The Only Recap You Need Before Godzilla Minus Zero

If you're a Godzilla diehard, you know there's rarely been a more exciting time for the big guy. And if you're new, now's a perfect time to get onboard. "Godzilla Minus Zero," the highly anticipated sequel to Takashi Yamazaki's "Godzilla Minus One," comes out in Japan on November 3, with a wide theatrical North American release hitting just days later on November 6. The film premiered at the New York Film Festival, earning strong reviews from critics. If you're planning to watch it but need a refresher, check out our recap video above.

Suffice it to say, excitement is high, and for good reason. "Godzilla Minus One" is fantastic, and it's been over 20 years since we had a direct sequel to a film in the Toho series. The good news for newcomers is that, for that same reason, there isn't a ton you need to catch up on. "Minus One" is a standalone reboot with no direct tether to any previous films in the franchise, other than a general reverence for and adherence to the original 1954 film.

"Minus One" retells Godzilla's decimation of Tokyo in the aftermath of World War II, this time from the perspective of a former kamikaze pilot named Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki). In addition to the kaiju action, the film follows Shikishima's relationship with Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe) and their adopted daughter Akiko (Sae Nagatani).

At the end of "Godzilla Minus One," an assembled force of Japanese sailors and naval veterans manages to defeat Godzilla, with Shikishima delivering the killing blow by flying a bomb straight into the monster's mouth. He survives the encounter and returns home to learn that Noriko, presumed dead after Godzilla's mainland attack, actually survived. They reunite tearfully, but a strange mark on Noriko's neck suggests that all may not be as well as it seems. Meanwhile, a final shot shows the remaining pieces of Godzilla deep beneath the sea, where they begin to grow again.

These unanswered questions in "Godzilla Minus One," combined with the film's tremendous success, made a sequel inevitable. But it's not just Godzilla who's a threat this time. If you watched the trailer for "Godzilla Minus Zero," you would have heard the iconic cry of the king kaiju's arch rival, the three-headed dragon King Ghidorah. So yes, it would seem that we are getting a proper showdown between the two beasts.

For a more complete breakdown on "Minus One," the history of the Godzilla/Ghidorah rivalry, and what to expect in "Minus Zero," check out the full video above. And watch out for the arrival of "Godzilla Minus Zero" to North American theaters on November 6.