News culture The best science fiction film of 2023 is Japanese. Hollywood spends billions for nothing!
Science fiction is an extremely popular subject in the world of cinema and this year it was this particular film that won the hearts of critics and audiences.
In 2023, science fiction has disrupted video games as much as it has disrupted cinema. And if we had to choose just one feature film this year, it would probably be the one that marked the resounding return of history’s most beloved monster: Godzilla Minus One, which was unanimously acclaimed by the press. For The Guardian it is a “thunderous and entertaining prequel”. In the work, a “failed kamikaze pilot, an angry radioactive lizard and a war-ravaged Japan collide in Takashi Yamazaki’s redemptive action thriller.”
This return to basics is therefore anchored in the post-war period and draws inspiration from the very first Godzilla from 1954, but also Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack from 2001. The film was released in cinemas in Japan in November and had a very good start there. The same is true in the United States, where the film surprisingly achieved the best opening for a live-action Japanese film in the United States, with $11.4 million in one weekend after release. For comparison: the final part of the saga, Godzilla Resurgence, only grossed $450,000 when it was released in the United States. Quite a comeback for this large lizard. It’s a shame that Godzilla Minus One only ran for two short days in French cinemas on December 7th and 8th.
On Rotten Tomatoes, The film achieves an excellent rating of 98% based on 139 reviews. The press agrees on the following consensus: “Godzilla Minus One is a kaiju film that remains truly captivating between scenes of mass destruction, offering gripping human stories as the foundation for the action“. Times writes that “It’s also very exciting and very spectacular.”
It can be said that the message is not subtle. But this is a movie about an angry radioactive dinosaur rampaging through the Tokyo mall. Who needs subtlety? – Observe
The success is so great that Godzilla Minus One will soon return to the big screen in the classic black and white look. It is scheduled to be released in Japanese cinemas next January, but there is no information available for France or other countries.
In France we also have our SF star: Mars Express
In France, another film has conquered the hearts of science fiction lovers: Mars Express, a work by Jérémie Périn, which received a very good rating of 4.2/5 on the AlloCiné website. The director was previously responsible for the animation of Last Man, another production that received widespread praise from the press. Mars Express offers a dive into the 2200s in the city of Noctis. We follow Aline Ruby, a ruthless private detective, and Carlos Rivera, her android partner, as they launch an investigation to find a missing cybernetics student. An investigation that will reveal all the vices of a seemingly utopian city. According to Télérama, an “excellent animated film, wonderfully imaginative”.
The film is visually superb, employing a sophisticated realism that constantly blurs the lines between humans and robots and conveys the same humor amidst the machine gun fire. Jérémie Périn uses his animation science to create an epic cyber-thriller that ends with a shocking exodus and two questions. What does it mean to be a robot? And what does it mean to be human in the mirror? – Telerama
