Godzilla Minus One is the next big live-action Godzilla film from Toho since Shin Godzilla in 2016, taking the king of the monsters and dropping him into the setting of post-war Japan. Director Takashi Yamazaki was tasked with creating an epic monster film while delivering an engrossing human story starring Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe. The result is the best Godzilla film since the original 1954 film thanks to the compelling story, Godzilla doing what Godzilla does best, wonderful cast, and stunning cinematography.

Japan was devastated during World War II, leaving the country with no self-defense force or armaments. To make matters worse, a new threat in the form of a giant dinosaur-like monster has arrived, Godzilla. With little defense, it’s up to the citizens to figure out a way to stop the kaiju from destroying everything in its path.

Godzilla is a menace, and this is one of the deadliest versions of the kaiju that has ever graced the screen. His massive size and tough skin are already an obstacle, but his atomic breath is on a whole other scale. The focus is the human story, but when Godzilla appears on the screen, he is shown in all his glory. (He isn’t teased like in 2014’s Godzilla.) The MonsterVerse films (Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) focus on Godzilla as a monster that brings balance to the world, Godzilla in Godzilla Minus Zero is a monster focused on destruction and mayhem.

Ryunosuke Kamiki delivers a gripping performance as Koichi Shikishima, a failed kamikaze pilot who is struggling with his past. Minami Hamabe portrays Noriko Oishi, a woman who has adopted an orphaned girl with love and empathy. Together, the two are the anchor of a human story of love, loss and sacrifice.

The rest of the cast includes Yuki Yamada as Shiro Mizushima, Munetaka Aoki as Sosaku Tachibana, Hidetaka Yoshioka as Kenji Noda, Sakura Ando as Sumiko Ota and Kuranosuke Sasaki as Seiji Akitsu. They each have their distinct personalities and backgrounds and are a likable and colorful bunch.

What makes Godzilla Minus One exceptional is that if the director removed Godzilla from the film, the human story still holds up, making it one of the best human stories in a Godzilla film by far. The setting of post-war Japan gives the filmmakers a chance to explore the Japanese psyche of what it means to help out their fellow countrymen without the aid of the government. In a time that is focused on dying for your country, what happens when you live for your country? Since this is a Godzilla film, whenever the angry giant appears on the screen, he is a force to be reckoned with. There are parts in the film where I was torn between rooting for Godzilla and rooting for the humans. It’s a testament to the writing and directing of Takashi Yamazaki.

The film has a wonderful score, but the one that gets the audience pumped up is the Godzilla theme. It’s used to great effect when the kaiju stomps and destroys everything around him, and it’s the right amount that gave me goosebumps.

Godzilla Minus One is truly a human story that digs deep into the Japanese psyche of life and death. Godzilla is a beast and is a spectacle whenever he’s on the screen. Even if you take away the kaiju element, the human story still stands on its own.

Rating: 4.5/5 Atoms

Godzilla Minus One stomps onto theaters nationwide on December 1st, with Early Access Fan Events Screenings on Wednesday, November 29th in participating premium large format theaters.