A war-weary Tokyo faces a new threat in “Godzilla Minus One.” (Toho)

By IZUMI HASEGAWA, Hollywood News Wire Inc.

“Godzilla Minus One” commemorates the 70th anniversary of Godzilla’s birth. This film was a huge hit in Japan reaching number one for three weeks in a row when it was released in November.

The U.S. release was on Dec. 1 and the opening weekend box office revenue was approximately $11 million. This made it the third-highest-grossing film that weekend. In terms of opening box office revenue for non-English films, it surpassed “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” to take over the first-place position this year.

“Godzilla Minus One” achieved the highest revenue for made-in-Japan Gojira movies. It has received very high praise not only from fans but also from critics, and is expected to break new records one after another in the future.

I was blown away — I watched this film with skeptical eyes after hearing about the rave reviews and big box office take in Japan.

Has there ever been a Japanese kaijūmonster movie with such a high degree of perfection? Every time I watch a hyped-up Japanese movie, I’m disappointed in the actors’ performances and cringe at the poor VFX (visual effects) quality, even though it can’t be helped because VFX budgets are tiny. However, this film had excellent direction, some heart-touching lines, and VFX that rivaled those of Hollywood blockbusters. Above all, the timing of the theme music was perfect.

Ryūnosuke Kamiki stars in “Godzilla Minus One.” (Toho)

The story is set in Japan right after the end of World War II. Godzilla attacks just as Japan is recovering economically and mentally from the war. The film depicts how Japan, with no military offensive resources due to Article 9 of its new constitution, will fight against Godzilla, who became gigantic due to American nuclear tests.

Just before the war ends, Shikishima (Ryūnosuke Kamiki) lands on ōdoshima Island in the Ogasawara Islands to escape joining a kamikaze mission and fakes mechanical issues on his Zero fighter. He then encounters Gojira, a dinosaur-like creature whose legend has been handed down by the island’s inhabitants. After the war, Shikishima returns to his hometown and confronts the now gigantic Godzilla again.

The war was a time when the concept of creating kamikaze units and “dedicating your life for the country” coexisted with the desire to return home alive and finding their loved ones alive and well. It is precisely because the emotional pain of the main character, who has suffered from the gap between the two, is fully depicted that a line in the show, “I think this country has taken life too lightly,” sticks in the hearts of the audience.

These days, there is news of the invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza war. At a time when we should be fighting the gigantic monster, climate change, humanity continues to waste lives. Although this film is a monster movie, “Godzilla Minus One” follows the spirit of the original “Godzilla” (1954), which contained an anti-war message against the backdrop of a dense human drama.

English translation by Jerry Jorgenson/Hollywood News Wire Inc.