*****KAIJU-SIZED SPOILERS!*****
Subsequent entries in the “Showa” era of Godzilla movies offered more spectacle, but the image of the creature as a walking nuclear nightmare was never as potent as it was in the first film–until recently.
As longtime readers of this column may (or may not) know, I’m a huge fan of “Godzilla” (aka “Gojira”). For those G-fan readers who want a more detailed account of my love and history with “Godzilla,” I wrote all about my favorite G-films from 1954 onward for the franchise’s 65th anniversary in my 2019 column, “The King (of Monsters) and I: Musings on the 65-year Godzilla legacy.”
This was where, in 2004, I saw the original Japanese version of “Gojira” (1954) for the franchise’s 50th anniversary. It was a much more sobering experience than the Americanized, Raymond Burr-starring version I grew up watching as a kid on TV.
From a childhood spent watching the English-dubbed, pan & scan TV versions of the increasingly silly “Showa” series of movies (1954-1975), I’ve long enjoyed these films. Yes, the Americanized versions were often poorly dubbed, with typically dumbed-down dialogue from their original Japanese versions, but there still was a power to Godzilla that couldn’t be denied—no matter how far they strayed from the deeply sobering 1954 original film (“Gojira”); a dead-serious allegory of atomic warfare which I had the opportunity to see theatrically for Godzilla’s 50th anniversary at the NuArt Theatre in LA, back in 2004. What a thrill it was to hear Akira Ifukube’s iconic score in a darkened auditorium during the opening credits.
The swan song of the Heisei era of Godzilla movies, and arguably the best of Godzilla sequel up to that point; it even brought back the character of Emiko (Momoko Kōchi) from the original 1954 film.
In my 20s and 30s I would discover the “Heisei” series of Godzilla films (1984-1995) on home video (VHS, and later DVD) and these somewhat more sophisticated films had better miniature work and less laughable stories, though they still retained some of the camp quality from the earlier Showa series (particularly 1991’s “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah,” which featured time-traveler westerners trying to undermine Japan’s prosperous future by changing history).
If this had been a sideways Jurassic Park-sequel, I might’ve cut it a bit more slack, but it’s an utter failure as a Godzilla movie.
Of course, there was also the 1998 Roland Emmerich “Godzilla” reimagining, which would’ve made a halfway decent “Jurassic Park” spinoff, but it had very little to do with the G-movies I knew and loved as a kid. Moving on …
In my mid-to-late 30s, I would discover the “Millennium” Godzilla movies, after seeing a dubbed print of “Godzilla 2000” (“Gojira Millennium”) at my local cinema, with my wife and some of our fellow G-fan friends. This was much more like it. In fact, the Millennium series has some of my favorite G-films, including “GMK: All Monsters Attack” (2001), “Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla” (2002) and its immediate sequel, “Godzilla: Tokyo SOS” (2003). In 2004, I had the good fortune to attend the US premiere of “Godzilla: Tokyo SOS” at the American Cinematheque (nee: the Egyptian Theatre) in Hollywood, where I met the film’s director, Masaaki Tesuka, as well as two FX artists from the original “Showa” series of G-movies. Quite a night…
Godzilla approaches a more recognizable form in the last act of 2016’s “Shin Godzilla”; a good film that wasn’t quite as emotionally satisfying as I’d hoped for, after seeing the trailers.
Post-Millennium series, I would see 2016’s “Shin Godzilla,” the first live-action movie of the “Reiwa” series (2016-present), which also includes a few animated films. “Shin Godzilla” was promising, though its repetitive commentary against Japan’s disastrously bureaucratic post-Fukushima response is laid on very thick. Godzilla itself is barely recognizable for much of the film, as it goes through a series of bizarre metamorphoses until reaching a more recognizable look in the last act. Overall, the movie has many interesting bits and ideas, but it doesn’t quite hit the spot.
This was perhaps my favorite entry in the Monarch Monsterverse series, as it was closest to the feel of the better Japanese entries; it even had a new version of Dr. Serizawa (sans eyepatch, and played by Ken Watanabe).
There is also the Americanized “Monarch” series, which includes the reimagined “King Kong,” “King Ghidora” and other classic keiju-eiga monsters in its stable. While I admired the scope and scale of the 2014 Gareth Edwards’ “Godzilla” film, I found most of the human characters uninteresting. 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” was a bit more involving, and made for a decent Saturday matinee. The Monarch continued with the middling entry “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021). More recently, I tried watching this year’s “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” at home, via my digital projector, but I stopped watching after the first 35-40 minutes. It was deeply uninteresting, and I felt absolutely nothing watching it.
The Monarch Monsterverse is an ongoing attempt to will this uniquely Japanese franchise into a more American blockbuster-sensibility, but it lacks a certain something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on…
…until December of 2023.
Happy Anniversary, Godzilla!
Heralding the “Godzilla” franchise’s 70th anniversary in January 2024, December 2023 saw the theatrical release of the first new Japanese-made, live-action Godzilla movie in seven years with “Godzilla Minus One” (GM1). I’ve already written an extensive review of this extraordinary film (“Godzilla Minus One” (2023) is a HUGE plus), which only gets better each time I see it.
GM1 has quickly become my favorite Godzilla film of all time; and yes, that includes the first classic film. The human characters are the most vibrant and interesting of any G-film I have seen since the 1954 original, and are even more memorable. Even more incredible is the fact that the movie was made for the equivalent of 15 million US dollars; roughly the cost of catering on the set of a typical, big-budget American franchise flick. Every bit of money spent making this film is right up on the screen.
Bottom: Kiro and Noriko try to create a life for themselves and an adopted orphan in a war-ravaged Japan that is at “minus zero;” a lower-than-lowest state.
Now, I’m not rewriting my own review of GM1 from nine months ago; that review stands. This is about the coolest piece of “Godzilla” physical media to ever grace my collection; the Region-Free, Japanese import 4K/Blu-Ray box set of GM1. This is what I bought to celebrate 70 years of “Godzilla”; the steadfast entertainment franchise that has, pretty much been with me since early childhood. GM1 is not only a great G-film, but it is also a great movie, period. Easily my favorite film of the past five years. I could watch it several times consecutively without a trace of boredom.
After purchasing the Japanese box set online from Godzilla.com, I read a review of the box set on DigitalBits.com, and their preview copy did not include English subtitles, but I was pleased to find that the copy shipped to me did indeed have options for English subtitles, both on the menu and the movie—the color and black & white versions.
Note: The Digital Bits is an excellent site for physical media fans; I’ve been reading the site for about six years now. Serious kudos to Bill Hunt and the gang; keep up the great work.
After seeing the movie in color twice theatrically and once on Netflix, I finally had a chance to see the movie in black & white. While I was impressed with the grain texturing, diffused contrast and other details added to give it a feel approximating the 1954 original, I have to say I much prefer the slightly desaturated colors of the original film; which was writer/director/visual-effects supervisor Takashi Yamasaki’s intended vision, and it shows.
The fourth disc, the one with all the bonus features, is the only one of the set that lacks English subtitles on its content; and its English menu graciously tells us so. All the same, I enjoyed watching the making-of footage without subtitles. It’s even more immersive, as if you just happened to wander on set during filming. Even if you don’t speak Japanese, you will more or less get what’s happening. I particularly enjoyed seeing each of the key actors getting their customary bouquet of flowers after their shooting for the film wrapped. Those kinds of moments don’t need subtitling.
Yes, the set was expensive; it was roughly $80 or so, including shipping (via Godzilla.com), and as of this writing (mid-September 2024), it is no longer available as a preorder item. However, you may find copies on eBay or possibly Amazon, via private sellers. Or, unlike me, you could do the rational thing and wait for the US 4K/Blu-Rays and DVDs, which are coming out November 19th. But for the more tenacious collector? I’ve already seen the 4-disc Japanese set on eBay going for just a few more dollars than I paid for my copy, which came straight from Japan. A relative bargain, for a hardcore G-fan unwilling to wait for the US domestic release.
Where to Watch
In addition to the North American 4K/Blu-Ray and DVD releases of the movie coming out on November 19th, “Godzilla Minus One” is currently streaming on Netflix in the United States (in original color, and with English subtitles). However, if you’re as foolish as I am, you might still be able to snag one of the luxe 4-disc Japanese box sets on eBay or Amazon. Good luck!
When the time is right, I’ll buy Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray. For the meantime, I’m enjoying my Criterion Collection Blu-ray of Gojira (1954).
Not a bad way to get your G-fix!
godzila crazy movie i think first pic is of minus one great movie
Happy 70th, Godzilla. To this day you are still one of the most iconic sci-fi creatures of all time.
Very much so.
My love of Godzilla goes back to some of my earliest childhood memories.