Godzilla Minus One, the nice surprise of the Oscars

This is the first film in the franchise to be nominated by the prestigious academy.

The nominations for Oscars 2024 fell at the start of the week, with several surprises, good or bad. For example, there is the disappointment of Ryan Gosling and D’America Ferrera faced with the absence of Greta Gerwig And Margot Robbie in the nominees: they are in the running for a statuette among the supporting roles, but neither the director of the successful blockbuster nor its star are selected. Finally, they still compete as producers in the best film category…

There are also good surprises, like Godzilla Minus One, selected in the Best Special Effects category. This makes it the first film Godzilla at the Oscars, a historic event for the giant lizard. Minus One is made by Takashi Yamazaki and sets its plot in post-war Japan. Koichi is a suicide bomber deserter, traumatized by having failed in his duty. When a giant lizard emerges from the sea to ravage Tokyo, he makes a point of defeating it.

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This new kaiju opus is under the Japanese banner, the first since Shin Godzilla in 2016. Completely independent of Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse, it attempts to reconnect with the DNA of the original 1954 film, directed by Ishiro Honda. It represents a technical challenge since its budget does not exceed 15 million dollars, which is derisory for a film of this scale. For comparison, that of Gareth Edwardsreleased in 2014, had a budget of 160 million!

This is therefore an even more resounding victory for Minus One to be nominated for its special effects despite its very limited funding. Now the competition will be tough since he is facing Napoleon, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Creator (hold on, again Gareth Edwards…) And Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part 1.

We will know the lucky winners on March 10, 2024.

Godzilla Minus One is an astonishing retro and mourning blockbuster (review)