When Godzilla Minus One was released late last year, I wanted so bad to watch it at the theater. I’ve been a big fan of the King of the Monsters ever since I was a kid. So, every time a new Godzilla movie from Toho comes out, I become giddy with anticipation. Soon after that, the reviews for Godzilla Minus One started trickling out and I became ever more excited to see a really good kaiju monster film on the big screen.

Then 2023 passed. And the Philippines never saw a theatrical release of Godzilla Minus One. All of a sudden, the kid in me was crushed. Here was one of the best Godzilla moves ever made, even winning the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and I wasn’t able to watch it! Thankfully, after waiting more than six months since its original release, Netflix came along and released this soon to be Toho kaiju classic. But was all the hype on the money? Or were they all just exaggerating regarding how good Godzilla Minus One is? The only way to find out was to boot up my Netflix and watch the movie for myself!

By the way, even though this is a six month old film, I know there’s likely a lot of people like me who wanted to see Godzilla Minus One in the cinema but weren’t able to. So, with these people in mind, I’m still going to make this a SPOILER FREE review. Just letting you know before I get to the review proper.

Godzilla Minus One is technically a reboot of the entire film series as this is a reimagining of the original film with more modern sensibilities. The film revolves around Koichi Shikishima, a pilot who feigned engine trouble to avoid going through his kamikaze mission. Haunted by his dishonor, he tries to live a normal life but when Godzilla attacks an already war torn Japan, he decides to try to redeem himself. I know this synopsis comes off as pretty vague but, honestly, I can’t really say all that much as this is a SPOILER FREE review.

The thing is: I actually cared for Koichi Shikishima and his compatriots here. Usually, in your typical Godzilla or any kaiju movie for that matter, you just want to watch the giant monster tear stuff up. Normally, you’re actually rooting for the monster to wreck up the place and teach those pesky humans what’s what! Not in Godzilla Minus One! This is the first time when I actually wanted the humans to survive and defeat the big, bad kaiju!

A lot of it does come down to how well written they all are. They all have distinct personalities and come off as very likable. They’re not perfect and they all have their quirks. In fact, the film does a great job of shifting focus from Godzilla’s rampage to making you like the characters because they’re just trying to survive in Japan just after World War II. The writing makes you want to see them succeed despite having to live in a very harsh environment like in the rubble of their cities. You see the hardships they have to go through to survive and identify with them. So, you start to actually care about them and want to see them survive Godzilla’s impending onslaught. It’s also wonderfully paced as you get just enough interactions between the characters and some story before each Godzilla attack. You’re never really asking when Godzilla is going to attack or asking what’s happening with the characters as it’s all timed just right.

That’s not to say the acting is all that great. All the actors do pull off likable performances, as I said. However, there are some hokey moments that I can only describe as a standard in Asian cinema. There are some really quiet moments that hit home, especially when you see the characters bonding. And then there are the more over-the-top moments with people just screaming at the top of their lungs because they have to convey how pained they are. It’s not the worst thing but it can get a little jarring.

I believe a lot of people are shocked at how Toho, a movie company in Japan mostly known for their rubber suit kaijus, won Best Visual Effects at the Oscars. But, honestly, Godzilla Minus One deserved to win. Hollywood should actually get some tips from how to make it grand looking special effects look like they’re really there! To be fair, there were some brief seconds when I could kind of see the seams where the real world and the CGI blended together but these were “blink and you’ll miss it” moments.

Speaking of the special effects, kudos to the person who designed The King of the Monsters in Godzilla Minus One. This is the most menacing looking version of the Toho Godzilla ever and I do love all the little details they added, like how his mouth would get injured after he uses his atomic breath. I know it’s not realistic but I love how the spikes/fins on Godzilla’s back would jut out and glow when he does power up his atomic breath. It’s a nice little touch that tells the viewer exactly what’s going to happen and you know it’s going to be awesome.

I do have some issues with the sound mixing. I love how Godzilla’s theme song isn’t overly used and I also love how there’s very little background music during most of the scenes. However, during the more quiet moments when people are talking to each other in a somber manner, I can hardly hear what they’re saying. Sure, I was watching the Japanese dub so I wouldn’t actually understand what they were saying. But it’s just weird to see subtitles pop on the bottom when I can’t hear people talking. This might be a problem with the Netflix mixing but I doubt it.

Taking everything into account, I will have to say Godzilla Minus One is easily one of the best Godzilla movies out there, Toho or not. It had everything a kaiju fan would want and more. Go watch it if you have the chance.

Have you seen Godzilla Minus One? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments section below!