I think we all can agree that Minus One's writing is great. You got characters that are not only defined as much as they should be, they behave consistent with minor changes when suitable and major changes only when sufficiently informed such as their interests being met or changed by events caused by choices other characters make based on their own interest. Characterization seems to be Takashi Yamazaki's greatest strength.
The reunion of Shikishima and Noriko is bittersweet and somewhat tragic. Throughout the film, Shikishima fights one obstacle after another and the gods of this world were not going to let him off easy. Noriko’s return might be just another obstacle.
In a way her surviving was kind of a 'safe' ending cause i thought just having Shikishima living to care for Akiko as a true father figure would've been a more touching & powerful ending. I didn't mind her living but it did kind of took me out of the moment a little cause of how far-fetched it was her surviving that moment.
@@izumolee6714 Idk if it's true, but I read somewhere that the Japanese theatre pamphlet reveals that BOTH Shikishima and Noriko were infected with the Godzilla cells, which resonated when they were reunited. Apparently Godzilla already had healing abilities pre-nuking, so his genetic makeup was all jacked up as a result and that lingering piece potentially wouldn't even regenerate into Godzilla again (assuming this timeline is even followed up on).
@@BRAINFOXINFINITEI won't be so sure given that Godzilla in the movie has Deadpool level regeneration, I can imagine he'd be ready for round 2 in years if not months or weeks.
I went to rewatch Minus One over the weekend with my mom and brothers. Upon rewatch, I honestly enjoyed the movie more, especially after looking up and researching a lot of the historical stuff that surrounds the time period of the film. Also, the entire prologue sequence has to be one of my favorite Godzilla scenes in the entire franchise. I loved everything about it.
Monarch legacy of monsters Godzilla minus one GxK trailer Other projects..... Sleep omni....sleep. we as fans love your content. And boy have we all been spoiled this holiday season. Get rest my friend.
Naoki Sato created a score which was predominantly ambient soundscapes underpinning the moods conveyed in their respective scenes. Listened to as stand-alone recordings, it's background music, but listened to in context of the visuals and dialogue, it worked 100%. True, it lacked leitmotifs (except for the cruiser sea battle sequence), but at the same time, there was nothing in the music that was intrusive or jarring that took you out of the movie. It all fit... That said, I feel it would have been unnecessary to have a new stinger filled and flourish packed symphonic soundtrack to heighten the drama, the introspection of the protagonists, the kid cute and sorrow, the horror, the conflict and other elements presented in the story. If you noticed, Sato also did some re-arranging of Ifukube's iconic themes in terms of their orchestration and tempo. In the second Godzilla suite, he effortlessly segued from the Gojira March to the main titles of "King Kong vs Godzilla". Brilliant... Sato and longtime collaborator, Takashi Yamazaki, took a risk in regards to this "less is more" approach to the score and that less, for my money ...really clicked.
@@joeysullivanTM It was mentioned that Godzilla shards were found in Ginza, so it's possible that Noriko came into contact with some during/after the blast and was mutated that way.
I wouldn't say part Godzilla. But we can say she gained his regenerative abilities. Also, depicting her as a bomb survivor and part monster os risky. In Japan, if they go for the Godzilla hybrid direction, the sequel could get boycotted and banned.
@@MinecraftWorld1954 sorry I meant Akane. I'll make the appropriate edits. Also yeah Ayana is S tier character. I'm still undecided whether she or Toru is the best Gamera lead, but it's one of them
Some fans say that Noriko did die (or was very much going to) by the blast, but one of Godzilla’s dispersed regenerative “G-cells” parasitised on her neck or head and saved her. A similar thing happened before in the franchise, and that’s why her black mark seemed as if wriggled a little bit. I personally don’t buy, or don’t want, this view but I don’t know the director’s intention in that scene, either, anyway. We’ll see, hopefully, in a few years.
I personally liked the soundtrack, specifically the appropriately titled “Divine” track which sounded befitting to a vengeful god and it might be one of my new favorite Godzilla theme songs outside of the traditional Ifukube ones (much like how G2000 had its own unique theme song that ran through much of that film). I do think some more music variety could’ve balanced it out though, however I’m still pleased that the movie avoided recycling stock music like how Shin did (besides the original Gojira roar which was also utilized very well, far better than how Shin handled the roars). And speaking of which, I like that we actually see Godzilla getting burned and mutated by the H-bomb, something that was only ever implied or just explained through exposition in the past. Yeah, Minus One handled its politics extremely well on account they added to the story instead of taking away from it. It was nuanced and didn’t bash you over the head. If I had to really compare its themes to any American/Western ideology however I’d say it’s akin to some shade of libertarianism (not saying it is, just making a comparison), what with the fact it involves Japanese private citizens and military veterans chewed up and spat out by the former imperial government (now a shell of its former self) taking matters into their own hands, choosing to fight to live both for themselves, their families and countrymen instead of for a hopeless cause under a government that for years just threw bodies at everything with disregard to everyone under it. As for the “no politics” thing I’d say it’s shorthand for saying (albeit perhaps too broadly) that no ultra-left woke commie politics pervade Minus One as Hollywood has been all too happy to do with everything else, no matter how much “the message” didn’t fit. And yet here comes Minus One with a more nuanced message that is far more endearing and from another country that actually has something worth saying despite the cultural differences (Hollywood is largely boring and has nothing worth saying much these days). Mind you the Godzilla series has swung in different directions politically over the years depending on the films, but that’s what I got out of this one specifically. Another user pointed it out but I do wish the Ginza attack lasted longer as I felt we got more sea battles with Godzilla than we did of him on land. But that can be remedied for a sequel which I dearly hope comes about considering all the plot threads that were left hanging with a lot of potential that can be explored and refined (and I really don’t want yet another dime a dozen “reboot” that goes nowhere like what happened with 2000, Megaguirus, GMK, the Kiryu duology, etc).
I just saw the film yesterday! Honestly, every time I hear the Ifukube Godzilla theme in a theater, I get insanely hyped xD. The film was fantastic overall. I won’t lie, though, Godzilla felt pretty weak. Yes, he was destructive, but he came across as a glass canon. I really would have appreciated a return from the oxygen destroyer.
Release it on DVD, BLURAY and anything else for new years and they will make a billion dollars more.. Everyone who saw this will buy 2 copies.. One to open and one to shelf.. maybe.. I still watch Relic and my first copy was VHS.. Second was DVD. Minus One is a freaking masterpiece.
Apparently, it was even more tragic in the novelization where the sailors actually salute Godzilla as he's falling apart as if they're accepting they were the reason for his mutation.
Honestly my only problem is mostly just nitpicking the ending. I would have liked Noriko to have been more visually damaged, than just radiation sickness. Also would have preferred if Godzilla remains regenerating wasn’t so huge/sudden along without having that loud music to go along with it. It felt too sudden and more ‘Godzilla can’t die’ / ‘leave room to make a potential sequel’. Would have preferred if barely noticeable and the music was softer. As a way to show the horror isn’t over.
Appreciated eternal gratitude is extended towards you Omni Viewer, for your in depth perspective and review of this exceptional film. Especially noteworthy was your statement about a film still achieving greatness and excellence, without needing an oscar nomination or oscar win. It presents an idea to acknowledge and ponder. Hopefully Godzilla Minus One, will be a film that is cherished, admired and remembered fondly for millenia to come!
As far as the ending goes, I thought it was kind of cheesy at first, but good cheesy. You kind of want to set sense of disbelief aside to say "just let him have this" right before you see that thing on her neck. With all theories, I think that the bitterness of the end comes from knowing that she at least has super-cancer. Then when it comes to a potential sequel, there's so many ways it can continue because of how little we're actually given on Godzilla's regeneration. How long would it take him to regenerate his body? Would he come back the same, or can they pull a Heisei and bring him back bigger? Could a sequel take place in modern day, or perhaps the 80's or 90's with Shikishima being an old man whose lost everything he fought for all those years ago only to see his personal demon come back?
"Could a sequel take place in modern day, or perhaps the 80's or 90's with Shikishima being an old man whose lost everything he fought for all those years ago only to see his personal demon come back?" Huh...I like this idea. Of course, we have no idea what Yamazaki and Toho have up their sleeves for a sequel, so all we can do is wait.😔
my biggest gripe with minus one was that it was predictable with some cliche's and godzilla's land based destruction was a bit lacking outside of his initial attack. i do like the very last scene.
Agreed 100%. This film could have taken a much different path if they had Godzilla use his atomic breath near Hawaii. No one on the American side saw Godzilla (since he was in the ocean far off shore), but they did see a Japanese fighter plane emerge out of the smoke. Hysteria ensues as the American government believes Japan must have gotten their hands on nuclear weapons from the Soviets. And from there, you can see how an alternative history takes place where a war between the US and USSR takes place.
Good review, think I agree pretty much with everything you said. I would welcome a sequel, although I think it should be done more seriously not going into the fantasy and corny type stuff which the monster verse seems to be headed. Don't get me wrong, I'll take any Godzilla movie, but I prefer the more grounded in real life serious ones like 2014. I think this is probably the second best Godzilla movie ever made, the third best Kaiju movie Behind the original King Kong and Godzilla movies. I agree the soundtrack could have been better, but I loved the use of the classic original Godzilla themes.
You really wouldn't need to change Singular Point much. Just have the Monsters act more traditional and say that Jet Jaguar stalled their exponential evolution. Then tell a somewhat more traditional story and boom, it's perfectly Godzilla. Just with Archetype instead of radiation.
Seeing As This Is some kind of Spoiler Discussion, I Got A Question Burning On My Mind; Do You Think That Godzilla Should Or Could Have Been Reinterpreted As Some Runaway Experiment From Unit 731 And That’s Why He Goes After Humans? Because, Keep In Mind, Th‘ Odo Island Massacre Takes/Took Place Before That Bomb In Zee Bikini Atoll Went Off…
Just saw the movie and loved it. You know, I was thinking the exact same thing in the run up to the release. Godzilla's origin that I had imagined was that while 731 experimented on humans, there was a separate unit called 730 that experimented on animals (hence, minus one) and that there was a facility in either Hiroshima or Nagasaki in which the strange reptile that would become Godzilla was being kept when the bombs fell. That would have been a VERY bold move by Yamazaki and Toho in a country where many nationalists still like to claim that 731 is a myth. That said, I don't really mind that Godzilla's pre-nuke existence is left an open question, especially when the opening scenes weave him into Shikishima's story so well. We can surmise that he's an aquatic dinosaur who's somehow survived into the modern era and perhaps he's angry at humans because the fighting in the Pacific has destroyed his lair. The out-of-control experiment theory still fits as well. Sometimes it's okay to leave things to the imagination.
Ah, that fast-tracking might explain some of the odd mistranslations (possibly done by AI): like all the jet aircraft (not) in the film! Including the "rear wing" "jet aircraft". Though to be fair, those are the only two I caught -- but they were prevalent and repeated.
From who? From where? All I have seen is a lot of respect and love for this film, coming from directors like Spielberg, Nolan, and the American Godzilla directors like Edwards, Dougherty, and Wingard. Add to that the fact that Lucasfilm invited Yamazaki to visit and host a screening of MINUS ONE, and that there was cheering FROM THE AUDIENCE when MINUS ONE won the Oscar for Best VFX and...well, your statement falls flat. Show some proof, like actual articles or statements from the Hollywood types. Otherwise you're just spouting an uninformed opinion on the level of Dr. Skipper.
This movie is the bee's knees it's amazing it should be nominated for best sound design cinematography and best foreign film and it should win if the Oscars ignore this movie I fart in their general direction I will only watch the Oscars if this film is nominated and they need viewers I haven't given a damn about the Oscars in decades
I do agree that this is the best Godzilla movie we had in years. But the one thing I question is that is the movie a standalone or a prequel to the 1954 film?
The thing your forgetting that Godzilla is a giant fire breathing lizard who destroys cities so if someone survives a nuke blast it’s not that unbelievable lmao
Hope you never talk about the Oscars for that long ever again, it’s practically irrelevant. There’s no excitement to be had from them anymore aside from cringe compilations.
I feel like I am the only one that isn't so impressed with this movie. There are some things that just bother me way too much about this movie. The first is the fault of the main character. I don't get why blame him? The mechanics fired on Godzilla themselves. Even if the main character wasn't there and died in a kamekazi attack, Godzilla would have still showed up on the island and those mechanics probably would have fired like they did and they would have still died. The acting is also very over the top. They usually scream or just say exactly how they are feeling. The kid in the movie, was incredicbly cheesy as well. The Ginza destruction scene was way too short. 80% of those scenes were in the first two trailers. Godzilla also just showed up in Ginza, no landfall scene. Then the protag seems to teleport to Ginza as soon as he hears that Godzilla is in Ginza. Conincidentally gets there just in time to save/ kill Noiko too. Which leads me to my next point, THE PUSH. Unnecessarily too dramatic. Geezus was that cheesy, it felt like I was watching some corny telanovela. Then they just assume Noriko's dead, I actuallly thought they had a body and that is why they held a funneral. Felt way too ham'd up. This movie altogether felt unnecessarily too dramatic. I have more, but there's two more points to this rant. One the Salute at the end, nobody showed any sympathy for Godzilla in this movie. They only talked about killing him. Therefore making the saulte feel unnecessarily too dramatic and nonsensical. Finally Godzilla doesn't kill anyone in the final battle, made it feel more like a fairy tale movie than an actual tragic Godzilla film. Noriko even lives, but if she has radiation burns, so should the protag. The guy was in the same locale as she was. He was even rained on by the "black rain." Also Shin Godzilla's soundtrack was better than this film's. Idk I might make a video on this, but don't want a bunch of angry fanboys on my quiet little channel.
