Godzilla Minus One

_Godzilla Minus One_ is not only one of the best films out of the 30-plus in the series, but also one of the best films of the year. The acting is superb, the destruction is immense and incredible, and the gnarly Godzilla design is fantastic. It’s ridiculous, if true, that this film only has a budget of $15 million because it looks better than most Hollywood blockbusters. Full review: bit.ly/kamikaiju

"Shikishima" (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is a man with some guilt. He was a kamikaze pilot towards the end of WWII who feigned some technical problems with his plane and so landed and survived! Now, Japan is defeated and in ruins and he is feels a deep sense if shame. He manages to find a job in a wooden-hulled boat trying to collect up from the sea all the mines laid by the Allies and the Japanese alike, and it's whilst they are at sea they discover a toxic creature that has been born out of the ashes of the atom bomb. This creature is bent on destruction and nothing mankind has in it's arsenal can even dent this leviathan that possesses a deadly blue ray than can obliterate all in it's path. It heads to the land wreaking devastation and so the scientists must come up with a plan before the country is laid waste. It's really two stories. One of the man with all of his demons, his burgeoning romance with a homeless girl and her child and of his gradual realisation that maybe his life isn't quite over yet. The remainder is the standard "Godzilla" style special effects fest that I must admit to preferring to the more recent Hollywood versions. The style of animation here is grittier, the monster knobblier and angrier and the immediately post-war timeframe allows the photography to present us with a more attractively bleak film to look at. The ending is predictable, sure, but at least it tries to solve the problem of this marauding beastie in a little more of an innovatory fashion. Not much original here, but I still quite enjoyed it.

**So good!** I have been watching Godzilla movies as long as I can remember. Most are enjoyable and enteretaining except the 1998 American made one. It's one of the worse movies I have ever seen. This movie has no right to be as good as it is! But it is good. Very good and a great movie to celebrate the 70th anniversay of the most well known kaiju in the world. Must be seen on the big screen. I didn't know a Godzilla movie could pack an emotional punch the way this film did. It's a testament to the writing and acting in this film. Kamiki Ryunosuke, Hamabe Minami, Yamada Yuki, Aoki Munetaka, Yoshioka Hidetaka, Ando Sakura and Sasaki Kuranosuke. I'm listing all the actotrs here b/c everyone played their roles well. I also, must shout out the little girl actress. I don't know her name but she was magnificent and I think she was only 3 or 4 years old. I can't give much away but the film explores survivors guilt, shame and forgiveness.