Sci-Fi Godzilla Minus One

EXCELLENT FILM.

It's about as good of a movie as you can ask for. If I had to critique anything then I guess I'd say it's pretty melodramatic at parts but considering the context that it's post-war ravaged Japan, the melodrama is acceptable.

Easily top 3 Godzilla film ever along with '54 and Shin Godzilla. We truly are living in a golden age of Godzilla. Stunning to me also that we have 2 Godzilla related entries happening at the same time where the humans are actually compelling in both Minus One and Monarch.
 
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Wow that was an incredible film. The fact that my girlfriend actually got invested in the characters and cried at the ending says a lot.

I'll write more when I don't have to go to bed to get to work, but this was everything I wanted in a Godzilla movie and easily a top 3 entry in the series.
 
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Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that Godzilla 2014 Comic Con teaser before. This movie feels like the movie they were trying to tease there, instead of what we got in 2014 (2 hours of bland human characters running around screaming while Godzilla fights some origami figures in the background).
 
Just got back from IMAX. That was amazing. I did not realize I could tear up in a Godzilla movie. WTF? Thankfully, my fears about the movie weren't realized. A fear that came back up when Attack on Titan pulled that bull**** in their finale. Its not GMK in terms of discussion about Japan's actions in WW2, sure, but it is a great look and reflection on the Japanese attitude during the war, and how the loss affected that.

Plus a giant radioactive lizard causing great destruction. Looking great at the fraction of the Hollywood price ($15 million was recently reported, not the $150 I saw earlier in the thread)

I don't know what Toho is calling him from the beginning of the movie, but I am just going to call him the new Godzillasaurus. Not as pro Japan as he was in Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, but I am glad I didn't see all the discussion about the spoiler toy, which I assume was about the new Godzillasaurus. That was a fun bit of destruction.

The main character being a kamikaze pilot who defied his orders is so fascinating to me. I loved that decision. I am glad it focused on the destruction the US did with the fire bombing. That gets left out too often in favor of focusing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the atomic bombs. And speaking of the bombs, I loved that we got a bit of the transformation of Godzilla by US bomb testing. Often mentioned, rarely seen.

I wonder if GMK was actually used as a visual inspiration. Because so much reminded me of GMK. The atomic blast going into a mushroom cloud. The build up around his mouth before he unleashes it. Hell, Godzilla dies by the same way as he did in GMK. Even gave him the same teaser for a sequel. Which I am all down for.

It was great to have characters you liked, so much that I teared up when Noriko was "killed". To the point were I am unsure on my feelings about the ending. Yeah, I was super happy to see her alive. And they didn't used it for the cheesy emotional beat to keep Shikishima from killing himself. But there is a bit of undercutting the emotion I felt when I thought she was killed.

And time for my controversial take. I loved the soundtrack they were using. I have listened to it on youtube, but good god, was it so much more effective on screen. So much so, that I felt that the Godzilla March, the THEME of Godzilla, not only was used at the wrong times, but was entirely inappropriate for the film. The way it was used between two of the very dramatic bits of music felt very wrong. It is weird to say that about such an iconic theme. At the very least, it should have been arranged differently than what we got

I am going to see it again. Such a pity it will be ignored by the awards. Because a story about the emotional impacts of war is straight up the ally of the awards. But, its got a giant dinosaur.
 
This was easily a top 2 Godzilla movie ever and Hollywood should be embarrassed. For 15 mil, Toho delivered a movie with vast spectacle and compelling story and characters. This movie was better than any blockbuster American film I have seen this year. Yall spend 300 mil on garbage like Dial of Destiny or The Flash, and Toho for 15 mil makes all yall look incompetent. Honestly, this may have been my favorite film all year. It's a great film even if Godzilla wasn't around. Thematically he needs to be of course, but my point is I didn't miss him when he wasn't there. I was absorbed into the character drama.

Great film. Highly recommended. Support this, not the crap Hollywood put out this year
 
I had no idea till just now that this was getting such praise from fans and critics. Excitement just went through the roof as I didn’t really expect a Godzilla film to get widespread recognition. This is now a big priority, need to make time when it releases here. So happy to see big G doing well. :D
 
To the point were I am unsure on my feelings about the ending. Yeah, I was super happy to see her alive. And they didn't used it for the cheesy emotional beat to keep Shikishima from killing himself. But there is a bit of undercutting the emotion I felt when I thought she was killed.

If you noticed, her neck showed an infection of some sort, so even though she survived, it came at a price. Either that or perhaps it was a hint to how she survived; did the infection from Godzilla heal her in a similar way to how he heals? Either way her survival was more balanced by that ominous hint so I was ok with it.
 
On the subject of if she was infected or healed at the end, I don't take it the ominous way just cause the story for this trio is complete. If they continue this Godzilla series, I would expect a time jump or new characters or both of those. I don't think they would do another movie about these characters, and their arcs paid off. I more or less see the ending as his war is finally over and he is now ready to forgive himself and have that family. But she walked away from the encounter with her own scars and PTSD that they will have to deal with together.
 
I'm also not clear on what the mark on her neck was. Everyone seems to be noticing it, so it seems like it was there for a reason. I can't tell if it was meant to be something related to the radiation, or if she somehow got infected with Godzilla's tissue.

So even though she survived, it's not clear how long she will live. I would've been fine if Noriko died, but IMHO the movie is about embracing life and finding the will to live and go on under tragic and horrendous circumstances, so I was fine with her living because they wanted the movie to end on a more hopeful, optimistic note.

The film treated the war as a tragedy and everyone is suffering, and it condemns the use of kamikaze pilots, which I also found interesting. The use of kamikaze pilots weren't presented as some sort of honorable sacrifice for your country, but they symbolized the Japanese government's lack of compassion for their own citizens and soldiers. I like that the movie starts with Shikishima chickening out of his kamikaze run. Taking the "coward's way out," but what he really did was value his own life, which was truly the honorable thing. That's why that other engineer came up to him and said he understands and that they need more people like him.

And yes, I echo the sentiment that Hollywood should be embarrassed that TOHO made an infinitely better film with a fraction of the budget. A film where you actually care about the human characters and they are all likable underdogs you end up rooting for.

I don't remember who played the naval captain who comes in about midway through, but he was great too.
 
I'm also not clear on what the mark on her neck was. Everyone seems to be noticing it, so it seems like it was there for a reason. I can't tell if it was meant to be something related to the radiation, or if she somehow got infected with Godzilla's tissue.

So even though she survived, it's not clear how long she will live. I would've been fine if Noriko died, but IMHO the movie is about embracing life and finding the will to live and go on under tragic and horrendous circumstances, so I was fine with her living because they wanted the movie to end on a more hopeful, optimistic note.

The film treated the war as a tragedy and everyone is suffering, and it condemns the use of kamikaze pilots, which I also found interesting. The use of kamikaze pilots weren't presented as some sort of honorable sacrifice for your country, but they symbolized the Japanese government's lack of compassion for their own citizens and soldiers. I like that the movie starts with Shikishima chickening out of his kamikaze run. Taking the "coward's way out," but what he really did was value his own life, which was truly the honorable thing. That's why that other engineer came up to him and said he understands and that they need more people like him.

And yes, I echo the sentiment that Hollywood should be embarrassed that TOHO made an infinitely better film with a fraction of the budget. A film where you actually care about the human characters and they are all likable underdogs you end up rooting for.

I don't remember who played the naval captain who comes in about midway through, but he was great too.
Nice. Godzilla has never been the problem, it’s been crap human characters dragging things down. Glad that that issue is getting fixed.
 
I think it’s great that a Godzilla film like this can be so deep with human characters and story etc and emotional. And then we can have the Monsterverse that’s blockbuster fun and full of action. Give me both I am always down for more. Eating good right now with all of this going on.
 
Toho attempting to go back into international distribution does seem to have some issues. I was just happy to see a lot more showings start to pop up, at my preferred theater and for next week. Hell, it started to take IMAX showings. Which I recommend going to at least once.
 

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