Godzilla-1.0, new Toho film, releasing November 2023!

[JasonPratt]

And US release (to at least some degree) December 1st!

The new film's title is pronounced (and sometimes spelled) in English, "Godzilla minus one". It may be pronounced Gojira "minus one" in English, too, as in the trailer shown below.

I've known for a while Toho was working on their first live-action G-film since Shin Godzilla in 2016. (Toho has since released an animated film trilogy -- not great in my estimate -- and an animated series -- somewhat better and very high concept -- all through Netflix.)

The film was completed last year, with post-production continuing through this year, and the first trailer and poster dropped yesterday. Or rather this isn't the full trailer, only a teaser trailer:

A little to my surprise, I had an actual nightmare about that trailer last night!

The goal of the filmmakers is to create the film they thought the original creators would have made in 1954 if they had the tech and the freedom to criticize the US and Japan both more freely. (ShinG, by the way, is a political satire but also a thesis on how humanity has managed to win so hard in the struggle for dominance on the planet by being a political species.)

The next Legendary "Monsterverse" live-action entry, Godzilla x Kong: the New Empire will arrive early next year. It's been a lonnnng time (1964 iirc) since two live-action Godzilla films will release within 4 months of each other! I'll set up a thread for that when its trailer arrives, probably with the upcoming Comicon.

[SirAndrewD]

Fun fact, the guy that directs the Godzilla vs Kong pictures is a friend of mine's brother.  We used to play Warhammer 40k with him as a youth, and he'd make up rules for Godzilla.

That said as much as I'm happy for Adam's success, this looks better than the Legendary movies and more up my alley.

[W8taminute]

After watching that trailer I got a warm fuzzy feeling inside.  This looks good and a definite must see!

[JasonPratt]

The nice thing about Godzilla, is you can do lots of different things with him (and his adjacent properties). They don't always work out, or mileage may vary (I like Singular Point a lot better than most people, although I had to adjust my expectations for what the show was supposed to be doing). But there must be something about a sea-going fire-breathing theropod that scratches a dragon-itch in our lizard-brain. So to speak. 

[W8taminute]

I think I understand what you're saying about our expectations for what a story should be vs. what it turns out to be.  We're heavily influenced by childhood memories of the original Toho productions.

[JasonPratt]

That, and Singular Point was not really a Godzilla story. It was really a Jet Jaguar story, and a very cool one from that perspective.

As a 'Godzilla' story, it's only two films one of which only has Godzilla for a few seconds toward the end doing nothing but swimming threatening (while looking more like the Toho kaiju Titanosaurus), and the other of which has Godzilla barely doing anything interesting (though he often looks nifty -- only at the end like "Godzilla" -- while accidentally threatening all of reality.)

The story put as simply as possible ("simply"  ) is a high-concept joke based on solving the old plot convenience from Godzilla vs Megalon, of how Jet Jaguar could "program himself to grow taller". The end result is that the monsters and their fights (such as they are, only really being detailed fights when JJ is involved) are really about the subroutines of a hyperdimensional computer trying to predict the future: the subroutines learn that all reality will (apparently) end at a particular point in time, and start competing with each other to resolve that problem, using mutated forms of prehistoric creatures from an alternate Earth; whereas the subroutine-set which becomes Jet Jaguar starts out working based on cooperation rather than competition. What the subroutines really calculated was the end of their own existence as a future event, which they interpreted as the end of all reality, which drove them desperately insane trying to compete to resolve the problem. JJ stays sane by cooperating with its own subroutines, as well as with the humans who created this problem to begin with.

None of that is explained very clearly in the series, at any time, leaving viewers to piece it together ourselves.

Compared to that, having a giant mutated dinosaur tear up post-war Tokyo is a refreshing simplicity which has its own themes to explore as much as desired.


For anyone reading this who hasn't seen the anime (on Netflix) and who thinks I must be exaggerating its weirdness: 1) you may not know much anime ;) and 2, here's the trailer and the opening credit sequence.

[W8taminute]

I was not aware of Single Point.  I'll have to check it out if it's still on Netflix.

[JasonPratt]

Still is! -- wish they'd publish to Blu, but that'll be years.

Here's the full music video of the title sequence (3+ minutes) -- never saw it before today, myself:

Don't worry, it's just as much of a non-spoilery artistic mess as the opening title sequence.

Again, though, keep firmly in mind (as the full title music video stresses in itself) -- that series should be named JET JAGUAR: SINGULAR POINT (guest starring some other Toho kaiju including special guest final boss Godzilla.) 


Meanwhile, Dangerville discusses some new images of G-1.0 released for merchandising. This is the full design in all its glory, released rather early all things considered! (Note that rumors on the plot suggest there's a non-mutated version of Godzilla in the film as well, though whether it's a separate creature or not isn't clear yet.)

[JasonPratt]

The trailer teaser, released a couple of weeks ago (edit I mean July 12th good grief time flies), includes some footage not found in the full first trailer which released yesterday. Worth watching both!

The director has several nods not only to G2014 (he's a big fan of the Toho/Legendary Monsterverse films), but to Jaws!


The Japanese film rating board has already seen it and given a General Audiences rating, which probably means no blood or sex per se, only unremitting terror. 

It's weird going to the official Toho YT channel to see the trailers for this dark, somber nihilistic thriller tucked between ongoing 3 minute episodes of a story using actual Godzilla kaiju toys, produced for small children. Not surprising, for anyone familiar with the mood whiplash Toho likes to use on this property, but weird.

There's a popular fan theory, based on supposed story/production leaks, that the 'icon' for the poster portrays the other Godzilla for the film, a more peaceful female creature slain by one or another military (or during a naval fight in late WW2), which is why the dorsal plates look so different -- and the belly might be dripping blood and guts. (And maybe even an unborn child.) Thus Godzilla's freakish rage against humanity. (And one of several reasons why the film is subtitled "minus one".)

[Sir Slash]

He does look angry about something doesn't he? I thought he'd maybe calm down after we quit all that nuclear testing we used to do out his way.

[Windigo]

There's a popular fan theory, based on supposed story/production leaks, that the 'icon' for the poster portrays the other Godzilla for the film, a more peaceful female creature slain by one or another military (or during a naval fight in late WW2), which is why the dorsal plates look so different -- and the belly might be dripping blood and guts. (And maybe even an unborn child.) Thus Godzilla's freakish rage against humanity. (And one of several reasons why the film is subtitled "minus one".)

Yes, I immediately went there. Trying to imagine the mechanics... kangaroo style?
That would have been a measurable seismic event     

[JasonPratt]

So I have seen the film in first release yesterday afternoon at 4:30 local time!

I fraternally anticipate questions. Minor spoilers.


HOW GROGGY IS IT?

Starts in early 1945 with a Kate dive bomber (I think) landing on a swiss-cheese dirt island runway. A lot of late-war kit, modified for early post-war in some cases, including some disarmed destroyers, the heavy cruiser Takakoa (if I spelled that correctly), some Japanese tanks, and a push-propeller bomber interceptor. No American or British kit, exactly, although a famous sub's death is referenced. (The Tang? -- it's the one which goes down fighting a swarm of Japanese destroyers, simulated at the WW2 museum in New Orleans. I'm at work, can't do refs at the moment. In this continuity, it survives the war but doesn't survive you know who. {g} Same for that Imperial heavy cruiser.) The late-war, post-war aesthetic is VERY strong.


DOES THE US GET INVOLVED?

No, and neither does GB. This makes less than no sense because (as somewhat spoiled in early ads) G does destroy numerous US ships offscreen. MacArthur wants to help Japan, but due to rising tensions with Stalin, he's diplomatically forbidden to send any task forces to stop the destruction of his own nearby fleet elements!! Honestly, it would make more sense for the US to claim some kind of rogue actor is threatening all navy units in the area and have the Soviets help hunt it down, providing some early glasnost. But it wouldn't fit one of the main themes of the film.


AND WHAT WOULD THAT THEME BE?

That however well-meaning they might be, you can't trust governments to help you -- neither the Japanese nor the American, in this case. Normal people, including former soldiers, have to get the job done themselves.


NORMAL PEOPLE COME UP WITH SOME SUPER-SCIENCE TO WIN, LIKE THE OXYGEN DESTROYER?

Nope! -- they come up with some useful basic physics for the win (such as it is). In that sense, it's a hard science-fiction film, dealing with comic-book physics. I rather appreciated that. {g}

DOES THAT MEAN THERE'S A SEQUEL POSSIBILITY?

Yes, although Toho doesn't have any plans yet.

DOES THE HARD SCIENCE FICTION INCLUDE FREEZING GODZILLA AS SPOILED ALREADY IN EARLY TRAILER SHOTS?

Without answering that question yes or no, I'll note that the shot of G's face kind of sparking a little while looking frozen, has nothing whatever to do with anything including G being frozen.
 

WAIT, DOESN'T THIS FILM MOSTLY TAKE PLACE DURING THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION?

Yea, verily. They're around, and being kind of helpful for civilians trying to rebuild their lives, but unseen.

AND THE US DOESN'T GET INVOLVED EVEN ON LAND OR LAND-BASED AIR?

Nope. This is an admitted plausibility weakness for the film's plot design.

ARE THERE OTHER PLOT DESIGN WEAKNESSES?

The film's plot structure is pretty tight until the final act, at which point the time-space cues get very wonky in the editing. Sometimes that's for convenience, other times I suspect the final plot was restructured and fx were repurposed. In at least two cases toward the end, I can tell that fx which should have been used for the start of G's attack on Ginza were ported back to the start of the final action sequence (which includes the ship being thrown bodily ashore, shown in the trailers.) There's so much of this that it took me out of the film a few times.


ARE THE EFFECTS GOOD?

For a relatively low-budget film, they're amazing. Godzilla is much more active than in recent Toho productions. That includes his first appearance early in the film, which wasn't spoiled in early trailers (though I've been avoiding later trailers.)

SOUND EFFECTS?

Also good. This film doubtless benefits from being seen on the best screen and sound-system available. In my case that wasn't possible, and I sat too close to the screen so I lost some of the effect (ironically). It was like the projector's bulb was too dark, although I'm about half sure that they don't even use bulbs anymore.

IFUKUBE'S ORIGINAL MUSIC?

Present in a few scenes, but only one seems appropriately used. Weirdly, one of Ifukube's Mothra cues is used several times during the attack on Ginza, for example!! (The main Mothra song, used several times in Legendary's Godzilla King of the Monsters a few years ago, wasn't written by the original series main composer.) The rest of the film's score is pretty low-key, sometimes designed like a Japanese horror movie (which is appropriate).


SPEAKING OF THAT, ARE THERE OTHER KAIJU IN THE FILM?

In order to manage expectations, I'll spoil here that only Godzilla is in the film. He does start out smaller and more vulnerable, but still looks and acts pretty much the same throughout the film. He just gets bigger along the way.

DOES YOUR REPORT OBSCURE THE EXISTENCE OF MORE THAN ONE GODZILLA IN THE FILM?

Nope. Only one Godzilla, too.

SO THAT FAN THEORY ABOUT THE FILM'S LOGO LOOKING LIKE A DIFFERENT GODZILLA WITH ITS GUTS BLOWN OUT AND POSSIBLY EVEN LOSING A CHILD...???

If that was ever part of the plot, it's gone now. Godzilla is apparently awakened by some minor Japanese military activity on Odo Island (where traditionally he's found at first in the films), and then moves elsewhere to nap. Coincidentally under the Baker/Charlie underwater nuclear test (unless the Americans had found where he was sleeping and were trying to kill him with that, which the film doesn't even hint at.)

IS GODZILLA AT LEAST A GOOD CHARACTER IN THE FILM?

He has a lot more character than in Toho's recent attempts since the Millennium films. All his character is unremittingly hostile to humanity, although one time he just strides along out in nature chilling out (and inadvertently hitting some farmer houses in passing.)

SO WAIT, IS THERE ANY EXPLANATION FOR WHY "THIS MONSTER WILL NEVER FORGIVE US" AS THAT LINE GOES IN THE TRAILERS?

That line is not in the film, so far as I recall -- and I was waiting and listening for it. No explanation is given other than basic attitude. He's a sea-going therapod predator after all, although he never eats anything, including people he kills while he's more naturally sized. He doesn't even bite them in half, just throws them around with his mouth!


OTHER CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION?

All human actors are at least fine, some great! Characterizations are well-written. The main character deserves some best actor awards, no kidding.

[W8taminute]

I've got a question for you!

Is there a Dr. Serizawa or Emiko character in the film?

Thank for your review as well.  Debating on whether to see this or Napoleon LOL!

[JasonPratt]

There is a young woman as love interest, if that's what you mean by Emiko. There is not a love triangle; the relationship doesn't even exist at all at the start. She attaches herself to the plot in a somewhat natural way (from the circumstances) as the film goes along. Her importance to the plot isn't as an emotional connection to actively convince someone to get off his butt and win already. She saves the protagonist at one harrowing point, and inspires him to at least try for a long-shot win in the process (though that takes a few days). I thought the love story was very well done.

This reminds me (by connection) to another theme of the film: that killing yourself for a no-win situation, even for the sake of your honor (much moreso someone else's honor) is foolish, but sacrificing yourself to save other people is truly heroic, and it's important to know this difference -- a difference which values life. This in turn connects to the thematic difference between governments and a community: the community acts to value each other's life, even in a high risk situation, while governments can't focus at that level -- at best they can only focus on the people as an abstractive goal. Thus, even though there isn't much chance of success, the goal at the end isn't only to win if possible, but for everyone to come home alive. Whether or not that succeeds, it's a real difference and helps a lot with the morale of the final assault force (specifically noticed by characters in the film) as well as audience engagement.


Is there a Dr. Serizawa? -- I'll assume you mean like in G54/55, not the modern Legendary film series. There's a scientific expert who's involved in at least 2/3 of the story, but he isn't a super-genius like Serizawa, and he doesn't have he same characterizations at all. From reviews I've heard and read, he's the standout favorite character, and I might agree. He's the guy who calls the final volunteer assault group to focus on everyone coming back alive, by the way. The protagonist is (understandably) depressed for practically all the film, for various reasons, but his supporting characters (mostly) counterbalance that: the scientist is one of them.

To cite the Omniviewer's recent non-spoiler review: a big thematic difference between Shin and G-1, is that the former film almost always treats human life as cheap. This film always treats human life as valuable, from the beginning through the end, and that's a huge factor in the drama.

Ryan's review linked here:

[W8taminute]

Yup, I definitely meant this Dr. Serizawa, not the new one of recent movies.



By the way, Emiko is next to him.  His love interest and triangle love affair.