“Godzilla Minus One”, the 2024 Oscar for Best Visual Effects, showcases VFX effects and integrates a humane message rarely seen in Hollywood monster movies.
The work is directed by Japanese director Takashi Yamazaki, set in the final days of World War II in 1945. The story revolves around suicide pilot Koichi Shikishima (played by Ryunosuke Kamiki), pretending to have a technical problem in order to land. on Odo Island, to avoid carrying out a suicide mission. One day, Godzilla approached the repair site, 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing the engineers, only Koichi and captain Sosaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki) survived.
In December 1945, Koichi returned to Tokyo and met the girl Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe). Godzilla, now a giant nuclear-powered monster, attacks American warships before heading to Japan. At this time, Koichi applied to be a staff member on the mine-clearing ship Shinsei Maru, trying to stop Godzilla to ease his guilt after the incident in the past.
GQ magazine called Godzilla Minus One the best Godzilla movie in years. This site commented that the work is much better than Hollywood movies, giving viewers a feeling of fear before the appearance of monsters. “Yamazaki’s story intertwines ideas of honor and survival, no character in the film is small or insignificant. Minus One has bold ideas, which is something the Monsterverse lacks. Not to mention a real project does every step at a low cost,” GQ wrote.
