Regie:
Takashi YamazakiDrehbuch:
Takashi YamazakiKamera:
柴崎幸三Musik:
佐藤直紀Besetzung:
Ryūnosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, 青木崇高, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Andō, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Miō Tanaka, Yûya Endô, 飯田基祐, Sae Nagatani (mehr)Streaming (1)
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Godzilla taucht unerwartet in Japan auf, das nach dem Krieg ohnehin in Schutt und Asche liegt. Werden die verzweifelten Menschen einen Weg finden zu überleben und zurückzuschlagen? (24 Bilder)
Kritiken (15)
Nach dem originalen Godzilla aus dem Jahr 1954 ist dies meine zweite Begegnung mit rein japanischer Produktion im Rahmen von Kaiju-Filmen. Es ist unglaublich, dass das bekannteste riesige Filmmonster bereits auf eine sieben Jahrzehnte währende Tradition zurückblickt. Die aktuelle Umsetzung bleibt ihren Vorgängern treu, aber die Schöpfer haben versucht, den Film technisch auf die heutigen Bedürfnisse des effektbegeisterten Publikums zu heben. Das Endergebnis war eine solide Demonstration, wie man mit einem bescheidenen Budget eine anständige Show inszenieren kann. Am meisten hat mich der erste Kontakt mit dem Monster beeindruckt, aber auch die weiteren Actionszenen hatten ihren Reiz. Godzilla -1.0 ist jedoch nicht nur über die zerstörerische Naturkatastrophe, die vom gigantischen Monster verkörpert wird, sondern auch ein solide geschriebenes soziales Drama über die Auswirkungen des Krieges auf Individuen, über den Umgang mit (post-)kriegstraumatischen Erfahrungen und über die Suche nach neuer Hoffnung und Sinn im vom Krieg zerstörten und jetzt von Godzilla bedrohten Gesellschaft. Die Beziehung zwischen Koichi und Noriko, die zusammen mit dem Mädchen Akiko eine Art "Patchwork-Familie" bilden, die aus den Kriegstrümmern entstanden ist, hat mich fasziniert und im Finale berührt. Es ist ein wenig schade, dass das ausdrucksstarke japanische Schauspiel und die emotionale Darstellung (nicht nur) diese soziale Ebene ein wenig beeinträchtigt haben. Der Plan, sich mit Godzilla auseinanderzusetzen, war verrückt, aber niedlich ... aber verrückt, aber niedlich - was aber wohl zu diesem Genre gehört. Vier starke Sterne!
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Das repetitive Lamentieren über das Trauma und die Schuldgefühle des Haupthelden langweilt mit der Zeit, aber der düstere Ton der ins Wanken geratenen japanischen Position im Krieg trägt dazu bei, dass das gigantische Monster im Überfluss präsentiert wird. Godzilla ist hier, begleitet von bedrohlichen Tönen der düsteren Musik, ein Symbol des Kriegsschreckens, einschließlich der verheerenden nuklearen Bedrohung. Die Ozeanszenen mit ihr sind hervorragend und bieten eine Steigerung sowie Ideen, wie man das Maximum aus ihren physiologischen Möglichkeiten herausholen kann. Sie ist bedrohlich, wütend und unzerstörbar. Die Szenen mit ihr in der Stadt sind nur ergänzend, als ob die Autoren nicht das wiederholen wollten, was man schon hundertmal gesehen hat (auch in amerikanischen Monster-Filmen). Man hat den Eindruck, dass sie den spezifischen Schiff- und Wasser-Charakter beibehalten wollten. Das Budget von 15 Millionen US-Dollar für ein derart hochwertiges CGI ist unglaublich und der Erfolg in amerikanischen Kinos könnte eine Veränderung in der Denkweise der Hollywood-Produzenten darüber bedeuten, was ein guter Actionfilm braucht und was nicht. In dieser Hinsicht ist Godzilla Minus One ein ähnliches „Transformationsphänomen“ wie Barbenheimer dieses Jahr.
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Eine Rückkehr zu den Wurzeln eines Monsters, das aus traumatischen Schuldgefühlen, dem Gefühl des Versagens und dem Beginn des Atomzeitalters entstand, das Japan wie keine andere Nation am eigenen Leib zu spüren bekam. Yamazaki und Co. haben eine organische Mischung aus einem Nachkriegs-Familiendrama und Der weiße Hai auf Steroiden geschaffen, die ihr begrenztes Budget auf eine schlaue und ästhetisch bescheidene Art und Weise nutzt. Selbst wenn die Grenzen spürbar sind, stehen sie letztlich immer im Dienst des Ganzen, das gleichzeitig intim sowie episch ist. Es ist die Art von Blockbuster, die Gareth Edwards machen wollte – nur unbelastet von Kompromissen und dem Druck des Studios. Er ist beängstigend und erhaben, naiv und rührend. Alles, was ich von einem Blockbuster erwarte!
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Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass ich einen „alten“ japanischen Film mit Godzilla sehe, der mit einer neuen Technologie gedreht wurde, daher denke ich, dass der Zweck erfüllt wurde. Die ernst gemeinte Geschichte mit interessanten Figuren (was wahrscheinlich der größte Unterschied zum aktuellen amerikanischen MonsterVersum ist), die zusammen mit ganz Japan von der Vorkriegskrise in die Nachkriegskrise übergegangen ist, wird natürlich mit wunderbaren und absichtlich dummen Ideen wie dem Plan gemischt, Godzilla zu zerstören. Ich musste einfach begeistert sein. Die digitale Godzilla sieht wie eine Person in einem Gummianzug aus. Wenn sie mit den Abrissarbeiten beginnt und dazu Ifukubes Motiv spielt, ist es wirklich unglaublich. Wenn ich hundertprozentig objektiv sein sollte, würde ich vielleicht einen Stern weniger geben. Aber ich will nicht.
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Gojira as a serious war drama? Yes, a return to the classic roots of the first two episodes. It's a terrible shame that most people associate the brand with Hollywood's Monsterverse, or that goofy Emmerich flick with Jean Reno that had nothing to do with Godzilla. They have no idea about the Godzilla phenomenon in the country of its origin, Japan, where TOHO has made a total of 29 feature films starring the overgrown lizard across six decades. Sure, the SHOWA era in the 50s and 60s in particular was very cringe, with Godzilla facing aliens and a monkey and making friends with a little Japanese boy. But this latest installment, essentially an homage, is a return to the rawness of the first two films from 1954 and 1955. Gojira is no pet this time, but a fierce creature happy to bite people in half and throw trains through the air. I was surprised by the screenwriting focus on human characters. Basically the entire first half doesn't leave the setting of the slums on the outskirts of Tokyo, dealing with a sort of small family micro-story, with a momentary detour to the sea, where the mines left behind are being fished out at the cost of their lives, only to have Godzilla start destroying the city after an hour or so, with a familiar musical theme from the TOHO films that brought a smile to my face. There are four action sequences in the film with each one getting better and better. It's unbelievable that this film cost less than Jákl’s Jan Žižka, yet it has the parameters of a big budget film, and by alternating the closed micro environments of one room with lavish CGI scenes, it very cleverly masks its budgetary constraints. Also, fans of the franchise will find references to old standbys, with Gojira's luminous shell playing a major role in this regard. There's also a noticeable sense of the lingering post-war and Hiroshima trauma of the Japanese in the film, just as you'd sense in the old films. It's a great homage, and if it is a reboot, I love it to.
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This year, it seems to me that perhaps all the films around which there is general hype seem to be slightly above average at best, and Japan's Godzilla -1.0 is another one of those. As long as it deals with the intimate fates of individuals in post-war Japan and the lizard is only seen in waves, it's fine. Once the lizard makes landfall, the Japanese get a chance to use their over-the-top acting, and the characters start hatching crazy plans, but it in the end it turns that the lizard is enough (... well, you'll see), so it goes down the tubes, at least for me. I can appreciate how it looks given its budget, but I can't enjoy it authentically.
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World War II is over, but Japan is far from finished, for a gigantic monster is approaching its shores. Will it be stopped, or will it make the decimated country fall to the bottom? Godzilla -1.0 is a showcase of great-looking destruction, functional pathos and slightly over-the-top Japanese acting. All in all, though, it's an easily watchable film even for a European, the makers of which have enough enthusiasm, ideas and respect for the original films to make those two hours in the cinema a great time.
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The fact that a Japanese film is making it into the best films of 2023 lists is noteworthy in itself. The Japanese have returned to their globally iconic monster, creating a fascinating film set in the aftermath of World War II. The atmosphere is fittingly historical, and while the digital effects are quite wild, the storytelling is where this film truly shines. It masterfully blends the collective mindset and struggles of a nation grappling with its post-war identity. This, in my opinion, is the most compelling aspect of the film. It's a total catharsis for a nation, embodied in a monster movie that defines a genre and aids in the purification of the Japanese spirit.
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On the occasion of his almost seventieth birthday, Gojira got a film that goes down well with the majority of the audience. That isn't a bad thing, but if you're expecting a procedural social critique like Shin Godzilla or over the top giant kaiju like in later Japanese works, you'll come away disappointed. A more fitting title would have been "how my post-war life was repeatedly affected by a monster" (the inspiration in the concept from the Godzilla comics: “Half Century War” is evident), because this time around it's stingy on Godzilla, he sort of plays third fiddle. When he does arrive, it's worth it (traditional design, origin and abilities, scale and action), but for most of its running time it's a tear-jerking melodrama about a kamikaze who failed in his duty and suffers from post-traumatic syndrome. He struggles to piece together a life in the ruins of Tokyo and a decimated post-war Japanese society that is also undergoing a fundamental transformation. Only that occasionally they (he and Japan) are shaken by Gojira's claw. Ironically, it's closer to the Pohlywood-ized kaiju variant on Jaws mixed with Pearl Harbor than to the previous Japanese Godzilla films (but the serious ones and the B-movie ones). Another installment is on the cards, but I'd personally prefer a sequel to Shin Godzilla. Perhaps as a satire on the Japanese government's bureaucratic mishandling of covid and the Olympics.
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Godzilla Minus One = Japanese Rambo II. Stallone’s all-American hero of his time nullified the historical wrongs of a lost war, admonished the illusory powerholders controlling a ruthless system and restored pride to veterans by enabling them to fight a winning battle for themselves, out of uniform. The Japanese just had to wait many more decades to do the same for themselves. In the hands of Yamazaki, the Japanese master of spectacular melodrama, the latest prequel/reboot/remake/whatever, simply another way to squeeze the last drop out of the brand, becomes such a crystal-clear resuscitation of classic formulas and kitschy emotions that even Top Gun: Maverick is green with envy. Whereas Tom Cruise successfully remained in the realm of functional pathos, Godzilla and its human fellow travellers spectacularly dive to the greatest depths of heavy-duty cringe. In the end, however, the supposed detached humour and derisive distance of the audience are purely illusory when you realise that you were royally entertained by this film, which by Hollywood standards is a low-budget showcase of embarrassingly exaggerated clichés and gaudy kitsch. ___ Nevertheless, the new film has a disturbing core that mirrors a basic principle of the rising conservatism in Japan and beyond, i.e. the need for an easy substitute lightning rod for negative emotions, as far removed as possible from the real pressing issues of the status quo. In Godzilla Minus One, we have a properly dehumanised and alien monster instead of the maximally humanised Godzilla/friend from the franchise’s cuddly era, which despite the would-be adult smartasses remains the franchise’s best, most entertaining and, mainly, most culturally mainstream phase. On the other hand, we can say that Godzilla shows itself to be a real timeless hero of Japan, because in the decades that it has spent at the top of Japanese pop culture, the lizard knows that hard times and wounded national pride sometimes don’t require the truth. Sometimes people deserve to be rewarded. And so, from time to time, the cute puppet has to put on some CGI armour and for a moment become the hero that the audience doesn’t deserve, but the one it needs. Because it can endure that. Because it’s not just a hero. It is a silent guardian and a watchful protector. Dark [insert Godzilla roar].
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We’re gonna need a much bigger boat, or the famous mutated lizard intends to send post-war Japan and its traumatized inhabitants from ground zero to the basement. It comes with an attractive combination of the creator's heartfelt contribution from the realm of the destructive endemic and charming naivety, epitomized by the disheveled scientist’s shadow on the projector screen (with all due respect to Japan’s incredible ingenuity in protecting the country from natural disasters). I managed to get through the emotional outbursts and the crying on cue from the J-horror girl and focused on the beauty of the Kyushu J7W Shinden, which the local Lucius Fox had fitted with a button from Mr. Wayne. Kudos to Yamazaki for pulling it off with the budget that would have been enough for crazy Roland to get Broderick, Reno’s lighter, and a few live worms.
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Godzilla -1.0 is a film about the tragedy of inaction and fear and the motivation that drives individuals to action and the ultimate sacrifice. The opposite of the cheerful American fooling around, made for relaxing entertainment I saw a few days ago. The Japanese open old wounds here, using a metaphor derived from the two nuclear bombs that Oppenheimer served up to the US military for quick use. Broken people slowly getting back on their feet after a lost war, only to be trampled by another disaster. Stunning destruction, backed by a roaring musical score, vivid characters where you care who survives and who doesn't. Surprisingly, the main character, a coward, lives.
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Gareth Edwards wanted to revive this dramatic concept back in 2014, but the mass success of his Godzilla seems to have been broken by Hollywood dictates. Godzilla -1.0 has it a lot easier in this regard, having been made for a few bucks and in a far more Godzilla-friendly environment than the US dream factory. And the result is something the filmmakers have nothing to be ashamed of. Of course it's not the bombastic heavyweight eye-candy spectacle that the West boasts, but it has a wonderfully gripping post-WWII post-apocalyptic atmosphere, a sinister lizard that manages to wring the absolute most out of it, and even if the limit of the production budget is occasionally apparent in some shots, it works brilliantly. However, I couldn't get into the characters at all and the wistful emotional charge completely missed the mark for me. One of the few films that IMHO would have benefited from a black and white version.
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If you're a casual viewer, read on! I'm not a fan of anime, Japan, or the Godzilla mythology, so I can judge (as one of the few here...) as a completely unbiased viewer and can objectively assess the qualities of the film itself. And the result is subpar. I was tempted by the circumstance that Godzilla -1.0 would only be screened only for a few days and the (over)rating here, but unfortunately I didn't realize that those five stars are being doled out by fanatical Japan/anime viewers who would give a five stars to a turd on a golden platter. Cons: all the filler scenes are talky to the point of horror, terrible language, Japanese “actors” with zero emotion or, on the contrary, extremely overacted, the classic template: they can't handle the monster, they come up with a brilliant plan, boom, cliffhanger rebirth (how unexpected…); it doesn't match the American Godzilla blockbusters in quality. Pros: solid audiovisual for such a low budget, the Godzilla scenes are fine popcorn (the problem is in the scenes without it though), the nicely rendered powerlessness in places. Verdict: for anime and Godzilla connoisseurs, probably okay, for the average viewer expecting better popcorn action, it's a waste of time that will have them looking at their watches. Not much and this rating is a solid, biased opinion.
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Movies featuring an indestructible deep-sea monster stomping through Tokyo never really grabbed my interest. I've seen all the classics like Gappa, the American-Japanese Godzilla from the eighties, and Clash of the Titans with the Kraken — essentially, the sedate, ancient Greek version of the Japanese radioactive, perpetually pissed-off monster. I only watched this movie because it was the main offer on Netflix, and the post-war setting intrigued me. Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying the new story of this angry lizard. The oversized reptile with a reactor for a liver wasn't the main draw for me, though. What fascinated me more were the Japanese attempts to grapple with their role in World War II and the realistic depiction of their war technology. Unlike Michael Bay, the Japanese creators brought in truly capable consultants, making their warships like the Takao and Shinden look absolutely top-notch. I found myself more drawn to these peripheral aspects of the film, without which I might not have paid it much attention. / Lesson learned: Don't go launching nuclear warheads, bombs, or reactors into the Pacific Ocean — you never know what you might awaken.
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