A lot of the time, I attempt to watch the Godzilla franchise movies with my family, and I always end up falling asleep. Because of my track record, I didn’t know what to expect going into the early showing of the new film Godzilla: Minus One, but I left that room utterly thrilled by the experience. Below we discuss the initial thoughts on the intro, storyline, and design.
Initial Thoughts
I had the opportunity to attend an early press screening of the upcoming film Godzilla: Minus One by director Takashi Yamazaki. Before going into this, I looked at the trailer and grew curious. Before the Japan Society(the cultural center that invited us)showed the movie, one of the chairs introduced everything and referred to the movie as a “cinematic masterpiece.” That was already such a high bar that set my expectations relatively high since they were hyping the movie up so much, and I would later find out that it was rightfully so.
Nicely Balanced Storyline
Throughout the movie, I was captivated by the story and amazed by the action. The storyline was sentimental and made me sympathize with the protagonist and the people around him. One moment, I was emotional; the next moment, I was laughing and cheering. Yamazaki didn’t just lead with that, though. While staying immersed in the background lore, we, as the audience, also had many “ooh” and “ahh” moments when the one and only Godzilla made his many appearances.
There is no room for boredom while watching this film. So this time around, watching a Godzilla movie, my eyes were glued to the screen. I didn’t yawn once. Not to say that all of the other Godzilla movies weren’t as thrilling but this one especially caught and maintained my attention. The directors did a fantastic job balancing action-packed cinematography and evoking the viewers’ emotions.
Gojira: The one and only
I’d like to point out how insane Godzilla’s design was. From his minor details to those chilling eyes that sent shivers down our spine, Godzilla was very cool to see in various scenes in the movie. I could tell the design team took their time to make him come to life intricately. He was cool and highly intimidating, so I believe that is a job well done.
Lastly, I was also impressed by the classic elements that the Minus One team added to the movie. I did further research and discovered that the old form of special effects for the Godzilla movies was to have stunt performers wear suits and interact with miniature sets. When watching Minus One, we noticed how, in the train scene, it looks like you’re looking at a real train, but when the camera pans out, you see it’s a miniature train model, just like in the class movies. I love it when directors and movie producers take the time to notice small details like that to pay homage to the originals. Even using the classic Godzilla theme, this movie will produce nostalgia in fans!
Verdict
In conclusion, Godzilla: Minus One is an exceptional film that surpasses expectations. The movie is a perfect blend of action, emotion, and sentimentality. The story is captivating, and the action scenes are thrilling, making it a must-watch for anyone who loves a good monster movie. The design team did a fantastic job bringing Godzilla to life, and the director, Takashi Yamazaki, deserves credit for his excellent work. I highly recommend this cinematic masterpiece to anyone looking for a thrilling and captivating movie experience!
