'Godzilla Minus One' review: A monster movie with a human soul

In "Godzilla Minus One," blockbuster filmmaking is structured, tactile and grounded. It's a big ol' monster movie that delivers the goods on both a human storytelling level and that of a big ol' monster movie.

See now that isn't so hard, is it?

Apparently it is, judging by the bumbled efforts we're typically fed from Hollywood. "Godzilla Minus One" comes from Toho Studios in Japan, and is the latest entry in its modern "Godzilla" saga, and it works on its own because of its simple story and throwback pleasures. It's "Godzilla" going back to its roots.

Ryunosuke Kamiki stars as Kōichi Shikishima, a WWII pilot who is disgraced for shirking his kamikaze duties during the war. He's a survivor of an island attack from Godzilla who helps the military plan an attack on the beast; Hidetaka Yoshioka is Kenji Noda, a weapons engineer who devises a plan to sink the big guy.

Meanwhile, Shikishima is given a future to fight for, after he agrees to help raise an abandoned child with Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe), a woman he meets in the wasteland of post-war Tokyo.

So we have characters, stakes, and a whole lot of stomping going on, as Godzilla attacks by sea and land, laying waste to Ginza with his radioactive breath. Writer-director Takashi Yamazaki, who also handled the film's visual effects (along with Kiyoko Shibuya), gives viewers plenty of Godzilla but builds the story around its human elements, highlighting its themes of coming together after a time of disaster. He delivers a thrilling, fun, impressive monster movie that shows with a little heart and ingenuity, the classics can come roaring back to life.

agraham@detroitnews.com

'Godzilla Minus One'

GRADE: B+

Rated PG-13: for creature violence and action

Running time: 125 minutes

In theaters