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You mentioned blaming Marvel fake-outs, but which category do you put Infinity War in? That was pretty shocking in the theater to the audience, and was probably also the franchise high-point (alternatively: final good marvel movie), although that's probably just a timing coincidence.
When I think about my reaction to various things like Godzilla Minus One, Fight Club, Rogue One, Fail-Safe, Dr Strangelove, Outer Wilds, 3:10 to Yuma, Double Indemnity, etc., I can't really pinpoint any consistent personal preference. I guess it probably is when a clear choice is made artistically, either way.
Godzilla Minus One was SO ridiculous. The movie sacrificed one emotional death (FMC's ), one character development (the natural story arc is for MC to finally redeem himself for his cowardice by carrying out a successful kamikaze mission on Godzilla ), and one dramatically satisfying ending (the threat is gone ) on the altar of a sequel hook.
I means, tons of movies have sequel hooks, but they are usually schlock; Godzilla Minus One hurts because it was so good. It's like if Titanic had ended with an elderly Rose suddenly opening her eyes, startled, then the camera zooms into her window for a menacing shot of the same iceberg that sank the ship all those years ago!
It's unlikely that anything mainstream in Japan published after 1945 would glorify a kamikaze attack. (Unless it's Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, and Matsumoto didn't like that ending for exactly that reason.)
One of the points of Godzilla Minus Zero is that kamikaze attacks were a senseless waste of life.
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Yeah the last 4 minutes definitely subverted all my expectations, based on what they had achieved already. Didn't know if those choices were from a japanese culture angle, or yeah just the allure of making a follow-up. Although I still liked it and would always recommend it, I'm maybe less interested in rewatches.
As long as this is accompanied by the foreboding godzilla theme playing, I suppose I'd allow it.
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