The Drinker Recommends... Godzilla Minus One

Funny that a Godzilla move was more historically accurate than a Napoleon movie 😂

I live in Japan and saw this a few days ago. People here don't normally react much in theaters, since laughing, cheering, and other noise are seen as disruptive to the viewing experience. This was the first time I've ever seen or heard people cry in a Japanese theater; the ending had surreptitious sniffles coming from all directions and the businessman in front of me was dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. And the audience was mainly men, too! This film was good enough to get people to break their code on theater etiquette.

The first atomic breath against the ship was a "woah cool" moment but then the atomic breath on land made the entire movie theater go silent and the rumble rolled through. It was the first time in a while most of the audience was speechless and actually fearful for the characters on screen.

Turns out the budget wasn't 15 million, but 11 million per the director, which makes this even more impressive. When the director heard that everyone was saying it was 15M, he responded by saying "I wish it were that much."

The atomic breath in this movie isn't just the strongest but also the coolest with how its implemented. It is so strong that he actively injures himself using it and the reason he can't spam it is because he has to heal first. Metal as hell.

They made us care about human characters in a monster movie. That's a feat in of itself! This movie 100% delivers. Even though Godzilla is actually much smaller, he is considerably more fearsome. That heat ray gave me chills!

Only the Japanese can leave you in tears from a monster movie. Beyond outstanding.

The scene where the former navy servicemen agree to band together to fight Godzilla, because nobody else will and they have not lost their sense of duty was amazing. In a monster movie with some incredible moments, I thought this was the best scene. It would bring a tear to a glass eye.

This isn't just a great creature feature. This is an all time great movie.

I loved that this Godzilla was more of a villain rather than some likeable menace.

The speech from the scientist about Japan having treated life cheaply was extremely moving. It brought me to tears.

I decided to treat my 11 and 7-year-old nephews to a movie night, knowing how much they adore Godzilla. Naturally, I anticipated a typical, run-of-the-mill Godzilla flick. However, to my utter astonishment and delight, I found myself immersed in a captivating masterpiece of a film. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that this movie was not only well-written but also incredibly intriguing. In fact, it even managed to tug at my heartstrings, leaving me with a few tears by the end. Definitely recommend it.

I told my friends that," Godzilla minus one would have been my favorite movie of the year even if Godzilla hadn't been in it."

I did not expect a Godzilla movie to hit me right in the feels with its portrayal of PTSD and survivor's guilt. As a veteran who doesn't feel he had any business surviving the war that he did, this movie really resonated with me.

More wholesome ending than any Disney movie. My 7 year old and 11 year old boys watched this without saying a word, read every subtitle, absorbed every scene and moral message of the many this film conveyed. The youngest even started saying "Arigato" afterwards haha.  Asian cinema may save the movie industry.

I love how it grappled with Japan's relationship with the war and how pointless it was. The theme that there are things worth dying for and war isn't always one is fantastic. I also love how intrinsic the guilt and anger is. It's not about what they did to other countries in WW2, but what they did to their own people. The main character even suffers from PTSD and survivors guilt. This is kind of refreshing coming from an American perspective, as we tend to self-flagellate extrinsically (how our actions hurt other countries and not our own people). Instead, they found common ground in fighting a real threat that they found honor and purpose in fighting, and they focused on surviving as opposed to dying a glorious heroes death. Very interesting view of WW2 and the aftermath that gave me a lot to think about.

I absolutely love that the design team didn’t chicken out from designing Godzilla reminiscent of the original. We all know what Godzilla looks like, so don’t try and recreate him.

I left the theater thinking they don't make movies like this anymore. A very solid film and hey, I didn't see me anyone representing me in it either.

Koichi meets Norkiko first and THEN gets the dangerous mine clearing job to support her and the child. A great example of doing dangerous or undesirable work to support your family. When Noriko gets her job to also support the family it’s not a ding against Koichi, it’s her wanting to contribute as well, and not be a burden on someone (though Koichi really needed to get off his ass and propose before she was nuked, as his friends said!). Really great examples of people who love each other trying to get by in a broken world.

The historical detail in this movie already makes it great. If a good movie is meant to entertain you, then this movie definitely hit that mark right on point with all the small details and historical references. The appearance of the rare type 4 Chi-To meant for the defense of the Japanese homeland, the use of the infamous Yukikaze which survived and participated in many major campaigns and battles, and the J7W Shinden fighter plane which was meant to be utilized as a land-based interceptor against the American B-29 bomber planes, were all great homages to the historical background that this movie takes place in. Also, the fact the directors of this film put German letters in the ejection seat of the Shinden was such great fan-service to those who know that the Germans were the first to standardize the use of ejection seats for their pilots. Man, this film is probably like S-tier just for the historical aspects alone.