Godzilla Minus One(Minus Color) Review/Praise

So, I’ve seen the newest Godzilla flick because why wouldn’t I? I say that there’s just something special about seeing either kaiju fighting one another or destroying a town. It’s great fun I’ve enjoyed since I was a kid.         

    Godzilla Minus One/-1 is the latest movie in the Godzilla franchise, coming from Toho this time around. I’m really digging the back and forth because these movies coming from Legendary and Toho. One would think they would follow with a sequel to 2016’s Shin Godzilla, but they opted to have another reboot/standalone, thus us having 2023’s Godzilla Minus One. 

    I didn’t even know this flick was even a thing until about a month or two before its release in December. And reviews were glowing (much like Gojira’s dorsil spikes, am I right???), like, really, glowing. The kind of reviews you get from Oscar films. So I definitely needed to check out this bad boy more than I was already going to. 

    And hot damn, this movie is phenomenal. 

    One of the greatest compliments I can give this movie is that the human drama is just as riveting as the kaiju carnage. Usually with these types of movies, a movie goer wouldn’t be in the minority for thinking, “Humans - Whatever. Get to the good stuff already.” But with this movie, it’s all great. Following a kamikaze pilot who couldn’t go through with finishing his mission, he’s plagued with survivor’s guilt when loved ones died from either WWII or his fellow soldiers following a Godzilla attack on an island. The film then follows him basically starting a family with a woman and an orphaned child as he tackles his inner conflict of whether or not he deserves to live. 

    Pretty goddamn heavy and introspective for a Godzilla flick. As I was watching it, I couldn’t help to figure how invested I was in these people’s lives just as I was about the big dinosaur monster. Speaking of… Godzilla is a mean son of a bitch here. Downright terrifying. He’s just here for destruction and loves doing it. A straight up vindictive monster this time around. Buildings go down, people are getting chomped on, each atomic breath hit causes a mushroom cloud; it’s great how much of a villainous asshole Goji is this time around. I also think it has to do with his eyes in particular. I’m not sure if it’s the human-like quality, how yellow they are, or how angry they seem, but it’s very intimidating. Especially during a scene where Godzilla chases a wooden boat getting rid of post-WWII landmines. Cinema goodness, right there. 

    Overall, it’s a perfect Godzilla movie I could gush over for hours. So of course, I lost my shit when I saw they were releasing a black and white version called Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color. Fantastic title. I was going to be there again regardless, but the black and white aspect could bring a different take to the same story. 

    So I watched that version last night and it was great like the first time watching it. So overall, I thought the Minus Color cut kind of justified its existence for a few reasons. The first being it somehow heightened the human drama. I couldn’t tell you how or why, but it just works. The first scene with Godzilla on the island is also fantastic as it was a night setting and it really benefitted with no color. Thirdly, it kind of acts as a sister piece to the original 1954’s Godzilla which would make for an incredible double feature. But the rest of the action didn’t really benefit from this particular cut. That’s certainly not to take anything away from it though. I could watch either cut and be satisfied. It’s basically the best black and white version of a colorized film since Logan. 

    Godzilla Minus One: Beautiful, riveting, terrifying. Watch that shit. Long live Gojira.