Although a tad plodding in its early stretches, this new Godzilla film combines thrilling spectacle with a grounding in narrative storytelling, as it psychoanalyses and indicts Japanese wartime militarism in hopes of a pacifist change in mentality.

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From visual referencing Jaws (1975), Jurassic Park (1993) and Dunkirk (2017) to the older ‘Godzilla’ movies, including the OG Gojira (1954), Godzilla Minus One isn’t just a treasure trove of iconic ‘moments’ refashioned for a modern audience, but a movie that knows what it is trying to accomplish—which is to offer something spectacular yet also imbued with historical context that elevates it from a mere ‘popcorn’ flick. 

No wonder Warner Brothers felt existentially threatened when Minus One unexpectedly but deservedly won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects just two weeks before the worldwide release of (the is-it-really-necessary?) Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. 

For a time, many couldn’t see the Oscar winner on the big screen (we still won’t be able to in Singapore), but thanks to Netflix’s acquisition, it is now streamable in several territories. 

Although a good 15-20 minutes could have been shaven for a more incisive experience, Minus One largely engages despite some plodding scenes in its early stretches. 

“To have never gone to war is something to be proud of.”

Still, the film’s grounding in narrative storytelling makes it feel like a drama that happens to have a gigantic, atomic energy-spewing monster in it.  And truth be told, this isn’t really about Godzilla but a psychoanalysis of Japan’s postwar psyche. 

Japanese imperialism had caused tremendous suffering for many Asians, including their very own people, who must rise from the ashes of the atomic bomb.  (I would pair Minus One with Shinya Tsukamoto’s latest Shadow of Fire (2023) as a thematic double-bill.) 

Director Takashi Yamazaki, who also supervised the film’s VFX, has chosen a path of hope rather than one of self-destruction, the latter connecting as a sub-theme with Japan’s infamous kamikazes, or pilots who flew suicide missions. 

Godzilla as a pop culture icon holds different meanings for as many people.  Here, at least to me, it is a physical manifestation of old-time Japanese militarism (largely caused by Western powers’ subjugation of Japan in the early 20^th century), one that needs to be defeated. 

As Millennials and Gen Zs, we no longer subscribe to ‘honourably’ dying for our country; we want to live… and choose the right leaders.

Grade: B+

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