Lessons from Godzilla Minus One by the Ent and the Hobbit. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch Godzilla Minus One
Movie: Godzilla Minus One
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Kaiju, Drama
Length: 2 hrs. 5 mins.
Age suggested: 13 and up
Release Date: December 1st, 2023
Warnings: Fairly typical monster movie fare here, lots of city wide destruction, lots of implied and some explicit deaths, Loss of family due to war and monster attacks, Emotional storyline regarding adoptive family
Godzilla Minus One Summary
Godzilla Minus One takes the series back to its origins. The story follows a disgraced pilot who sees a very early attack of Godzilla. Years later, he is confronted again as Godzilla makes himself known to the general public, but this time is a menace that can’t be forgotten or overlooked. The reason the movie is called Godzilla Minus One is because Japan had just suffered the devastation of the atomic bombs. This left Japan at an effective “Zero” but when right at the tails of that Godzilla appears, the are left in the negative territory and must find a way to simply survive as a country.
Godzilla Minus One Review
Godzilla Minus One is the latest entry in the Godzilla franchise. It goes backs to Godzilla’s roots, and similar to the original 1954 movie uses the kaiju as a metaphor for Japan’s postwar anxiety. Also similar to the original, there are strong emotions with the characters. They have to rise above the suffering, without government support, to defeat an undefeatable enemy.
The 1954 Godzilla was a frightening monster. Impossible to defeat. Mindless destruction was its nature. This movie brings that Godzilla back. The idea of a “chaos monster” (frequently associated with the sea) is an old concept going back thousands of years. This Godzilla does an excellent job of recreating this idea and shows it is still present.
Related Content: Godzilla vs King Kong Review
The actual plot of this movie may be one of the best plots of all the Godzilla movies in terms of emotional connection with the characters. Shikishima’s story of redemption and forgiveness was written and expressed beautifully and all the actors/actresses involved did a phenomenal job. The score is impressive and again calls back to the original. Godzilla is seen on a limited basis, and this magnifies the thundering steps and roar.
Continue reading for our Lessons from Godzilla Minus One
Lessons from Godzilla Minus One
Lesson #1: Regret Can Be Overcome
Our main character Shikishima is a failed kamikaze pilot. When we first meet him, he is instantly shamed. This regret is exponentially increased when a Godzilla attack occurs and Shikishima takes the blame and guilt due to his inaction. This regret and shame carries all the way through the movie until the end when he finally frees himself from this guilt.
Lesson #2: Family Can Come in Many Different Ways
Upon returning to a demolished city, Shikishima meets a woman named Noriko who is caring for another woman’s baby named Akiko. This starts off as just a kind gesture, but through the years their connection grows into a family.
Related Content: Godzilla: King of the Monsters Review
Lesson #3: Life is Worth Living
This is the ultimate lesson of this film. Throughout the entire story, Shikishima feels like he was never meant to live and shouldn’t be alive. This comes to a culmination during the climax of the movie when it seems that Shikishima may end his life as a sacrifice to end Godzilla. The moment when his former enemy, Tachibana, told him about the eject lever is one of the most touching moments of the movie.
Godzilla Minus One Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Redemption, Forgiveness, Importance of Life, Family, Loss
- Have you watched the classic Godzilla movies? If so, how did this compare?
- What importance does Noriko and Akiko have in Shikshima’s life?
- Who was your favorite character and why?
- How does Shikishima’s view on life change by the end of the movie?
- How does the story of this Godzilla movie compare to the other Godzilla movies you have seen?
Thanks for reading our Lessons from Godzilla Minus One! If you liked this movie, here is some merch you can check out:
–Godzilla Figurine
–Godzilla Minus One Movie Poster
–Vintage Godzilla Shirt
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this Lessons from Godzilla Minus One use affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. All images used in this post were either original designs from Canva or used from media kits We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. And our posts about family stuff here.