Godzilla Minus One is turning out to be the kaiju’s most impressive cinematic outing in recent times. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, this visual marvel has outshone high-budget Hollywood films with its remarkable VFX, all achieved with a modest budget of $15 million. Fans are now drawing comparisons with recent big franchise releases, many of which had over $200 million budget, yet deliworks.
The Japanese kaiju film also excelled in departments like stories, characters, and social commentary along with visual effects, which made it a great watch in theaters. A notable point of comparison arises with the DCU film, The Flash, which was heavily criticized for poor CGI despite a production budget of $200-$220 million.
Godzilla Minus One Puts DCU’s The Flash To Shame
Godzilla Minus One stands as the 37th installment in the Godzilla franchise and the fifth in its Reiwa era. The film has impressed both critics and audiences alike, receiving a 97% Tomatometer score and a 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This places it as the second highest-rated Godzilla film, behind the 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destroyah. The film explores the kaiju monster wreaking havoc on post-World War 2 Japan, having gained devastating power from the atomic bomb.
The modern Godzilla films produced by Toho take on a more grittier approach, making it much darker than the American Monsterverse. The monster in the film is depicted as a ruthless force, and it shows a more human element of the story. Notably, the film achieved its top-notch visuals with a mere $15 million budget, surpassing expectations.
The credit for the film’s great visuals goes to director Takashi Yamazaki, who also served as the visual effects supervisor. Shirogumi handled the visual effects using the 3D animation software Houdini and Maya, along with the compositing software Nuke. The small-scale yet brilliant visual effects would put some of the bigger American franchises to shame.
For instance, DCU’s The Flash was brutally bashed for its CGI from the moment its trailer was released. The director tried to defend the sloppy VFX work. However, his arguments fell flat. The CGI scenes had a distorted and bizarre look, falling short of the standards set by previous works within the DC universe. The problem is not unique to a specific film or franchise, as even Marvel has struggled with its CGI in its most recent projects.
Fans Hailed Godzilla Minus One Especially For Its Low Budget
Fans praised the film on X under the post by @DiscussingFilm, mentioning the film’s controlled budget. Significant praise went to director Takashi Yamazaki, with fans suggesting that the American studios should consider hiring him. Some commented that the controlled budget could potentially help some of the studios facing financial challenges due to the big losses at the box office. Some positive fan reactions read:
Considering ‘GODZILLA MINUS ONE’ was made for a reported $15M, the film is visually stunning powerhouse of emotion that stands leagues above many of Hollywood’s modern blockbusters this year.
Find out more in our review… https://t.co/QDsbQlZT6r
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 3, 2023
More studios need to understand that you can make a great and amazing looking movie on a small budget
— Truly Pete (72%)👽 🔜 Some Rave Eventually (@AStateofPete) December 3, 2023
That’s why a good director is more important than a big budget
— WAIZ (@vvaiz1) December 3, 2023
Wow. I wasn’t expecting that low of a budget. The filmmaker deserves all of the credit in the world. He should be brought on to help with spending as a minimum. Studios are hemorrhaging funds and they need an answer. Maybe it is right here. Congratulations Takashi Yamazaki 💫
— Casey Ryback (@CaseyRyback00) December 3, 2023
It just goes to show how a small, controlled budget can generate box office revenue without bankrupting the respective studios.
— Burnouts3 (@Burnouts3s3) December 3, 2023
However, some fans noted that the accuracy of comparing budgets after converting from yen to dollars might be questionable. Another fan also acknowledged the harsh conditions in which Japanese artists work on such films.
Yes this movie looks good, but it realistically costs about ¥2,202,375,000. You can’t directly convert to USD and think our money works the same way as theirs. Japan’s most expensive movie cost ¥5 Billion or $30 Million. There’s no point in mentioning Hollywood in the replies
— Jalen Mays (@DracoMays97) December 3, 2023
Just a reminder that the looks versus budget is also due to the fact that Japanese film crews work insane hours and don’t get paid for overtime, so needing a bigger budget to achieve this isn’t bad actually.
— Mâche 🏳️⚧️ (@Machu47084087) December 3, 2023
The previous installment in the Toho-made Godzilla movies, Shin Godzilla, also received favorable reviews from critics and achieved success at the box office. Godzilla Minus One is now running successfully in theaters.
