Summary
Godzilla Minus Oneis jam-packed with unique details, small nods, and callbacks to other Godzilla movies that are easy to miss on a cursory watch. Something of a re-imagining of the original 1954Godzilla,Godzilla Minus Oneis the latest original Japanese production in along line of Godzilla filmsas of 2024.Despite establishing its own story that doesn’t share continuity with any other Godzilla entry,Godzilla Minus Oneis nevertheless filled to the brim with clever callbacks and intricately-crafted references.
Many of these hidden gems hearken back to the originalGodzillafilm from 1954 that started the King of the Monsters legacy, as well as revolutionizing the giant monster genre in general.However, some of the later, less serious titles in Godzilla’s vast catalog are also appreciated, with a few key moments hearkening back to the kaiju’s cinematic history. In addition to this,Godzilla Minus One’s post-World War II Japansetting includes some painstakingly accurate references to real world history, telling entire stories through small background details.
14Godzilla’s Roar Is Sampled Straight From The Original Film
The King of the Monsters' battle cry should sound familiar
One of the undisputed triumphs ofGodzilla Minus Oneis the film’s stellar sound design. Among the explosions, fearful cries of terror, and whine of military vehicles,the roar of Godzilla himself is the standout piece of audio, sending chills down the spine of anyone who hears it. This roar is not only similar to the creature’s signature cry in any of the classic Godzilla movies, but is in fact lifted directly from the audio of the very first film, 1954’sGodzilla.
Rather than creating a new roar that merely sounded like the original, the crew ofGodzilla Minus Oneinstead opted to simply play the roar fromGodzillathrough real speakers on set.This allowed the many background actors to convincingly react to hearing Godzilla’s classic bellow of dominance, working nicely with the addition of the original roar in the final edit. In the 1954 film, Godzilla’s signature sound was created by rubbing a rubber glove along the strings of a double bass.
13Godzilla’s Rampage In Tokyo Is Similar To His First Appearance
Godzilla Minus One clearly holds reverence for its predecessor
The sound profile of Godzilla’s biology inGodzilla Minus Onewas far from the only thing to take inspiration from the original 1954 film. When the irradiated Godzilla makes landfall in Tokyo’s Ginza district,he wreaks utter havoc on the already battle-torn city, crushing fleeing bystanders and concrete buildings alike underfoot. However, certain actions in his tantrum are almost on-to-on re-creations of his very first rampage in 1954’sGodzilla.
The action scene in Ginza has many visual callbacks toGodzilla, the most prominent of which being the moment in which Godzilla takes a bite out of a commuter train and whips it around in his mouth like a chew toy. Other clear references to the scene include the destruction of the Nichigeki theater,the deaths of hapless news reporters, and the toppling of the Wako building. In this way,Godzilla Minus Onealmost felt like a pure redux of the first Godzilla movie with the benefit of modern special effects.
12Godzilla’s Death References Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
As well as real-life World War II battles
Godzillaisn’t the only film in the franchise to be referenced byGodzilla Minus One, with the lengthily-titledGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attackalso getting a clear visual homage. The death of Godzilla via internal destruction from his own atomic ray parallels the ending to that film, which starred Godzilla as a villain despite sharing the screen with other monsters. Additionally, the heartbeat that can be heard, implying that the creature somehow lived through the ordeal after all, is lifted straight fromGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack,as well.
Asthe humans ofGodzilla Minus Onewatch the monster slip back into the sea, they give their enemy a stoic salute. While this also happens inGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack,it also references real-world history. In one documented naval battle between the U.S. and Japan in World War II, the captain of the Japanese destroyer, the film’s ownYukikaze,allegedly gave a similar salute to theUSS Johnstonas it sank.
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11The Appearance Of Odo Island Calls Back To Godzilla
Minus One isn’t the fictional location’s first appearance
Godzilla Minus Oneopens with its protagonist, the kamikaze pilot Koichi, landing his plane on a tropical island after a supposed malfunction of his aircraft. Koichi’s excuse for turning around and landing on the island turns out to be fictional, just like the island itself.Odo Island is not a real piece of land in the Pacific Ocean, but has shown up in Godzilla movies before. In 1954’sGodzilla,Odo Island appears early on in a similar capacity. A raft full of survivors from a Godzilla attack washes up on its shores, describing the creature that destroyed their vessel as the Godzilla of the island’s own folklore.
Godzilla Minus Onemaintains this tradition, with the beast being explained to Koichi as a mythical figure described to the Japanese military by the island’s superstitious locals.In both cases, Odo Island ends up being the first place Godzilla attacks. In addition to that, the name of the ship the sailors from the original film escaped from isEikomaru, the same name as one of the tugboats that helps pull Godzilla up from the depths in the climax of Godzilla Minus One.
10Godzilla Minus One Remixes Old Godzilla Films
Musical cues were taken from original composer Akira Ifukube
Themany different versions of Godzillathat have appeared over the years share many things, not the least of which among them being a theme song.The iconic low notes of Akira Ifukube’s original score for 1954’sGodzillahelped sell the lumbering threat of the massive beast, making it abundantly clear when the destruction would begin in earnest. InGodzilla Minus One, the version of this theme theme used inMothra vs. Godzillais once again reprized during some of the film’s most intense action setpieces.
Godzilla Minus Onewas far from the first time that Godzilla’s classic theme song from earlier movies was re-used. The most recent Japanese-made Godzilla film before it,Shin Godzilla, also leaned on Ifukube’s famous Godzilla backing track. However,Godzilla Minus Onealso branched out a little further in its musical references, including another track in the climax that incorporates the originalGodzillascore with the soundtrack from 1962’sKing Kong vs. Godzilla.
9Koichi’s First And Last Name Are Both Subtle Homages
Godzilla Minus One’s protagonist references history and filmmaking
The level of the detail that went into writingGodzilla Minus Onecan be appreciated down to the very naming conventions of its characters. The film’s protagonist,Koichi Shikishima, references both real-world history and the making of previous Godzilla films. Koichi shares a first name with Koichi Kawakita, the special effects coordinator behind the scenes of every Godzilla film from 1985 to 1995.
Koichi’s surname, Shikishima, also bears a relevant weight in the events of the film.The name of the first air squadron to carry out a kamikaze attack in World War II was known as the “Shikishima” squadron, which sank theUSS St. Loin 1944. This stands in stark opposition to Koichi’s own status as a kamikaze pilot, which he initially rejected out of fear before taking one last flight against Godzilla himself.
8Noriko Is Blinded In The Same Eye As Dr. Serizawa In Godzilla
The series' recurring human scientist is given a small nod
The end ofGodzilla Minus Onesees Koichi reunited with Noriko, who miraculously survived the blast of Godzilla’s atomic breath despite suffering from heavy injuries.One of the most obvious is a massive bandage encompassing her forehead and the side of her face, completely covering up her right eye. Notably, this is the same eye that Dr. Serizawa, the scientist who comes up with the solution to kill Godzilla in the original 1954 film, wears an eyepatch over.
Dr. Serizawa reappears in Legendary’s Monsterverse, as a Monarch scientist who has studied Godzilla all his life. Played by Ken Watanabe,this version of Dr. Serizawa doesn’t wear an eyepatch, but he does have the honor of sharing one of the few moments of gentle human interaction with Godzillaacross his lengthy on-screen history. While Serizawa himself doesn’t show up inGodzilla Minus One, former Navy weapons scientist Kenji Noda fulfills a similar role.
7The Deep Sea Fish Heralding Godzilla’s Arrival Reference The Oxygen Destroyer
While also being accurate to real-world science
InGodzilla Minus One, one of the most chilling sights was the sudden appearance of dead deep-sea fish floating along the surface of the ocean. Signaling that a Godzilla attack was imminent, the sight of belly-up sea life can be attributed tothe massive changes in oceanic pressure Godzilla’s movements cause, instantly killing entire schools of deep sea fish. The scenes featuring the fish are evocative of the first test of the Oxygen Destroyer in 1954’sGodzilla, which exemplifies the horrific nature of the weapon.
Beyond being yet another subtle nod to the first Godzilla movie, the capsized fish also ground the story in real life science. The deep-sea fish even have their tongues and other organs sticking out of their mouths due to thesudden changes in barometric pressure causing their swim bladders, used for controlling buoyancy, to expel gas. This is a documented scientifically-accurate phenomenon which also foreshadows Godzilla’s own death due to pressure differentials later on in the film.
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6Pre-Nuclear Godzilla Calls Back To Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah
A rare redux of Godzilla’s origin story
No matter the version,Godzilla’s origin storyis typically accepted as a massive pre-historic creature from another age trapped within ice, only to be mutated and reawakened by nuclear testing. In most films, Godzilla never shows up until after this event occurs off-screen, being already an atomic breath-spewing force of destruction by the time he arrives.However,Godzilla Minus Onehas the rare distinction of being one of the few Godzilla movies to show what the King of the Monsters looked like pre-nuclear bomb.
The appearance of a “natural” Godzilla untouched by radiation early in the film is similar to 1991’sGodzilla vs. King Ghidorah.In that film,Godzilla’s origins as a dinosaur, named “Godzillasaurus”, are explored, giving a brief glimpse at the monster’s life before being transformed by radiation. This mirrors Godzilla’s first appearance inGodzilla Minus One, terrorizing Odo Island long before becoming charged with nuclear energy.
5Noriko Is Infected With Godzilla Cells
The black mark on her neck isn’t a simple burn
The reveal that Noriko is alive is a breath of relief for protagonist Koichi, who never gets the chance to tell her how he feels. Unfortunately,the joy of her survival is undercut by the appearance of a mysterious black mark on her neck, which Koichi notices.Godzilla Minus One’s director, Takashi Yamazaki, has since confirmedthe black mark on Noriko as Godzilla’s cells.
Godzilla’s cells being capable of impossible feats of biology is nothing new to the movies, withGodzilla vs. BiollanteandGodzilla vs. SpaceGodzillaboth introducing villains that came into being thanks to the so-called “G-Cells.“In the context ofGodzilla Minus One, this lasting mark likely serves as a metaphor for the nuclear radiation sickness experienced by those who survived the initial blast in the real-life bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What exactly this mark means for Noriko’s future is left unknown.
