It is quite the claim when someone talks about their movie being the "most terrifying" movie to experience. So far, the only Godzilla movie that was able to catch that horror was the 1954 original, Gojira. Hideaki Anno has tried to recapture that horror with Shin Godzilla updating the monster's metaphor for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that almost went into meltdown and how the Japanese government poorly handled the disaster. While it did do the job in being the most serious take on Godzilla, the movie had a lot of faults where Godzilla felt less like a character and more like an obstacle. Now, we have Godzilla Minus One coming out this November in Japan (December in the USA) and President of Toho International Koji Ueda makes this description on the movie to Forbes.
The article quotes, "Set in post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One will once again show us a Godzilla that is terrifying and overwhelming force, which you already get a sense of from the teaser and poster. The concept is that Japan, which had already been devastated by the war, faces a new threat with Godzilla, bringing the country into the 'minus.'"
We have seen in the beginning of the teaser a city decimated and almost wiped off the map. We can speculate that this destruction is what was left over from the bombings during World War II and Japan has been picking up the scraps trying to rebuild what they lost during the war. The country is already at a zero and when these people start thinking this could not get any worse Godzilla becomes the jinx that will plunge Japan into the minus.
The Godzilla director Takashi Yamazaki has also made a statement (which I cannot verify a source from other than Dangerville at this time), "Post-war Japan lost everything. Bring in a presence that gives unprecedented despair? That adds another blow to it. With that in mind, the title 'Godzilla Minus One' was born. And in order to depict that, together with the staff, we have created a setting that paints despair upon despair, with a figure of Godzilla that looks as if fear itself is walking. I think it's the culmination of the movies I've made so far, and I think it has become work worthy of being 'experienced' rather than 'watched' in a theater. I would like you to experience the most terrifying Godzilla in the best environment."
Godzilla Minus One is the first live action Godzilla movie to come from Toho Co. since Shin Godzilla was released seven years ago starting the "Reiwa" era. One of the main criticisms about the previous Godzillas was the lack of personality and Godzilla treated like an obstacle more than a character. From what we can tell from the teaser, thus far, is that this movie is going to make Godzilla more of a character with more personality. With Japan's economy crumbling from the war, what else would Godzilla be attacking?
The answer is the people. We do see some buildings standing, but it is not the buildings he is going after. We see him chasing after the people. That is why we see him stomping towards heavy crowds that are running in terror. That is why we see him attacking a train car. There could be people inside the train that he is trying to kill and after those people got away we can assume the train car that was tossed earlier in the teaser is the very same train car he attacked at the end of the teaser. In other words, his attacks are more personal and with that combined with Japan's postwar struggles is what will make this movie much more horrifying.
As for the design itself, Godzilla is very much the same Godzilla from "Godzilla: The Ride" at the Seibuen Amusement Park, which was also filmed by Takashi Yamazaki. This design was a very favored design by fans and those same fans had been hoping to see a proper movie with that Godzilla design. Having their wish upon a star granted, it came with a few changes to the design that Yamazaki made to make it his definitive version of the monster. I love the majority of the design, but there is one thing throwing me off from loving this design entirely and that is the dorsal plates. I do not like how big they are and how they're arrange so close together. The dorsals just clash and uneven. I would be more okay with it if there were fewer, smaller, and more spread out. Otherwise, he looks great. I love how his skin is very scaly. It is basically the 90's Godzilla that has similar skin texture as the Monsterverse Godzilla. That is the best way to describe this design.
Overall, I do hope Takashi Yamazaki does deliver on Godzilla Minus One being the "most terrifying" Godzilla to date. I know it will not be an "R" rated movie, yet you can still make Godzilla terrifying with the amount of chaos this version could be bringing to the big screen and giving him some personality, which seems to be the case here. Ever since Shin Godzilla, Toho's movies and anime versions of the monster has been sorely lacking any sense of character other than to be an obstacle that drove the plot forward. Let us hope that Godzilla Minus One changes direction and make Godzilla more of a character than a mindless plot device.
What are your thoughts on the new Godzilla design and Yamazaki's claim? Do you think this will be a terrifying movie? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on Godzilla Minus One. Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Minds, MeWe, Gab, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.