Why Godzilla Minus One DESTROYS Modern Hollywood | Video Essay

In this Video Essay, we take a look at Godzilla Minus One and why it destroys Modern Hollywood. Toho has released a new Godzilla Movie with a budget that puts Hollywood Blockbusters to shame. With the inflated movie budgets, it has led to incredibly low box office returns for major Hollywood franchises, the budget disparity on display between Godzilla Minus One and Hollywood Blockbuster movies is honestly mind-blowing. Director Takashi Yamazaki has delivered a thought-provoking, complex, layered, and mature Godzilla film that is without question one of the best films of 2023.

Godzilla Minus One - (2023)
Godzilla x Kong The New Empire - (2024)
Godzilla - (2014)
Godzilla King of the Monsters - (2019)
Godzilla vs Kong - (2021)
Shin Godzilla - (2016)

0:00 - Intro
2:02 - Part 1 (Godzilla in Hollywood)
6:48 - Part 2 (Film Perfection)
12:26 - Part 3 (Budget Confusion)

[wahn]

Godzilla Minus One was made for $15 million minus a few million. Yamazaki indicated that the budget was in fact less than we even thought. Incredible. The best movie of the year was also the least expensive. That's what talent and passion can do.

[LoaphMeat]

Worth mentioning, when director Takashi Yamazaki heard the rumor that this film "only had a $15million budget" he said "I wish we had that much." 😂
It was made even cheaper

[RoYaL]

In this movie Godzilla is used as a tool to convey a human story whereas in the Hollywood movies humans are used as a tool to convey a monster movie.

[Argnos]

At some point in the film I was like “Oh yeah, aside from the PTSD, things are looking up for your boy Koichi. He’s got friends, a found family, nice little house, good paying job, yeah feeling good!” I actually forgot it was a Godzilla movie, I was interested in the life of this Japanese soldier post WWII.

Then I remembered “Oh wait it’s a Godzilla movie, oh god he’s gonna lose it all again.” I was actually dreading big G appearing once again to rip everything away from this dude that is trying his damndest to live his life.

[wyrmhle]

I didn't expect to go to a Godzilla movie and cry like a f*ing babe over the human characters. I didn't expect a deep reflection on ptsd, survivors guilt, and the cheapness of life during war. It's an incredible movie.

[GoInGcRz]

The craziest thing about Godzilla Minus Ones success, is the irony of it having been released AFTER Oppenheimer, a movie regarding the atomic bomb, the cause of the monster and tragedies that befell Japan.

[ulyssesjoyce]

$15M is not even the salary of a Marvel actor

[singh]

Shikishima crying in the rain shot is so beautiful. Also the time when he doubts about reality and he being already dead is a very great storytelling in a movie about a monster. A+ movie. Best movie of 2023 hands down.

[lumostsumos]

When my husband wanted to see this I dragged my feet and was preparing for another forgettable CGI monster movie. Definitely did not expect to actually sob with emotion during the movie multiple times.

[biguy]

Godzilla isn’t just the only movie from Japan the blew Hollywood away. The Boy and the Heron beat Disney by 2 million. Two Japanese movies have beat Hollywood and Disney.

[CornyCF]

It's a shame that the film was only shown in a few cinemas here in Germany. Monster movies in particular are the most fun on the big screen. Minus one is plus one hundred for film history.

[lonerider]

The most memorable moment for me was when Godzilla was raised to the surface quickly : the look of pain, anger and disbelief on Godzilla was masterfully done.

[zfreak]

The dinner scene was one of my favorite scenes. The setting, the comradery, the joking, the honor of tradition, and the pure joy of the characters as they see some semblance of sanity returned to the world. It was extremely well done.

My favorite scene has to be the last scene as the protagonist breaks down in tears of joy as the love of his life ask him, "Are you done fighting your war?". Brilliant. Brought a tear to my eye.

[angelswatter]

As a war vet, with severe PTSD, this movie hit so hard. I’m thankful that it exists, the tears kept leaking on the drive home, and then some. They made a movie that felt like me.

[kentako]

Thank you so much for your on point & intelligent review of this film. My mother was a ww2 survivor, I lost an uncle that I never met because he was drafted in Japan's air force at around 18 and was forced to pilot a broken plane, no payload, half tank a gas (enough to fly there and die), and my father served in the u.s. Army and was sent to Tokyo for the post war restoration in 1946 when it was in ruins. Many of the scenery in this movie was how I imagined my mother suffered, adapted, and survived.

[leorivers]

When Akiko (Sae Nagatani) cried it blew all the human intteractions in a Legendary Kaiju film out of the water.

[TheCorpsehatch]

Godzilla Minus One needs to be nominated for Best Picture Academy Award. Best movie of 2023.

[jangofett]

As someone who’s been a massive fan of Godzilla since childhood I’m beyond happy that a proper Japanese Godzilla film is getting universal praise

[elizabethcarson]

This is the only movie I have seen more than once in theaters! I also was constantly telling everyone I knew they had to go see it. This was by far the best film of 2023 and arguably one of the best in the past 5-6 years. As a military veteran with PTSD, I was also so moved by how real the character's struggles felt to me. It made me feel seen much more than any Hollywood war movie ever has.

[gushterell]

Art cannot be replicated in a factory, needs a craftsman's sweat and heart.