It’s fitting we’ve kicked off Godzilla Month right after
this years Godzilla Day Celebrations, which brought big news for the Godzilla
fandom. The highly anticipated sequel to Godzilla Minus One finally has a
title: Godzilla Minus Zero. It’s not
much but it’s huge nonetheless and there’s plenty to speculate on until we get
more intel, not to mention a potential release date. And on todays Top 5 Wednesday, I’m gonna
share my own Top 5 Theories about Godzilla Minus Zero. Is this a title that can at least match it’s Award
Winning predecessor? Man, Toho couldntve
given us a release window too? I
digress, let’s get to it.
Godzilla Minus One’s advertisement tagline has become the
stuff of legends, “From Zero…to Minus”.
It reflected the poor, weakened state of Japan post World War II and the
struggle to rebuild.
That was Zero.
The Minus was when Godzilla showed up,
terrible timing indeed.
Now that we’re
back to Zero, what does that mean?
Well,
in a way it’s a step in the right direction for Japan or at least maybe an
indicator they’ve managed to rebuild and prosper a bit since the end of WWII
and Godzilla’s appearance.
However, Zero
is still…you know Zero, so could mean Godzilla’s not going to let his previous
defeat go unchallenged.
Either way, the
sequel has a strong, solid title behind it.
#4-Time Skip
Just as we’ve moved from Minus to Zero, there’s no doubt
we’re going to be jumping a head a bit from the previous film.
How far is still tbd but I’ve always thought we’d
be heading a bit further into the future than one might think.
After all, we don’t know how long it will
take for Godzilla to reform and regenerate after only his beating heart
survived.
Who knows, maybe Japan will be
recovered enough it can muster an effective response to his resurgence, maybe
even some new tech?
The time skip does
enhance or hamper one key element to Godzilla Minus Zero and that is…
#3-Returning Characters
Godzilla Minus One might just have the best human story
of any Godzilla film in the franchise.
Filled
with haunted, flawed but incredibly likeable characters, for the first time in
a while you actually didn’t want to see Godzilla blow anyone away cause no one
was annoying.
If we’re doing the aforementioned
mega jump by a decade or two, there are two characters I’d like to see
return.
The first is a grown up Akiko,
the adopted daughter of Koichi and Noriko.
She could easily lead a new generation to fight Godzilla and she’d be
backed up by the other character I wish to see return: Noda, the Engineer who helped
create the plan to destroy Godzilla before.
However, it’s more than likely we’re not going forward that far cause
that would mean we couldn’t really see Koichi, Noriko, Tachibana and Captain
Akitsu return to continue their incredible stories.
Plus that tease of what’s happened to Noriko
at the end of Minus One has to be paid off somehow.
#2-Godzilla Might Look Different
Given he was only a heart when we last saw him in the
final seconds of Minus One, like I said, Godzilla’s regeneration is going to
take time.
And when he does return, will
it be the same Godzilla we’ve seen before?
A neat idea behind a completely rebuilding is that Godzilla could change
form a little bit.
Nothing radical but
something more in line with how we saw him evolve throughout 2016’s Shin
Godzilla.
Maybe his fins are
spikier.
Maybe his powers have grown.
Heck his face has changed so much across
multiple eras maybe he looks even fiercer now.
At the end of the day, Godzilla is still Godzilla regardless of new
features.
But Minus One gave us one of
his scariest incarnations ever…and he is probably pretty pissed off by being
blown to pieces.
He’ll have a look to
reflect that rage and fury, I’m sure.
#1-VS?
Ignoring the Legendary Monsterverse (and whatever the
hell you wanna call that spat between Godzilla and Ghidorah in Godzilla: The
Planet Eater), Godzilla hasn’t faced another Kaiju in a Japanses film since the
battle royale that was 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars.
It’s nice that Shin Godzilla and Godzilla
Minus One have returned Godzilla to his atomic nightmare roots.
But it’s been far too long since we’ve seen
him square off against someone his own size.
It would definitely up the ante for Minus Zero, having not just Humanity
to punish but a Kaiju foe as well.
As to
who this lucky challenger could be, well Minus One seems more grounded compared
to other Godzilla entries so space Kaiju like King Ghidorah and Gaigan are out
(for now).
A more down to Earth foe is
in order.
And my top pick is Angirus,
the first Kaiju foe Godzilla ever squared off against in 1955’s Godzilla Raids Again.
Plus, we’ve see what the Minus One Visual
Effects team has been able accomplish, Hell they have the Academy Award to
prove it.
Imagine seeing this amazing
new Godzilla and Angirus throwing down in another part of Japan like old times.
I dare say, it will trump anything that the
Monsterverse has come up with in the last 10 years (though Godzilla vs. Kong had
some pretty kick ass fights.).
My thought is the Minus Zero means Japan is back to ‘normal’ or baseline. Which suggests that the film is taking place as the Post War recovery begins. Historically, this is considered to have started around 1955 which naturally is just a year past when the original Gojira came out. So, setting wise that could be where we’re headed. Of course, if they stick to ‘real time’ between films of 3-years (assuming a 2026 release) then we’d be in 1950. So, not in the Economic Mircale period, but however that would then be right around the Korean War beginning. Which then brings in my main question is, will the U.S. be absent again or not?
ReplyDeletePersonally I can’t seem them jumping very far ahead, unless they’re committing to an entirely different cast. The ending of the last film with Noriko is beginning for follow-up with her character. Now, typically Japanese Godzilla films have not used reoccurring characters. Dr. Yamane gets briefly used in Godzilla Raids Again, and Miki Saegusa became the main reoccurring character for the Heisei Era. If this is to be a direct sequel, maybe Yamazaki breaks the norm and follows up directly with Koichi, Norkiko, and a now toddler Akiko.
As to if Godzilla looks any different, probably. Yamazaki has refined his Godzilla look over a long period of time. Using it in one of his earliest films, then a Godzilla ride for a theme park in Japan. I believe there’s even a new Godzilla AR or ride, which has a different looking Godzilla now as well, that he may have had a hand in. So, that could give us a clue.
Given the very first sequel of Gojira, and then the second film of the Heisei series, and the start of the Millenium series all featured opposing monsters. Money is that we’d get one for Minus Zero. As you said, Godzilla in a proper Toho film hasn’t done any Kaiju battling in a long time. Of course, can’t be certain as Shin Godzilla and Minus One both focused on just Godzilla. I think this Godzilla is as you said, too terrifying, angry, and seeing him make that shift to like heroic Godzilla can’t be done in one movie. Plus, personal preference, I always like a more antagonistic Godzilla, so that’d make me happy.
Overall the main thing I want to see is another strong film, with really good characters, a good story, and the great effects. I’m less concerned with seeing a specific Toho monster popping up or anything. If the Monsterverse/Legendary is going full Silly Showa now (and obsessing over Kong) then let Toho/Japan due the REALLY GOOD Godzilla stuff, with serious character, storytelling, and show why they’re the experts when it comes to Big-G.