Monster Gore | Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) Review

In the days leading up to Godzilla making landfall at my local multiplex, I was doing two things: dodging spoilers and, despite that, wondering vaguely why I wasn’t super excited. Browsing back through everything I’ve ever written about Minus Zero, it wasn’t reservations but resignation. Of course I’m gonna love the movie. Of course I’m gonna cry. There’s no mystery, no reason to speculate or even think about it. Given that it was the Internet’s project to spoil King Ghidorah’s appearance in Minus Zero, it didn’t even occur to me until this week, “Wait, how the fuck is that gonna work?” Somehow, the pending sequel to the best Godzilla movie never occupied my thoughts. It was only when finally sitting down and watching it that I understood why. Godzilla Minus One is perfect. Its premise is perfect, its execution is perfect, and its conclusion is perfect. It is not, however, replicable. If a sequel must be made, it would have to do something completely different. Like The Bone Temple, trade the tears for mayhem. Otherwise, what exactly is on offer? Minus Zero follows the apparent formula of its predecessor down to the structural level, thereby promising the same experience only more so. If my sadness level was at 100% the first go-around, I guess we’re shooting for 105% this time. That is not a compelling pitch. … More Monster Gore | Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) Review

Tokyo Story Raids Again | Godzilla Minus One (2023) Review

The question isn’t about potentially overstating Godzilla Minus One with hyperbole, but rather which hyperbole to choose from? So far, I have “In terms of improving upon source material, Godzilla Minus One may be the greatest remake of all time,” and “I didn’t expect a Godzilla movie to make me cry, but here we are.” In terms of the first, I’d had the sense that I wanted to go into this one knowing as little as possible. I wasn’t as fixated on the advent of a new Godzilla movie as I had been for, say, a new Predator, because we were just recently gifted with a great installment. So, going in, I knew that Minus One took place directly after World War II – and that was pretty much it! Would this be a remake of the original, down to Serizawa and the Oxygen Destroyer? And most importantly, what would the titular monster mean this time? … More Tokyo Story Raids Again | Godzilla Minus One (2023) Review

Two Gods

It’s news to me that a Godzilla movie is releasing this year. Now, typically, this has been cause for indigestion, being no fan of the Legendary MonsterVerse. Granted, that new movie bears the title Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, which is just goofily sincere enough. Not for me to see, but for something. No, a Godzilla movie is coming down from Toho Studios as well, and it’s entitled Godzilla Minus One. Sounds a lot like the proposed title for the third Jaws movie (Jaws 3, People 0), but there’s a weight behind it. Taking place immediately after World War II, we find Japan at “zero,” and Godzilla’s arrival will bump them down to the negative. I’m not 100% certain, but I believe this is the first Godzilla period piece, and that’s already exciting. … More Two Gods