I just don't see how anyone could argue au contraire.
And not only that, it shows what a terrible choice Gareth Edwards was to be allowed to make his awful Star Wars film. And please note, I am crediting him here with his crappy input to that film before the cut and shut fan service additions, which some people found so appealing.
I agree.
I just can't get into American Godzilla films. The Japanese films are the only ones I really like.
I enjoyed it immensely, and think it's far, far better than the Pacific Rim films, which I think are terrible. I don't think it's as good as the 2014 Godzilla film. It's almost as good, but it makes a couple significant missteps, whereas the 2014 film makes none. What follows are spoilers, so anyone reading this who hasn't seen Minus One may want to stop reading now.
One of the most powerful scenes in the film comes when Noriko shoves Koichi to safety, and is then immediately blown away by the atomic blast from Godzilla's breath. She's basically vaporized in front of our eyes, and her death gives the film, and our protagonist, its most powerfully reflective moment. We see her death's effect on both Koichi and Akiko, and it's visceral.
When she later turns up alive, it feels really phony, and severely detracts from the movie's quality. Worse, it's telegraphed-- literally-- so we all see it coming. As soon as Sumiko received the telegram I knew Noriko was alive in a hospital somewhere, and sure enough, she was.
The other weak moment is the flashback where we see that Tachibana told Koichi in advance that the lever would eject him. I knew the moment he told Koichi to pull the lever before impact that it was an ejector, but it would have been far more effective had Koichi not known. That would have felt like a far more satisfying end to his character arc, with the cowardly kamikaze who failed to play his part in the war bravely flying to his death to kill Godzilla, only to be surprisingly saved by the man who most wants him dead.
Even though I knew he was going to eject, I'd have liked it better had Koichi not known. Having him know he'd live doesn't have the same closure effect as if he pulled it thinking it would kill him.
It does play into the movies message that what matters most is living, and sacrificing yourself needlessly is never the right thing to do, but I think you could still achieve that message without giving Koichi foresight into what the lever does.
In any event, beyond those two Hollywood (Tokyo?) endings, the film is great, and a very entertaining and thought-provoking story of Japan after the war, that happens to also include an atomic dinosaur on a rampage.
I don't think it's as good as the 2014 Godzilla film.
I also disagree that the Edwards film is anywhere near the level of this film.
However you do make a fair point re the fake out endings. But rather than "two Hollywood (Tokyo?) endings" there was actually three as Godzilla himself also got one! 😂
Actually though, we knew, even before that flashback scene showing him how to pull the lever that there was an ejector as it cut away on the initial scene of him being shown the plane on the line "... And there's something else" (or suchlike). I instantly said to Mrs FootOfDavros "Ejector seat!" right then...
So then when the telegram arrived, I was pretty much laughing as I realised we were getting the big Hollywood ending and they were all going to survive and become a family after all with the kid.
But actually, cheesy as it may be, I was glad we got that. Sure, it maybe gives an unearned emotional closure to the film but it masks what would otherwise have been a real downer - and non character growth - ending of Koichi sacrificing himself and leaving the kid parentless again.
For a while it seemed that was what we were getting and I thought that'd be a shame as it would knock the film down overall. However, strangely (for me anyway) the Hollywood ending saved that from happening.
Had they not showed us that Kochi knew it was an ejector, I'd have been fine with it. He'd have redeemed himself by making the tough choice he'd failed to make during the war, but survived because Tachibana came around and realized that suicide is not bravery, and what really matters is surviving.
Having Noriko survive is unforgivable. They may as well have had Koichi's parents recuperating in the hospital room next to hers.
...but survived because Tachibana came around and realized that suicide is not bravery, and what really matters is surviving.
Except at the end he didn't overcome anything. He knew when he got into the plane that the plan was for him to eject and save himself. If instead he *thought* he was sacrificing himself, only to learn after pulling the lever that it was an ejector rather than a detonator, THEN we'd have something.
shareYeah, I agree that would have maybe been marginally better - maybe he just says something like, it's very important you pull this a split second before entry, otherwise there's a chance it won't detonate.
And then we just get the pay off at the same time as the character...
Still, that would still leave the problem of him deliberately leaving the kid without a father, so better pay off for us if not the character.
But similarly, I wish they'd left Godzilla alone as well - because even his fake out sacrifice still wouldn't have counted for anything in the long run.
So basically, leave the girl dead, leave Godzilla dead and then maybe just have one flashback scene AFTER we seeing him ejecting where he says something to Tachibana like - Can't you fit an ejector? I used to think sacrifice was the only way to face my demons but now if I leave that little girl alone, the demons you would face would be bigger and I'm not prepared for you to face that burden...