Mark Kermode reviews Godzilla Minus One - Kermode and Mayo's Take

Godzilla minus one which is a very interesting it's an interesting uh film but also that's an interesting title yes so directed by tekashi yamazaki um this is apparently 37th movie in the Godzilla franchise I have to say I went into this not knowing very much about it um it's produced by Toho Studios um we've spoken before about Shir Honda's original the 1954 Godzilla which when the BFI issued the DVD of the original Godzilla before it was kind of Americanized it was a real Revelation because you suddenly you know you suddenly saw the film as it was originally intended which it's got very dark solid themes to it anyway so this plays out in the wake of World War II a guilty kamakazi pilot shikima who encounters the titular giant lizard in the the end of the war he is seeking Redemption because because he has Survivor guilt that he hasn't been able to to do what he was meant to do and he's trying to face up to his demons in the in the wake of the you know the fall of of of Japan during the war by developing a nuclear family after the you know Tokyo has been destroyed and the nation is at its lowest point and apparently the title minus one and I had to look this up because symbolizes Japan's lowest point after the war and the idea is that it's you know zero and then the arrival destructive force takes you to minus one so it the film debuted at number one in the Japanese box office and has gone on to Pro prove a resounding hit around the world and it's kind of easy to see why it gets the balance between drama and spectacle and uh proper content right it has substance as well as all the other stuff I think we have a trailer do you want to have a look mhm [Music] forus W the trailer actually shows you the Beast yeah but here's the thing I I think that the thing about getting the balance right between between the spectacle and the substance is a really difficult thing so the central story about kamakazi pilot with survivors guilt taking responsibility for a child and then dealing with issues of grief and shame and betrayal that's really important the rivalries and the camarades between the key characters have got just the right amount of melodrama that you become very emotionally engaged in them there's a story about people pulling together in the face of a kind of existential threat and it's not to do with you know relying on government agencies it's about people doing the thing that they need to do in order to get Redemption and like the original Godzilla as opposed to the you know the the the US version It's a story that features a giant lizard rather than a giant lizard in search of a story which I think it's one of the things that's happened with a lot of Godzilla movies I mean you saw Just In that clip the thing has scale it has real heft and weight when you see Godzilla when Godzilla appears you do get that sense of I mean this is what you should get from Kaiju movies anyway it's like it's it's huge and kind of incomprehensible and sort of like a personification of Destruction in a way that is it's more than the sum of its parts um you get a real sense of awe real sense of wonder real sense of Jeopardy there is a great score by noos who the score's kind of got this this weird thing that on the sometimes it's very subtle and it sort of groans and like the almost like the sound of the earth howling and other times it's it's getting into the emotional uh substance of the characters so you've got proper story proper characters proper Arc proper big monster stuff the film feels like it's absolutely in the tradition of the original Godzilla not kind of what Godzilla I mean there have been great Godzillas since I mean Shing Godzilla was very good but it's it feels like getting it back to the essence of the original story and I was genuinely surprised by how good it was and just the other day I was with Kim Newman and I said did you see Godzilla minus one he said yeah I said it's great isn't it and he went yeah and it's but it was it's really properly good Godzilla movie and it you know again who knew and a Kaiju movie is defined as giant monsters so you know um Pacific Rim or something you know so that's Kaiju yeah relevant here Eric Hurst in Sacramento California sign Mark I caught Godzilla minus one at a matina last Saturday and I came out lost for words I thought I was in for a fun Kaiju movie hence my question yeah but what I got instead was a heartfelt loving masterfully crafted piece of Cinema that takes the modern monster movie genre tears HS in the side of it Stomps it into little pieces and then shoots a heat ray through it it was absolutely Sublime from start to finish I you say the heat ray sequences are astonishing I brought a friend of mine who I knew was a huge fan of Godzilla uh but had become bitter towards the franchise thanks to the American film starting with the 1998 piece starring Matthew brck Godzilla lost in New York the first thing she commented on was how refreshing it was that the movie simply acknowledged that the original film exists something that has seemed unimportant to the American films this movie has a clear appreciation of the original film not just through the music but also its themes that Godzilla is all about war nuclear weapons civilian casualties nature industry and of course people it is a refreshing take on the Godzilla Story I'm So delighted to hear this this is great I'm telling everyone I know to go and see it in theaters not just because it's one of the best movies to watch in theaters I've seen all year but it's simply one of the best movies I've seen Year happy holidays to you both there we go there we goic HST fantastic I'm really really chuffed about that because it's it's such a surprise that it's you know it's as good as it is yes fortunately you weren't lost for words but it sounds though you went in expecting one thing and you came out I went in not knowing what to expect at all and uh having no as I said having no sort of uh preet up beforehand and and then just like 10 minutes in you go like you and Wonka you know do I need another Godzilla movie really really oh yes I do and it's as I said and if anyone gets the chance do get that there still the BFI DVD is probably Blu-Ray now of the original Godzilla godilla um because that film in its original form is a genuine proper Standalone Masterpiece and there's great there's a great documentary on it as well about all the Fallout of the the nuclear testing and the and the what's it called the fishing ship which was the was it Lucky Dragon Number Nine in which they brought back the radioactive fish so you know anyway it's it's great it sounds like if you have a a jaded pallet somewhat then this is the then this this is a refresher yeah so that if you hear I mean we should bear this in mind for next year if you hear there's another one of this particular type of movies yeah of whatever is your right do we really need that well who knows the answer might be yes depending on what they've done with it this there should be a new category do we really need that yes hello esteemed podcast listeners Simon mayo and Mark kermode here very excited to let you know that the new season of the crown and the crown the official podcast to accompany the sixth and final season of Netflix epic Royal Drama Series this is very exciting particularly because Super Sub and friend of the show Edith Bowman is hosting this one indeed Edith will take you behind the scenes dive into conversation with The Talented cast and crew from writer and Creator Peter Morgan to the crowns Queen Elizabeth Elda ston other guests on the new series include the Crown's research team the directors executive producer Suzanne Mackey and Specialists such as voice coach coner and props Master Owen Harrison cast members including Jonathan price Saleem D khed abdala Dominic West and Elizabeth tocki you can also catch up with the story so far by searching the crown the official podcast wherever you get your podcast subscribe now and get the new series of the crown the official podcast available wherever you get your podcasts as he's just said I have said it a couple of times mentioned it before

Channel: Kermode and Mayo's Take

Views: 153,918

Keywords: Mark Kermode, Simon Mayo, Kermode and Mayo's Take, Film Review, TV Review

Id: BY6Gw6ntOYU

Length: 8min 52sec (532 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 15 2023