Critics Are Hailing ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ as the Kaiju Franchise’s Answer to ‘The Empire Strikes Back’

Few sequels have faced expectations quite as towering as ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’. Its predecessor, ‘Godzilla Minus One‘, earned $116 million worldwide, became the highest-grossing Japanese Godzilla film ever, and won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, outshining plenty of far pricier blockbusters along the way. It also became a critical darling with a near-perfect 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it was the first Godzilla movie ever to win an Academy Award.

Writer, director, and VFX wizard Takashi Yamazaki is back for the follow-up, which takes place 2 years after ‘Minus One’. The story picks up in 1949 with the Shikishima family facing a brand-new calamity, as an even bigger Godzilla heads to New York City. It’s the 38th Godzilla film overall and the 34th from Toho.

After the film’s world premiere at the New York Film Festival, Toho lifted the full review embargo, and the verdict has been overwhelmingly positive. According to box office analyst Luiz Fernando, the sequel sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising it as a devastating, heartbreaking, and emotional epic that delivers astonishing visuals.

The score has steadily climbed since the first reviews dropped. It debuted at 93% from 14 reviews before rising to 95% as more critics weighed in. If it holds, ‘Minus Zero’ would be the second most critically acclaimed Godzilla movie on Rotten Tomatoes, trailing only ‘Minus One’ and landing above the original 1954 ‘Godzilla’.

One comparison in particular has caught fire. An Anime News Network review argued that if ‘Minus One’ was ‘Star Wars’, then ‘Minus Zero’ is ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, a framing Fernando echoed in his post. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich similarly noted the film feels very much like the middle chapter of a trilogy.

Plenty of critics went even further in their praise. Polygon’s Jake Kleinman declared it the best Godzilla movie of all time, while CBR’s review called it the rare sequel to a beloved film that manages to surpass the original.

Extremely confident they have an ALL TIMER in their hands, #TOHO has lifted full review embargo for #GodzillaMinusZero & oh boy, they are as effusively positive as the social reactions over the weekend! Still early days, but so far 96% out of 22 critics are mesmerised by it (vs #GodzillaMinusOne’s 99%), calling the sequel a devastating, groundbreaking, heartbreaking, emotional epic triumph which, although not always reaching the miraculous highs of its predecessor, it’s still an incredible kaiju film with astonishing visuals that would be considered The Empire Strikes Back of the series if Minus One had been this series’ A New Hope. #GodzillaMinusZero debuts on NOV 03 in Japan & on NOV 06 at US #BoxOffice!

— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) September 28, 2026

Not everyone thinks it tops the first film, though. RogerEbert.com’s Clint Worthington gave it a positive review but conceded it doesn’t quite reach the miraculous highs of its predecessor. IGN awarded it a 7/10, saying it delivers on the kaiju front but lacks the same emotional resonance.

A few critics also flagged pacing concerns. One review cautioned that some monster movie fans might be disappointed that much of the film focuses on defense planning rather than action. The lone rotten review came from Nick Schager of The Daily Beast, who still conceded the movie has a lot going for it.

'Gozilla Minus Zero' drops new trailer ahead of November 6, 2026 US release. It is set in 1949, two years after the events of the first film.

The new footage teases a possible King Ghidorah appearance with electrical disturbances and a falling Godzilla.pic.twitter.com/wx4dHnEmxf

— MTN Breaking News (@MTNbreaking) September 8, 2026

This time, the stakes are dramatically higher. The new trailer confirmed King Ghidorah’s arrival, hinting at a potential standoff with the still-alive Godzilla. The film also marks the first R-rated Godzilla movie, using its rating to showcase more intense kaiju action and violence.

That’s a bold departure for a franchise whose Japanese entries have traditionally stayed in family-friendly territory. Still, The Guardian noted that, like its predecessor, the film favors quality of visual effects over sheer quantity.

The reviews also put ‘Minus Zero’ well ahead of Hollywood’s recent kaiju efforts. It outperforms every Monsterverse sequel on Rotten Tomatoes, including ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ at 75% and ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ at 54%.

With a 2-hour and 15-minute runtime, ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ opens in Japan on November 3 before arriving in US theaters on November 6. If the early buzz is any indication, Yamazaki may have another box office phenomenon on his hands.

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