Spoiler Alert
A primer is needed to help describe where Godzilla Minus One fits in the lore. Technically, not all of TOHO‘s Gojira films belong in one long continuity. Fans know his longevity is due to how he is represented over the nearly seven decades.
Throughout the Shōwa era (1954–75), he eventually became a hero who often saved Japan from other kaiju and alien invaders. During the Heisei period (1984–95), he was an anti-hero. In the Millennium (1999–2004) years, I saw the beast as neither friend nor foe (each film was standalone, save for Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS). The Reiwa era (2016–present) recognises how this terror is simply a force of nature. Although this studio’s animated trilogy (2017-18) is its own universe, I think they fit under the same umbrella.
Just where this Japanese studio’s latest belongs is somewhere with the first movie and Shin Godzilla. Not only do long-time fans hear Akira Ifukube’s signature score, which really defines the monster’s presence, but also we see nothing has changed in Gojira’s design. Aside from larger dorsal fins and how they activate when he’s ready to breathe fire, the outline can not be altered by much.
In this tale, he embodies all the doubts the Japanese have towards the future. In this story, Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is struggling to deal with life. After abandoning his sortie and even failing to defend an airbase, all that built up guilt is bound to manifest. When he returns home to find his parents dead, there’s nothing left to live for. He’s actually a kamikaze pilot who is afraid of sacrificing his life for the glory of Japan. But when a neighbour sees him as a coward, there’s no way to atone.
Not even Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki) forgives him. This mechanic led the team on Odo island before it got razed by a dinosaur. This version of godzilla is fierce, but he’s scrawny. He didn’t become the feared force of nature until after the American nuclear experiments at Bikini Atoll mutated him! And the Japanese can blame this country for creating a creature they have difficulty stopping. Despite the fact the US Navy is well aware of its existence, they aren’t doing much to contain of stop him! I assume they want to leave alone like Dr. Frankenstein did with his monstrous creation. If that’s the case, there’s a future idea on where the sequel can go.
Two years pass, and instead of focussing on the rampage of a mysterious monster, Kōichi’s story becomes much more involved. His nightmares of meeting this creature haunt him, and not even the women he accepts into his home can help. That’s because Noriko (Minami Hamabe) has to make a new life too. After losing her parents and home due to the war, she was simply found wandering lost. And with a baby named Akiko (Sae Nagatani) she rescued, the life he finds himself in with these two suggests he’s being given a second chance.
However, they don’t know what he’s dealing with and although their happiness is short-lived, it’s an important story that allows Godzilla to manifest as the demon he’s supposed to be. This kaiju manifests in Koichi’s dreams and appears in person to tear Noriko away from him! While some say his visit is motivated by expanding his territory, there may well be other elements to explain his interest should more films get developed.
When considering the beast’s origins, maybe he’s looking for those American generals who created him (by accident). They are nowhere around. However, because Gojira’s assault began with finding a few US navy ships floating nearby, I’m betting he was following their scent! That is, those survivors were no doubt flown to some hospital in Tokyo, and the monster’s assault may well be because he wanted to finish them off. Unfortunately, that means putting a lot of Japanese in the crossfire!
What makes this work better than the first movie is a tale that includes important historical milestones. The fact it refers to the nuclear testing with images of the dinosaur mutating suggests there’ll be more beasts like Gojira in the future. And what General Douglas McArthur was up to at the time, I feel some of that backstory got cut in favour of giving the Kyushu J7W Shinden fighter plane a chance to shine.
But the story isn’t really not about that or what Godzilla is up to. Instead, it’s about how Shikishima can redeem himself to others because he chickened out the first time he met him, and ran for the hills the next. But as everyone knows, to truly confront the beast means someone is bound to die.
Just what happens next, if there is another film, will have me waiting in bated breath. There’s no word on whether that’ll happen, but I’d rather watch a TOHO film than what Legendary has planned. The future isn’t looking bright when their representation is simply about making these kaijus look super heroic.
4 Stars out of 5
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