol
@@edenromanovthey just announced an extended run time and more theatres are opening with it. You may get lucky now
No it isn't.
Turns out the budget wasn't 15 million, but 11 million per the director, which makes this even more impressive. When the director heard that everyone was saying it was 15M, he responded by saying "I wish it were that much."
The cgi sucks lol
it's not that bad. There's a couple scenes where its a little lackluster but its fine. I've certainly enjoyed movies with way shittier fx lmao.@@legendarygodzillatheking3049
The low budget is no miracle when you consider how Toho underpays its talent. The movie is so good that Toho should put a crowbar in their wallet and pay their crew real money.
@@legendarygodzillatheking3049 Edge lord takes a break from touching himself too much in his grandma's basement. Carry on, good sir!
@@legendarygodzillatheking3049 it was spotty at times but honestly in a weird way more tolerable than marvel/dc/other bs video game level cgi we've been getting despite the latter technically being "better". The movements were a bit off, but you could tell the designers and programmers put some love into it kind of reminded me of dragons from got
I did not expect a Godzilla movie to hit me right in the feels with its portrayal of PTSD and survivor's guilt. As a veteran who doesn't feel he had any business surviving the war that he did, this movie really resonated with me.
Rest easy vet. We have to keep pushing brother, for our fallen and those who couldn't fight.
Same here, brother.
Peace,blessings,and thank you to all US/Western vets.
That young female combat medic in Ukraine trench . . no words
Appreciate your service mate.
The first atomic breath against the ship was a "woah cool" moment but then the atomic breath on land made the entire movie theater go silent and the rumble rolled through. It was the first time in a while most of the audience was speechless and actually fearful for the characters on screen.
The one on land was like a nuke went off. Insane!
My jaw literally dropped open. Also when Noriko was hanging from the train, I realized I was unconsciously whispering "no no nonono" because I actually feared for her safety. I can't remember the last time I've felt that kind of suspension of disbelief from a movie.
In the showings I went to, each time when it went silent I could hear someone say something in shock or surprise (always a swear word 😂) at the sheer magnitude of it. It's like you can feel the air get sucked out of the room.
@@ravenwda007 It was a nuke, the government agents' geiger counters go off when they were in the square and told people not to approach due to radiation.
Tfw a Godzilla movie is making you wish Goji was merciful and held back on the iconic attack
I absolutely love that the design team didn’t chicken out from designing Godzilla reminiscent of the original. We all know what Godzilla looks like, so don’t try and recreate him.
Shin godzilla did a pretty good job tho, to recreate the 90s version who is the favorite of most, with that cat like face, was a pretty good move tho.
@@Dirty_Davosnot gunna lie. Love the original look but I enjoyed Shin & 90s versions as well. We gotta whole cartoon from it for the style.
Bruh it's a mythical creature. Ofc it can be recreated. It's not a woke recreation, it's creative recreation. And for all y'all who put down monster verse Godzilla, it alone changed the script and introduced human drama into Godzilla. Even this director would say that 2014 Godzilla revitalized the kaiju. All credit to that film.
(at)Goku-wannabe
Godzilla don't need no frickin' plastic surgery!
facts
The speech from the scientist about Japan having treated life cheaply was extremely moving. It brought me to tears.
And it set up the ejector seat finale, perfectly as it helps exonorate our main character of any thought cowardice in the audiences eyes. You find out the pilots we're being made to die senselessly becuase the government didn't see fit to install ejector seats in thier planes and completely view the Kouichi's struggle differently. I almost wish they made the end an after credit thing so we could hold onto the feeling that Godzilla was defeated much longer.
Mourning the wasteful use of your own soldiers, but not even mentioning the hundreds of thousands of civilians that the japanese killed during their conquest and all the war crimes committed by their soldiers is very hypocritical though.
Dude it's so true
@@World12356 That's outside the scope of the movie. And what happened in the past is something that should stay in the history books. It should not be something you use to bludgeon people over the head with for things that happened before their parents were even born.
@colincampbell767
WW2 also happened in the past. Why did the movie mourn the dead soldiers?
That is a bad argument.
You don't need a full history lesson, but there would be ways to be not so comically ignorant to all the crimes committed.
"The Japanese government didn't value any human life, friend or foe. We need to be better"
Something like that.
In my mind, this is a love letter to the original movie from 1954.
In 1954 “Gojira” gave us, if I’m not mistaken, the longest running film franchise in existence and one of the most enduring characters in cinema.
This is the big guy’s magnum opus.
I’m just tickled to see it getting the praise it deserves.
Exactly 👍
This Film definitely takes us back in a sense to the original 1954 Godzilla, which was also a human character interest story in many ways, though perhaps not quite as well developed.My point is the original Godzilla Film was a "Monster Movie" that used the Monster as a social commentary on the risks of atomic weapons and their then unknown possible effects on the planet, nature, and on human kind. In short, this film is the perfect, modern day tip of the hat to the original Film, and it is glorious in it's execution and storytelling.
@@mikebryant614 the original had a lot of things that have fallen out of favor today such as the slow burn and the eeriness of surviving the natural disaster where you are powerless to deal against the onslaught of nuclear destruction. Modern films today want to speed toward the car crash scene instead of the slow build that was standard of those days.
Next year will mark 70 years of Godzilla
Grown ass man saying tickled.
My wife and I both speak fluent Japanese, and we were impressed with how very well the English subtitles were done. We have seen the movie twice so far in the the theater. Both times we were moved to tears. This is the finest filmmaking I have seen all year. So glad that _Godzilla Minus One_ is getting the praise and respect it deserves. I wholeheartedly agree with The Drinker, I can't recommend it enough.
thanks for the confirmation on the subtitles. My wife likes neither Godzilla movies nor subtitled films in general, and she loved this!
I am especially glad to hear that. Because in the Anime industry it feels that the subtitles get worse and worse thx to especially activist in the english departments like Crunchyroll etc.
Sadly in Switzerland all the Cinemas near me show it dubbed in german. I have no interest to watch this dubbed but I gladly will pick up the 4k blu ray when it comes out
They really did a fine job of not only translating but making sure it made sense. The jokes landed, the nuance of Japanese expression was preserved well, and there was no misunderstanding at any point. Loved it.
What a pleasent suprise absolutly loved this movie
Thank you, OP. I've been interested in seeing this, but get irritated at goofy captioning. I'd like to take my son and daughter-in-law to see it, so this makes me happy to hear!
The sound design on this movie reigned supreme. Every gunshot, every earth-shaking footstep, every atomic breath that caused dead silence, followed by bass-booming explosions just felt powerful. The fact that this movie was done on a $15 million budget is INSANE.
And bringing back the old school godzilla music at juuuuust the right time. Absolute perfection.
The quiet parts were perfect. You could hear a pin drop in the theater.
@@TXAslingrI agree! The quiet parts(which are a lot) are so quiet! Sometimes the incidental music sounds like it’s in the next room. Sure as heck ain’t quiet when Godzilla gets pissed, which seems his lot in life.
Right?! The first time I was like...BRUH.
What really pulled me into the movie was the soup slurps and tea gulping.
I decided to treat my 11 and 7-year-old nephews to a movie night, knowing how much they adore Godzilla. Naturally, I anticipated a typical, run-of-the-mill Godzilla flick. However, to my utter astonishment and delight, I found myself immersed in a captivating masterpiece of a film. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that this movie was not only well-written but also incredibly intriguing. In fact, it even managed to tug at my heartstrings, leaving me with a few tears by the end. Definitely recommend it.
Nah the movie is so terrible you shouldn't have seen it
@@legendarygodzillatheking3049bait comment
@@legendarygodzillatheking3049 there is always this guy. Don’t be this guy
@@legendarygodzillatheking3049 baited no-one award
Could your nephews keep up with the subtitles?
Godzilla is genuinely terrifying from his first appearance. I felt such grief for the human characters when he attacked, and pride when they banded together to stop him.
Real though bro the first Godzilla scene was fucking terrifying in theaters 😭
I told my family I saw it with “this is like jaws but with Godzilla” incredible movie
Godzilla's in this movie sucked balls
@@dr.stronk9857 "Maybe it was a giant shark"
Agreed. I was surprised by how small he was, but that actually made it scarier, since it made him feel like a creature that could actually exist. I found it significantly more difficult to suspend my disbelief for the skyscraper-sized version of Godzilla that we saw later in the movie.
I told my friends that," Godzilla minus one would have been my favorite movie of the year even if Godzilla hadn't been in it."
Huh, you know, you're right!
I was walking out with my friend when he told me “It was already a kickass movie they didn’t even need to add Godzilla”
Well said
That doesn't seem like a good thing to me.
@@Thedude27659 I'm a Godzilla fan, and I agree with this statement.
I feel this is hands down the best all-around movie I've seen this year, and for it to get the official "Drinker Recommends" badge makes me smile to no end
I would agree. Been a rough year, and this is definitely a standout. But I think this film would be considered great in ANY year.
"the best all-around movie I've seen this year"
That's not saying much.
Minus One, Spider-Verse, Extraction 2, and The Creator were the only movies that stood out to me. This was the year for great tv shows tho
@@droe2570No it isn't.
@@DigiMyst Creator looked nice but plot holes galore took me out of it quick. Oppenheimer's been the best one for my money.
Only the Japanese can leave you in tears from a monster movie. Beyond outstanding.
And only the Korean can leave you emotionally attached to zombies.
I still shed tears at Godzilla's death in Godzilla vs Destroyah.
That ending scene in the hospital had me in tears, I've never had that from a godzilla movie before.
The Japanese do most things better than the US.
Not sure how she survived but don't mind at all.
The fact that they made such a good-looking film is mind-blowing given the budget. Hollywood needs to take notes, they made something that looks better than any M-She-U project with characters you actually care about for a fraction of the cost.
I mean in Japan they have a problem in payng right their workers, so in a better environment the movie would have costed 30 million, but still yeah
Its amazing what you can accomplish when you don't have to pay the the lead actor 50 million dollars just to show up (not even considering royalties).
It'd not mind blowing when you already knew Hollywood is corrupt and inflating the cost of producing. That money never went into the movie. It when into leadership off shore accts.
I haven't seen it yet but I read it uses practical effects. Is that true? If so I can ee why it looks great. Lots of times simple practical effects go so much farther.
Disney movies and shows lately have all been in that CGI bubble room and it shows. Actors look out of place. They don't know how to interact with the things they are supposed to because it doesn't exist and lastly the budget balloons because you need someone CGI smaller effects that surely would cost less if you just did them practically.
Hollywood is in the money laundering business. They're not taking notes. Mega budgets are the way to go in Tinseltown.
I was blown away by this film. As a lifelong Godzilla fan I would have never thought one of the movies would have made me feel emotional. This movie has great character moments and a monster that is terrifying. Toho took it's time from 2004's "Final Wars" to make 2016's "Shin Godzilla" and from there to this movie. I think they have been intentional and thoughtful with their iconic character. They are not just trying to slap together something for a deadline the way WB/Legendary is with their version of Godzilla. I love the confidence of Toho for basically saying, "Yeah, it's cute what you guys are trying to do, but let us show you why this is OUR character".
Toho also had it's share of trash tier godzilla movies. Let's not pretend otherwise. But i was glad to finally see a good godzilla movie for a change. Shin Godzilla was decent but this was top tier.
Yeah, I've been a fan since I was a little kid. Can't wait to see this one! 🙌
@@majinraptor Exactly. Shin had a good story, but was at best, outside of two scenes, visually awkward. Godzilla 2014 was good (best of the Legendary G's), but I found it hard to connect with the characters, let alone root for them...which had a lot to do with script and acting.
My wife was in tears when Godzilla attacked Tokyo. Powerful cinema.
@@majinraptor I actually think the concept of Godzilla in Shin was the best part of the movie.
It was an excellent horror-esque take on the creature, but I agree that it was unfortunately *only* decent. I'd love to see it taken further, though.
I left the theater thinking they don't make movies like this anymore. A very solid film and hey, I didn't see me anyone representing me in it either.
Same!!
It was so refreshing to not watch every color of the rainbow and every concievable sexual orientation paraded out while story took a backseat.
im looking forward to the articles explaining how people are viewing it wrong
Seriously. It was a very nationalistic movie all about Japan, staring Japanese people, and guess what? I was still able to relate perfectly fine because it told a HUMAN story. I didn't need to see any white Americans to be able to emotionally connect with them. By the end of the movie I felt like all these people were my friends and I really wanted everything to turn out okay for them. I became so invested in their lives, I would actually forget I was watching a Godzilla movie and when he showed up I was like "leave them alone you stupid nuclear dinosaur, they're just trying to live!"
Tbh, they had someone representing me, tho I’m kinda insulted they over exaggerated my height and weight. Like I may be a lizard but come on-
Koichi meets Norkiko first and THEN gets the dangerous mine clearing job to support her and the child. A great example of doing dangerous or undesirable work to support your family. When Noriko gets her job to also support the family it’s not a ding against Koichi, it’s her wanting to contribute as well, and not be a burden on someone (though Koichi really needed to get off his ass and propose before she was nuked, as his friends said!). Really great examples of people who love each other trying to get by in a broken world.
I do understand why Koichi didn't marry Noriko. With all his perceived failure, the weight of his guilt, he didn't feel he deserved her.
This also plays a part, in Japan they are having issues where men and women don't want to marry or have kids due to two different and ignored societal issues. The fact they side step this by having both people agree and not be related, and both work to help each other, this really addresses both issues there as well.
Issue one, men are treated as slaves by work and family and never see their family, men are not interested in that anymore.
Women used to really on men for money, but now work big jobs, not an issue except the women still want the men to bring in tons of money, but the jobs aren't there, women take them, people aren't retiring, so women refuse to marry such men. This fits nicely with issue one. Japan even with govt paying women to have kids is still massively screwed for even more reasons.
@@danieldickson8591 In reality, he did because as she said it best, the fallen of Odo Island would've wanted Koichi to return home, not die with them.
Went and saw this last night on a whim and boy was I shocked at the stark contrast between modern U.S. film and a modern Japanese film.
I think my favorite thing about this movie was that they didn't pull any punches with letting you sit in the raw emotional moments with the characters. No swooping in with some one liner quip or cheesy joke. There was lots of tears in that theater man.
I thought it was really good. Definitely recommend.
Kōichi screaming in pain and despair at Godzilla after the Ginza attack was brutal but perfect. You gotta portray those raw emotions to create a gripping emotional story
I gotta go see this then! You have no idea how sick I am of earnest, genuine motion being sidestepped in favor of snarky quips and frivolous mood killing.
@@Byakkoya11037bruh what are you waiting for? Go see it!
@@DepravedCoTApologistYup, as he fell to his knees crying it even starts raining as he screamed.. That really hit me hard! Such a beautifully done scene
@@Mjolnir_ That wasn't rain, but nuclear fallout from Godzilla's atomic ray. Metal as hell
This film was SO MUCH BETTER than it had any right to be. Sound production, visuals, writing, acting (!!!!), all top-notch. I particularly loved Shikishima's arc. His abdication of "duty to country" made him seek to live through fear; he sought to redeem that by suicidal attack; and the mechanic (!!!) convinced him to transcend "duty to country" (which didn't care about him beyond him being a resource to exploit) into "duty to family" which made him seek to live through bravery. So nice!! (I also smiled in childish glee when the classic Godzilla theme played during the train scene)
That was very well stated, yes! The film succeeds on many levels, eschewing the woke agenda permeating a lot of entertainment for good 'ol great, melodramatic (and yes, at times moving) storytelling.
Bro me and my friend got moving chairs because they were in the best spot and I didn't think it would matter that they move BEST DECISION EVER it added so much to the movie that already had a godlike sounds imagine your chair swaying with the water or plane god that was an experience
Before the destruction of the train I was smiling saying, “She’s gonna say it, she’s gonna say it!!” (Godzilla!) Then I giggled TOO. 😅😂
Two of the characters hated him for being a coward. Then they learned to love and care for him as a human being whose life mattered, and they wanted him to live. When I rolled it all back in my head, I got more emotional about it.
As a Japanese myself I’m very proud people overseas are enjoying our movie.
We don’t put a lot of money on it but we compensate for it with heart and passion for the messages we want to pass on.
i would say... thank you to the japanese people who put this together. my family and many more will be going to the theatre to see this one! well worth the ticket price. starts on friday dec 8th for us!! i live 2 minutes away from cineplex :) cant wait!!
@@LowKeyContender I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think later!
@@tenkmusou542 thank you :) i will reply to this for sure and let you know. im sure we will be super happy with it. the reviews online are stellar for this movie. everyone likes it. i grew up watching old godzilla movies..... so im super pumped . my 9 and 13 year old sons want to go too.... its a family event for us .
As opposed to Hollywood (I refuse to dignify them by calling them 'American') movies, that just throw money at the project to replace any heart or passion that might have been involved in the pitch.
@@andrewszigeti2174 yeah that’s a shame, very shallow characters and stories but cool visuals
The historical detail in this movie already makes it great. If a good movie is meant to entertain you, then this movie definitely hit that mark right on point with all the small details and historical references. The appearance of the rare type 4 Chi-To meant for the defense of the Japanese homeland, the use of the infamous Yukikaze which survived and participated in many major campaigns and battles, and the J7W Shinden fighter plane which was meant to be utilized as a land-based interceptor against the American B-29 bomber planes, were all great homages to the historical background that this movie takes place in. Also, the fact the directors of this film put German letters in the ejection seat of the Shinden was such great fan-service to those who know that the Germans were the first to standardize the use of ejection seats for their pilots. Man, this film is probably like S-tier just for the historical aspects alone.
I loved the historical stuff, but whoever did the English subtitles had no clue what they were doing. They kept referring to "jet fighters" even though the planes were props.
@@GeraltofRivia22 Oh my fucking god, it was horrible. I was watching the movie in theatres with my Japanese friend and whenever they referred to the Shinden as a "Jet fighter" we both died inside.
@@GeraltofRivia22 I obviously noticed that but was completely able to let it go. So long as the entire story wasn't derailed by a bad translation, it was fine. Maybe they'll go back and fix that later for a subsequent release? Maybe not.
But the alternative history fate of the Takao was a really creative and bold idea. It's recognisably our world and our history, but it's not *our* timeline - just a very close one.
It would be interesting to speculate that the Unebi didn't just founder in a typhoon in December 1886 on her delivery voyage, as is supposed, but in fact encountered Godzilla when near the island in the movie (Ido Island?).
As a casual general aviation and military aviation enthusiast my eyes lit up when I saw the J7W Shinden. I was totally unaware of the existence of the plane, it looked plausible, it had the right aesthetics and proportions for a plane of the era, and it was a canard plane like the plane I would like to own one day, Rutan Long Ez, which would be totally futuristic for the 1940s but it was a time of rapid advancement and the Germans already had jets and a flying wing prototype so it seemed plausible to me that the Japanese also must have been cooking something. To my surprise its an actual plane that existed as a prototype. S-tier indeed.
@@GeraltofRivia22 I watched this movie recently, and thankfully in the subtitles was referred to as a "Canard" plane not a jet, which is accurate.
I've lived in Japan about half my life, they don't have the money for special effects, but their stories and acting are usually first rate.
Their splatterpunk movies are unique. They come up with the weirdest movie concepts, and has the ability to SOMEHOW make it work regardless of how absurd the concept might be. As you can tell, I'm a fan. XD
story and world building. yes
but not acting. not bad, not great.
@fffwe3876 This is why VA in japan is thriving more than their acting especially the female voice
@fffwe3876 Japan does have a bad habit of cash grabs with popular talents at the time, even if not actors. Those movies are usually hit or miss. I remember watching Quill. The story was touching, and the actors did great. The Ken Watanabe movie, Memories of Tomorrow, was also great. I also recommend After the Rain, too. Unfortunately, I haven't seen Drive My Car yet.
after the rains my fave @@tribe-r1851
I was in awe in the theatre when I realized this movie works on multiple levels. As a (post-)war drama, as a war movie, as a creature feature and as a disaster movie all at once. Toho outdid themselves with Godzilla Minus One. Especially the sound design and the soundtrack are perfect. Hollywood can learn some lessons from international cinema. Easy 10/10 for me. One of the best movies in recent history, in my humble opinion.
It's a really ambitious thing to set a movie in that time period, I can't recall anyone else who's tried it. It would have been so easy to just make WW2 with Godzilla, but, instead, they did something more difficult and closer to their souls, and man did they pull it off.
This movie on the big screen made me pause. When the huge things fly across the screen from the human point of view. It was an augh inspiring moment. You can imagine the weight of the half a ship flying by the building when it was on the movie screen. That might not feel the same on a 50 inch TV. No matter how good that TV is.
When we're first introduced to the character of Sumiko, and she immediately shames Koichi for failing his "duty" as a kamikaze pilot, I thought she would spend the rest of the movie as a full-fledged Karen. However, I realized I was wrong about her when she gave up her stash of rice to feed Akiko. Her anger at Koichi was really grief over her dead children. By movie's end, watching her care for Akiko while Noriko worked and Koichi dealt with Godzilla, I really grew to respect her. Nice arc for a supporting character.
Also, at first she goes "Why are you still alive" then become "Don't you dare dying" after becoming close to him and the family. Her attitude not really change, but her heart is
two very well written feminine female characters. the traditional female hero, none of that fake strong independent narcissistic girl boss bs
Yeah, she was my wife's favorite character for the way she developed. Good arc indeed!
if the movie gets any Oscar attention at all, I'd love to see Sakura Ando who played Sumiko get a best supporting nod...she really managed to take a caricature of a character and turn her into someone with real depth despite having very few lines of dialogue.
@@hafirenggayudait makes sense for her to react that way at first though because all Japanese people at the time firmly believed that there was honor in dying for one's country, they were brainwashed into thinking that being a Kamikaze pilot was the greatest sacrifice one could ever make.... So not only is it historically accurate about the mindset of Japanese people during ww2 but the way her character develops is also very good since Japan was destitute and in ruin after the war, the mindset became one of unity and rebuilding, there was no longer any honor in dying for a worthless cause like war
More wholesome ending than any Disney movie. My 7 year old and 11 year old boys watched this without saying a word, read every subtitle, absorbed every scene and moral message of the many this film conveyed. The youngest even started saying "Arigato" afterwards haha. Asian cinema may save the movie industry.
If this movie had a $15M budget, perhaps, just maybe a gathering of creative and caritative souls may do an alternative Star Wars sequel trilogy…
A man can dream…
@@elgusaniiiodeljuego6823the movie has a low budget because the people that made the movie are not paid very let that sink in
@@animezilla4486yep just like in the anime industry, same story😂😂😂
@@animezilla4486 They may not have been paid much money, but the honor they have created is quite valuable.
@@animezilla4486 Or perhaps Hollywood pays way too much for what it's getting!
How exactly does any actor earning 30 million plus PER Movie sleep at night!?!
Why do you think there's not been a Star Trek movie since Beyond despite the fact that that movie made a respectable for Trek 335 mil worldwide - It's because by the time they've paid the main cast they've already spent well over 100 mil and a Star Trek movie now needs to make 500 mil+ just to break even and Star Trek movies have rarely made that sort of money even taking into account Inflation!
Disney are actually LOSING money on Star Wars despite making approx 6 billion at the box office off those five movies! - Once you take away the theatre's cut of the box office and account for out of control marketing budgets they haven't even broken even!
"Godzilla: Minus One" is the quintessential example of how you balance an engaging human story with riveting monster action sequences. I have seen my fair share of Godzilla and King Kong films in my time and the human stories are always so insipid that I didn't care of if the people survived. "Godzilla: Minus One" had me care for the human characters. Hollywood should take note of this film, not only for how it is able to adeptly juggle bombastic spectacle while also displaying a great understanding of humanity, but how it did so with a modest budget!
Thankfully Peter Jackson actually made a great Kong film! 🎥😊
Watched this film twice because I noticed I was so fully engaged in the human stories that I was watching with anxiety the poor crowds of humans at Godzilla’s feet instead of Godzilla himself! My second watch I enjoyed seeing this marvelous creation and his immense power. Best heat beam ever! Amazing film. The human scenes reminded me a bit of the master Akira Kurosawa.
Shin Godzilla was also great on the human side. It's a bit dry and political (since it does focus a lot on politicians) but it works really fucking well, and its version of Godzilla itself is one of the most interesting in the franchise as far as how humans need to adapt to how it functions as a creature.
I think what makes this stand out is that they made a great movie that you could insert a number of natural catastrophes in, and they would still have a great movie.
I think if Godzilla was replaced with a massive earthquake, we would still have a narratively similar movie with the same themes. The humans and the drama would still be there.
I thought it was brilliant to set most of the film in a destroyed Tokyo. Most westerners don't know to what extend the Allies reduced Tokyo to rubble & ash in WWII.
I watch this movie back on Saturday with my older brother. It was so good that, we wanted our dad, who grew up on the orginals, to see it.
When we did, felt like I was watching it for the first time again. I looked at my dad every time Godzilla being badass, he fanboyed the hell out of it.
Afterwards, my dad said that this was the BEST Godzilla movie ever, even better than the original, he said.
He was saying that after all the installments, remakes, and Sequels he didn't care for...
He felt like a kid again....
Imagine having a renowned franchise - and treating it with reverence and its audience with respect. For the western entertainment industry, I guess that really is a foreign concept.
Wish Kathleen Kennedy would consider this with SW. But oh well, she has other plans...
@@ba2724 It's not a Star Wars problem, it's a Hollywood problem. The generation of kids who grew up on classic 80s movies are now shitting out movie scripts based on the terrible fanfic they wrote when they were teens. (I know because I am one of them, although none of my fanfic has been made into a movie-yet.)
As a single father who raised a daughter from age 1 years old, being 8 now. I totally connected to the relationship formed by the main character with the little girl. Reminded me so much of my little one and how important it is to be there for your children. Great movie.
A++++++++
Being a father to a daughter myself I salute you Sir. I can't imagine how difficult it must be doing it on your own.
Goes to show that even Godzilla IP can be a vehicle for a profoundly human story. Impressive work from Studio Toho.
that is because unlike modern hollywood - a good story really matters. without a good coherent story you cannot execute either. This explains the bad fx and budget overruns with Disney. without a good story and clear image of what you want to put to the screen its like building a house with no foundation and no blueprints
EXCELLENT THE DRINKER GODZILLA MINUS ONE.
That is how Godzilla started out anyways
If you didn't think Godzilla could deliver a compelling story before this and you enjoy older movies, go watch the original from 1954. Minus One feels like a spiritual remake of that film, as the underlying themes are largely the same. Knowing the older film makes me appreciate the new one and all its triumphs even more.
I also recommend Shin Godzilla. It’s a story about the inefficacies of bureaucracy and Japan’s place in international politics carried on the shoulders of a gigantic plasma-breathing reptile.
I watched it today. Director Yamazaki's film is designed to be a tearjerker, so I went in determined not to cry, but I ended up crying anyway. For Japanese people, the reality is that many still struggle with the guilt of having survived the Great East Japan Earthquake, feeling like "I should not have been the only one to survive", and some have even taken their own lives because they couldn't bear this guilt. The film was good in that it offered hope to live in such a society. As for Minami Hamabe, I hadn't thought much of her as an actress before, but she delivered a really great performance.
As someone who's loved Godzilla their entire life, it's immensely satisfying to see him go from just a goofy joke of a character back into being such a powerful and awe-inspiring preasence. It really is a great time in history to be a Godzilla fan.
AND THE MUSIC
oh boy, you missed shin gojira if you think gojira is always shitty joke kaiju
@@oniplus4545 He's just come full circle. He started off like he is in this one. Got a bit too kid friendly/cheezy though with some simplified messaging, moved back into more serious including Shin Godzilla now back to his beginnings. Anyway you look at it, it's still a good thing.
This was similar to my feeling leaving the theater. My very first movies as a child were Godzilla movies. The average normie of course doesn't think too much of the giant lizard. He's a lovable and fun guy, sure, but not exactly high quality cinema. At best, people will acknowledge the quality in 1954 Goji. But here he stands long into my adulthood, once again reminding the entirety of the Earth that he is, indeed, the King of the Monsters. He can weather the decades, re-imaginings and still pull off an actual good story, right when cinema needs him to. Out of all the childhood interests I've outgrown... I don't think the Big G will ever be one of 'em.
Watched it today. Fantastic movie. As a WWII nerd, I liked the accuracy of the tanks, the destroyers have the names of real destroyers that survived the war, and seeing a Shinden fly was a treat. The train sequence done with models and not CGI was a tribute to the old japanese monster movies. Great movie
I was blown away watching this in IMAX. America, Hollywood, Marvel and DC should be embarrassed. This is epic filmmaking and epic storytelling without telling you that you are a misogynist, a racist or socially problematic. Great story with a soul and great actors (not Hollywood activists).Best movie I have seen in almost 8-9 years. 10 out of 10 for me. Yes, its that great.
Hey, $10 million more and they could have had a twerking She-Hulk too...
Someone doesn't like being reminded that they are a misogynist, a racist or socially problematic. LOL
@@ajc5479I TOTALLY bet you’re fun at parties.
Did you just copy and paste this comment on another video?
@@dastemplar9681 I'm sure you are a handsome woman.
I genuinely teared up at multiple parts of this movie. The characters were all likeable, relatable, and had amazing chemistry with each other. But the part that truly made the waterworks act up, was before the climax. Seeing all the Japanese people work together to prepare for Godzilla. The simple act of people working together got me so inspired!
Working together has become a lost art here in the U.S.
The baby is so cute!
The ending got me in my feels too.
Teared up? Brother I cried at the end. Absolute masterpiece.
@@DustinHalsteadAsian countries are collectivist, USA is individualist.
I was surprised at how invested I was in the human characters in this film. I was genuinely concerned for Shikishima's found family. His friends from the boat were awesome too. This is the best Godzilla film I've ever seen.
Nearly every character in this movie is so likeable. Its just so full of compassion, empathy and everyone communicates so clearly. It's refreshing to watch a movie without a single narcissistic character in it for once. Just genuine human beings.
That actor is the voice actor for the main character in "Your Name."
Except the movie almost seemed like a parody of the original Godzilla movies. Over acting and cringeworthy dialogue. Oy
@@Tbone.357 If you've watched enough anime or live action, it's just how Japanese actors act. Something that you get used to. American films have been criticized for the overused "punching" sound effect. But to us, it's normal fare.
Ditto , I was shocked at how emotionally invested I became in all the characters.
I took my kids to see this movie. I went mostly blind after reading up on the IMDB parents guide, and I had to explain what a Kamikazi pilot did in the war to them before the movie.
My usually very energetic and hyper short attention span kids were dead silent the entire film until the credits rolled. My youngest leaned over her seat to look at me and said with a huge smile on her face, “THAT WAS AWESOME!” My oldest responded to her with, “YEAH!!”
Easily the best movie theater experience I’ve had in a very long time
My husband and I wanted to see the replica Shinden aircraft. We thought it would be a cheesy "turn off your brain" popcorn movie. What we got was an engaging, well-written, well-acted period drama that sucked us in within the first minutes and kept us enthralled for the entire story. The Shinden footage was fantastic, and mostly live-action. AND a terrifying Godzilla! Go see it in the theater--you won't be disappointed.
The Shinden replica is now in the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum in Fukuoka Prefecture, up close it looks real right down to the rivets and information on the manufacturer's plates.
The real Shinden is stored in the National Air and Space Museum annex from the driver's seat forward
Definitely the most terrifying Godzilla of all time. He actually went out of his way to kill as many people as possible.
It isn't available in theaters where I live :(
I wanted to see Yukikaze, and what I got was a roommate whi was so invested in the characters she was sick from stress the whole time. 10/10.
This film moved me to tears. The human characters and story were so compelling that I didn't even need to wonder when I'd see Godzilla again. The story of a found family rebuilding their lives in the wake of war was emotional, dramatic, and uplifting. I loved it. Of course, Godzilla was the cherry on top. The film really reminded me of Oppenheimer in the sense that it really knew how to tell compelling drama without relying to much on flashy visual and things that go boom.
Same I've seen it 3 times and the my most recent viewing i was crying, a fucking Godzilla movie made me cry! Who would have thought. But i have to say this is the best Godzilla movie i have ever seen. And everyone I talked to who has seen it say they love it. 10/10 bravo Toho bravo!
that child actress crying...holy croikey, THAT got me GUD!!!
@@Sure0Foot yeah I could feel my paternal instinct kick in
Took my fiancé to see this movie, she went with little interest in Godzilla or the genre overall and walked out of the movie loving it! Goes to show what good writing, pacing, and storytelling can do for any film. If you haven't seen it yet, you should! Now you know!
Congratulations on your future marriage. I hope you too have decades of good times & lots of babies. Have a son 😂😂 America need more boys 😂
Same here it took my wife she had zero interest but she was very entertained
I took my mom to see it. She was definitely hesitant on even going, since it was with subtitles and she's not a big monster movie woman, however, this movie blew her away. She was on the edge of her seat multiple times during the movie, and for a smoker for over 30 years, this is the first movie where she didn't get up to take a smoke break. This movie is so damn good that it can help people stop smoking for a short time.
And knowing is half the battle. Sorry can't help myself, 80s child.
@@Shortfuse39 I end all my videos with “now you know!” I too am an 80s kid 😎
Thing about Godzillas scenes in Minus One is that its is truly horrifying. The attack in Ginza you can not only see the devastation of the city but people actually dying. There's a scene where Godzilla steps on some people and you can hear the "squish" in the sound effect and see the red spraying out from his feet. The human cost is told unapologetically while in the Western Godzilla movies its all brushed aside and the audience is just shown the "hey! look at the cool lizard destroying buildings!" part.
As much as I like the movie, you're not being objective with your comparison. Through most of the dozens of Godzilla movies, no matter if Showa, Heisei or Milennium era, the death of people has been implicit - with some exceptions. The Gareth Edwards movie, on the other hand, showed loads of people being swepped away by the floods.
That was the scariest part. Unlike other movies [Which I can't really blame] directly stating the consequences made it feel real.
Almost all of the human aspect of the carnage was removed in every Hollywood Godzilla movie. In the later movies it's just big monsters fighting in giant, miraculously abandoned cities. The lack of humans for scale, and the lack of camera shots from the perspective of people on the ground, kills any emotional impact. And, in the end, it really does just seem like two action figures battling it out with no real consequences whatsoever-we don't even get to see how challenging it would be to completely rebuild a city.
I love how it grappled with Japan's relationship with the war and how pointless it was. The theme that there are things worth dying for and war isn't always one is fantastic. I also love how intrinsic the guilt and anger is. It's not about what they did to other countries in WW2, but what they did to their own people. The main character even suffers from PTSD and survivors guilt. This is kind of refreshing coming from an American perspective, as we tend to self-flagellate extrinsically (how our actions hurt other countries and not our own people). Instead, they found common ground in fighting a real threat that they found honor and purpose in fighting, and they focused on surviving as opposed to dying a glorious heroes death. Very interesting view of WW2 and the aftermath that gave me a lot to think about.
I'm paraphrasing, but the line of, "Not fighting in war is something to be proud of." was one of the most striking lines I've ever heard. This movie went hard, and I love it for that
Well said.
It's generally really hard for Japanese citizens to criticize their government without getting major pressure from their government, but I think they found a great balance with this film. Going to generalities of war and universals that everyone can relate to, and keeping direct criticism of their government to a minimum to not distract from the story or get themselves in too much hot water.
@@boomguitarjaredEveryone is criticizing the government in Japan when they want with no problem.
@@kengo7273 Oh, is that so? I was under the impression that when Japanese citizens criticize their government, particularly for their WWII involvement, they face pressures of various sorts. Is that not the case?
One of my biggest regrets was not seeing Shin Godzilla in theaters. I was not going to make the same mistake twice.
Same
Yet the Drinker never reviewed that movie as well... I guess it could become repetitive on this beautiful channel and I, for one, completely understand that.
I had to watch Shin Godzilla after seeing Godzilla Minus One. Shin Godzilla was lame in comparison. It had no really character story. It was just flashing back and forth between government people talking about how to deal with Godzilla and scary Godzilla wrecking stuff. Godzilla Minus One is a drama with Godzilla.
@ScottEgan69 nah I like shin that was the whole point, a reflection of the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 that was very devastating on the nation and the citizens blamed the Japanese government for taking too long to help and do anything about it instead trying to reassurance the public rather than do anything that was what shin godzilla was meant to reflect as well as reflect the horror of what it really is to be a mutated monster
Same. Had the chance to go but didn’t for whatever reason. Still kicking myself for it.
I went to the theater to see this movie with my husband just to humor him. I fully expected to hate every minute. Instead I was memorized by the story. It is definitely the best movie I have seen this year and possibly several years.
This is a great comment. Us guys like to hear that sometimes we get it right lol
I took my Mom with me (she also said she mostly came be cause she knew I was excited to see it) she has never liked Godzilla. I’ve been a fan for 40 years and could never get her to watch any but once or twice. She LOVED this movie, as soon as I suggested seeing it again she signed up and talked my dad into going too (he also liked it, though he joked that it needed baby Godzilla in it). Finally having family members love something I’ve spent a lifetime invested in has been an experience in its own right.
I just saw this last night & I think the thing that shocked me the most about it was how well regarded & well served it’s male characters were, it was a weird, almost surreal experience to see a contemporary movie that doesn’t actively _despise_ the men in it’s own story.
Unfortunately, there are so many despicable men around that the need for representation (not for the men but the experience of them) is profound. Probably what you liked most about the movie that hasn't occurred to you yet is the complete lack of sexualization. That's something Hollywood will never let us escape. In that regard, they are Godzilla.
Can't remember the last time i saw a movie where I was 100% fully invested. Cheering for the characters and their survival, crying because of the human condition in such circumstances, dreading the violent nature that is Godzillaz, surprised and amazed at how things unfolded. Man, what a movie!
These were war criminals. Fucking evil monsters that made the nazis look like amateurs.
This Godzilla movie made me actually care about the humans. Hollywood Godzilla movies are great, but whenever scenes involving humans come, my mind checks out until Godzilla comes back on. This movie made me resonate with each character and worry about them when Godzilla showed up. Insane and amazing 10/10 movie.
Facts the Hollywood Godzilla movies need to just give up on the human plot altogether
Facts! I almost teared up at the end... great flick
Hollywood godzilla is a neutral or anti hero hence he is the star of the show . In the Japanese version godzilla is a monster from the atom bomb and wants to kill humanity hence u feel worried foe the humans
Well, Minus One was a powerful drama, while the Hollywood versions are made by hacks who only know the silly later G films and have no respect for the original or its serious themes because they think we're as stupid as they are.
Thank god they're not going to bring back Mark and Maddie Russell in the next movie. Those two are the worse characters in Monsterverse
It worked as a post war survival movie all on it's own, without Godzilla. The monster served as a metaphor for war and the drastic changes brought on by war, bringing it closer to the original 1950's classic. My buddy and I went to see this movie mostly to kill time, with no expectations. What I saw was a serious film about the human spirit, that just happened to have Godzilla in it.
And yet it was very preachy
To me, the emotional MVP was baby Akiko. Everytime she called out "daddy" or "mommy," despite being an orphan, just completely broke me. I didn't want koichi, or his girl to get hurt. But I was genuinely concerned for the baby over anyone else. And shout-out to the neighbor for looking out for her too.
I have 3 daughters. Akiko hit hard, and I gotta be honest, she would not have hit the 20 year old me the same way. When she called him Dad and he said I told you I am not your father I felt that.
@@briangraysonesq.4955Maybe that’s why I wasn’t as moved by it as other people.
@@Enigma75614I hope some day you are. My daughters are getting older and 1 is in college and another headed across country for college in August. My life is meaningless without fatherhood. Akiko gave his life purpose and meaning, even when his PTSD and sense of a bad fate coming for him wouldn’t allow him to openly admit it.
Well to her, she wasn't an orphan. She's a child and has no concept of what that means. But the adults do, so her calling Koichi daddy that first time hits super hard.
@@NopeNaw spot on. I just really cared about all of the characters, especially her.
The thing people need to get, if you haven't seen this: this is not what you expect from a Godzilla film. It's not goofy, it's not campy, it's deadly serious, and in reality it is a period piece set in post-WWII Japan just after the war ended, and a compelling one dealing with poignant, real, heavy human themes that resonate with all of us and you CARE - you truly CARE - about these characters and what will happen to them. Godzilla? He's a force of nature here. He's a reminder, a shadow of war, a looming mushroom cloud of death to be feared and fled from, but never truly defeated. He's terrifying as f##k, too. Godzilla in this film is the physical embodiment of atomic war, of death, of fear, of loss, of suffering, of pain, dread, and basically he is humanity's punishment for engaging in war and inventing such terrible weapons, AND he is Kouichi's white whale - an obstacle, a reminder of his failure - something to be overcome at all cost. THAT is why it is good. BECAUSE the story even WITHOUT Godzilla is good, PLUS Godzilla himself is a terrifying incarnation of all those terrible things we fear most deep down in our souls. Kouichi's quest for internal peace and redemption of self resonates with ALL humans of ALL nationalities, too, which is why this film is hitting home with people all over the planet.
So, don't make the mistake of thinking this is a "big monster smashes things up" film. Oh, he DOES, to be sure, but THAT is only one piece and it serves the story. The destruction ACTUALLY has a place in the story. Godzilla ACTUALLY has a place in the character development of the lead. This is 90% compelling human drama done in the best way, 10% scary-as-shit monster that is actually symbolic of very real issues in the world, so Godzilla's presence is not just to be cool but has MEANING. It's art.
Go see it, RIGHT now, if you have not. Really. Bring anyone you can get to go with, too. It deserves your ticket more than any film frankly in a LONG time has. If you like GOOD movies, and you want to send a message that we, the public, LIKE good movies and yes, please, would very much like more like that, GO SEE IT. Do not pirate it. Do not wait for it to go to digital. It won't be the same. PROMISE you that. This of all films NEEDS to be seen on the big screen with big sound for maximum effect. It's Godzilla - you do not go small home screen with Godzilla. You go BIG.
BIg monster, big themes, big resonance with a global audience. Go see it.
Eh Godzilla 1954 already did that. Still a great movie :)
The opening act is like a horror movie 😭 wild af
Heck yeah 👍🏽 🦎 gonna watch it a third time this weekend
No ones gonna read all this crap
I think you've rather oversold it.
The sheer amount of intensity and storytelling coming from this movie in IMAX was unforgettable. Highly recommend watching this film at your local IMAX theatre. 10/10
After watching the original 1954 film and Shin Godzilla with my Mom, we were super excited for Minus One and ended up super attached to its story before being utterly blown away emotionally
Great film choices to lead in this great work of art!
Fun fact, the main character and the mechanic who blamed him for everyone's deaths in the beginning were also stars in the Rurouni Kenshin movies! :) It was so cool to see them again!
I felt like I was in my 20’s again, like it was 20-30 years ago. I kept thinking “this is what movies should be, how they used to be.” Is it a perfect movie, no, but did I care about the characters, the store, did I enjoy myself, was I taken to a different world? YES.
But is the movie terrible? Yes!
@@legendarygodzillatheking3049laughed at this lol
@@legendarygodzillatheking3049 I see you've taken another break from touching yourself in your grandma's basement. Your life must be so exciting!
It might not be perfect, but it's NEARLY perfect
@@DPMusicStudiono it's not
Guys. I mean this when I say that this is the BEST film I’ve seen in the past ten years. It’s not a Godzilla film, it’s a deep, well written drama that Godzilla happens to be in as well. GO WATCH THIS ASAP.
Majority of Japan's Godzilla films are like that (except for the 70s).... But most of them are always commentary on some societal issue, the very first black and white Godzilla film was a commentary on the dangers of nuclear arms build after ww2 which led to the Cold War, there was one Godzilla vs Kong movie from the 70s which was a commentary on television ratings, Shin Godzilla from 2015 was a commentary on the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and a criticism of the Japanese governments incompetence during the crisis.... Asian countries do have a lot of crappy, corporate, just for profit films too, but I think in terms of telling meaningful, impactful films, they've been doing it waaaay better than Hollywood for quite some time now... I myself am a huge fan of Chinese action and martial arts films
@@cyborgchicken3502I recall that Shin Godzilla had a massive number of 'meetings to plan meetings which are the basis for other meetings that will hopefully culminate in something', and it was there to show the incompetence of the government. There’s a massive, unstoppable, rapidly-evolving force attacking people and destroying towns across the country, but the government and military basically sit down and casually discuss this threat far longer than they need to rather than stop it sooner.
@@cyborgchicken3502GMK is my favorite out of the series, for it's depiction of Godzilla (and therefore the bombs dropped on Hiroshima/Nagasaki) as penance and God's Wrath for the sins of WW2 and the Pacific War with China, in a time when Japan's government was trying erase that history. Very interesting film.
Minus One is for sure in my top 3. Hands down.
@@paradox2210 That's not really a critique specifically against the Japanese government though, that's basically the way every organization does every meeting, from your local schoolboard to the national government. It's pretty bizarre. And usually meetings are never even meant to yield results, because actual results are achieved by certain people ascertaining everyone's views beforehand, then talking to everyone individually and making sure that everyone eventually is on the same page, in order to avoid any embarrassing conflict at the actual meeting where decisions are made official, which just means, where everyone confirms that they agree. Making actual change very difficult.
That was basically meant to show the inefficiency and uselessness of the governmental bureaucracy during a crisis, not entirely specific to any one. Godzilla is running rampant and instead of doing anything they hold a press conference or a meeting, or moving from one meeting room to another meeting room. When that gets swept aside and they actually put action into motion, that's when the tides turn. Also drinker complains minus one has no joint efforts between nations to take down Godzilla, Shin Actually has a Japan and US coalition. And a much more devastating atomic breath.
I'm fine with the goofy ass Hollywood adaptations since they make me think of tail sliding drop kicking Godzilla Era, as long as we keep getting great films like shin and minus one.
Halfway into the film I thought they were going to shy away from using the ominous Godzilla theme music.
Then they used it at the perfect tense point, and the the theater CHEERED. I cannot remember the last time I heard a movie audience actually cheer together.
This was an amazing movie and one I'm glad I saw with all my sons.
Watched the movie last week. It is a fantastic film. Japan shows that this is their monster myth and that they do it best. They know what godzilla is supposed to represent and how to put it on screen. Enjoyed it a lot.
I never thought that my most favorite fictional film character that would be considered very niche some years ago would get this much critical acclaim. It's truly an incredible time to be a Godzilla fan
I wholeheartedly agree. We’re being spoiled. 😂
@@Naythanzilla lol I'm definitely not used to it since I went through a few of the Goji droughts too. But I'm not complaining haha
@thepack9070 I was born in 1987, trust me in the early 90s he was not well liked or known at least were I'm from. Now it's far different.
My favorite fictional film character ? . . OK Hitler
@@benwinter2420 Who played him?
This movie felt like a really rare all timer, like alien or jaws you just get this feeling that you're watching something truly exceptional here, utterly incredible
This is a modern classic. I knew it was going to have emotional moments but the bonding in the ruins of Japan, just trying to get by, hit a lot harder than I expected. The whole thing was top tier and people who didn't see it in the theaters will wish they had when it comes to digital. After having thought the trailer had spoiled the atomic breath scene, it floored me when that thing hit.
Yup. The first time is... Surprising. Definitely makes you go "Noon, they wouldn't...".
None of the theaters hear have the movie, unfortunately
Saw this movie on your recommendation today, and loved it. There were at least 20 people in my small-town theater as well, which was nice to see. This film is proof that the climax of your story doesn't have to be unpredictable to be powerful. The final battle against Godzilla unfolded pretty much the way I expected it to, minus a few minor details. It didn't matter. The way the film was shot, that eerie silence when Godzilla is about to vaporize everyone, and the emotional investment the film had instilled in me by that point meant that arc of the film was tension-filled and immensely satisfying. I also admit to getting a bit misty-eyed at the end, which is unusual for me. It's amazing what a group of actual creatives who understand character development can do. Hollywood could learn something...but they probably won't. Sign my ass up for more Japanese films.
I saw this in raw Japanese at the Toho theater in Kawasaki on opening day and even with a shaky grasp of basic Japanese I was able to understand the main threads of the story. I was not prepared for how good it was. I took my family to see it in Sakuragicho the following week and they were blown away as well. It's definitely our favorite movie of the year.
I’m glad The Drinker reviewed this. This film deserves all the praise and recognition.
It really is crazy, I’ve not heard a bad thing about this film. When you think about it, Godzilla as a whole from America and from Japan could be the saving grace for entertainment. In 2020 Godzilla vs Kong single handed showed companies during Covid people still had a appetite for the big screen and getting out for a couple hours when everyone thought streaming services were what was next. Now, Godzilla minus one shows Hollywood that people want good stories, regardless of language barrier. I don’t think it’s coincidence after a week of Godzilla being out and the overall positive reception in both what they did with the budget and story, Bob Iger comes out and says movies should be more polished and less preachy about things that don’t resonate with most people before they’re released and Disney should focus on making good films. Not only was Godzilla solidified before hand as a sci-fi masterpiece and good fun, but now it seemingly trampled Hollywoods idea of what they think people want after years of them ignoring the audience, to only be shown by a overseas movie with a fraction of what the usually work with what consumers actually want. Godzilla is a marvel of a franchise.
The fact that Godzilla vs Kong was still a financial success in theaters despite simultaneously being released on streaming makes Bob Iger’s excuse that The Marvels failed (so spectacularly too) because it was shot during Covid that much more hilarious.
Bigwigs will blame their shitty movies failing on Covid and not the movies being shitty.
Only bad thing is TOHO insist to release it on entire asian theathe, claim that would be too much cuz its involve former imperial japan military, which i said wtf TOHO those who screaming fascist japan barely made 1 % of entire audiance waiting for this movie and you ditch this great potential for not involving the drama of that 1% ppl will cause to them
I wasn't even aware this Godzilla would be in Japanese the whole way. I just have a friend who is stuck on Godzilla; every single one of them. I wasn't going to watch Minus 1 because I thought it would be more Godzilla 2014, which was great, but I also know he's going to have this one on dvd in a few months AND he's going to force our group to watch it so there wasn't much reason to go to the theatre. SO glad I did go the theatre though
My one issue with the movie has spoilers, so if you don't want them, don't click the Read more option.
No character with a name dies, with one getting a fake out death. Odd considering that Godzilla is supposed to be an unstoppable force of destruction, but he doesn't kill anyone with a name.
Worst thing ive heard is some of the cgi shots are shoddy, fair enough i guess but i didnt mind any of the effects i thought it was spectacular, far better than marvels effects that cost 10x
I had zero interest in this movie until the reviews between both critics and audiences exploded recently. I just got back from the theater and I have to say, this movie truly lived up to and exceeded the hype. I had no idea a Japanese low budget Godzilla movie could make me cry, make me scared, and feel as epic and high stakes as it did. Godzilla 2014 was already good, but Minus One is what that movie tried to be. This is the greatest Godzilla movie ever made, and I fully expect it to win at the Oscars.
Even though I'm still looking forward to the Monsterverse, I really love that Minus One recaptured that gut-wretching drama from the '54 film. If Shin was about the political allegory of the original , then Minus One was about the emotional side of it.
i pretty much like all Godzilla films and they pretty much run the spectrum. of different style. I am enjoy the monsterverse the same way i enjoy Final Wars. At the same token i also enjoy the dramatic of the original' 1984 and shin godzilla. am pretty sure their hasn't been one godzilla film that hasn't at least put a smile on my face.
Godzillas atomic breath is literally him unleashing his own atomic bomb. It's fucking genius. I still can't believe they did this on 15 mil. Absolutely Insane
11 million
@@YonduGaming-qm9hvCompared to the very expensive looking movies of Hollywood that look very cheap.
One of my favorite scenes is when he's looking at the family photos of the men who died and then glances at his parents shrine.
Realizing that he survived but had nothing to go home to, while all those men's families would never see them come home again.
I saw it last night and boy some jerk in the audience was cutting up lots of onions by the end of the film.
When the naval operation got underway and they cranked up the OG theme song a wave of emotions came over me. I love this film and now looking to go see it several more times over the next few weeks.
"If you give your audience a compelling story with likeable characters, then you don't have to work so hard to distract them with flashy visuals because they don't NEED to be distracted. They're already having fun." THANK YOU!!
you overestimate normies and jangling keys@@lithosagymfan
@@lithosagymfan It clearly isn't obvious to much of Hollywood in recent years.
Grew up as a Godzilla fan thanks to my mother introducing me to the old 60s and 70s Godzilla films. So I took her with me to see this and we both loved it.
What I love about this Godzilla movie is that while we left the theater taking about the monster story, we spent as much time, if not more, talking about the human story. A great achievement!
So I finally saw Minus One last night and it's safe to say I left the cinema beaming! I heard a lot of good things about the movie and I was praying the movie would deliver and yes... It more than delivered! The hype is real, boys and girls! It was also nice to finally see a movie in the cinema that's two hours long instead of a two and a half to three hour long slugfest where my arse falls asleep and I feel like I'm on the verge of pissing myself by the time the credits roll!
You get just the right amount of Godzilla destruction, a simple yet engaging plot and a cast of like-able characters that you care about and want to see live! Simply lovely stuff! Take note Hollywood. Hell Western movie makers in general should take note! So yeah, go and see this movie if you can. Minus One deserves your money and your time! I think I'm gonna check out Shin Godzilla next!
As a Godzilla fan and even someone who still enjoys the Monsterverse, Godzilla Minus One is such a phenomenal (probably my favorite movie of the year) and it’s great to see Toho embracing the more villainous roots of the character.
*Toho
likewise :) I was blown away by this one, easily my favorite movie of the year and the more I think about it, this movie keeps rising in my ranking of favorite movies in general
Yes, spell check should have given him Toga. Toga!......Toga!......Toga! Not quite Animal House, and certainly better than Tranformers 3-9. @@atomicvinylreviews3420
I was unaware of how far along the last couple decades have dragged me into Hollywood nonsense until I watched this. No social justice preaching, no diversity for its own sake, gratuitous sex absent, and on and on. It was a story set in a compelling, historic time, and that was fun to watch. A stark contrast to modern Hollywood efforts, which resemble nothing more than a collection of scenes designed to make the main characters look as cool as possible. You get hints of the modest budget here and there, but the action scenes packed some heavy punches, too.
Overt violence and string sexual content? Those are things I take for granted in my movies.
So true. I've become so used to Hollywood pandering to chronically online teenagers that I almost forgot you could have a movie without a token girlboss in it and without characters undermining every sincere moment with a meme
I had the same visceral experience in the theater lx) I haven't been properly engaged in a movie's story for... Geeze I don't know, 6-7+ years maybe? Anytime some woke bullshit comes up in a movie or some form of media, I'm immediately disconnected from the narrative and am forced to try to ignore it and stay invested in the story, but it's always in the back of my mind, as it's an un-mistakable pull to present day socio-political issues usually. Not a smidgen of that here, just a historically authentic piece of cinema, with it's message for certain, but it's primary focus is on telling a good story with engaging characters and scenarios.
@@BrentARJThe cool thing about Godzilla is that it’s been around for 70 years. By making it a period piece, there was something for old fans and new fans to connect with.
@benjaminclaxton145”no diversity for its own sake” is what the original commenter said.
You can have a diverse cast, but it’s got to be either because the plot demands the character look a certain way, or because that was simply the best actor that auditioned.
Obviously a film set in Japan will have a Japanese cast.
Godzilla Minus One saved 2023 from being an absolute cinematic disaster.
Come on, even 2023 had its moments with Oppenheimer and Mission Impossible (although Fallout was way better).
@@Elhao Don't forget the Mario Movie
It's been a lacklustre year for sure, but theres been some gems: Spider-Verse, John Wick 4, The Creator, Boy and the Heron, The Holdovers etc.
@@smarengTalk To Me, Evil Dead Rise, Killers Of The Flower Moon, Poor Things, Sound Of Freedom...
@@Art_The_Clownnn 100% agreeing with Sound of Freedom.
If you are fan of Japanese cinema, particularly postwar cinema, this really comes across as a love letter to movies like Natto Wada's Fires on the Plain, Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru, and Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story and Record of a Tenement Gentleman. Themes like the horror of an existential conflict lost, the imperative to live despite the desire to die, and the absurdity of returning to normality are all present. The biggest difference being that, with the benefit of nearly 80 years of historical hindsight, we now know things will be okay and that depicting a happy ending doesn't appear irrational.
Folks saying they aren't impressed with this film should go back and watch these movies for the context that makes G -1 so powerful. It really is a masterpiece and by far my favorite movie of 2023.
I grew up on the Legendary movies, and I thought those were pretty good, and I saw the older Toho ones later on, but after seeing this last Friday I can say that this is the best Godzilla movie that has even been created. It balances everything perfectly and makes a movie that isnt just a good Godzilla movie, but a good movie. The characters are way better, along with the writing, than any of Legendary's movies, and the action with Godzilla is some of the most insanely epic there is. I love this movie so much and I love how they were able to accomplish this masterpiece on a 15 million budget. Goes to show that bad effects in movies that have 15-20 times the budget have no reason to bad, because this movie was able to have amazing CGI. Im glad that Godzilla is getting in the spot and people are recognizing just how cool he can be. Thanks for the review Drinker! You never dissapoint!
I'm from Poland, but for me Godzilla films were primarily an allegory to the atomic bomb and the destruction it brings. The Japanese approach this topic as a therapy, they show us all their fears and traumas related to it. I appreciate and respect it, much more than an American film with the same (directly) subject. All it takes is a serious tone and the story of people in the background of a huge beast takes on a completely different meaning.
I wish all of us to see as many such valuable films as possible, without unnecessary sex scenes. A good story, convincing actors... and here you go, this is how real art is created. Let the actors shine by writing them good scripts.
"Is your war over?" Tears. Absolute tears at the end of a godzilla flick. Bravo Toho bravo. Might be my number 1 film of year
Just got out of the theater for this. I cried in the third act. That's how well the character drama is written. Best film of 2023 by far
I really love how Godzilla's design looks in this film, it combines the head shape and arms of the original Godzilla with the body of the recent ones. Combining the old with the new.
Best-looking Godzilla ever in my opinion. And good job on the writer/director's part for not falling into the silliness that made the series a joke to alot of people.
Serious question though, should the arms really be so stiff? That's the only thing that bugged me.
@@nathandrake9737i do think my one issue with minus one is that godzilla moves like a literal robot
He walks the same exact way every time in this oddly stiff fashion and he doesnt even try to move any faster
Maybe its just because im used to Legendary Godzilla being able to sprint while being over twice as large as minus one's godzilla but idk
The eyes really sold this version of Godzilla. While the American version is selling kaiju as mindless animals, Minus One gave Godzilla a sense of evil intelligence that made his appearance frightening.
Saw it in Imax twice. This is not a movie to miss on the big big screen! Left both times smiling like a school girl.
I took my son to this, we were both so happy walking out of the movie. Talking to reach other about all the small nuances in the story and characters. Thoroughly impressed
My two boys walked out "wow, that was really good"
Nuance, not nuisance
@@ThatGuy-cb3yv so good! Pretty family friendly at the same time
@@jessekarr9174 whoops
Took my gf to see this & she absolutely loved this film as much as I did. We still talk about it. We laughed, we cried, we sighed, on the edge of our seats! This film is hands down the best Godzilla film in modern times. Studios take notes! This is how you make an instant classic!
This film straight up deserves a Best Picture nomination. If Parasite could win it so can this.
Also what other franchise can say it just had arguably it's best film 70 years in?
Seconded. I watched it in IMAX and was blown away at every level. But what made me know it was special is my theater was about 60% filled on a Tuesday night (not a high-water mark time frame for any flick), and even in the slower bits you could have heard a pin drop. Every single person was clued in and 100% percent invested. I don't remember the last time I saw a movie and that was true.
It also deserves to be a movie that earns if box office success of over $500 million. Seriously, if a film can look this good, with its short budget, then it deserves the money.
Something that I feel has gone unmentioned is how well this movie delivers for an old franchise IP. As someone who has had to endure franchise disappointment after disappointment, to have a franchise deliver this big in this era of film, and for it to be Godzilla, a franchise I have loved since I was 10, has made this a special moment for me.
Let's not forget that in 2016 there already was Shin Gojira. A film that was a high quality retelling of the original Godzilla story.
@@CallMeYorkexcept shin Godzilla is way better than minus one lol 😂
Japan has always offered up much more interesting human actors in the Godzilla films produced over there than what American studios offer. Really looking forward to seeing this one!
Highly recommend it👍🏻
I would argue that early MonsterVerse films did have two or three interesting human characters...
Only issue now is, just like their creativity, they killed them all off already (':
My great-nephew, great-niece, and my brother and myself went to see it a couple days before Christmas, we all loved it.
One thing to note here too: You *can* bring back a legacy character without ruining it.
Lol! Yep agreed! They managed to do fan service for the original movie fans all while giving it modern depth and spending the CGI where it counted, brilliant effort.
Dare I say Godzilla got the top billing but he was only an ancillary character in this film?
I saw this last night with my 20 year old daughter, I’m 63, we saw it in IMAX I like some of the Godzilla films the ‘54 film being my favorite. She had only seen 1 Godzilla movie the 2014 one with Brian Cranston. We both really liked this movie. We were both really invested in the characters of Koichi, Noriko and Akiko as well as the supporting characters of Dr. Noda and the other shipmates. Unlike other Godzilla films, where Godzilla is a bit ambiguous as to whether or not he is good or bad. There is no doubt that Godzilla is a deadly malevolent force out to cause death and destruction on the people of Japan. Because of the character development there is a high level of tension when Godzilla shows up, you care whether or not the characters survive his onslaught. It was a highly entertaining and surprisingly emotional film. Drinkers review is spot on. If you liked the film Jaws then you will like this. It was similar in a lot of ways. See it in IMAX you will be blown away.
Really invested in the characters ? . . please woke bitch AI
I was hoping you would cover this one. It was so compelling of a movie, I totally forgot that it was in Japanese and I was reading English subtitles. Absolutely loved it! Also it honored the original Godzilla movie and I find that refreshing. Trigger warning... strong male leads are included!
Sounds silly, but the fact that the film background was so historically grounded the Godzilla the most accurate, the most believable, the most powerful and the most scary Godzilla that I have ever seen. Plus the way they fought Godzilla was believable both in the military response and the science.
Showing parts Japan as the bombed out wreck that it would have been at the time, showing the naval ships de-armed as they would have been as Japan had just lost the war, explaining the operational cruiser as it had been captured in Singapore and was being returned to be be de-armed, explaining that the US couldn’t get involved because of the rising tensions with the USSR.
Every ing made sense, there was no magic BS science or convenient MacGuffins, it made a monster story so believable.
Fantastic film.
And how the hell could they do all that for $15 million when Hollywood needs 13x that amount to produce trash. Puts Hollywood to shame, both artistically and commercially.
I disagree the budget should not be celebrated that much