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I would never have guessed in 2023 that one of my favorite movies of the year would be a Godzilla movie, as it's not a franchise I've ever been terribly interested in. But Takashi Yamazaki created a compassionate and human world that absolutely captivated me (and many others, including the folks at the Academy). Now he is back with "Godzilla Minus Zero," a film that gives us twice the Kaiju while holding onto the humanity of its predecessor.
Kôichi Shikishima (Ryûnosuke Kamiki) and Noriko Ôishi (Minami Hamabe) live with their adopted daughter Akiko (Sae Nagatani), trying to build a normal life after surviving the war and then the Godzilla attack a few years earlier. However, when Professor Murakami (Min Tanaka) discovers a new monster, he must disrupt the peace that Kôichi has found to find a way to save Japan once again. The efforts to stop this new monster are led by Dr. Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), along with meteorologist Makoto Aoyama (Masami Nagasawa). But as their efforts fail, they will be forced to call on an old foe for help.
While "Godzilla Minus Zero" doesn't quite live up to the dizzying heights of "Godzilla Minus One," it is still a truly remarkable film. The visual effects continue to be some of the most stunning we've seen. It would not surprise me to see it up for another Oscar for its effects, which is something in a year that already has a number of films with impressive visuals. But once again, what sets this film apart is how it is able to provide us with a number of impressive moments of sensitivity.
This is a far more violent film than "Minus One," and some of it is truly upsetting. It's not bloodier (though there are some charred bodies that are difficult to look at), but parts of it feel far more visceral. Watching a body plummet to the ground after its parachute has been cut by a giant monster is somehow more frightening than watching them stomp on hordes of people.
Godzilla has always been a metaphor for nuclear destruction, and that point is underscored in "Godzilla Minus Zero." Our team must work with the American military, and the unease in that alliance is palpable. We see the aftereffects of the bomb in Hiroshima, and how that impacts the actions of one of our characters in a genuinely profound way. It is also underlined by the new kaiju's ability to smash buildings by lifting them into the air and dropping them.
Professor Murakami has a strong desire for revenge in "Godzilla Minus Zero." He fantasizes about using one of his inventions to lure Godzilla to his enemies, hoping to inflict as much pain on them as they did on him. But the message that he hears and eventually chooses to believe is that choosing to protect others, even those who hurt him, is the best kind of revenge. Godzilla is destructive without a purpose, but we have a choice. May we choose compassion and humanity, lest we become the monster.
Rating: 4/5
Alise Chaffins is a freelance and Tomatometer-approved film critic.