Following glowing social media reactions from screenings, the review embargo for Godzilla Minus Zero has been lifted, and critics have started weighing in with their thoughts on Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus One sequel.
With 18 verdicts counted as we write this, the movie has debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with 94%. Godzilla Minus Zero, released in 2023, has 99% based on 213 reviews from critics. So, this is by no means the follow-up's final score.
Godzilla has been largely immune from reviews over the years, but as things stand, it appears this movie will end up being a critical hit.
The sole negative review comes from The Daily Beast (an outlet that often goes against what the majority are saying), which writes, "At its finest, it roars with thunderous majesty—but that, regrettably, is far too rare for a wannabe-epic monster mash."
The Wrap writes, "It’s a great Godzilla sequel, maybe even one of the best, but it’s not one of the great Godzilla movies," with GamesRadar+ adding, "While something is lost from the wider scope, much is also gained, resulting in a film that might be even more powerfully emotionally affecting than Minus One."
Next Best Picture notes, "Awe-inspiring action, vivid characters, and strong, nuanced thematic work make this a jaw-dropping spectacle that demands to be seen on the biggest, loudest screen possible."
"While the follow-up might be missing some of the filmmaking ingenuity that made the last entry so special (nothing quite matches that Jaws-inspired boat chase)," Polygon explains, "it more than makes up for it with a grander spectacle and more heart-wrenching drama."
The overall consensus does seem to be that Godzilla Minus Zero isn't as good as its predecessor. Minus One was always going to be a tough act to follow, but the movie clearly doesn't decline too sharply in quality and, for many, it's at least just as good.
RogerEbert.com states, "[It] doesn’t quite reach the miraculous highs of its predecessor, but the old boy still has plenty of bite," and The Weekend Warrior counters, "Yamazaki-san has delivered another stunner of a Godzilla movie, one that’s even better than Godzilla Minus One in every way."
Reviews aren't likely to dampen the excitement for this sequel, and overall, this sounds like a worthy follow-up to Godzilla Minus One. Yamazaki upping the stakes after the first instalment was a given, and for most critics, he's delivered a bigger and better blockbuster.
War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. In Godzilla Minus Zero, two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life. Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant. There is no third time. Everything ends here.
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the movie stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Jun Kunimura, Miou Tanaka, Sakura Ando, Masami Nagasawa, Min Tanaka, and Hidetaka Yoshioka.
Shot entirely in Japan as the first-ever Japanese production filmed for IMAX, Godzilla Minus Zero was shot with high-definition digital cameras certified by IMAX, and optimised in sound and imagery unique to IMAX screens. The globally beloved monster returns to movie theater screens, reaching greater and more terrifying heights, making Godzilla Minus Zero a true cinematic event not to be missed.
Godzilla Minus Zero arrives in theaters on November 6.