Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 15 minutes, Director – Takashi Yamazaki
Just two years after Godzilla’s attacks a new towering creature threatens to destroy Japan, just as the original kaiju threatens a return.
There’s a surprising lack of Godzilla in Godzilla Minus Zero. Not for focus on the human characters, of which there’s a good deal, but because the core threat at hand for post-war Japan this time around is Ghidorah. Literally tearing towns and villages apart with similar heat-ray powers to Godzilla this new kaiju seems unstoppable as it appears to take on traits of creatures that it’s encountered, and in some ways absorbed. Ghidorah is a genuinely scary, towering figure that’s captured in up-close detail thanks to the strong VFX courtesy of writer-director Takashi Yamazaki and his team.
Japan is still recovering from the war, and now Godzilla’s set of attacks. Starting to rebuild, from minus one to zero, a new kaiju could set them back once again. Past strategies, climate analysis and interference from the US military all seem to be unhelpful, however previous film’s protagonist Shikishima (Ryūnosuke Kamiki) could bring flight knowledge and past Godzilla experience that could help in the battle against Ghidora.
Speaking of past Godzilla experience the original kaiju may have less screen-time than expected, but his entrance is grand every time thanks to the classic theme blaring each time he resurfaces. The score throughout is great, as mighty as the roars and screeches from the pair of creatures taking up the screen – the destructive sequences are a true spectacle in IMAX. Even the drama manages to capture a towering sense, even if sometimes supporting characters can feel as if their strands are inflated beyond what the film and run-time can handle, with not a lot done with one particularly big reveal over halfway through – although earlier flashbacks as to its context land an emotional effect.
The characters once again lead our responses to the large scale monster action on display, and it helps to add to the impact and resolution, too. But, there’s no denying the coolness of the battles at hand – now upped to a 15 rating as opposed to Minus One’s 12, also courtesy of post-Hiroshima injury detail seen elsewhere throughout the film. As the creatures fight, claw and heat-blast each other there’s a continued sense of scale and impact that’s well tracked by Yamazaki in regards to both direction and visual effects. There’s action and drama based intensity throughout the film and while some of the character details might create a slightly busier feeling than needed at times, creating a film that feels slightly more built-up compared to the previous one, the overall film has plenty to enjoy in all its different forms of spectacle.
While there might be one too many character dramas in Godzilla Minus Zero they still manage to contribute to the film’s spectacle, and our connection to the eventual towering intensity of the roar of the kaiju action.
