Godzilla Minus One is arriving in France and you have 15 days to discover this phenomenon from Japan in theaters! Here are 3 good reasons to go see this work in the cinema!
The Godzilla Minus One phenomenon is preparing to invade France again! After an event release on December 7 and 8, the feature film featuring the famous Kaiju returns to cinemas from January 17 to 31!
After having conquered part of the planet, collecting 100 million dollars in international revenue, the gargantuan monster does not intend to stop there! The creature will march on Europe and here are 3 good reasons not to miss Godzilla Minus One.
A return to basics
After the latest Hollywood works featuring the famous monster, such as the recent Godzilla VS Kong, the license makes a return to basics which feels good! Indeed, the feature film is produced by Toho, the historic Japanese studio that created the first Godzilla film in 1954 (directed by Ishiro Honda).
Thus, the plot does not take place in the present day but takes us to the very end of the Second World War. Japan is barely recovering from this armed conflict when a gigantic danger emerges off the coast of Tokyo. Koichi, a suicide bomber deserter traumatized by his first confrontation with Godzilla, sees this as an opportunity to atone for his conduct during the war.
Thus simplified, the story goes straight to the point, revealing its creature sparingly in the manner of Jaws to make the threat even more impactful. Each time the Kaiju appears, it is even more powerful and furious, increasing the tension until the final climax. Note that the production was entrusted to Japanese director Takashi Yamazaki, to whom we notably owe the excellent animated film Lupine III The First in 2019.
The filmmaker returns to a theme already addressed in 2015 in The Last Assault, that of the Kamikazes. The main character of Godzilla Minus One is one of those soldiers doomed to commit suicide in battle. Consumed by the guilt of having failed in his mission, he will put all his soul into the fight against the destructive Titan.
Toho Co., Ltd.
Amazing special effects
Despite its limited budget of just 15 million dollars, Godzilla Minus One offers us impressive visual effects! The design of the creature, a mix between a dragon and a tyrannosaurus, is breathtakingly beautiful. The scenes of destruction are remarkably ingenious for such a small budget! A real feat on the part of the film team.
For example, the opening sequence with Godzilla’s first attack is astonishingly intense. Takashi Yamazaki manages to make us feel the same terror that we felt the first time we encountered the T-Rex in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park.
Indeed, in certain aspects, notably its staging and lighting, the scene recalls this emblematic passage from Spielberg’s masterpiece. The feature film also offers us breathtaking aerial sequences as well as Dantesque moments on the open sea. We are amazed and the pace of the film is sustained enough to captivate us from start to finish.
Toho Co., Ltd.
Eye for detail
If the work on the special effects is to be commended, so is the work on the other creative aspects. From the sets to the costumes to the artistic direction, the historical reconstruction of the late 1940s is mind-boggling. Nothing is left to chance in this production, full of good ideas and discoveries, leaving the spectator glued to their seat.
In addition, the actors are all fabulous, especially Ryûnosuke Kamiki, who plays the hero, Koichi. Aged 30, the artist is a rising star of Japanese cinema. Thanks to extraordinary creativity, Godzilla Minus One manages to forget its limited budget to offer us one of the most spectacular monster films of recent years!
All the ingredients come together to make this work one of the cinema events of 2024! You have 15 days to discover this new Godzilla, which is released in cinemas from January 17 to 31. The prehistoric reptile will then return on April 3 via the MonsterVerse Warner in Godzilla X Kong: The New Kingdom.