While the world was captivated by Christopher Nolan’s biopic about the father of the atomic bomb in the months leading up to its premiere, Toho wishes to remind viewers that Japan is still home to the original King of the Monsters.
Yes, a new Godzilla film has been released, and Toho has really stepped up their game this time. The 37th installment in the Godzilla series, Godzilla Minus One, is the latest Japanese Kaiju film that Takashi Yamazaki wrote and directed. Surprisingly, on IMDb, the Toho-distributed movie has surpassed Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Not only has the 125-minute film shattered records for IMDb ratings, but, as a nice little bonus, it has recently drawn attention due to an unexpected comparison to Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer.
Godzilla Minus One is Japan’s Reply to Oppenheimer?
Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, was one of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year. The public was also drawn to it by its impressive cast, which included Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. With a global box office total of over $953 million and critical acclaim, the movie is now the third highest-grossing movie of 2023. Despite being a huge box office hit, it did not have the highest IMDb rating.
According to Kaiju News Outlet, Godzilla Minus One has surpassed Oppenheimer to become the highest-rated blockbuster film of 2023 on IMDb. Reviews for the Ryunosuke Kamiki starrer film have been overwhelmingly positive thus far.
The Takashi Yamazaki film, which opened in the US and Canada on December 1, was predicted to earn between $11 and $12 million in its first weekend of sales. It was released alongside Silent Night, The Shift, and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. According to a report from Deadline, the film debuted at $11 million, shattering the opening weekend record for a live-action Japanese film in the US.
As of December 6, Godzilla Minus One had made an incredible $40,990,124 worldwide. Of that total, $14,360,157 had been earned in the United States and Canada, $26,039,972 in Japan, and $589,995 in other territories (via The Numbers).
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Fans’ Reactions To Godzilla Minus One’s Monstrous Success
Godzilla Minus One has garnered a lot of positive reviews from critics. The Hollywood Reporter claims that Takashi Yamazaki’s film has received widespread praise from American film critics due to its touching human drama, amazing tiny-budgeted visuals, and social commentary through the use of the kaiju metaphor. Additionally, the movie received an incredible 97% approval rating and an average score of 8.3/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite all the praise, one unique aspect has drawn more notice than the others: the movie based on physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has been surpassed by Godzilla Minus One to become the highest-rated blockbuster film of 2023 on IMDb. Let us see how the movie is being received by viewers now that it has outperformed Christopher Nolan’s film.
A fan shared:
The son surpasses the father https://t.co/kiemlzBLep
— James Whitbrook (@Jwhitbrook) December 7, 2023
Another claimed:
Japan to USA : “We see your OPPENHEIMER, and we raise you a GODZILLA MINUS ONE”
— Satheesh Raj (@satheeshraj88) December 7, 2023
One noted:
Nothing against GxK (I genuinely like both), but there’s so much it could learn from Takashi Yamazaki and the cast/crew behind the movie!
— Angelus #AlitaArmy (@DavidBirch1982) December 7, 2023
Another shared:
I saw #GodzillaMinusOne📷 in #IMAX with the sound cranked up to eleven. It reminded me why used to love movies.
More like this one, please and thank you.
— Super Attack-Mode Jesus (@Dropsy42) December 7, 2023
One expressed appreciation for the movie by saying:
Congratulations to #GodzillaMinusOne for surpassing “Oppenheimer” as the highest rated blockbuster film of 2023 on IMDb! It’s thrilling to see a movie with such a significant impact. Keep the monster movies coming!
— Indresh Singh (@okindresh) December 7, 2023
Godzilla Minus One is a period drama that returns the giant kaiju to its origins, with the monster appearing while Japan is still reeling from the devastation of World War II.
Famed VFX artist and director Takashi Yamazaki decided to work on a Godzilla movie after his 2019 film, The Great War of Archimedes. Among the actors starring are Kuranosuke Sasaki, Sakura Ando, Yuki Yamada, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Minami Hamabe, Ryunosuke Kamiki, and Munetaka Aoki.
Godzilla Minus One was released in the United States on December 1, 2023. Watch it in cinemas now.
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