Summary
Godzilla Minus Onehas finally come to streaming a few months after its theatrical release, but which is the best way to watch it: the dubbed version or the original version with subtitles? After it was hailed as one of the bestGodzillamovies ever made and won a much-deserved Academy Award for Best Visual Effects,Godzilla Minus Onehas finally arrived on the streaming library of Netflix. It’s a must-see for monster movie fans, but it’s a must-see for non-fans, too, because, for once, the human storyline is actually compelling.
In between Godzilla’s attacks on Japanese cities,Godzilla Minus Onetells the touching tale of a blended family that comes together in the rubble of World War II. Godzilla is once again portrayed as a poignant visual metaphor for the devastating effects of nuclear warfare (as well as the PTSD and survivor’s guilt felt by its protagonist, former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima). There are two ways to watchGodzilla Minus Oneon streaming– dubbed or subbed – but which version is the best way to enjoy the movie?
Why To Watch Godzilla Minus One In Dubbed
Subtitles draw focus away from the visuals
The easiestway to watchGodzilla Minus Oneis the dubbed version.Reading subtitles can be a hassle, and the dub removes all that hassleby translating all the dialogue into the viewer’s native language. Some viewers may not prefer subtitles if they feel the focus draws away from the visuals. Film is a visual medium, butwatching a movie with subtitles could require the viewer to keep staring at the bottom of the screen. They’ll often miss a really great visual or an inventive shot if they’re too busy reading the subtitles.
Viewers of the dubbed version can just get swept up in the story. There’s no need to translate dialogue on the fly because it’s delivered in the viewer’s familiar native language. They don’t have to go through the laborious process of hearing the dialogue, reading the translation, and mentally putting it into context. Watching a movie with subtitles is pitched somewhere between watching a movie and reading a book, which makes it difficult to get fully immersed in the story. The dubbed version can create that immersion.
Godzilla Minus Oneis the first movie in history to be #1 on both Netflix and iTunes simultaneously.
Why To Watch Godzilla Minus One In Subbed
The original performances are ruined by the dub
The big advantage of the subbed version ofGodzilla Minus Oneis getting to see the cast’s whole performances. The dubbed version keeps their facial expressions and body language, but their line deliveries are recorded over. The dubbing artists often ruin the tension of a scene because they’ll be handed individual lines out of context. As a result, the dialogue in dubbed movies can be grating and disconnected from the mood of a given scene. In some cases, it can be more of a distraction than subtitles.
There’s not actually a lot of reading involved in watching the subbed versionofGodzilla Minus One. Movies likeRomaorAnatomy of a Fallare very dialogue-heavy, with very little action (save for the civil unrest on the streets of Mexico City inRomaand the opening death inAnatomy of a Fall), so it’s a big commitment to read their subtitles. ButGodzilla Minus Oneis extremely action-packed. There are some dialogue scenes between the central family, but there are also long, skyscraper-smashing action sequences with little to no dialogue at all.
Why Subbed Is The Best Way To Watch Godzilla Minus One
Subbed beats dubbed any day of the week
The dubbed and subbed versions ofGodzilla Minus Oneboth have their advantages and disadvantages. Dubbed can be good because it provides the immersive experience of telling the story in the viewer’s native language, butsubbed keeps the original actors’ performances intact and gives the audience a proper viewing experience. The subbed version is the version that the filmmakers put out there as a way to keep their project intact as they intended.
The same goes forany non-English-language movie that became a big hitin the English-speaking markets:Parasite,Amélie,Spirited Away,Pan’s Labyrinth,Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The original actors’ performances are a big part of why those films work so beautifully, and those performances sometimes get butchered in the dubbing process.Godzilla Minus Oneis no different. The actors ofGodzilla Minus Onedelivered their lines with nuance and gravitas and deeply felt emotion. The dubbed version is missing all that stuff.
Godzilla Minus One
Cast
In Godzilla Minus One, set in postwar Japan, an unyielding Godzilla emerges in a landscape already ravaged, leaving survivors to unite against the monstrous threat. With no aid from military forces or government, the community must confront their fears to fend off the escalating peril.
