Simon Pegg calls Hollywood’s ‘Godzilla’ films “cultural appropriation”

Simon Pegg has shared his thoughts on Godzilla Minus One, slamming the recent American films in the process – see what he had to say below.

On Monday (June 3), Pegg to his Instagram Stories to talk about Godzilla Minus One. Recorded and shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Godzilla fan account Kaiju No. 14, Pegg said in a video: “Godzilla Minus One is now on Netflix. So if you haven’t seen it, watch it. It’s the single best Godzilla movie since Shin Godzilla. It’s incredible.”

Pegg went on to add: “It’s a proper Godzilla movie made by the people who sired Godzilla from their subconscious as they wrestled with the massive ramifications of what happened during the second World War. It’s not some rock ’em, sock ’em fucking cultural appropriation.”

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Yesterday (June 4), Pegg shared a follow-up on his Instagram Story, urging fans to watch the original Japanese version of Godzilla Minus One, rather than a dub in any other language.

Pegg’s posts comes after Netflix announced the surprise release of Minus One on its streaming platform worldwide on Saturday (June 1). The acclaimed film won an Oscar award earlier this year for best visual effects, making it the first entry in the venerable 70-year-old Godzilla franchise to win an Academy Award.

Set during the very tail end of World War II after the nuclear bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Minus One tells the tale of how a devastated Japan is mobilized back into action by the sudden arrival of a 164-foot-tall reptilian behemoth that breathes atomic radiation.

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Godzilla Minus One is the second Godzilla film to come out in the span of a year, with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire releasing earlier this year.

There have been a total of 5 Hollywood-made Godzilla movies to date. The first Godzilla film released in 1998, before being rebooted in 2014 as part of Warner Bros’ MonsterVerse, which has seen four Godzilla films and one King Kong film.

In a three-star review of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, James Mottram wrote for NME: “Naturally, there’s some next-level destruction as famous landmarks, including the Pyramids, get trashed. And while it won’t scratch an emotional itch, if it’s barnstorming building-bashing you want, then Godzilla X Kong delivers.”