Top 10 Godzilla Minus One Moments

A tranquil night for a group of engineers turned into a desperate fight for survival when a certain kaiju arrived. After making a terrifying debut, Kōichi Shikishima was ordered to try to shoot the monster down. But he became overwhelmed by fear and decided not to anger Godzilla further. Kōichi and the audience could only watch in horror as the kaiju went on a rampage that resulted in the death of nearly every engineer in sight. This dark scene effectively established that this version of Godzilla was a force of nature that would take no prisoners. It also set Kōichi down a dark and engaging path. After living through this devastating attack, we knew he could never find peace as long as Godzilla lived.

Shortly after returning home, Kōichi’s lunch in a public venue was interrupted when he suddenly heard people screaming about a thief. Before he could process this, the alleged robber handed him a baby and ran away. Seeing Kōichi awkwardly hold a random infant was hilarious. The scene only got better when the thieving Noriko popped out of her hiding spot to reclaim the child. Although Kōichi wanted to leave them behind, he couldn’t stop the duo from following him home. At first, this sequence seemed like a funny break from the bleak story. But it actually marked the beginning of the movie’s most beautiful relationship.

Desperate to make enough money to support his newfound family, Kōichi decided to get a job as a minesweeper. On one fateful day, he spotted signs that Godzilla would soon emerge from the depths of the ocean. Kōichi and his crew were forced to improvise a way to keep the kaiju at bay with limited resources and a small boat. The sequence was full of great tension and suspense. It’s also brought to life with stunning visual effects. After a few action packed moments, the chase came to an end when Kōichi shot a mine that blew up right in Godzilla’s face. While his accurate strike wasn’t enough to take the beast down, it was still satisfying to see him get a little payback.

Godzilla’s reemergence caused all of Kōichi’s feelings of regret and grief to come bubbling to the surface. He unleashed all of his negative emotions in a devastating scene. When Noriko pushes Kōichi to talk about what’s going on, he confesses that he feels guilt for failing his comrades. Instead of letting him be consumed by regret, Noriko does everything she can to prevent him from falling into despair. The outstanding acting performances here kept us hanging on every word. This sequence also served as a realistic examination of how survivor’s guilt can keep people from living happy lives. Fortunately, the conversation helps Kōichi feel ready to face his past and start focusing on the future.

After Kōichi failed to act during the first Godzilla attack, he got an earful from a mechanic named Sōsaku Tachibana. The two didn’t speak to each other for years after the horrific incident. But upon finding out that the plan to stop Godzilla required the help of a skilled mechanic, Kōichi went to desperate lengths to find Tachibana. The technician initially attacked his former comrade. Tachibana was willing to walk away completely until Kōichi promised that he’d sacrifice anything to stop Godzilla. Although their reunion didn’t exactly go smoothly, it was definitely entertaining to watch these strained allies work to find common ground.

Although Japanese officials recognized they had to combat the kaiju threatening their people, they were unable to mobilize an official military force to take action. Instead, they had to ask local citizens to volunteer for a risky plan. A handful of locals outright refused to step up because they were still reeling from the aftermath of World War 2. Just when it seemed like everyone would abandon the plan, a well timed joke from a local broke the tension. His small bit of humor was the sign of good things to come. Right after the joke was made, a roomful of citizens decided to volunteer to stop Godzilla. Seeing them step forward made for an emotional scene that got us rooting for this ragtag group.

While we’ve seen a lot of kaiju city rampages over the years, Minus One may have delivered the most brutal city attack ever put to film. The relentless kaiju throws vehicles and crushes trains without an ounce of remorse. Godzilla also shrugged off military grade attacks like they were nothing. And after the kaiju got warmed up, he delivered a horrific yet awe-inspiring atomic blast. A clever blend of CGI and live-action footage made the scene feel real while looking incredible. The scene also featured the tragic twist where Noriko seemingly makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Kōichi. By the time this scene came to a devastating close, we knew we had witnessed a Godzilla attack like no other.

It was satisfying to watch the pieces of the ambitious anti-Godzilla plan come together. After everything had been prepared, the mastermind of the gambit addressed the volunteers. Kenji Noda initially stuck to talking about facts and military positions. But when someone made a comment about dying, the mastermind responded with a stirring speech about life. His strong monologue would’ve worked if it just talked about their upcoming fight with Godzilla. However, the powerful speech felt more significant because it spoke about how many lives were lost during World War 2. Noda’s monologue ultimately served as a strong reminder to his comrades and the viewers that life is precious.

We were gutted when Godzilla’s attack tore this fire-forged couple apart. The loss affected Kōichi so much that he was willing to lay down his life to prevent Godzilla from rampaging again. But almost an hour after we saw Noriko face her end, it was revealed that she survived somehow. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when the two finally reunited in a hospital room. Although this moment could’ve come off as cheesy or cheap, it worked here because of the strong writing. Kōichi and Noriko had gone through hell and back multiple times just to get a shot at a normal life. Seeing the two get another chance to grow old together in a peaceful time was heartwarming and immensely rewarding.

When the plan to take down the kaiju went sideways, it was amazing to see a character nicknamed “Kid” lead a wave of reinforcements. As great as his entrance was, Kōichi stole the show.. The hero knew that Godzilla was vulnerable to internal attacks. So when Godzilla opened its mouth to deliver another fatal blast, Kōichi flew into the creature’s face. There was a horrifying moment where we thought that the hero had perished in the epic attack. Fortunately, his ally Tachibana had prepared an ejection seat in advance. That twist served as a great cap on a beautiful and exciting sequence. Not only did Kōichi defeat a monster, but he also conquered his personal demons in one fell swoop.



What was your favorite scene in “Godzilla Minus One”? Shout it out in the comments below.