written by: Takashi Yamazaki
produced by: Kazuaki Kishida, Gō Abe, and Keiichirō Moriya
directed by: Takashi Yamazaki
rated: R (for some violent content/bloody images)
runtime: 135 min.
U.S. release date: November 6, 2026

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s what we get with “Godzilla Minus Zero”, the sequel to “Godzilla Minus One”, the surprise hit from three years ago that resurfaced the iconic monster and made him an international hit once again. The historical movie, written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, earned an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and in a no-brainer move, Japanese distributor and production company Toho greenlit a sequel. Since 1954, Japan has been the only country that knows how to do Godzie justice, and “Minus Zero” definitely delivers more of the same in another awesome chapter that once again doesn’t skimp on compelling human characterization. While the sequel could use more kaiju mayhem and fewer crying children, I still prefer it to any other modern-day monster flick.

“Godzilla: Minus Zero” picks up two years later in 1949, finding the survivors from the last movie still struggling to put their lives back together. Former kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and former weapons designer Dr. Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), along with the Japanese military, thought they sent Godzilla to a watery grave, but we know better. All Godzilla needs is a good underwater nap long enough for his rejuvenative powers to kick in. Shikishima has since settled in as a family man with his wife, Noriko (Minami Hamabe), and they both care for their adopted daughter, young Akiko (Sae Nagatami), with help from their neighbor, Sumiko Ōta (Sakura Ando), who runs the nearby orphanage. Noriko’s miraculous survival of the monster’s Ginza attack will play out in unforeseen ways, which will come in handy, since Godzilla isn’t the only kaiju plaguing a nation still reeling from grief over both the war and the creature’s attack.

This new creature has enormous wings and initially looks like it flew straight out of HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” as it lays waste to Matsumoto City in central Nagano Prefecture, but, as the story unfolds, transforms into something more horrific and imposing. With Godzilla seemingly obliterated and rotting at the bottom of the sea, the creature locals call Ghidora is free to terrorize the countryside whenever he isn’t curled up in the Nagano hills for rejuvenating naps. We can learn a lot from these kaiju, primarily how important naps are.

Dr. Noda now leads the newly formed Large-Scale Disaster Response Bureau and has made a discovery about this new kaiju’s alien origin. Noda reunites with ship captain Seiji Akitsu (Kuranosuke Sasaki), former destroyer captain Tatsuo Hotta (Miou Tanaka), and biology Professor Kanji Murakami (Min Tanaka), who is still traumatized from surviving the Hiroshima bombing, along with Shikishima, who have volunteered to track down Ghiforah and kill the beast. Meteorologist Makoto Aoyama (Masami Nagasawa, who played the priestess of Mothra in 2002’s “Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.”) joins the bureau’s efforts, using electrical storm patterns and weather events to track down Ghidorah, who has transformed into a larger, three-headed threat. They are reluctantly backed by the United States military, which offers a newly developed H-bomb, in hopes of wiping it out.

Recognizing they’ll need help from their greatest enemy, the team plans to lure Godzilla into battle with Ghidorah using a special “resonance machine” created by Kanji, which Noriko can unexpectedly boost because of her previous radiation exposure to Godzilla. She and Shikishima become integral to this risky mission to destroy a new threat while also trying to maneuver around an old, regenerated one, while staying alive in the process.

“Godzilla Minus Zero” comes with certain expectations for fans of the last movie, since it brings back the same team that made that one such a tremendous hit. Understandably, Yamazaki sets out to sustain the momentum, yet he’s also careful to escalate the conflict gradually, knowing Japan hasn’t experienced any semblance of peace yet. The gritty fear factor of “Minus One” is back, as viewers are plunged into a giant monster direction, supported by elements of agony and melodrama as Godzilla returns to screens. Once again, the production nails the absolute terror of kaiju rampaging, with Yamazaki remaining pitiless as women and children are caught in the alien nightmare, unable to fight back. The humans who rally together must know the stakes; they’ve already seen the devastation that comes from war and rampaging monsters, and it weighs heavily on them, especially Noda and Murakami.

Fans hoping for more kaiju action might be disappointed, considering the sequel has about the same amount of action as “Minus One”. Viewers can get that next year when Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures deliver another entry in the American Monsterverse franchise with “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova”, which began with 2014’s “Godzilla”. Those movies have their place, with their toy-box action and flashy CGI, but I know I’m not alone in preferring the ground-level point of view that Toho Studios started with “Minus One”, setting up a compelling story with desperate characters in a war-torn Japan.

Some may feel these movies focus too much on the human stories, but given that most recent American Godzilla movies have had truly pathetic, stereotypical human drama, it’s easy to see how Yamazaki offers more compelling human drama. Granted, “Minus One” has a lot going on in the struggles these characters face. Noda shoulders enormous responsibility for local protection. Shikishima is pulled back into service when Ghidorah’s wrath becomes a reality for all; he’s also trying to protect his wife, who’s trying to hide signs of her special mutation. Min Tanaka’s Kanji Murakami, though, is really the story’s star, with the older man barely holding together psychologically after losing everyone he loves at Hiroshima. The impact of the bombing on his psyche is emphasized by a dream sequence Murakami has where we see Godzilla turn his wrath on the U.S., destroying Lady Liberty and laying waste to the Big Apple in much the same manner as Hiroshima. It’s an unexpectedly powerful, personal moment that serves as revenge wish fulfillment and reinforces how emotionally distraught the old man is. Remembering his experience earns the movie its R-rating and adds a memorable heaviness to the feature.

Unfortunately, Yamazaki gives us a bit too much of Akiko this time around. Her sobbing fits go on and on, to an almost grating level right up until the movie’s conclusion. I’m not going to criticize awkward child acting, but rather Yamazaki’s one-dimensional writing and directing. One would think a young child would develop some resilience while living in the uncertain and ever-changing aftermath of Godzilla.

As for the titular fan-favorite monster, Godzilla makes a longer cameo in “Godzilla Minus Zero”, but his scenes are effective, and Yamazaki doesn’t shy away from the combat angle, keeping the effort exciting and destructive between lengthy scenes of discussion, planning, and confession. The movie’s award-winning visuals are top-tier once again, and are paired with aggressive sound design and epic cinematography. The sequel may end on a predictable note, but it maintains its energized tone and emotional weight. It’s uncertain where this “Minus” franchise goes from here, but here’s hoping Yamazaki and his team conjure up something new and different for the inevitable mayhem that comes next.

RATING: ***