Godzilla Minus Zero

SPOILERS BELOW!
It's a mighty rare event that draws Ms. B. and me to the movie theater anymore. Given the prices (especially for concessions), the lack of a pause button (which can be critical for an old dude), the sometimes unruly crowds, and the fact that we have a decent-size television with respectable sound in our family room, we generally settle for streaming movies. But with a new Godzilla film, in IMAX at that, the theater experience is a must. For us, the closest IMAX venue is in High Point, NC, about an hour away, but since that's pretty much our old stomping grounds, it's no biggie to truck down there whenever necessary. And for Godzilla Minus Zero, it was quite necessary.

 

The Regal Palladium had showings on Tuesday and Wednesday in advance of the November 6 general release, and since I had to work Tuesday's election, Ms. B. and I decided to go for the Wednesday 4:00 p.m. showing.

I had successfully sheltered myself from any advance details about the movie, and apart from watching the couple of trailers and seeing some detail-free buzz a few days earlier, I knew virtually nothing about the film I was about to see, which is the way I like it these days.

 

For the most part, I loved Godzilla Minus One (my original review is here). Now, I will say that, for SPFX, I've always preferred the old suitmation/miniature set films, and for more than for just nostalgia's sake; It is an art form, and one I especially appreciate. All things considered though, G Minus One's CGI was impressive enough for me to enjoy it immensely. I'm happy to say that G Minus Zero's effects work is more extensive and, overall, more accomplished.

 

The story begins two years after the events of G Minus One and continues the saga of the Shikishima family: Koichi (Ryûnosuke Kamiki), Noriko (Minami Hamabe), and Akiko (Sae Nagatani), who is now five years old. Their lives take an unexpected turn when it becomes clear that Godzilla's demise at the end of G Minus One might have been less a demise than a temporary inconvenience for the creature. The military/scientific community, led by Professor Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), immediately turns to Koichi—who put Godzilla down in the previous film—for advice on how to deal with such a resurgence. Not unexpectedly, Koichi is nonplussed by the prospect, but his sense of duty and love of country compel him to take up the torch.

 

Now, if we will think back to the final act of G Minus One, we will remember that Noriko, whom we presumed dead, had survived Godzilla's attack, thanks certain regenerative properties of the creature's cells. This becomes a very important plot point.

 

Suffice it to say that a new monster has appeared, one quite different from Godzilla but that shares some of his unique characteristics. And by way of reflecting (and modifying) certain plot points from earlier Toho daikaiju films, the two monsters come together for a spectacular series of encounters.

G Minus Zero opens on a more fantasy-oriented note than its predecessor, which paves the way for the incredible SPFX extravaganza to come (and in IMAX, it provides the single-most immersive sensory experience I've personally ever had in a movie theater). This fantasy element remains prominent throughout the film, yet the character-centered perspective keeps the events relatively grounded and ultimately believable. Compared to G Minus One, the plot is more complex, and there are more characters to follow. Thankfully, each set of character/event arcs develop organically, without impeding the film's relentless pace.

 

While G Minus One presents a more authentic "real-world" setting, G Minus Zero ventures farther into both alternate history and mind-stretching fantasy. Largely by way of Professor Murakami (Min Tanaka), whose history includes profound, personal trauma resulting from the Hiroshima A-bomb, this film presents an even stronger political angle than in its predecessor. (As a personal aside, actor Tanaka makes me think of Sir Ian McKellan if he had been born Japanese.) This political element manifests as akin to the Japanese resentment of the United States's role in World War II much as it was portrayed in 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, only here without the attendant silliness.

 

All the cast members in G Minus Zero, especially Kamiki as Koichi and Hamabe as Noriko, are admirably convincing in their respective roles. It's Hidetaka Yoshioka as Professor Noda who stands out as my favorite character/actor in both his Godzilla films, perhaps even more so in this one than the previous. Also noteworthy are Masami Nagasawa (who played one of the Shobijin in both Godzilla: Tokyo SOS and Godzilla: Final Wars) as meteorologist Makoto Aoyama; Miou Tanaka, returning from G Minus One as Tatsuo Hotta, the captain of the destroyer Yukikaze; and Sakura Ando as Sumiko Ota, who heads the orphanage that helped raise Akiko. I suppose certain accolades should be afforded to young actress Sae Nagitani as Akiko, since she can wail a big one without being poked by sharp objects; however, my tolerance for perpetually squalling children, as much in cinema as in real life and however potentially justified, taxes my patience to its breaking point, and so it is here. That said, this youngster's final scene moved me enough to become a bit wet around the eyes. For me, that's pretty damned powerful.

 

With Godzilla Minus Zero, Director Takashi Yamazaki, Producers Kazuaki Kishida, Gō Abe, and Keiichirō Moriya, as well as the entire cast and crew, have delivered one of the most compelling and exciting kaiju films ever made; in some ways, maybe even the best, although with some caveats (one being that Toho has never excelled with American casts/characters, and holy hell, this one so does not shatter the mold). As a longtime aficionado of movie scores, I'm giving a special shout-out to composer Naoki Sato, who also returns from G Minus One and provides another incredible musical score, which ranges from subtle and ambient to the most powerful and driving. Also, the orchestration of composer Akira Ifukube's Godzilla theme hits home when it ought to without being overplayed, as it has in some previous Godzilla entries.

Perhaps trivially, G Minus Zero is the first Godzilla film to receive an "R" rating (if one discounts the original rating for Godzilla vs. Megalon, of all films, which was initially given an "R" rating due to a suggestive scene or two that were ultimately edited from its US release by Cinema Shares; the film hit theaters with an appropriate "G" rating). Personally, I don't see the need for the "R" rating, but something tells me this will have no negative impact on either the film's box office proceeds or its critical reception.

As a final spoiler, if you enjoy the Showa-era Godzilla films, I'd say go watch the original Ghidorah - The Three-Headed Monster to pick up on the origin of a few lovely visuals you'll see in Godzilla Minus Zero. And if you can, see Godzilla Minus Zero in IMAX. The sensory experience is worth the extra dollars.

 

I'm giving G Minus Zero five out of five Damned Rodan's Dirty Firetinis. Shit, I'm gonna go enjoy one of those fiery suckers right now, just for good measure.