GODZILLA: MINUS ONE (Movie Review)

With almost 40 movies made in the Godzilla franchise, it is refreshing to discover Godzilla: Minus One, thelatest version now in theaters, to be one of the best in the series. I am going to go as far as to say this is one of the best films of the year. 

To celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the franchise, the movie was released in Japan on November 4, commemorating the 70^th anniversary of the release of the first Godzilla movie. What might appear odd at first, the film does not focus on Godzilla. Instead, a war veteran takes center stage with Godzilla lurking in the distance. During World War II, a kamikaze pilot deserts his post and his cowardice results in the death of numerous soldiers. A year later, in post war Japan, he finds himself reliving the ghosts of his past, waking every night in cold sweats. But when a monster rises from the deep, a mutation due to atomic bomb tests, the pilot finds himself with an opportunity to return to combat and redeem himself.  

Humans in this entry are depicted as three-dimensional and realistic, in a war epic that doubles as a love story and a psychological drama. Have no fear, though, for this is a monster movie and when Godzilla takes to the stomping ground during a period of Japanese repentment, boy is the destruction jaw dropping! 

The film is receiving limited distribution so don't wait beyond this weekend to see the movie.

Godzilla: Minus One is a film to experience, not to watch. But to do so is to see it on the big screen. If you enjoy watching any of the Godzilla movies, this is certainly one of the best and – dare I say – as good as a Godzilla film gets?