Godzilla Minus Zero review: is Ghidorah worth the IMAX ticket?

Godzilla Minus Zero, the follow-up to Godzilla Minus One, feels like an upgrade across the board, from the scope of the story to the size of the kaiju and the music. It leans harder into giant monster battles, it trades some of the first film's grounded drama for melodrama, and it delivers a sense of scale in IMAX that we found remarkable. We both recommend seeing it in a theater.

The setup: the war reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it below zero. Two years later, the country has fought painfully to recover and get back to daily life. Just as humanity clings to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes and shatters that hope in an instant. "There is no third chance."

Why we were excited for a Godzilla Minus One sequel

When we heard there would be a second part to Godzilla Minus One, we were overjoyed, because we love that film. The way it presented Godzilla, along with its story and characters, drew us in completely. There was a strong emotional connection to those characters and that story.

Wendy couldn't wait to see where the story would go with the same cast and the same events. She was also eager to see the new threat. It isn't new to us, since we've seen this monster before, but it is new to this particular film and story. Seeing it unfold on screen in IMAX was a big part of the appeal.

Dustin loved how the film teases its new monster

Dustin liked the way the film teases and builds toward its new monster. You can tell it's going to be Ghidorah from the sound and the way it's introduced, and he thinks that was genius.

Like Wendy, he loved the characters. He loved the period the story is set in. He loved how they handled Godzilla, who comes across far more as a force of nature, and that's exactly how the film treats him. It's a story of humanity overcoming impossible odds.

He also liked how Godzilla's return as a new threat is set up. Everyone has started getting back to normal life, trying to rebuild and recover. The war is over, Godzilla is done, and they're returning to their lives. Then everything changes.

Godzilla Minus Zero leans into kaiju battles over deep drama

Dustin doesn't want to spoil much for anyone who has only seen the trailer, though he admits naming the monster already gives a little away. In his view, the film starts to move away from the story and deep drama of the first part and leans more toward the giant monster battle movie.

Many of us expected that shift, but the way they pulled it off was rated 11 out of 10. The film spends its build placing its pieces and its stakes, and rebuilding that connection to the characters: how we can care about these people and this city, while everything is set up for a third act that becomes epic and explodes in the best possible way. Every time Godzilla appeared on screen, the reaction was that it couldn't get any happier than this.

IMAX makes Godzilla feel enormous

In IMAX, Godzilla is obviously going to look huge. You know he's huge, but the way they shot the scenes made it feel like being small in the theater, as if facing Godzilla in real life. It was an unbelievable feeling, and seemingly not one felt before while watching a Godzilla film, not even the first one. Minus One delivered scale, but this one raised the bar and did everything it could to make the audience feel how massive Godzilla is.

We got to see and hear a Q&A with many of the filmmakers, and they talked about how this part has a larger number of visual effects shots than the first.

A strong opening, with a few leaps in logic

The film begins with a great opening scene. It gets straight into the action, and you think, wow, okay, so this is the path they're taking. It builds from there and holds that tension, because there are many moments where you stop and think it can't end here, since you're still at the start of the film. There are also many good reveals and motivations tied to the characters, which are best left vague to avoid spoilers.

There are a few moments where you have to suspend your logic a bit, because the first part was very realistic, as much as a film inspired by comics can be. This one heads toward kaiju territory and gets a little more fantastical, with moments where it feels a bit convenient that something was being kept in reserve for them. Dustin likes the direction they take, but he misses some of that realistic quality. That point was understood, with the reply that when it comes to the kaiju, audiences will lose their minds with excitement.

Possibly the first Godzilla film rated R

There was a thought, offered with an invitation to be corrected, that this is the first Godzilla film rated R. It is rated for adults.

There's one moment you'll recognize when you see it, which we won't spoil. When it happened, it seemed the whole theater gasped at once. The reaction was disbelief, then the realization that yes, it had just happened, and that it was great. By the third act, the excitement to see what was unfolding had someone on the edge of their seat.

The human story in Godzilla Minus Zero turns more melodramatic

Beyond Godzilla and the kaiju, the film still needs its humans, because they carry the stakes and the sacrifices against nature. The characters return as they pick up the pieces of their lives and adjust again, while a sense of anxiety and of looking over their shoulders lingers. Godzilla is gone, right? Really gone? Can they live in peace?

Wendy picks up what Dustin was saying: the first film's emotions were more realistic and grounded, and you could feel connected to its two lead characters. In this part, everything is a bit bigger, on a literally larger scale, so she feels the story and even the dialogue became more melodramatic. Compared on atmosphere, setting the kaiju aside, the two films are somewhat different, but she feels this one returns to that traditional, original Godzilla feel.

They added a little exaggeration to the events. At times it was so over the top that it created a sense of disconnection. There were parts where people in the audience laughed when it didn't seem like we were supposed to laugh, not because the dialogue was bad, but because it was very melodramatic. Still, you're watching a Godzilla film, and that was accepted. It's much better than some other Godzilla films we've seen, so a little of that was appreciated.

Our verdict on Godzilla Minus Zero

We were both looking forward to this one, to the point that we didn't need a trailer to know we would go. Seeing many of the characters return to continue the story was welcome, and the film is a real visual feast. If you can, see it in IMAX, for the sound and the visuals and that feeling of being small with Godzilla looking right at you. There are plenty of upward angle shots too, and those make him look great. The soundtrack is amazing.

They upgraded everything: the scope of the story, the size of the kaiju, the music. The film was shot with IMAX technology specifically for IMAX, the first Japanese production to do so, which makes seeing it in a theater a great opportunity.

Compared side by side, both films are good but a little different. This one is on a larger scale, with performances that are a little more melodramatic, and it didn't build the same connection to the characters that was hoped for after the first, which is a big reason for the strong attachment to Godzilla Minus One. Watched together as one long film, that might feel a little different. Either way, it's a strong recommendation to see it in a theater.

That view got full agreement. This is a great Godzilla film that stands up to the others. The characters have some cheesiness mixed in, but that's what you expect from Godzilla. The visual effects are great, the monsters are amazing, and the fight scenes were loved, including one stretch that prompted the reaction "let them fight." This film is definitely worth seeing.