Godzilla movies are a tried and true part of the entertainment world, one that’s been entertaining audiences for decades. Back in 2023 we were treated to Godzilla Minus One, which was praised as one of the best movies of the long-running franchise. Luckily for fans we’re getting a sequel with Godzilla Minus Zero, once again written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. The reviews for that movie are here, and they’re making me rethink my plans for the weekend.
Godzilla Minus One (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription) got impeccable reviews upon its release, and the pressure was one for the filmmakers to be similarly successful. So did it manage to live up to those expectations?
Reviews have started rolling in for Godzilla Minus Zero, and they’re once again praising the movie’s scale and action. THR’s David Rooney praised the movie’s visuals and VFX used to bring the various kaiju to life on the big screen. His review reads:
As he demonstrated in Minus One, Yamazaki’s command of big-ass destruction spectacle is breathtaking, this time overseeing a significantly larger VFX team that makes the monsters not only mighty physical presences but also part of an immersive environment in which we experience the full force of their earth-shaking power. This is some of the most impressively seamless integration of major-scale CGI in recent memory.
Godzilla Minus One ended up winning the Oscar for visual effects, so the fact that its sequel is even bigger and more impressive is saying a lot. But it’s not just Minus Zero’s epic action and destruction that are impressing critics out there. Deadline’s Pete Hammond praised the human story of the blockbuster. One excerpt reads:
Still despite all the histrionics on display, it is the human element that makes this a step above the usual monster mashups. In a heartbreaking Solomon-style moment, circumstances force the parents to give up Akiko to an orphanage as their duty to country (and I won’t give the exact details of that but it is pretty persuasive) trumps duty to family. The separation scene is gut wrenching as Akiko fails to understand why she is being abandoned and gives one wail of a goodbye scene.
Minus Zero picks up years after its predecessor, showing how Godzilla‘s first rampage affected postwar Japan. While some of the MonsterVerse movies have been criticized for the humans in the story, it sounds like this new movie balances destruction with a moving story.
Gizmodo‘s German Lussier goes so far as to call Godzilla Minus Zero a “perfect sequel” which is high praise that might inspire others to buy a ticket. He praised how immersive the action beats of the film are, writing:
Like its predecessor, Godzilla Minus Zero makes you wait for its biggest action beats as the characters dissect the hows and whys of the situation. As that happens, the anticipation builds and builds, eventually exploding. The monster action is somehow even more sweeping and cinematic than it was in Godzilla Minus One. There’s massive destruction. Battles by land and air. Camera angles that shock and delight. All of which is so well-directed that you’re always fully aware of what’s happening. Things unfold at just the right pace so you’re never lost and practically feel like you’re inside the destruction.
That’s certainly a glowing review, and makes it sound like the blockbuster should be seen on the biggest screen possible. MovieFone‘s Don Kaye also praised the movie, and even compared it to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. The review claims:
While Godzilla Minus Zero may lack the sharp shock-and-awe vitality of its predecessor – which itself followed Toho’s entertaining, experimental Shin Godzilla and left the American Monsterverse entry Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in the dust – it’s still a powerful, gripping, emotionally and intellectually resonant thriller that clearly aims to shatter preconceptions about kaiju movies in the same way that Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight did for superhero movies.
Of course, not everyone is giving this much praise to Godzilla Minus Zero. AV Club‘s Matt Schimkowitz rated the sequel a B-, claiming that the blockbuster was repetitive when compared to its predecessor. He also criticized the movie’s pacing, with one part of his review reading:
Sequels often push the heroes to the edges of the frame for a shiny new villain, and there’s clearly value in hiding your star until necessary. But the gaps between monster attacks feel more taxing this time around. It’s one of two major disappointments in the sequel, the other being that Godzilla’s trip to Manhattan (as seen in the trailers) is far too brief.
At the time of writing this story, Godzilla Minus Zero is sitting at an impressive 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s certified fresh, although not as high ranked at its predecessor, which is at a near-perfect 99% (with a 98% audience score). Only time will tell how audiences respond to the new sequel, but reading these reviews has me invested.
Godzilla Minus Zero will get its wide theatrical release on November 6th as part of the 2026 movie release list. I know I’ll be getting my ticket and watching all the destruction while stress eating my popcorn.
