Godzilla Minus Zero review: a sequel that earns 4.8 out of 5

Godzilla Minus Zero, the sequel to the critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One, is awesome. I'm giving it 4.8 out of five. I still lean slightly toward the first film, but I think this one is incredible, and I'd call it one of the best movies of the year so far. This review is spoiler free.

Takashi Yamazaki returns to write and direct, and several of the stars come back in their original roles. There's also an actor playing a doctor who I believe is new, and he stands out in this one. Across the board, the performances are incredible.

Why Godzilla Minus One set such a high bar for the sequel

I've always loved Godzilla movies. I like when the Godzilla vs. Kong movies come along, and I like grabbing some popcorn and having fun as monsters beat each other up. I usually know what I'm getting. I love the old school ones too, and I think there's a lot of depth in the very old Japanese Godzilla movies, even if they're a little dated here and there.

So when I was told about Godzilla Minus One, I figured it would probably be another fun Godzilla movie. What I got was what everyone else was saying: it was essentially a World War II movie with a lot of depth in its characters, and it happened to have Godzilla in it. When you first hear that, you wonder who wants to see that. But there's so much depth to it, and it looked like a $200 million movie.

That raised the question for the sequel. Were they going to ruin a good thing by making a second one? Were they going to lean too heavily on the monsters? Well, they do go heavy on the monsters this time. But it works just as well.

Koichi and Noriko are pulled back in when a new threat arrives

This time around, Koichi, the hero from the first film, and Noriko have their daughter. They're trying to stay peaceful and stay out of things. Of course, they get called back in because something starts going down. I'm not giving away what that is, but in a Godzilla movie, you can guess.

At the same time, Hidetaka Yoshioka returns as Kenji Noda. He has to be the one making the plans and figuring out how to stop these threats, and he also has to see if he can bring Koichi back into the fold. The story picks up two years later, with everyone trying to survive the first catastrophe, only to be met with a whole new one. They have to come together as a team to figure out how to do it, and the authenticity of it, the damage that's caused, all feels real.

The emotion of Godzilla Minus Zero made me tear up

If you want to follow up the greatness of the first film, you have to care about the characters again. And you do. There's emotion, and I'm not going to lie: I teared up a few different times because of what they do with themes of love, parenthood and protection.

Yamazaki also carries over what he did in the first film with the postwar setting, the things that happened in World War II and the PTSD people are living with, leading into this brand new threat. There's a lot of emotion and a lot at stake, and to me that's what Yamazaki does so well. You're locked into it.

A sequel that looks like a $300 million movie

I know union costs and other factors are different, but whatever this movie cost, it looks like a $300 million movie. The effects never look cheap. It always feels real. They also have to maneuver things so you aren't repeating the same beats of the first film.

And Godzilla is the best. It's Godzilla. The sounds they create for the creature, the effects in general, the eyes of Godzilla: we've seen Godzilla movies before, so you want it to feel fresh, and they manage that. The music is it, too. When you take Godzilla music and try to stay authentic to something from so long ago, it could come off cheesy or dated. It doesn't. It feels right, and that's how the whole movie feels: "This movie just feels right."

Why I recommend seeing it with subtitles, and in IMAX

I watched it with subtitles, and I recommend doing the same. I know some people like the dubbed versions, but that's not my thing. I like feeling the real emotions and hearing what's really being said, again for the authenticity of it.

I didn't get a chance to see it in IMAX, but I want to. I still recommend seeing it in IMAX because of the scale of this movie. Godzilla is so massive, and then there's the lore and the way they put it together. I think this movie is pretty great.

Why I still slightly prefer Godzilla Minus One

There's going to be a debate over which one people like better. There's some familiar material, though not to the point where you'd think they'd already done it. Maybe it isn't even fair to the second film, because the first was such a surprise, and you go into the second with so many expectations because the first was so great. I think it meets most expectations.

As I try to say why I liked the first one better, maybe that's what it is: I was so surprised by the first one, and that's not fair to the second. I have to see it again, because there are some amazing performances from everyone involved. Nobody ever plays it like they're in a Godzilla movie and can be a little corny. It all feels real.

The verdict on Godzilla Minus Zero: 4.8 out of 5

I'd love to see this movie get nominated, and I'd love to see some of these performances recognized. I don't know if the Academy is there yet, but it's something I'd love to see. So I'm going big: 4.8 out of five, and I highly recommend it.

If you haven't seen the first film, I absolutely recommend seeing that first, because you might be as surprised as I was, and this one will be a great follow-up. As for Yamazaki, he's awesome. I want to see him make 87 of these movies, and I would watch all 87 of them.