Late last year, my colleagues Rich Lowry, Philip Klein, and David Zimmerman praised Godzilla Minus One. They all agreed that this Japanese production, directed by Takashi Yamazaki, was more than a good Godzilla movie; it was a good movie in itself. Having now seen Godzilla Minus One myself, I wholeheartedly agree. It is not so much a good Godzilla movie as it is a good movie that Godzilla happens to be in. It is a fully realized drama about life in Japan after World War II that the legendary beast stomps into (with some striking imagery and set pieces that ought to embarrass Hollywood).

To weigh in on another aspect of the National Review Godzilla discourse, I would like to defend the creature’s girth from Rich’s skepticism. The physics of giant monsters are questionable in the first place. But if something like Godzilla were to exist at all, it probably would have to be very bottom-heavy and taper to something of a point. Give Godzilla Minus One credit, moreover, for even bothering to think through the physics of such a beast and how one might take it down (for now . . .). Those interested in the biology of fictional creatures can read more here.