Thanks. I have seen some very positive reviews of Godzilla Minus One from some of the YouTube reviewers that I follow. My first reaction was that it’s just not my kind of movie, but as the good reviews continued to stack up, I decided to add it to my watch list.
My New Year’s resolution a couple of years ago was to avoid dumping on movies I’ve not actually seen. First and foremost, I want to try to stay focused on the good stuff. But it’s also unsound practice to unload carelessly about movies based on nothing more than online chatter. That’s just venting my prejudices, and there is too much of that all around us.
Another recent resolution is to (at least occasionally) step outside of my longstanding genre preferences and watch some things to which I would formerly have turned a blind eye. I still have strong personal preferences, but my larger interest is woke vs. unwoke, and I am especially looking for movies that plant a conservative/traditionalist/moral flag on hilltops worth defending. If I limit my viewing to my own narrow preferences, I will miss some allies worth knowing. A movie doesn’t have to be explicitly conservative as long as it’s not obnoxiously leftist and woke. Pure escapism is fun too. I mentioned Renfield recently in another thread. There is no deep hidden message in the film. It’s just a comic romp through vampire lore with a very funny running gag about Renfield joining an Al Anon style group for codependents.
Godzilla Minus One is a survival/redemption story.
Godzilla is emblematic of the terrible destruction that struck Japan when they awakened the American beast.
The main character suffers from ostracism, PTSD, and his life is in ruins. The movie is about how he rebuilds his life and gains acceptance and forgiveness from his peers by overcoming his inner demons (while facing the gravest threat of all).
The characters in no way try to paint America as the bad guy. They own their part in WW2 and anger at their leaders is understated but nonetheless present.
The focus is on life in the aftermath of unimaginable destruction and the will to survive.
Because the core story is so compelling, the characters so human and likeable, the judicious use of Godzilla enhances the storyline instead of overpowering it. Of course, fans of the King of all Monsters will be awestruck by his presence on screen and the creators make him truly terrifying.
The background music, a nod to the original score meant to evoke dread, is punctuated by a steady crescendo of strings and made all the more powerful when purposefully silent.
It’s subtitled in English but easy to follow the dialog.
My kids want to see it again.