I would not call myself a huge Godzilla fan by any means and I mainly went to see this one at the urging of a friend. Holy heaven, I was so surprised by GODZILLA MINUS ONE. In a year where both of my most anticipated movies turned out to be crummy disappointments (BARBIE and NAPOLEON), this movie-- a film I had no initial plans of seeing and had little enthusiasm for going into it-- blew me away.
Godzilla is actually terrifying in this. The post-WWII setting was well-realized, with the characters exhausted after years of violence, destruction, and struggle. The characters were all relatable and interesting-- unlike other Godzilla movies I've seen, I cared intensely about their fates and was emotionally invested in the little found family they formed. And thank God for the lack of ironic jokes undercutting emotional scenes-- after so many trash Hollywood movies, I didn't even know it was possible for a blockbuster to be sincere like this anymore.
Most of all, I love how life-affirming this film is. The cautious but persistent optimism is such a breath of fresh air. About my only criticism is that the ending twist is a little hokey... but to be honest, I can forgive that. The movie is too good for me to complain about a happy ending.
Godzilla is actually terrifying in this. The post-WWII setting was well-realized, with the characters exhausted after years of violence, destruction, and struggle. The characters were all relatable and interesting-- unlike other Godzilla movies I've seen, I cared intensely about their fates and was emotionally invested in the little found family they formed. And thank God for the lack of ironic jokes undercutting emotional scenes-- after so many trash Hollywood movies, I didn't even know it was possible for a blockbuster to be sincere like this anymore.
Most of all, I love how life-affirming this film is. The cautious but persistent optimism is such a breath of fresh air. About my only criticism is that the ending twist is a little hokey... but to be honest, I can forgive that. The movie is too good for me to complain about a happy ending.