As if its box-office success wasn’t enough, Godzilla Minus One has officially surpassed Oppenheimer as this year’s highest-rated film on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB). IMDB collects information on the entirety of cinema, including casts, directors, writers, and reviews. Godzilla Minus One is the 37th installment in the long-running Godzilla franchise, which began with 1954’s Gojira.
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The film is directed and written by Takashi Yamazaki, who also worked on the visual effects. The film follows a former World War II pilot named Koichi Shikishima, played by Ryunosuke Kamiki, confronting the demons of his past when Godzilla attacks ’40s Japan.
Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, is a biopic about scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy in the film, who created the atomic bomb that led to America’s bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Notably, Oppenheimer has garnered some criticism for not showing the actual bombings in detail.
Godzilla Minus One Triumphs Over Oppenheimer to Become IMDB’s Biggest Blockbuster for 2023
DiscussingFilm first tweeted on Twitter that Godzilla Minus One has become the highest-rated blockbuster film on IMDB. Godzilla Minus One currently has a score of 8.5 based on around 8,700 ratings, compared to Oppenheimer which has a score of 8.4 derived from roughly 535,000 ratings.
These IMDB scores come from ratings posted by the general public. Therefore, the score represents their overall thoughts on a movie. Factors that could’ve led to Godzilla Minus One‘s higher score include its relatively recent debut and more effects-laden, classic blockbuster atmosphere.
Godzilla Minus One Vs. Oppenheimer is 2023’s Most Ironic Matchup
Godzilla Minus One reigning supreme over Oppenheimer feels poetic, considering how both films tackle the nuclear bomb’s impact on ’40s society, albeit from different cultural perspectives. The latter’s focus on the bomb’s creation may’ve played a part in why it hasn’t been released in Japan. Despite not being released in Japan, this hasn’t stopped Oppenheimer from becoming a massive financial success, grossing approximately 950 million worldwide.
Oppenheimer is still the real victor of this showdown because, without the real-life figure’s thought-provoking story, we wouldn’t have the Godzilla franchise. The Godzilla films have always been about the consequences of nuclear power, inspired by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
The character of Dr. Daisuke Serizawa in the original Godzilla film from 1954 might’ve been referencing the real-life Oppenheimer since both men were scientists who discovered a massive power source (in Serizawa’s case, the Oxygen Destroyer) and become horrified by what they’ve unleashed. Godzilla Minus One or Gojira (1954) could be awesomely paired with Oppenheimer in a more conventional double feature, similar to the Barbenheimer phenomenon.
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Regardless of any discussion about which is the better film, Oppenheimer and Godzilla Minus One’s successes are testaments to the incredibly strong array of films in 2023’s second half. The monster movie is playing now in theaters. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer is now available on digital and 4K Blu-ray.
About Godzilla Minus One
Release Date: December 1, 2023 (USA)
Director/Screenplay/VFX: Takashi Yamazaki
Production: Toho Co.
Distribution: Toho Co.
Production: TOHO STUDIO, ROBOT
Logline: After the war, Japan has been reduced to zero. Godzilla appears and plunges the country into a negative state. The most desperate situation in the history of Japan. Who? And how? Will Japan stand up to it?
What do you think about Godzilla Minus One becoming 2023’s biggest blockbuster on IMDB? Do you prefer Godzilla Minus One or Oppenheimer? What has been your favorite movie of 2023 so far? Let the Illuminerdi know on our social media, we’re always watching.
SOURCE: @DiscussingFilm.
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