#REVIEW: “GODZILLA MINUS ZERO”

Review by Nicholas Porteous for Mr. Will Wong

At the end of 2023’s Godzilla Minus One, the king of the monsters was seemingly vanquished at the bottom of the ocean. Post-war Japan was reeling, but back on its feet. Only two years later, a new monster emerges–with a similarly unquenchable thirst for destruction. But this kaiju isn’t alone. Godzilla‘s back too. And in Godzilla Minus Zero, you’re allowed to root for him. As Ken Watanabe once said, “let them fight.”

Zero proves to be a worthy sequel to the gritty, Oscar-winning origin story, with similar strengths and weaknesses. First, the good: Zero successfully carries forward the dark-as-hell vibes of its predecessor. This isn’t camp. This isn’t comedy. The nature of Godzilla as a metaphor for Japan’s nuclear nightmare–and the all-too-real PTSD of a nuclear attack–is as bold and soul-crushing as it has ever been. The threat of Kaiju even spills over into the rest of the world this time, with some American cameos. Could mankind be foolish enough to imagine we might control the apocalyptic power of these unkillable creatures? Or wield them against our foes? The visual effects are just as staggering. Seeing Kaiju regenerate in real-time, bone to flesh, is a perfect example of Zero‘s gorgeously grounded take on what could be easily dismissed as an absurd fantasy. Experiencing the towering terrors in IMAX is, thankfully, as close as one can get to the real deal. And whoever’s choreographing the monster fights deserves a raise. The obvious pinnacle of Zero comes when Godzilla faces off against his new nemesis.

On the other side of the coin, Minus One‘s weaknesses revolved around the humanity of it all, and Zero is no different. It’s an ambitious epic with a sizable cast, striving to be a deeply-felt drama of loss and survival. But it never quite hits that sweet spot. Despite the cast’s best efforts, the operatic nature of both films often spills over into soapy, overwrought territory. When the English speakers on onscreen, that unrestrained tone is especially glaring. The humans give it their all, but the true stars of these films continue to be the monsters. And Godzilla and co. manage to upstage the entire human cast with only a fraction of their screen time. I would have traded half an hour of human rumination for another round of monster battling, or even monster hiking. Part of what made Minus One so fascinating was the slow reveal of Godzilla‘s powers. There are still some twists in that realm for the new kaiju on the block, but I was hungry for more when the credits rolled.

That said, the sheer scale of terror on display makes Zero a near-unmissable proposition in theatres. Try not to spill all your popcorn–especially if you’re one of the lucky few to get the new, and (rightfully) BIGGEST bucket in town!

Cineplex Pictures release GODZILLA MINUS ZERO in theatres November 6, 2026.