Godzilla: Minus One returns the King of the Monsters to his original role as an enemy of humanity, and in doing so nails a key element of the character that Legendary’s Monsterverse has completely ignored. The full trailer for Godzilla: Minus One shows that the newest version of Godzilla will once again attack postwar Japan, much as the original 1954 version did. While later Toho films and the latest American films have depicted Godzilla as an ally and even savior to humanity, the original version was merely a destructive force of nature, with little purpose outside of demolishing cities.
In 1954, Godzilla was a physical manifestation of the crippling effects of the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and the lingering fear that another nuclear attack could happen. That metaphor is the basis for Godzilla’s famous “atomic breath,” and while it’s been morphed into an exciting power used for battling evil kaiju, its original destructive power to burn both buildings and people was a terrifying notion. Godzilla: Minus One revives Godzilla’s original metaphor, and in doing so captures the terrifying side of the giant monster that the Monsterverse has forgotten about.
Godzilla Minus One Makes Godzilla Terrifying Again
Godzilla is an enemy of humanity, not an ally
Godzilla: Minus One brings the terror back to Godzilla in a manner that hasn’t been since the original movie. 1954’s Godzilla was a dark, depressing, borderline-horror movie that saw Godzilla act as fear incarnate. His attack on Tokyo directly mirrors a nuclear attack, with hospitals filled with the dead and dying, and survivors dealing with radiation sickness. In addition to the human carnage, Godzilla is responsible for sinking dozens of ships, destroying homes and businesses, and killing livestock. Godzilla: Minus One highlights Godzilla’s size and destructive capability to restore true terror to the monster.
In the 1960s, Toho changed Godzilla from a terrifying monster to a somewhat silly albeit benevolent ally to humanity. Various Toho movies have attempted to bring Godzilla back to his more villainous and terrifying roots, but nothing has measured up to the dark nature of the 1954 original. Legendary’s Monsterverse has thus far gone in the opposite direction in fact, portraying Godzilla as a defender battling to maintain balance on the planet; his very presence is enough to restore life to nature thanks to his high radiation levels. For that reason, Godzilla: Minus One will act as a stark contrast to the current American Godzilla films.
What Makes Godzilla Minus One So Terrifying
The movie’s title provides a hint
Godzilla: Minus One restores the monster’s terrifying roots in multiple ways. Godzilla has a new trigger for his atomic breath, with his dorsal spikes locking into place as he powers up the blast. The build-up and locking mechanism makes it feel like a gun is being cocked, with the anticipation elevating the impact that the attack has. There are also multiple trailer scenes showing Godzilla attacking what appears to be a more personal level, like when he bites the train for example. It makes the attack feel more rage-driven, as if Godzilla is purposely trying to inflict damage and cause fear as opposed to randomly rampaging.
The movie’s title provides a hint to the scariest aspect of this new version of Godzilla. The Godzilla: Minus One title refers to the time period in which this Godzilla attacks. It is set in the years directly following WWII, when Japan was at its absolute lowest point. With cities already decimated by bombings, a military stripped of power and enemy forces occupying the country during a rebuild, Japan could get no lower–they were already at “zero”. Godzilla attacking at that point in time elevates the despair and fear to incomprehensible levels, literally taking Japan from zero into the negatives.
Key Release Dates
Godzilla: Minus One
Release Date:2023-12-01
