Godzilla Minus One is a 2023 kaiju film written and directed with Takashi Yamazaki. The film stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando and Kuranosuke Sasaki. The film is set post-war Japan and follows a former Kamikaze pilot who suffers form PTSD after encountering Godzilla. Godzilla Minus One is a great monster film and works as a great entry in the Godzilla franchise.
The direction in the film is great. All the actors in the film worked well together. You can tell that the actors are taken the roles in a story about the giant monster attacking a city seriously all the actors put in a lot of effort to make this film seem believable and dark. The mood of the film is dark and gritty. The post war setting gives the film a very dark and oppressive feel the World War two setting makes the death and destruction a lot grittier. There is a sense of hope of people and the country getting over the distinction. The style of the film is dark and gritty the film was incredible action and destruction a well as this the World War Two environment further showcases a dark style to it. However, there is a sense of hope in the film at the end of people surviving.
The actin g in the film is good. Ryunosuke Kamiki does a good job as Koichi Shikishima a former Kamikaze polit that could on one hand be considered cowardly but understandably so due to what he experienced and suffers from PTSD. The film is about him overcoming this and making a change whilst also finding a reason to live. Minami Hamabe does a good job as Noriko Oshi, Shikishima Girlfriend a good-natured woman that helps Shikishima get out of his rut. Yuki Yamada does a good job as Shiro Mizushima a young crewman about the ship that acts as the heart in the film. Munetaka Aoki does a good job as Sosaku Tachibana a former navy service technician that that is bum and out of action but still has talent. Hidetaka Yoshioka does a good job as Kenji Noda a former Naval weapons engineer that is rough around the edges but still has the same talent. Sakura Ando does a good job as Sumiko Ota Shikishima’s Neighbour who helps him in the film. Kuranosuke Sasaki does a good job as Yoji Akitsu the captain of the fleet in the film.
The writing in the film is good. The film has a dark oppressive feel to it and playing its story serious. This really helps to give the film a dark and gritty feel and take the events that are happing seriously. The characters really stand out in the film and are well written and defined making a monster movie were you really care about the humans. The film also is steeped in post war japan and comments of the war and the historical environment of the time giving the film both historical context and a poignant realism to the film allowing its impact to be greater.
The Cinematography in the film is good. Everything is well shot and looks professional and makes to product look great. The way the action scenes are shown are effective showcasing the mass deviation of the events in the film. The movie also has as great sense of scale. Godzilla looks and feel massive and way he stomps actors the landscape destroying everything in his path is great. He truly feels immense and evil in the film and the cinematography does a great job of capturing that perfectly.
The special effect in the film is great. Godzilla looks incredible the special effects on the monster are top notch and he truly looks immense and evil within the film. The piratical effects in the film are lots great all the gun fire and explosions really make the film feel chaotic and a crazed mass scale war. The destruction of buildings is also great the film feels like the ned of the world where everything is destroyed, and the film feel post-apocalyptic. The film also has GCI but considering that this is a Japanese film on a 12-million-dollar budget the effect looks great for what they are.
Godzilla Minus One is a great monster movie and an incredible entry to the Godzilla franchise.
