If you didn’t get a chance to catch “Godzilla Minus One” in theaters, now is the perfect time to remedy that, especially if you’re a fan of monster flicks, the kaiju genre, or great movies in general. Just make sure that you watch it in the original Japanese with subtitles, as the “Godzilla Minus One” English dub just isn’t as good.
While the franchise has always been popular internationally, Japanese “Godzilla” movies have basically never experienced this much fanfare over a U.S. release. “Shin Godzilla,” the previous Toho outing before “Minus One,” received critical acclaim, but Yamazaki’s entry in the historic kaiju franchise blew that reception out of the water. Its stunning special effects — made on a tiny budget compared to most American blockbusters — and emotional story about endurance and the human spirit quickly made it a hit with audiences. Thanks to the extra success the film has found on streaming and VoD, there’s even more interest in what Toho does for its next “Godzilla” movie.
Some have expressed hope that after two solo outings in “Shin Godzilla” and “Minus One,” Toho might return to the classic “vs.” formula and have Godzilla face off against an enemy kaiju in his next installment. Time will tell, but for now, we can all keep watching “Godzilla Minus One” on repeat to tide us over.
