GODZILLA MINUS ZERO
Starring: Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Min Tanaka, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Masami Nagasawa, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Sakura Andō, and Miou Tanaka
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
ADRIANO
Godzilla Minus Zero doesn’t surpass its predecessor in emotional weight, but it still packs a lot of that punch. It’s possible that writer/director Takashi Yamazaki had too much thematically to carry in comparison for everything to land, but he still manages enough eye-watering character drama to get us by. Where it exceeds the previous film is the pure scale of its kaiju thrills, complete with deafening sound work and jaw-dropping visual spectacle (making up for some slip-ups along the way) that gives the titular monster unparalleled terror and awe. It’s the type of movie that puts the average blockbuster to shame.
QUENTIN
Broadly speaking, Minus Zero is as good as Minus One. However, there is a wider gap between the film’s strengths and weaknesses. As is always the case with Godzilla movies, the human element of the story is the film’s weakest aspect, weaker than in Minus One. On the other hand, Minus Zero’s kaiju action blows its predecessor’s out of the water. It’s tense, exhilarating, and beautiful to behold. Ultimately, that means while you need to endure a much slower and less interesting story this time, you will be rewarded with perhaps the best action spectacle of the year. See it on the biggest screen possible.
ADELAIDE
It’s bigger! It’s badder! Ladies and gentlemen, it’s… too much for Godzilla! Improving on the shortcomings of its predecessor, Godzilla Minus Zero offers a lot to appeal to both die-hard and casual fans of the titular kaiju. The action is incredible, and the technical aspects are all perfect. The human characters in the film are a noticeable step down from the first, so all in all, it’s a bit of a sidestep in quality. It still ends up as the pinnacle of what blockbuster filmmaking can be, just hopefully the trilogy capper combines the best qualities of both films.
BODE
Godzilla Minus Zero sees writer-director Takashi Yamazaki taking even bigger leaps than its 2023 predecessor, in terms of both kaiju and human action. Personally, I found it an improvement on both counts. The monster battles are as awe-inspiring as they come, with solid IMAX-sized photography and almost-deafening sound work. Even the character drama is more engaging this time around, willing to go to more complex and somewhat pessimistic places regarding its themes of power and nationalism. It does take some time to get going, and the third act can be a bit exhausting with its maximalism. Still, it’s hard to not enjoy an epic effort.
