Cinepals - GODZILLA MINUS ONE Spoiler Review and Discussion

Episode Date: December 4, 2023

Jaby and Achara discuss Jaby's favorite film of 2023, Godzilla Minus One. The movie is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki and stars Minami Hanabe, Ryunosuke Kamiki and Sakura Ando. 

Senna. Pals. Oh, well, I got confirmation tonight. With full certainty, this is the best movie of the year. What's going on, everybody? I am Jabby Kauai, joined by Achar. Kirk, what's up? And we're talking about Godzilla minus one. This will be two parts.

Very brief, non-spoiler, just to give Achar a chance to tell you her thoughts before we go into our spoiler chat. Let's kick this off with a summary of Godzilla minus one. What is this movie about Achara? The film is set in post-World War II Japan. Literally, they just got defeated by the U.S. They're living in this aftermath of the war and the PTSD and everything that has happened. Amidst that, there's Godzilla. A failed kamikaze fighter is trying to rebuild his life with this makeshift family

and ultimately trying to redeem himself. Did that make sense? No, that made sense. I think that was a nice little summary of the film. I feel like it's very much a Japanese movie, you know, in terms of pacing and tone, it starts off just kind of slowly, although in the beginning, am I allowed to say this? Godzilla shows up very quickly and it's like, oh, yeah, definitely a Godzilla movie. But then after that, it kind of like does the thing where it's just like

very calm-ish until Godzilla shows up again, but it's like the pacing's really different from our run-of-the-mill Hollywood films, which is what I'm trying to say here. And so it takes a little bit of getting used to but once you do the movie just kind of seeps into your soul and you really care about the characters because the focus is on the human relationships and how war has affected these people it feels very intimate and then it's also like and there's a monster with american action films like this like independence day you're often focused on the destruction yes it's about the action like independence day what sold you you know back in the day in those commercials was you've seen that White House blown up. With Jurassic World, it's the

monsters, the dinosaurs, the dinosaurs escaping and eating people and whatever, you know, causing destruction with Godzilla, same exact thing. And so this has a very heavy emphasis on the human characters. Kind of like, you know, Jurassic Park. If you watch Jurassic Park again, it has a similar structure where you kick things off with an intense scene, then you develop the human characters. And it's not until an hour into Jurassic Park that you actually see the T-Rex properly. Yeah. And here again, it's just like the human characters and their stories are just so compelling. It's also kind of like jaws in that regard as well. You know, like really great monster films. I feel like we have to kind of reference them and give props as well. But I didn't

realize how much I started caring about the characters. I don't know what it is about the story and how it was told. But in the climax, I was like, oh my God. I'm crying. It's a Godzilla movie and I'm crying. Yeah, it got me too. I've watched it twice and it still got me this. I think it got me more the second time I watched it, to be honest with you. Because the first time I watched it, I did not have the optimal angle for it. I was sitting in the far right front of the theater because it was a screening. But for this one, I'm dead center, like the best seat in the house. I felt things again if and if not more intensely. It's so well done. Like the music as well, I thought was really great and was kind of referencing. or hearkening back to maybe the original Godzilla, because I didn't realize that that sound, the doon, doon, dun, dun, dun, dun, and I was like, wait, I know that from a rap song, but I'm pretty sure the rap song didn't do that first. Yeah, no, that's a classic song.

Yeah, that's where they got it from. Generally, I really enjoyed the visual effects. I thought that their decision to kind of make the Godzilla VFX, the way that they did, was actually a really good choice because, Like the detail and stuff on him looks really good. Sometimes his movement was a little bit goofy, especially when he was walking on land. But I thought that that was actually a really cool choice because to me it seemed like it was paying homage to the old school Godzilla that, that you know, we've seen clips of and stuff like that where he's kind of like just with his little T-Rex arms just kind of clumping around. but I thought that he was really scary.

I watched your review, and I was like, yeah, I see what you're saying there about how sometimes the acting can feel a little bit over the top, but I think that's also like, it's a Japanese flavor. Do you know what I mean? Like, I thought that the acting was good, and maybe sometimes it's like a little bit over the top, perhaps, for American taste. But I'm like, that's just the flavor of acting in Japan for this. Let's go into our spoiler section.

At the very beginning of the movie, you know, when Godzilla first shows up, watching that scene again, it was really neat because when you know what's coming, you know what to expect and you get to study it a little bit more. And it's just like, this is such a genius film. The water stuff, you know, when they're putting the bombs into the mouth and trying to like do some damage to this thing, all of that felt very jaws-like. In a good way. Like, I appreciated that having that Jaws experience in a Godzilla film,

it was just super cool, you know, to see that, you know, brought into this universe. I just have to say this one thing about the storytelling in this movie. They say so much without saying too much explicitly. And so you really have to kind of, you know, pay attention as you're watching. And I feel like a lot of it kind of filters in through your consciousness via osmosis even. Because the setup in the beginning is this young guy is a kamikaze person. pilot and you understand that at least from how most of the people are treating him or talking to him, it's considered to be a great honor. And then later on, you figure out like, oh, he doesn't

want to do this. He's trying to make an excuse so that he doesn't have to fly. And in a way, the appearance of Godzilla saved his life. He didn't end up having to actually fulfill his duty. I mean, it's a tragedy because everybody else, bar one other guy on that island, dies. Yeah. And then he kind of, he goes back to Tokyo. You think, oh, his neighbor is going to be really happy to see him. But instead, she's like, ugh, you didn't fulfill your duty. Why are you still alive?

If you'd have done what you were supposed to do, my kids wouldn't be dead right now. And it was just like really interesting culturally to kind of see how people, felt about it and then to kind of have his whole character arc be that you know in the beginning he's kind of painted to be this this coward or someone who's dishonorable because he didn't do his duty and then by the end he like willingly does it but then ultimately like you said the the main theme of the movie is like live like don't die pointlessly so live your Like to what you're saying, I feel like there is some neat stuff going on in this film that you don't get a lot of in a lot of these, you know, big epic monster films. We've gone on and on about the human characters.

And to what you just said, the neighbor comes out thrashing him basically. Yeah. For not fulfilling his duty. He's a dishonorable soldier, right? And he's being blamed twice. He was blamed at the beach for not getting behind the 20 millimeter gun. Yeah, which would have died. He would have died.

But like, he's being blamed there for the death. of all these engineers and then he's blamed by his neighbor for not fulfilling his duty and then people dying in the air raids it's not necessarily his fault but he's being held accountable for this and so he's got a lot of guilt that he's living with and the film places a heavy emphasis on that guilt his goal really is he wants to die you know he wants redemption as well he wants redemption but like through death that's what he's thinking and so that's why he's like distant the entire film is he's like no like I can't give this to you even though I want it because I need to die.

I need to go and fulfill, hold on, I'm not done. He, like, I got to say this. I want to fulfill my duty as, as the kamikaze pilot is his whole thinking. And so his arc is accepting, like, he can fulfill his duty without dying, right? And he's able to pick living. He's able to pick, I'm going to live my life. And so with the neighbor who's like, in an American film, that's a throwaway character. You forget about her.

Yeah. She is present throughout the film and has her own arc because initially she's like, you should have died. And at the end, she's angry that he tried to die. Yeah. And it's the same exact action. She's like slapping him at the end of the film. Just like she was slapping him with the cloth in the beginning.

I'm like, this is so fucking cool. This movie is awesome. Like that this character, everybody is important. And it's just like, it was a reminder watching it a second time, like how all of these characters have meaning in a way that you just don't get with American films right now. Regarding our lead character, yes, I agree with you about the whole, like, he feels like he ought to have died. But I thought another thing that the movie did really well was address the effects of war.

PTSD. Yeah, PTSD. Because he says, I'm still fighting a war. Because it's not over for him. All of that guilt, all of that trauma, everything that happened with Godzilla, it's not over for him. And he can't move on because he's stuck there. The Fat Lady hasn't sang yet. Yeah, the Fat Lady has not sung.

Talking about the neighbor and stuff, just like the idea of community is so important in this movie. And in Japanese culture as well, right? Like, because the neighbor, like you said, is really important. She's, like, helping with the babysitting and whatnot for them. But also, it's so cool that in this story, the lead guy ends up kind of having this ready-made family when this random, beautiful young woman crosses parts with him, gives him this, like, little baby. And he can't bring himself to abandon her. and then they kind of just fall into his life.

Yeah. You know? And then they take it upon themselves to raise this orphan child because, I mean, they're orphaned now themselves as a result of the war. They're like, okay, so this is what we do. Like, we help each other. I thought it was actually really cool how wholesome the movie was.

Yeah. Because if you look at the love story, it's like, I don't think you even see the two main characters ever kiss. They don't ever kiss. They don't ever, like, fully say. that they love each other, which is totally in line with, like, Japanese culture as well, right? Like, you wouldn't... Sure, they would never say, Aishiteru.

Yeah, exactly. You don't say that. You just know it or you show it. Well, I talked to, I remember I dated a girl and she said that her father only said it to her once. Wow. And it's like a very powerful meaning. Here we throw the word love around like whatever. Yeah.

But in Japanese culture, it's like, you might hear it from your parents one time. It's crazy. So it was just like really interesting their whole relationship dynamic because for all intents and purposes they were behaving like they were a family or like you know married but then if anyone asked they're all like now in american films there's there's so much emphasis on on sex it's such a wholesome movie i adore it it's so neat that they did that but like the love that they feel for each other is so strong yeah and not not even just like the love between the main male protagonist and the female character but also his colleagues on the boat you know they form a really close bond

they feel like family they're friends and then at the end when um our our dude it doesn't end up dying they're all like so happy i want to shout out the the doctor character because i thought he was great he was one of my favorite characters because he seemed kind is that weird to say i like all of I loved his kind eyes. No, the moment we're introduced to them, in a way, it almost reminds me of Star Wars when Luke Skywalker sees the Millennium Falcon for the first time, he's like, this is this piece of junk. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

He sees the boat. He's like, this is the specialized boat. It's like, it's made of wood. It looks so flimsy. And it's like, no, actually, this is going to save our lives. Exactly. When you're introduced to the characters, I fell in love with them right away. Well, like you said in your initial review, they're very specific.

Even if we can't remember their names, we know Doc. We know the cast. who's kind of like quirky and the kid yeah and then we've got our pilot like they're very clearly defined yeah and even then the behavior they're well defined as well and there's like a nice little dunkirk moment towards the end i just want to say that before i forget has a dunkirk tugboat thing at the end of the movie yeah it's pretty wild let's just jump into that real fast there's this moment in the film where you know you think godzilla's about to wipe everybody out and it's not without merit to have that feeling the movie slows down the sound the sound is

cut out? Yeah, that was powerful. And I'm like, you know, the first time I watched it, I'm like, oh, these people all about to die. Like, it just, it really feels like it's going that direction, given how much destruction you've seen in the film, it properly primes you for that feeling because of just how many people you've watched die. And it's not like every death in this movie counts, you know, it's not just like flippant destruction and there's no consequence. Every death has consequence in this film. Well, yeah, because every time you see Godzilla come out, especially when he was in Ginza that was really powerful

because you're literally watching people run away and they're trying to get away and then like a building gets decimated and then like you see the little person running and then all of a sudden the debris just like covers them and they're gone he lets out his like

the heat breath or whatever and then all of a sudden it's like and everything gone and it's really sad because they already had this happen like when Americans drop the bomb. Right. The bombs.

So, yeah, that moment towards the end of the film, like, to me, that was, like, the best climax I could possibly ask for, because it's not just, you know, more destruction. Like, there's this camaraderie that's all, that's happening with all these people. And, like, I care about everyone who's involved. And when our main character drives the plane into Godzilla's mouth, it felt like independence day to me, you know, towards the end of the film, if you remember, like, everyone when I was about to die, and then that crazy dude who was crop dusting, you know,

flies his plane into the alien spaceship and destroys it. And so he saves the day. Watching it again, when he flies into Godzilla's mouth, you can see him eject himself out of the plane. That I didn't see. It's like, I'm like, oh, there it is, huh? One of those things. When all that sound is cut out

and you're just watching all these people in slow motion, I was like having to stop myself from welling up. Well, yeah, because it was so powerful. because like they set things up so well like even the ejection seat they set that up when I think was the doctor or someone was talking about how in the war you know they didn't have choices they had to do what what they were told to do the Japanese government just didn't really care about the people and and you know they sent kamikaze fighters to do their duty but didn't even give them planes with like a And so already I was like, uh-huh, oh, that's interesting. And then later on, when I saw the engineer looking at the new plane that he was working on, there was something written on the seat, like in German or something. And I was like, I bet the seat ejects. And then sure enough, it does. And so I wasn't surprised, but I feel like there's a lot of payoff as well. Like even with the theme

that you talked about in your review, standing up against the government or like the government doesn't care about you. Yeah, you're disposable. Yeah, you're disposable. And so, like, you really felt that because it was the government that was like, oh, no, we're not going to tell the public because we don't want them to panic, which I guess I understand, but also, like, that sucks. Like, you shouldn't do that.

Well, information suppression is a big thing in Japan. I heard Japanese had to go overseas to find out what was up with Pearl Harbor. You know, like, because the way it's written in Japanese history books is, that the Americans just attacked. A lot of Japanese don't realize what exactly went on during that time because the history books are written differently. Right, of course. I guess it's to save face amongst their own people.

I don't know. It's shame. I have no idea. Yeah. I mean, every country, I feel like, will write history books to favor them in some way, shape, or form unless you're Germany. In which case, they're very sorry. Germany is very sorry.

But outside of Germany, I feel like a lot of countries will have some sort of bias in their history book writing, right? Japan, I guess, takes it to another level. But this movie shines a light on all of that. Yeah. It's like there's information. He says it straight up. The tall guy in the crew is like, oh, information suppression is what we're good at here.

That's true. Yeah. And they make a really big point out of like really emphasizing that in the movie. But, you know, they're talking about how they're completely disposable. But then they've got a group of ex-Navy, ex-military people together. and they're like, okay, this is what we have to do in order to save our community, but you have the choice.

You can leave or you can stay. And a lot of people leave because they're like, I have a family to look after and like, I don't want to do this. And it's like, fine. But then for the people that stayed, you know, you know that they want to be here, that they believe in the cause and that they're willing to put up their lives, even though the doctor doc was like,

we're not about like using your lives as if they're expendable like the main goal of the mission is to come back alive and so everyone was kind of like cool but i think that's why that moment when they cut out the music and they cut to all of the people on the ships just like in shock and scared but also resigned to their fate because you can see like they set it up so well you know when Godzilla's spines start to come out and it's that like glowing blue color you know it's not good nothing can withstand that like you're you can't run away fast enough if you're all going to die and then they cut out the music and there was also one character who didn't really do much but he was just like a kind of younger looking guy I don't know if you if he stood out to you but he stood out to me because of his youth in comparison to everyone else on this ship and I was like oh damn he's so young he's probably going to die This sucks. And then cue the heroic music.

Koichi comes flying in. It's like, yeah. So there's a few things I didn't like when I first watched it. And then watching it again, I'm like, yeah, I still don't like that too much. One thing is Koichi's like, he has a dream and or a nightmare rather. He sees Godzilla and he screams. And his scream is just like the way it was recorded or the way he's screaming, it just it hurts and then when he's crying after a kiko or not akiko when he thinks his would-be wife

that he's not married to noriko when she pushes him out of the way yeah noriko when she pushes him out of the way and he and you know she dies yeah that was dumb and he cries out like it's not her pushing him out of the way that I thought was dumb I mean I get what you're saying because you're like she she should have body she should have jumped on top of him yeah no we were talking about this afterwards because you asked me what I felt about that and I was Just like, yeah, I think it's dumb that she didn't, like, use her body to push them together. I get that. So I thought it was, while contrived, I liked it for the film because it caught me off guard, that she died.

Yeah, definitely did. It just totally caught me off guard. But, like, when he cries, it's just like the way he cries, it's just, like, it was very, like, screechy, like, for my ears. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, man. And, no, no, it's fine to cry. It's fine. It's like, I totally don't mind that.

It's just that I want to cry with him. and I couldn't because it was distracting how he was crying. But that's a me thing because I haven't heard anyone else complain about that, right? And then when Godzilla was laying destruction right before she dies, there's news reporters on top of the building going, oh, my God, Godzilla's coming right at us. It's like, you're just going to stand, like. What are you doing? Yeah, it was, there was a little bit perplexing to me.

And I feel like maybe that was done as an homage to something older where that makes more sense or something, or it's just kind of a goofy trope from another Godzilla of film. You know what I mean? And they just threw it in here. But for, for this film that is otherwise quite serious and grounded, like, that just seemed weird. Anyway, that's my thoughts on that. Those are the three things that kind of jumped out at me as like, that's something I didn't enjoy. Watching it again, Noriko got destroyed. Okay. Like, when she shoves, what's his name? Saske? Koichi. Koichi. When she shoves him out of the way and gets swooped up in the damage, I'm like, there is no way anybody would survive that.

No coming back. That was the thing I was talking about in my non-spoiler review when I'm saying people are surviving stuff. That in addition to the whole radiation thing, which some people are telling me... We've got questions. Some people are telling me, oh, they totally survive and blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, hey, I mean, they'll survive for now. Who knows what the lasting effects of radiation are in that situation? But it's a movie, so whatever.

Watching it a second time and you caught it was there was something on Noriko's neck. when she was petting Saske's head. Koichi's head. Yeah. When she was petting Koichi's head in the hospital, first off, like when I was so shocked when I first watched it, I'm like, she's actually alive. Wait, okay, so you didn't you didn't clock when she got the telegram? No, I did, but I'm like, I'm thinking he's going to go to the hospital and she's a vegetable.

Like how, what could he possibly hope to find? You know, she was swept up in carnage. Like, what does she look like? and like still hot yeah exactly that's the thing is like the first time I watched it

I was just so shocked that she was looking at him and was fine right the second time I'm watching and I'm like damn she looked fine how does she look good still

like she was swept up in carnage what was she in the hospital for a day how is it possible that she looks like no she was in the hospital for a while

I know I'm just saying I was kind of disappointed in his character I was being facetious I'm just saying like she wasn't there that long to be healed like that. And so my assumption is that there's got to be some kind of mutation.

That's what that black stuff on her neck was about. Yeah, something's, something's up there for sure. It's, it's us. Why are you disappointed? No, I was just disappointed because if I were him, I think I would have been like, they must have some sort of survivors list or like something at the hospitals or whatever. I would have been trying to see if anyone found her body or anything. I don't know. Maybe it was just too bad. Like, you know. Oh, I didn't even think about it. about that. When I'm watching the film, the first, even the second time, I'm like, well, she dead. Like, no. There's just, she just died. They said that they were like, okay, so fine, like 30,000 people were dead and, or injured or whatever. So I'm like, okay, well, if you really

cared about her, wouldn't you be going and trying to find out definitively if she was dead or alive? But I guess he was busy. He had to raise a child, whatever. You're, you're not wrong. But then that would have distracted from the movie. I know. It was a tight film that kept it moving while still feeling like kind of slow-paced. Yeah, but I feel like all of that worked to its advantage. It really did. Because it helped the emotions build, I think. The thing that I loved about the, one of the things I loved about the third act of the film, or depends on how you look at film structure, I suppose.

But okay, the climactic moment of the film, let's say, is when the music starts building up. and it starts off with the four ships taking off after Godzilla destroys the decoy. And there's this riveting music that kicks in and like all the action starts happening and you're like, this is it! This is what we prepared for! And it's like it feels so fucking good.

It's so heroic because it's just like, it's a story of just regular people. Granted, they have experience in the Navy and whatnot. But still, regular people who have just come out of war and who are willingly going out there to save their country again. Yeah. Anyway, loved it. I loved it again. It's a great film.

Yeah. I would, like, genuinely, I'm surprised how moved I felt in a Godzilla movie. Like, I don't often feel that way when I'm watching Godzilla. I don't often feel that way. I don't often feel that way when I'm watching a film that fits this camera. Yeah. You know? But it does what a great film like this should do, going back to things like Jurassic

Park, going back to things like Jaws, where it's like the people matter, you know, the characters matter and you feel for what they're going through. And when someone dies, you feel that. It's not just this throwaway thing like, oh, well, moving on, you know. Yeah, like, oh, whoopsie. Yeah. Consequences, like there are consequences to things, you know, and it's great. Anyways, you guys, hopefully you enjoyed this discussion and let us know your feelings

in the comments below. Is it the best film of 2023? I know that some people are like, no, it's Spider-Man across the Spider-Verse. I'm like... Yeah, I don't know. I mean, it's a great film. I don't think it's my, like, best film of 2023, but it's... What is yours?

I don't have one yet. The year's over, but anyway... Shut up! It's the best film with 2023 hands down. You guys, thanks so much for hanging out. I'm Jabby Kui. This is... Acharakook.

Peace out.