Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Godzilla Minus One is a prequel-like film set in a Mid to Post WWII Japan where a gigantic monster appears off the coast.

Back in 2019, I watched Dragon Quest: Your Story because I'm a big Dragon Quest fan. Even while writing this review, I've paused Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. Little did I know earlier this afternoon that Takashi Yamazaki had directed both. He did a great job getting material out of the live-action characters but the CGI could have had more of a bake time as there were some noticeable issues but perhaps the average audience member won't notice.

Ryunosuke Kamiki plays the main character and has a large growth and character arc that screams Japanese as he's an insecure and self-conscious beta who has no backbone or the courage to do what's right until the arc is over. It's very relatable to younger audiences. He was in Spirited Away and The Secret World of Arrietty so there's that.

Minami Hamabe plays the love interest in one way or another. It's more of a will they won't they situation. She plays the character written for her well but is absent through a good half of the movie. She's expressive and you want to see her happy by the end.

It's a solid Godzilla movie, it's not as amazing as some people are claiming but compared to much in the theaters right now it's on the top end. Result: B+

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