Godzilla Minus One (2023) Movie Review {Godzilla Reviews Ep. 34} 

Happy Father's Day to all the dads watching!

Note: As of today, the film has not been released on Blu-ray/DVD in the US, and based on how long Shin Godzilla took, it might be a couple more months. But it is available to stream on a few platforms!

I am not ashamed to admit that I cried watching this film in the theater. Well done film that finally focuses on the human element. My complaint was the subtitles on Netflix. They should have stuck with the theatrical subtitles. The reaction in the theatre to the line "let's kill a Godzilla" followed by the legendary music hyped the entire audience.

You make several excellent points, Miss Weiselberry, and I agree with you. I'm a longtime Godzilla fan and really feel that this film bookends the original 1954 Japanese movie and they remain the best ones made to date. I can enjoy the silly films too but these two stand apart. Glad to see your review, keep up the good work. On a side note I would add that more reviews of the work of Orson Welles would be welcome.

The review I was waiting for! Godzilla minus one to me was one of the best Godzilla films ever made. And to win an Oscar!

Cried several times, such a beautiful film. A fond memory I have with my mom is watching the original 1954 film many times. Minus 1 and the original Godzilla are the best films in the franchise.

You are brilliant, insightful and intellectual‼️ I saw Minus One in the theater on December 1, 2023, the release day here in the U.S.A. I cried twice during the movie. And, I cried again while watching your magnificent review - those feelings came flooding back to me. I am anxiously awaiting the U.S.A. release of Minus One on Blu-ray. 🙂

An typically enthusiastic and insightful review Miss W. A happy Father's Day to your Dad. He sounds like a good sport.

Yeah, she gave her life to save him- something he had been unable to do. So that scream had about three diffferent layers to it. I tried, and I honestly can't think of a movie I loved more in years. Life mattered, so threats to it mattered, so their overcoming that threat mattered. Godzilla must die in this one. He just must. Also... Akiko!

YAY!!! THE VIDEO I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!! I'm so glad I saw this in theaters.....twice!!! It was an amazing experience for an amazing movie! It's definitely one of the best Godzilla films and the first to make me cry...twice! ❤❤ P.S. Feel better soon! Being sick is not fun. Even colds aren't fun 😢

MY two favorite Godzilla movies are this one and the original Gojira. The 1954 film is a real tragedy, and -1.0 is as well, except for the ending. I shed tears in both films, for different reasons. In the original, how can you not be moved after Godzilla has destroyed much of Tokyo and killed so many and two thousand school girls sing a prayer for the dead. Of course it brings to mind Hiroshima. And the ending of -1.0 brings tears of joy. The director of the original said that Godzilla was not a metaphor for the Atomic bomb, but the actual bomb itself. Consider that if the bombing of Hiroshima had not happened, we would never have had Godzilla. I look forward to seeing the black and white -1.0, just to see how much it reminds me of the original. Glad you appreciated -1.0 so much!

It is on Netflix. Glad to see a 2nd viewing, goes back to the 1954 original.

In the theater there was an audible gasp and some people lurched forward in their seats as if they were trying to grab Noriko when she was swept away by the atomic wind. Excellent film, great review, thanks.

I saw both the colored and b&w versions in the theater. Both are excellent in different ways. Also, the soundtrack was excellent too. Especially, when he nukes the battleship.

Ah I'm so happy about this this is making my day easier. This is the guy who made tha tribute to you with synth wave slowed version of the godzilla song from 84'. Honestly when I see you post godzilla content it's extremely therapeutic and your videos are kind of my safe space to unwind and just enjoy your takes and excitement for each installment you talk about. Times right now are extremely difficult, this helps alot.

Superb commentary, as always. Perfectly on-point in your description and analysis of this surprisingly emotional masterpiece.

Well done JW. Great review. I've been a Godzilla fan since the early 1970s. I absolutely loved this movie.

JW: When you described the neck of this version of Godzilla having a neck _"like a Cardassian"_ from *STAR TREK,* the first thing I thought of was _"The Kardashians."_ And I have never even watched that reality show...🤭

I have this to say: It was a great movie regardless of being a monster picture. Wonderful story and acting.

Your review is great and covered almost all the important and fascinating aspects about the movie. I've watched this movie 5 times in a theater, and now partially and repeatedly enjoying it on a video platform.

Couldn't agree more, thanks for the thorough and impassioned review!

Love the Godzilla Shirt

What an amazing flick!!!! Can't wait to get a blu ray or 4K copy eventually.

The review we've all been waiting for! The best Godzilla movie 🤩

The budget of this film still breaks my mind. Given the impressive special effects, and time period. If I had to guess without knowing, 150 million usd dollars, at least. But less than 15 million?!

Beautiful review, I cried like a baby twice with this one. First with the original Goji theme and then with the ending. Such a phenomenal film.

Minus One is my second favorite film in the entire series. The original is my favorite. Great review.

Great review of a great movie. Thank you...As for Godzilla vs Noriko, perhaps something akin to Biollante

Great video. I watched the movie again recently, and I've also watched some of the many RU-vid reactions. It seems that everyone loves this film, even those who don't particularly like Godzilla (yes, there are such people). Thanks for sharing your review. Happy Father's Day to your Dad!

I've already seen this twice, but I had to pause your review and go watch it again. SUCH a great movie let alone a Godzilla movie.

A bit odd seeing the little green alien cyclops on the opposite side of the shelf -- however, if it helps your plush gray Godzilla to rise up from behind your left shoulder and stand proud, this is the review for that. "Godzilla took home an Oscar!?" Well, no one wanted to argue with him. Seriously, though, I think it helps a lot that people appreciate that Godzilla works as metaphor. I think of him as a living embodiment of what Alvin Toffler once called "future shock." I also find it very timely that international politics can leave Japan feeling very much alone. (Slava Ukraini! Sorry about that, I'm just noting how universally this story can apply.) I think that Jaws may oddly help this movie -- we appreciate that the ultimate star of Jaws is the shark, but it is still so satisfying when Chief Brody blows him up. It seems like earlier Godzilla movies were resigned to great doom and destruction, while this time they decided "Yes! Let's survive!" (Hey, I don't even like it in the Western Unforgiven when Eastwood says, "Say what?") This is my first Father's Day with Dad gone and I sense that he might have appreciated this. Thank you, Rome, and owl be seeing you.

Great review, love your channel, keep it up : )

Thanks for the review, cool shirt too!

It been a long time since I've been tempted to watch a Godzilla movie though I do have to admit that they're a guilty pleasure. Your review (spoilers and all) have convinced me that this is a movie worth my time. Thanks!

Your enthusiasm is always worth tuning in for. I agree, this is a very good movie that just happens to be a Godzilla movie. I am going to watch it again because I missed some of the details you mentioned, such as the musical score. And as for the final scene, yeah... I've got a pulse.

I am intrigued by the black and white version and hope to see it at some point. I might add the kind of grim atmosphere and mood that helped make the original film so powerful I consider this film to be an obvious "alternate history" story, so I don't find the negative critiques re: the US polity toward the Japanese military after the war to not be very pertinent. In THIS version of world events, I'm sure that the US would NOT handicap the entire Japanese nation in its fight with what is essentially a force of nature by preventing the Japanese from using whatever military means necessary to counter the threat. The existence of such a deadly monster menace would likely have thrown many if not most of the prior rules and restrictions out of the discussion. The whole world and the very nature of things would be thrown into a ----to use a silly word--giant TIZZY! Fear and panic. (Just my take on this kind of alternate history.) Thanks for the long and detailed review of such a fun and super-well-made movie. (But....I did NOT like that last shot suggesting Godzilla wasn't truly dead. THAT, to me, cheapened and weakened that entire heroic victory that our characters had pulled off. I just pretend those few seconds at the very end don't exist! )

Very insightful comment on Godzilla's atomic breath attack, I've never yet heard anyone make that very valid opinion and that's one of the many reasons why Miss Jerome ( still can't remember how to type that last name, LOL!) IS THE BEST!! Great show and I hope you keep doin em for a long time, you make RU-vid enjoyable again!

Thanks for you review. I did not need to see the neck thing and the Godzilla chunk regenerating. After everything they’d been through, was ready for a perfect ending. Godzilla never needed a path to come back, he just did.

i sobbed openly at least three separate times during this film-it’s my favorite godzilla movie, but it was also the best film of the year for me and it meant so much to me that it dealt with the concepts of honor, family, and ultimately, reconstruction and hope. i loved the movie and can’t wait to purchase it. everything about it was amazing. thanks so much for your review and sharing your feelings about it!

I enjoyed your review. Like you I was not enthusiastic about this film when it was announced. I was annoyed that Toho was not going to follow up the huge cliff hanger at the end of Shin Godzilla. Call me a convert. For the reasons you so eloquently laid out, this is my favorite Godzilla movie. Better than 1954.

Excellent review. I didn't know a black and white version was made, didn't notice the disturbing mark on Noriko's neck and so didn't make the connection with Godzilla skin in the following scene. Now I know I need to find a blue ray with both versions and that there is going to be a really interesting sequel! Something I do know is why Godzilla Minus One was so successful, while Hollywood, led by Disney has been so unsuccessful in the past few years. The deadening effect on creativity when over managed, bloated corporations make films. Minus One was made on a $10-12 million budget. Compare that to the hundreds of millions spent on unimaginative, poorly written, badly directed Disney films recently. The company reported that CEO Bob Iger's total compensation for 2023 amounted to nearly $31.6 million, including his $865,385 salary, $16.1 million in stock and $10 million worth of options. Enough for the Japanese to make 3 entire movies as engaging and visually beautiful as Godzilla Minus One! On one guy's pay! When a corporation gets as big as Disney is now, executive governance becomes all about power and money. Creativity is stifled. Films become so predictable and poorly made they are unwatchable. Independent films will eventually save Hollywood, lucky for us films like Godzilla Minus One will help tide us over as the big studios die.

I tell you what since watching the first impressions video I'm now into Godzilla again! You do such great reviews of movies and I really appreciate your point of view on things. I tend to agree with 90% of the time with your review.

It was late when I got this movie, and I was just about to go to bed. I put it on to see the first few minutes to see if it was any good. Before I knew it, it was 2:30 in the morning and I sat through the whole thing. I haven't been moved by a movie this much in years. Boy, was I tired the next day!

Really enjoyed the review! Thanks!

Hopefully this will be out on physical media in time for Christmas, at least. I really want it to include both the color and the b&w versions, I love both. Rewatched it on Netflix a couple weeks ago and loved it just as much again.

Firstly, thanks for this. I love your vids I grew up in the 70's and it seemed that a Godzilla movie was on TV every other weekend; I liked them. It wasn't till I saw Mathew Broderick in a modern American version that I realized how much I appreciated the small budget movies. They have something not unlike Harryhausen animations where it isn't about fooling you into thinking it is reality with fancy effects but rather creating a reality within it's limited technology. Long story short, this Godzilla movie brought together the unique universe of the films I remember and made something that didn't at all seem like a money grab. I loved it! It felt like an OG but better.

"a 20 mm cannon can kill anything!" a great line near the start of the fil. Representative of the hubris we often see in sci fi films where the message that 'our military might can blow anything away'. Of course we don't get to see that test and I don't think it would have mattered anyway - which was a good way for the pilot to add to his already crushing guilt that he didn't need to take on.

Totally agree on GMK... Not my favorite. Thanks SO much for revisiting this film for a full review. How lucky we are to have such a great Godzilla film to discuss and your review is awesome...Thank you!

happy father day! love your review :)

It moved me to tears which I wasn’t expecting at all.

I just watched the b/w version tonight and it's the first Godzilla movie I've seen and I loved it and now want to watch all of them. I also want to wait a bit to watch the color version. It's been a good while since I cried so much at the end of a movie. And I've been watching so many of your video's in the past week and it's made me fall more in love with movies again. Thank you!

When describing Godzilla, I heard "he has a wide neck like a Kardashian" and I spent several moments trying to think of which Kardashian has a wide neck before realizing you meant Cardasian...

I would love to see future/past movies. Movies that take place in the 50s, 60s 70s and so on.

I'm glad to watch your Godzilla Minus One review. I feel your love for Godzilla films in every detail of your talk. As a resident of the country of Godzilla, I am very happy. Looking forward to your next movie review.

I saw it on Amazon prime. I like Godzilla movies and I thought it was probably the best of the series. It was surprising to see the character development and relationships, usually it's just Godzilla destroying cities.

I was waiting for this!

This is now on my "must watch" list!

Jerome, I agree with your final thoughts. It would be so awesome to experience this film again for the first time: the shocks, surprises, and meeting and getting to know these wonderful characters. One thing I would add to this discussion is the amazing pro-life message of this movie. Every life is precious and every death is a tragedy, whether they died in the war or were killed in a Godzilla rampage.

My mom 84 really liked it, not a Godzilla person. We had to drive three hours to see it. Totally worth it. Mom felt sorry for Godzilla. I wore my Godzilla t shirt.

Sorry you've got a cold, Please get rest & Hope you feel better soon,all of your fans Wish You Well.

Hello. Thank you for your review on this incredible film. Yes, I agree with you. Woo! When Akira Ifukube's Godzilla theme starts playing during Godzilla's attack on the city. Godzilla's design is impeccable, and the human actors all do a great job. Shikishima's reasoning for doing what he did throughout this film is a great topic of conversation at any time. I did get emotional when I saw this film in the theater and rewatching the "Minus Color" version not long afterwards. Thank you so much again for this great review. I hope you cold has gotten better or gone away completely since you recorded this video.

Loved this movie when I went to see it in Dec....Fun thing for me was I had recently returned from a solo trip to Japan (to UK) just a few weeks earlier...And while on the return flight I watched a couple of Japanese subtitled movies..one of those being "Dr Coto's Clinic"....Then while watching "Godzilla Minus One" I realised I had see the actors before somewhere to remember I saw them in "Dr Coto's Clinic". Both Hidetaka Yoshioka and Ryunosuke Kamiki are main characters in the movie!...I was in Japan to see my favourite band LIVE for a second time..after flying out to Japan in Jan earlier in the year to see them...During my Jan I visited Shinjuku which has a hotel with the head on Godzilla hanging over the roof...It lights up and puffs smoke as I recall...You can book and stay in a room which has the balcony of the Godzilla head on it....I also stopped off at the Shin Godzilla statue near Hibiya Station during my hotel transfer day. (between Shibuya and Ariake)..During my second trip I stopped to take photo's of the Family Mart conbini store in Taishido which has a large King Kong model hanging on to the front of the store.

Wonderful review to wake up to on Father's day. Big Godzilla fan from as far back as the late 60s. So much detail i am so eager to this movie. Thank you.

I feel like Minus One is like a companion to the spirit of the original movie. The original movie was very broad in the essence of what it was trying to convey. Wholesale destruction on a level a person could never have comprehended years earlier along with how quickly mankind unleashed such things while barely considering the future. Minus One was all about that scenario on a personal level. How do you cope with it, how do you go about your life while dealing with it.

yay! it's still good

It's almost like you read my thoughts before making this video. I feel the same about so much of what you said. I also want to thank the redditor who recommended your channel. I've always loved Godzilla and watching movie reviews, so this is like the perfect channel for me. I look forward to checking out your non-Godzilla content as well! Last thing...has anyone ever told you that you resemble and sound like Anne Hathaway?

Godzilla -1.0 is one of the best movies I've seen in the past year. I also saw it in the theater last December. Wow! This was the best Godzilla movie I've ever seen. It was a great movie on its merits. Great story and great screenplay.

Love what you said about that last scene. "you might want to check for a pulse" LOLOL. Also Criterion channel will start showing the beginning of the Heisei series. All remastered for hopefully a box set down the line. But let us know if the channel gives you the behind the scenes extras. Those are all over the place on youtube. Great review btw.

Awesome review. This is without a doubt one of my favorite Godzilla movies. I agree with you, substance in a movie is an important aspect and specially the fact that it doesn't take from the monster aspect, gives it a plus. Nice shirt by the way.

Hear me out...just watched your review on Son of Godzilla, it was very good. I think that the mass of Godzilla flesh sinking to the bottom, should have regenerated into a fat, smiling Minira...fade to black, roll credits. Just kidding. I both clapped and cheered when Godzilla howled at the end of the credits, great show.

Gojira (1954), Godzilla Minus One (2023), and a few in between.

Hi Jerome! Fantastic review! "Godzilla Minus One" and the original 1954 "Gojira" are my favorite Godzilla films, although there are many I haven't seen. You definitely have a talent for summarizing the storyline of films and really describing the heart of the matter as well as the surrounding elements, characters and qualities. Thank you for this more in-depth look at this film. It's a great story and your review is a pleasure! Cheers!

You've given some terrific insight, love this movie, great review as usual, eagerly awaiting your Godzilla X Kong The New Empire Review, wishing ya all the best Jerome Weiselberry 👍

I finally got around to seeing this. I'm not a godzilla fan, really and I don't watch many movies. I'm a gamer, I don't have time for them. But I've wanted to see this since seeing your charmingly enthusiastic review a couple of months ago. I wasn't disappointed. It was pretty incredible. But I thought Ryuunosuke Kamiki's performance was a bit, um... melodramatic. Particularly at the end when he finds Noriko alive he just turns into a blubbering mess. But I figured maybe that's how Japanese cinema is. I did like his arc, though. And I liked the rest of the cast. I felt the movie wimped out a bit having him survive his attack on godzilla. I think his sacrifice would have had more pathos if he'd have died. But that's a minor thing. My favorite part was when the heavy cruiser engaged godzilla. They kept firing even as godzilla was taking their ship apart. Fighting to the last moment. I'm really glad the film found the success it has.

Dear Miss Weiselberry, Your enthusiasm is wonderful! When I saw "Godzilla Minus One" in the theater I wanted to cheer when I heard Akira Ifukube's music and when I spotted all the nods to earlier films. I had gone in with no expectations, I simply wanted to see a Godzilla movie on the big screen, which I had somehow never managed to do before. The black and white version sounds really intriguing. I'd probably rate "Godzilla Minus One" in the top tier. I'd put the first movie ahead, if only for originality. We'll have to see if the next Godzilla movie (and there will always be another Godzilla movie) will follow this timeline or do another reboot. I'd be fine either way.

Thanks for the detailed review. Speaking of GMK, the final scene of Godzilla regenerating is obviously a nod to the ending of that movie. As for a sequel, I hope Noriko doesn't mutate into some kind of monster. Perhaps she'll just have a special connection to Godzilla (or to a new kaiju), like some characters have had in past movies. Or maybe there won't be a sequel at all, just as Shin didn't have one. Time will tell.

I really liked 'Godzilla Minus One', *much* more than the overrated 'Shin Godzilla' (so many meetings...zzzzzz) My only real complaint is that sequel bait at the end, which I not only felt the film did not need, but detracted from the power of the ending. Any threads they want to follow in a sequel could have been set up in that sequel, without having to tarnish this first film. Still, that's a quibble for what is the best "serious" Godzilla film in a very long time. I apparently enjoy the sillier Godzilla movies more than you do, as I am *very* happy that we can get a serious film like 'GMO' and an over-the-top monsterfest like 'Godzilla x Kong' within a year of each other. I loved them both for different reasons (although I still give the edge to GvK over GxK). For those films, I suppose it helps that, as much as I love Godzilla, I'm a bigger fan of Kong and those are, essentially, Kong films with Godzilla in them. 'Godzilla Minus One' is unlikely to unseat 'King Kong vs. Godzilla' as my favorite Godzilla film, simply because nothing can beat that epic first encounter between the two greatest giant monsters of all time. But it really is a remarkable film, for being able to be so harsh, yet hopeful and still deliver the giant monster thrills an audience wants. It's the perfect balance between human and monster stories, something the series has done only a handful of times before (including, of course, the original 'Godzilla').

I still say it should have won a few more Oscar's. I wonder if this Godzilla is teething, they way he chomps down on stuff.

@Jerome Weiselberry this reminds me more of Godzilla Raids Again than the original 1954 classic. And this is actually one of the more interesting ways Godzilla dies essentially giving him the Bends. They're on a personal note the human aspect of the film is one of my favorite parts of Godzilla I was taken in at 6 months of age and raised by a woman (mom) and treated as one of her own. And more films should have family relationships. films need more adoptee and adapter tight relationships as strong as biological parent and child. Sometimes found family is just as strong as your biological family. And I can attest to that.

This was a Great Film that had Godzilla too! Great Review! I had a great Father's Day! Cheers!

Finally watched this movie on Netflix before watching your in-depth review. At first I was disappointed that it was dubbed into English but a quick investigation of the settings returned it to the original Japanese with subtitles. I enjoyed both the movie and your review. Was just a bit confused when I muted the final credits to hear sirens and thunder and discovered I was in the middle of a real life tornado warning and a flurry of nearby lighting strikes. I thought it was all movie noise!

oh nice, I just rewatched it for the first time this week! edit 2: a sequel to this would be a bad idea. there's no way they could ramp up the tension again without ruining Minus One's story. I think the very last shot of godzilla's heart regenerating might actually be the one bad choice made in the movie? I don't need him to be dead, but confirming he's alive immediately feels really off

Happy Sunday beautiful Jerome!!!

Good Morning, Sister Jerome! I want to see this, primarily because of your reviews. Hopefully, there'll be an English dub of this. I'll watch it with subtitles, but I 'd rather have a dub. An Oscar -winning Godzilla film; whod'athunkit? Tell your Dad "Happy Father's Day " for me.

Wait, is this your second review on minus one? I remember I saw one when the movie came out in the theaters. You really do love the movie a lot😊

Thank you for sharing this video. I've been anticipating this one ever since your first impressions video. I love the movie. A great homage to old school Godzilla tropes blended with incredible story and character development of modern cinema. Honestly the best movie I've seen in the theater in 2023. You've presented an honest and thorough review that I can't add much too. By the way describing Godzilla as "built like a Kardashian" I love that. In my opinion Godzilla Minus One should have won more Oscars. Like I said best movie I saw in 2023. Lastly happy father's day to your dad!

Excellent shirt choice

I couldn't agree with you more about all of your insights and opinions on this movie. I enjoyed it immensely. Godzilla Minus One was the best movie of the year, in my opinion. I also share hesitation about a sequel. The original Godzilla was a good movie, but the sequels quickly turned into something less serious but still very fun. I hope if a sequel to Minus One is made, they keep it serious. Yes, I will say it. Godzilla Minus One is the very best Godzilla movie ever made.

Hi, just your review of their reunion had me in tears again... There's also a third version, a high quality english dub that some have actually called the definitive version; and it's really good!, but I haven't seen the others to compare it to. I imagine they'll dub the black and white one too?

Great review 🎉

As always, your reviews are great! I haven't yet seen a subtitled copy so I appreciate how you clarified certain points. Did you know that they were originally going to call it "Godzilla Zero"? Dr. Noda's physical appearance reminds me of photos I've seen of Shigeru Kayama, who wrote the initial treatment for the very first Godzilla movie. I like GMO a lot, but I can't see a lot of similarities to GMK, which is one of the few Japanese G films that I dislike, though GMK does have a cute lead actress. Godzillas design in this movie is miles ahead of the awful look of the "Godzilla" in the Legendary Pictures films. Anyway, I enjoy your reviews and I hope your cold gets better soon. Here in the southeast, the pollen has been really bad for allergies. Have a blessed day!

Nah, that Godzilla, Mothra, Ghidrah flick was EXCELLENT. Godzilla was mean as hell in that movie, and Ghidrah's existence made sense for once (I love Ghidrah, but his origin is a bag of cats). That is my favorite of the post-2000s Godzillas. The Gamera flicks from the 90s had a similar vibe to that one. I love all three of those. I have loved watching Godzilla as far as I can remember, with "Monster Zero" being a personal favorite and having my favorite human story. I think Shin Godzilla is superior to Godzilla Minus One. It had a satirical vibe to it and Godzilla was scary and mysterious.

Thanks to Takashi Yamazaki for not only setting up a compelling human drama, but also distributing Godzilla's screen time so cleverly throughout the film that it never felt like we were getting deprived of Big G's majestic presence at any given moment. Minus One is one of the rarest of Godzilla films where they brilliantly depicted the iconic Atomic breathe (Heat ray) of this radioactive giant lizard. Whenever Big G unleashes the heat ray, it thoroughly means the 'business'....and that's the business of complete annihilation of a nuclear bomb! Totally agree with you...the way they choreographed Godzilla's rampage in Ginza and particularly the ultimate moment when he delivered the heat ray is undoubtedly one of the most horrifyingly powerful moments in his 70-year-long history in cinema.

I don’t feel that Shikishima was a coward at all. The war is lost, what would be the point of going through with his kamikaze mission? And only to support a government that thought so little of him? And there is no way in heck that his plane’s gun would do anything to Goji other than enrage him. Goji was only wandering around, non-aggressive. Left alone, he wouldn’t have killed anyone. But, The soldiers uselessly shot at him and he understandably was pissed. Shikishima was right to be afraid. Don’t go poking a monster 100x (soon to be 10,000x) bigger than a bear if you don’t have to.

[Spoiler] I love this movie, but I think that the final battle scene could have been a bit better edited. Basically, the hero crashes his plane into Godzilla, then "Oh look! A parachute!", he is not really dead. Killing an important character and then revealing that he survived feels like a cheap, overused cliché*, so overused in fact that I expected it and it made the moment of his "death" less impactful as a result. For instance, they could have shown him thinking of the photos of the soldiers killed at the start of the movie while he is flying toward Godzilla's head. Going through each photo, in his head, one by one, faster and faster while his plane is accelerating toward Godzilla, building to the cathartic moment where his plane would crash into the monster's head. Then, just before the impact, a last photo. Noriko and Akiko. He pulls a lever and - surprise - ejects himself, while the plane crashes in a big explosion. This way, you see both what he is doing and why he is doing it, his actions and his state of mind. While the photos of the soldiers illustrates his guilt for his past actions, his thirst for redemption, his resolve to crash the plane, the photo of his surrogate family, of the little Akiko, represents the future, a reason to survive. And his ejection would be a more surprising twist, given that the succession of the soldiers' photos was building toward his sacrifice. *Same goes for Noriko's survival, which I found even more ridiculous due to its sheer impossibility, and to the fact that she is barely wounded (is it because they couldn't imagine the hero in love with a disfigured woman?). Now, I am too afraid to check my pulse. Maybe the real twist is that I was dead all along?

It could be that Noriko develops a semi-telepathic connection with Big G similar to Miki Saegusa in the Millennium series of movies. Perhaps also ultimately becoming one of Mothra's priestesses (if they go down that route).

The day after seeing G-1 on layover near Washington DC, I went to the National Air and Space Museum annex. And there, to my great surprise was the cockpit of the last remaining Shinden aircraft. I did not know the name at the time but recognized it from the movie. Hopefully in time the Smithsonian will reassemble the aircraft as the remaining parts are evidently still in storage.

That shirt rules.

Almost forgot to comment on this. However, I don't have a lot to say. You pretty much said everything that I thought about this movie. One disagreement is this not having a cliffhanger ending. Maybe not in the most obvious sense, but I feel a real need to see what happens next. Both with Godzilla regenerating and especially with the mark on Noriko's neck. If there is no follow-up to this, I will be super disappointed and will take the ranking of this movie down a little. Which probably isn't fair, but oh, well, too bad. This may also be the best G-film, but like you, I'm not prepared to say that yet. Need more time.

I am not a Godzilla fan but, on your recommendation, watched Minus Zero on Netflix - and had a great time. The action scenes are thrilling, Shakashima's journey is gripping, and I was pleasantly surprised at how funny it is; Godzilla chasing the boat had me laughing whilst on tenterhooks. My only gripes are that the score used in the domestic scenes is inelegant and, unlike you, I groaned at Noriko's resurrection. I would have admired the film more if they had honoured her death scene. This was not the first Godzilla movie I have seen but it is the first one I've watched all the way through - and it's definitely the only one I would consider watching again!