Movie Review: Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Godzilla Minus One (2023) co-written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki

Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is a kamikaze pilot at the end of World War II who lands on a small island. He claims something is wrong with his plane but the mechanic crew can't find any problems. A problem does show up when the islanders' boogie man appears--a two-story tall, lizard-like creature called Godzilla. Godzilla rampages over the makeshift airstrip. When the mechanics beg Shikishima to use his plane's guns to kill the monster, he freezes up. Almost everyone else dies. The war ends and Shikishima returns to his home in Tokyo. His parents have died. His home is mostly rubble. His neighbors are dismissive if not hostile to a kamikaze pilot who is still alive. When he's in the market, a woman being chased by the police gives him a package as she races by. The package is a baby girl. Shikishima hems and haws about what to do. He decides to abandon the child in the market but relents. As he walks out of the market, the woman comes out of hiding. She follows him home and they start an awkward family life--the baby isn't even hers. Life slowly improves in post-war Japan. Shikishima takes a well-paying job. It's on a boat that disarms mines in the ocean. The risk is high and only gets higher when an atomic-irradiated (and much larger) Godzilla shows up to terrorize the ocean ships. Also, Godzilla's travels point him straight to landing in Tokyo harbor.

The movie does a great job depicting the menace of Godzilla. The island fight (well, more of a massacre) is tense. It also shows Shakishima's character, how he's dodged death by being inactive or cowardly. He knows his flaws and feels a lot of guilty, especially over all the mechanics who died. His life becomes a path to redemption as he grows bit by bit. The human drama is just as good and interesting as the monster drama. Godzilla is less of a character than a plot device that creates conflict for Shakishima. The movie is similar to Mad Max: Fury Road, where the title character is more of a supporting character and the main person is someone else. The actors do a great job in their roles and the CGI effects (except for bits with the airplane at the beginning) are excellent. 

Recommended, highly for Godzilla fans. This is as good as the original.