Godzilla: Minus One
Disclaimer: The following piece of media is considered secular. As such, it may lack noticeable Christian values and may uphold values that are considered sinful. This review is not an endorsement of this piece of media but has been written to help Christians navigate the secular world and its stories. It is Brainy Pixel’s belief that good, Biblical values can oftentimes still be found in secular media. God is the Author of All Things and has woven His story and values throughout humanity. These articles are intended to search these values and will present our findings honestly. Take heart! There are still some good stories out there!
Summary
Godzilla: Minus One is the latest installment of the Japanese kaiju franchise. Coming from Toho Studios — home of the original, 1954 Godzilla movie — Director Takashi Yamazaki brings Godzilla to life in post-World War II Japan. As the country is in shambles trying to rebuild and recover from the war, a new, mutant monster emerges from the sea and threatens to undo the forward momentum they were starting to build.
Assessment
Starting from a filmmaking perspective, this movie knocks it out of the park. The cinematography is fantastic, the symbolism is spot-on, the acting is great, and the CGI is spectacular. The soundtrack by Naoki Sato is incredibly perfect and I’ve been listening to it non-stop since early December (it's perfect music for writing). In terms of filmmaking, this is one of the highest quality movies that has come out over the past year.
The movie itself actually has a lot to offer in terms of good Christian values, even though it is not a Christian movie. The main human plot of the movie focuses on two things: forgiveness and the value of human life. The main protagonist’s struggle is that he can’t forgive himself for an action he took during the war. He spends most of the movie trying to atone for it in every way possible, often diving straight into suicidal territory in his desperation. Without revealing any real spoilers, he does eventually find forgiveness from the person he felt he wronged the most.
A secondary, strongly Biblical theme in the movie is that of the adopted family. The protagonist finds himself having to care for a young woman and an orphan baby she picked up, providing them shelter in the ruins of his family home. These three become a makeshift family and there are several excellent, heartwarming moments of kindness that reflect a very Christlike attitude.
That leads into what is likely the biggest “caution” for this movie, and that is the fact main protagonist technically lives with a woman he’s not married to, but their relationship is never depicted as inappropriate or even romantic. Although they develop feelings for each other, their ultimate focus is recovering from the war, and they don’t even kiss or sleep in the same room. “Living together” in this case is more “surviving under the same roof”.
Other cautions would be more specific to the individual watching it. There is some scary imagery and violence, although the violence is never depicted as a good thing. In fact, its presented as quite evil and not something to be celebrated or glamorized. The movie also depicts some drunkenness but doesn’t celebrate or encourage it.
There are some elements of Shintoism in the movie — one of the primary religions of Japan — including the depiction of family shrines in the main protagonist’s home. In some parts of Japan these shrines are used for a kind of ancestor worship, however, not much of that, if any, is depicted in the movie. There may be some other philosophies throughout the movie that are guided by both Shintoism and Buddhism, however, it was a largely religion-neutral movie.
Light-o-Meter
Writing: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Filmmaking: 7 out of 7 Little Lights
Acting: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Cleanliness: 4 of 7 Little Lights
Theological Message: 1 of 7 Little Lights
Overall: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Talk
Now, I have to admit that I am a bit biased when it comes to Godzilla movies. I have been an avid fan of the franchise since 2017 and a fan of kaiju — that is, “big monster” — movies since Pacific Rim came out in 2013. I find Godzilla movies really easy and enjoyable to watch, since they are usually free of some of the more problematic issues that plague a lot of modern action movies (i.e. sex and gratuitous/disgusting violence).
Even with all of this fangirling, I recognize the fact that Godzilla movies don’t typically have a lot to offer in the way of a deeper story or moral values. There is always a clear distinction between good and evil (that is very much the core of the franchise, no matter which side Godzilla is aligned with) and some good lessons in perseverance, bravery, and cooperation. Other than that, however, they are kind of just fun movies to watch.
Godzilla: Minus One, however, is one of the few movies in the franchise that does have an extra layer of depth. It isn’t merely a big, loud kaiju movie, it's a movie about looking for hope, forgiveness (for both yourself and others), fulfilling your purpose, and showing kindness and mercy towards others. These are all powerful and good Biblical values, which in a lot of ways, I believe is part of what makes the movie so appealing to such a wide audience. People do often — even if they won’t admit it — crave good Christian morality.
Wrap-up
Among the secular movies released in 2023, Godzilla: Minus One has some of the strongest Christian values out there. Set on the backdrop of post-World War II Japan and the terror of the mutated monster, Godzilla, this movie focuses on forgiveness, hope, and adopted families. The thread of morals and philosophies that run through the movie is strong and encouraging to see on the big screen.
This review is for this specific product and this product alone. In no way, shape, or form is this review meant to be an endorsement of the private lives, individual choices, lifestyles, or behaviors of those company(ies), publisher(s), creator(s), producer(s), author(s), artist(s), etc. associated with this product. It is God's sole providence alone to judge, and we make no claim to this right. With our reviews, we're simply looking at the value and merits of this specific product alone through the content and perspective of a Christian worldview. We pray you find it helpful and useful.
