Movies…with a little bit of obscure culture and sports mixed in
Godzilla Minus One (2023) is a human-centric Godzilla story set in post-World War II Japan. As the country tries to rebuild itself following the devastation, a new, unprecedented predicament grows in atomic size and strength.
“Post-war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.”
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Writers: Takashi Yamazaki, Ishirô Honda, Takeo Murata
Cast: Muneteka Aoki, Minami Hamabe, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Sakura Andô, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Yuki Yamada, Hidetaka Yoshioka
Release Date: December 1, 2023
IMDB
This is the movie that had everyone up in arms? This is the gobsmacking international hit that took the cinematic world by storm?
Godzilla Minus One (2023) is a human-centric Godzilla story set in post-World War II Japan. As the country tries to rebuild itself following the devastation, a new, unprecedented predicament grows in atomic size and strength.
Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is the first to witness and miraculously survive the Godzilla attack. His guilt for surviving acts as a catalyst for the entire film. Godzilla Minus One becomes a personal mission of survival for Shikishima and all the inhabitants of the recovering and traumatized Japanese community.
The action of Godzilla Minus One is strong, and the few comedic moments bring a grin. What sinks Gozilla Minus One like an anchor is how overearnest the characters act in moments of crisis and panic. This is a subjective take of mine because it faces off with a character trait of Japanese filmmaking. If you are an anime fan or any Japanese media, your willingness to accept the zealousness will make Godzilla Minus One way more enjoyable for you.
And if you are a fan of absurd plot twists, boy-oh-boy, do I have one for you. What if I told you that a character that got gobsmacked by a wave of wind that took down buildings somehow survived their ordeal? What if I told you this seemingly devastating, city-shattering blast led to nothing more than a hospital stay?
I was fucking furious. I don’t want to go along and just spoil who comes back to life from the CERTAINLY DEAD, but I will turn the camera on myself. This decision directly affected my critical and subjective enjoyment of Godzilla Minus One. I was lying on the couch, quiet as a mouse, soaking in the subtitles, waiting for the credits to roll. The vile word vomit that came spewing out of my mouth when this meant to be a hopeful scene commenced, startling not just myself but also those around me.
The one thing about Godzilla Minus One is that it held my parents’ attention. I watched this movie on a tough day of recovery from chemotherapy, so my mother and father were hovering. The classic stage of watching with hands on hips in the middle of the living room evolved to seated arms crossed on the couch. That says something about the movie. While my Godzilla Minus One takes seem like spitfires, the movie is entertaining enough to lasso different generations.
Godzilla Minus One won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 2024 Academy Awards. It was a heartwarming win. The ensemble of visual effects artists came to the award ceremony with custom shoes and toys. The smaller budget crew got to parade to the stage ahead of the likes of juggernaut blockbusters like Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), and Napoleon (2023). The Creator (2023) was also nominated as a slightly smaller project.
For the record, I don’t hate Godzilla Minus One, but underwhelming is a more than fair description of my emotions toward it.
Godzilla Minus One is streaming on Netflix.
Stanko Excel Lists | Movies, Books, Podcasts. TV Shows
Stanko Letterdbox Account
There is a lot happening in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. One could argue that there is too much going on.
Much maligned as the worst of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible II doesn’t do itself any favors upon rewatch.
MaXXXine (2024) “In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.” Director: Ti WestWriter: Ti WestCast: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Halsey, Lily Collins, Kevin Bacon, Bob Cannavale, Michelle…
Stanko's Stance 
1 Comment »