When I was trying to write this blog post, I had such a hard time writing it. I would find myself deleting what I had, rewriting it all, and then deleting it again. What frustrated me is that this is a subject that I want to talk about because Godzilla Minus One is doing so well in the box office (both domestically and internationally). Words cannot describe just how good this movie was. This Godzilla movie was meant to be experienced in theaters. Fans and general audiences all over are singing high praises for this movie.
Has anyone ever thought this movie would make $25 million in the domestic box office? Of course not! This was expected to make much lower numbers similarly to Shin Godzilla. It was meant to be a Japanese Godzilla movie that would release for only a short time, but expanded the the theatrical release rather than shutting it down the day after. Word of mouth was spreading rapidly and people are saying Godzilla Minus One is among the best movies that has released this year. Nobody is talking about The Marvels or Aquaman 2. Even though the new Hunger Games movie got second place in the box office two weeks in a row, I have not seen nor hear anybody talk about that movie either. People are putting this Godzilla movie on a golden pedestal by fans and general audiences as a shining example to Hollywood that movies don't need such inflated budgets to make a good movie. And the Oscars proves it even further.
Last week, Godzilla Minus One got nominated for an Oscar for best VFX category. I will admit, there are times were the VFX looked like a video game cutscene or looked out of place with the rest of the movie. Yet, it didn't matter because I was so focused on the movie's story that I didn't worry about how the visuals looked. That is how a great movie should be. A great movie should have the audience caring about the characters and the story the movie is telling. If anyone ever says that humans don't matter in a monster movie, Godzilla Minus One is a prime example as to why human characters matter. We all love watching monsters destroy cities and get into fights with each other, but that is just spectacle. Godzilla Minus One proves what cinema should be. It should be stories with characters that audiences care about and the people have spoken. Whether Hollywood will learn from this is unlikely because it could all be chalked up to "dumb monster movie got lucky," but you and I know that is not true in the slightest.
What I find even more amazing is that it looks like director Takashi Yamazaki is not done with Godzilla yet. In an interview with Sanspo, Yamazaki said he would love to do one more Godzilla movie that is a sequel to Godzilla Minus One. Whether he will actually do a sequel is still too early to tell. Godzilla Minus One was so carefully written that I don't know a sequel is really needed. It is as if the director had the idea for Godzilla Minus One ever since he added Godzilla in a previous film he did back in 2005 called Always: Sunset on Third St. and his work on Godzilla: The Ride. He truly gets what Godzilla should be and the movie is like a passion project that has so much life and soul put into it. If Yamazaki does do a sequel, then I can't wait to see what he cooks up. I still don't think Toho Co. will move forward in making their own "Godzilla Cinematic Universe" they teased a long time ago when they have the Monsterverse. Since Yamazaki is a fan of the Monsterverse, maybe he would like to do his Monsterverse movie. Wouldn't that be amazing? Just thinking of the possibilities already has me excited.
We, the fans, had it more than good this year. Godzilla Minus One is the best thing that has happened to American theaters in a really long time. It is breaking box office expectations for a foreign film and is nominated for an Oscar, which is not something we normally see. Whether the movie wins or not won't matter because the audience has already spoken and it is already considered as one of the best movies this year right next to the likes of Oppenheimer and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. If a sequel does happen, I hope it is as good as the first movie. This is a time that everyone can come together and celebrate.
What are your thoughts on Godzilla Minus One getting an Oscar and a sequel being a possibility? Do you think winning an Oscar would impact Hollywood? What would like to see in the sequel if it happens? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on the movie being nominated and Takashi Yamazaki talking about doing one more movie. Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Minds, MeWe, Gab, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.
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