“Godzilla Minus Zero” is the 39th Godzilla movie since the franchise started in 1954. It is the sequel to “Godzilla Minus One,” the highest rated Godzilla movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. With this, “Godzilla Minus Zero” had kaiju-sized shoes to fill. 

In a way, the movie feels designed to be a lower stakes version of “Godzilla Minus One.” Whereas the first movie largely just has Godzilla as a set piece to inflict misery and trauma that progresses the human characters, the second movie reverses this. 

Kaiju, a giant and destructive monster, runs rampant and destroys everything in big spectacles, which happens to also drive some character arcs forward on occasion.

The predecessor “Godzilla Minus One” follows Koichi Shikishima, a Japanese kamikaze pilot who abandoned his mission in WWII because he wanted to survive. He persists even in the darkest of moments, conveying a message of hope, which is the main reason the film is so critically acclaimed. 

“Godzilla Minus Zero” instead focuses on kaiju chaos. King Ghidorah, a golden three-headed alien dragon, crashlands from space and causes destruction in Japan. The spectacle takes a higher focus this time around, with a lot of the movie spent focusing on King Ghidorah and people trying to stop him.

It’s some of the best action in the franchise, especially in Imax. Being able to feel every roar reverberate throughout your chest helps to create a strong sense of immersion. It keeps viewers on the edge of their seat, waiting to see who and what’s going to be destroyed next. 

Similarly to “Godzilla Minus One,” the choreography and set design greatly succeed in emphasizing the sheer scale of the giant kaijus. This lets the viewer immerse themselves in a more believable universe and understand how small they are in comparison.

While “Godzilla Minus One” was more focused on character arcs than action, “Godzilla Minus Zero” combines these elements and has some of the best human characters in the franchise.

Shikishima makes a return, as does his love interest, Noriko Ōishi, and their adoptive child, Akiko. Ōishi is also given some more active involvement in the film because of a mysterious condition she has. She’s more important in the plans to stop the kaiju than she was in “Godzilla Minus One.” 

This movie’s themes are stronger on the importance of family, despite it only being a minor focus in the first film. It’s a natural progression for the characters.

The film also has themes of survivor’s guilt and accountability.

Returning character Dr. Kenji Noda, who helped stop Godzilla the first time, and new character Makoto Aoyama, a gifted young meteorologist, feel guilty over their past plans going haywire. So, Dr. Noda and Aoyama work together to create a plan to take out King Ghidorah and cure their guilty consciousnesses, only to fail. But this doesn’t stop them from trying again.

They have a strong dynamic throughout the film, and despite being supporting characters, their bond is as strong as the central dynamic between Shikishima, Ōishi and Akiko.

A weaker character, however, is Kanji Murakami, an elderly scientist who survived the bombing of Hiroshima and seeks to get revenge on the U.S. by blowing up New York City with Godzilla’s atomic breath.

On its own, it’s a strong idea for a character—seeking revenge out of grief. But the film portrays him as over the top and insane, and the resolution to his character arc feels rushed. It’s an element of the movie that feels like an afterthought to give the film more stakes.

While plenty of the character arcs and conflicts are still enjoyable, none of them have the same punch that Shikishima’s had in the first film. No moment had quite the same gut punch effect that was felt when Shikishima was at his lowest in the previous film. While the first film was tear jerking for both its lowest moments and high hopes, “Godzilla Minus Zero” doesn’t stir the same raw, gripping emotion, but it still proves to be a higher-end Godzilla movie, with many reasons to be in fan’s top tens.

Copy edited by Camila Verzino

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Zachary Cramer

Aaron J. McCloud, a senior acting major playing the pastor, sings to the whole cast during a production of "The Color Purple" put on by the School of Theatre and Dance in the Getz Theatre Center at 72 E. 11th St. on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026.

Through powerful performances, soaring vocals and moments of both heartbreak and joy, an all-Black cast of Columbia students brought the story of Celie’s journey from abuse to self-discovery to life in the college’s production of “The Color Purple.”

The musical drew a sold-out audience of more than 140 people to the Getz Theatre Center for the second consecutive night on Saturday, Nov. 7, bringing laughter, cheers and a standing ovation.

Paris Ward, a senior musical theatre performance major, said she waited for this moment to perform since she was a child.

“For it being my first main-stage, Lord have mercy,” Ward said “It’s surreal. It’s amazing. It’s something that I’ve dreamed of since I was a little girl. It’s literally a dream come true.”

Ward played Sofia, a headstrong self-assured woman who, after marrying main character Celie’s step-son, influences Celie to have more confidence and see the wrongdoings of her abusive husband.

“The Color Purple” is based on the 1982 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker, an American author, poet and activist whose work often explores the experiences of Black women and the intersections of racism and sexism. Set in rural Georgia in the early 20th century, the story follows Celie, a Black woman who endures years of sexual and domestic abuse while struggling to find her voice and independence. Told largely through letters between Celie and her sister Nettie, the novel explores the bonds between women, faith, sexuality, racism and the possibility of reclaiming their lives after trauma. Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction in 1983, making her the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

“The Color Purple” musical is adapted from the book. Columbia’s adaptation is directed by Khanisha Foster, an assistant professor of instruction in the School of Theatre and Dance.

Sophomore musical theatre major Iyanna Alyse Sutherland played Celie’s sister Nettie. Nettie was torn away from Celie shortly after she was married, but she never leaves the story. Sutherland felt that Nettie embodied one of the core themes of the show, sisterhood.

“I feel like every character represents a different kind of love and how it influences Celie’s life and it’s so amazing,” Sutherland said. “My character, I feel, represents the faith, hope and sisterhood that just keeps Celie going.”

A large part of the musical hinges on the community Celie finds within all the women around her, not just her sister. Most of these women help influence Celie to leave her extremely abusive husband Mister.

Senior musical theatre major Kijani X played Mister. Kijani X found himself struggling to fit into such a violent role. 

Though the ending of the musical features Mister turning a new leaf and righting his wrongs. Kijani X focused on trying to humanize him as much as he could to make that ending more rewarding.

“For my character, it has been difficult to really play into his cruelty,” Kijani X said. “So, I think my process has been trying to make him as much of a human as possible so that once he has that switch at the end it hits harder besides just being the evil villain all the time.”

Despite the hardship of playing a character so different from himself, Kijani X found that being in an all-Black cast brought a feeling of accomplishment.

“An all-Black main-stage musical at Columbia isn’t something that I have seen in all my years being here, and the energy that we’ve cultivated between us as a cast has been really exciting and fulfilling,” said Kijani X. “It feels really good to see people that look just like me and have similar stories and understand things without feeling out of place.”

Sutherland said the community of the show helped her gain more assurance within herself.

“It’s so great to be part of a community that I, for so long, have felt like I didn’t feel enough in,” Sutherland said. “With this show I don’t have to feel Black enough anymore. Everybody accepts me for who I am, and they make me feel like I’m enough.”

Asatira X, a first-year film and television major, attended to support her brother, Kijani X. Asatira X had previously seen other productions of “The Color Purple” but enjoyed the energy that Columbia students brought to the show.

“I’ve seen other productions of ‘The Color Purple’ before, but I’m really enjoying the show so far,” Asatira X said. “I think it has a really great energy to it, and everyone’s really talented.”

Chevel Nelson traveled from New York to see her son, Jeremiah Nelson, junior musical theatre major, perform as part of the ensemble. She appreciated the way the actors’ personalities shined through in every performance.

“My favorite part is the individuality of everybody who’s performing, even though they’re an ensemble, they each perform as individuals and they’re all standing on their own,” Chevel Nelson said.

As a New Yorker, Chevel Nelson said she spends a lot of time on Broadway and felt that Columbia’s performance was at the same level. “I am a big Broadway goer, and I would pay Broadway prices to see this.”

“The Color Purple” runs through Saturday. Nov. 14 at the Getz Theatre Center. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

Additional reporting from Winter McManus

Copy edited by Isaac Russo

Four Chronicle staff members also won national recognition in the Pinnacle College Media Awards, earning two first-place and two second-place awards for breaking news story, general news photo, column and short doc.

The other top website award winners in the mid-sized division were Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

Winners were announced at the College Media Association and Associated Collegiate Press joint convention at Westin Kansas City at Crown Center this week.

Earlier this year, the Chronicle won first place for Best News Website at the College Media Association’s Spring 2026 Apple Awards and a first place general excellence award for web from the Illinois College Press Association.

Alumni Sydney Richardson and Vivian Richey, both 2026 journalism graduates, and Kate Julianne Larroder, a journalism and communication graduate, were editors-in-chief during the award period for the last academic year. 

“I think this accomplishment will be very empowering for past, present and future Chronicle staffers,” said Richardson, who is a research assistant at Chicago Magazine. “I hope this honor cements student journalists as a valuable asset that the college should be investing in.”

Richey, who is a freelance and student success coach with City Year, said she is proud of the legacy the Chronicle continues to build. 

“Winning second place is a testament to the dedication, creativity and hard work that all Chronicle staff have put into our coverage,” she said.

Sofía Oyarzún, a senior photojournalism major and marketing minor, won first place for her photograph of a protester being tackled by law enforcement officers outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview in November 2025.

The same photo won awards in the Spring 2026 National College Media Convention hosted by the College Media Association, as well as first place for news photography in February 2026 from the Illinois College Press Association.

“It is a privilege and a responsibility to tell a story like this one,” said Oyarzún, who is the Chronicle’s La Crónica editor this semester. “I’m so grateful for that opportunity, and even more grateful for the light this win brings to the voices and story I was fortunate enough to share. I’ll remember this experience for the rest of my career.”

Oyarzún was also a 2026 Peter Lisagor Award winner, one of the highest honors in Chicago journalism.

Eleanor Lusciatti, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s in photojournalism, won second place for a column about the climate movement leaving disabled people behind, which she wrote for the Chronicle’s 2026 “Sustainability Issue” when she was opinions editor. 

Michael Cortez, a 2026 audio arts alum, won second place for his short documentary about a Pilsen resident who feared leaving his home due to federal immigration enforcement in Chicago in Fall 2025 during Operation Midway Blitz. Cortez, who was a staff video journalist, also won first place for the documentary at the Illinois College Press Association awards earlier this year.

Cortez has continued to produce documentaries since graduation in collaboration with Carlos Alanis-Avila, the Chronicle’s director of photography and a film and television major. 

Emma Jolly, a 2026 journalism alum, won for her breaking news story about Columbia running out of on-campus housing for returning students in Spring 2026, which she wrote when deputy editor of the Chronicle. 

“I was really proud of that story and everything that I accomplished with that and everything that it did for the students and the community at Columbia,” Jolly said. “So I’m glad that that was submitted. But hearing that it actually won first place for breaking news was insane.

Jolly is now working as a food, health and culture reporter at The Times of Northwest Indiana. 

 “When I was interviewing for jobs, that was something that people really underestimated. They were like, ‘well, do you have any internship experience?’ And I would always say, ‘no, but I worked at the Chronicle,’ because to me, like that was the equivalent of being in a position that prepares you for a job like that,” Jolly said. 

Jackie Spinner, faculty advisor of the Chronicle and a professor in the School of Communication and Culture, said the awards were “extraordinary recognition.”

“I’m proud of our newsroom,” she said. “The students care deeply about the stories they tell and serve our campus community by holding institutions accountable. The awards reflect that.”

Ames Hawkins, dean of the School of Communication and Culture, said they were thrilled and in awe but not surprised by the awards.

“The work our students produce is of the highest caliber, absolutely on par with, and in many cases exceeding, all big name J-schools in the state, and even the country,” Hawkins, a professor, said in an email. 

Copy edited by Isaac Russo and Venus Tapang

Transcript:

0:05: My name is Levi Libson, and I’m the audio editor of the Columbia Chronicle. 

 0:08: Oh, and I’m Marc Balbarin, the deputy editor of the Columbia Chronicle. 

 0:12: And welcome back to the special edition of Chronversations. 

 0:15: Today we’re going to be going over some historic wins from Tuesday’s midterm race with some great coverage here at the Chronicle. 

 0:21: I was even covering it live down at WCRX, and so yeah, Marc, let’s get right into it. 

 0:27: Yeah, first off, Allison Montgomery from Alabama, she became

 0:31: the first openly transgender state legislator. Montgomery, who’s a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Phillip Rigsby in House District 25 in the Huntsville area. 

 0:42: Yeah, and in New Mexico we have Deb Haaland, the first Native American woman elected governor of a US state. 

 0:47: Haaland is a member of the Laguna Pueblo and previously served as President Joe Biden’s secretary of the interior and represented New Mexico in Congress. 

 0:58: Yeah, also we have Juliana Stratton of Illinois. I was actually at Juliana Stratton’s watch party. Yes, you were. Yes, I was, but yeah, no, she was the first Black woman elected to the US Senate (from Illinois) since Carol Moseley Braun, who won in 1992. 

 1:13: Stratton defeated Republican Don Tracy for the seat, which was vacated by Dick Durbin. 

 1:19: Her arrival alongside Senator Tammy Duckworth will make Illinois the first state represented by two women of color in the US Senate. 

 1:26: She’ll also be the sixth Black woman to serve in the Senate, and three will be serving at the same time, which is a historic first. 

 1:34: Yeah, I gotta ask you, dude, how was that watch party? 

 1:36: That watch party was amazing. 

 1:37: As soon as we saw it was one minute after ballots closed, Juliana Stratton was announced as the projected winner. 

 1:44: The whole 200-300 people at that watch party just erupted in cheers. 

 1:50: It was great to see. 

 1:51: Yeah. 

 1:52: I mean, I remember calling you and you’re like screaming over the phone. 

 1:55: You’re like, yeah, it’s amazing here, it’s crazy. 

 1:57: There was a lot going on, and then we have, I think it’s Keisha, Keisha, yeah, Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia, the first Black woman elected governor in US history. 

 2:07: And the former Atlanta mayor will also become the first Democrat elected governor of Georgia since 1998. 

 2:14: I think that’s, you know, just interesting. 

 2:16: There are a lot of like flips that happened in this midterm race, but especially the House, the House and the Senate are blue now, Democrats have control of Congress. 

 2:28: Yeah, interesting enough, Texas flipped blue. 

 2:31: That was crazy. 

 2:32: I was watching that and I was like this is insane. 

 2:35: Texas is typically not a fully red state, but a state they could rely on. 

 2:40: Republicans can rely on Texas as a red state, but them flipping blue, that was wow. 

 2:46: Yeah, it was a wild night, lots of historic moments. 

 2:50: We also have Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. 

 2:54: The former public health official won Michigan’s open Senate seat after Senator Gary Peters had retired. 

 3:00: Yeah, in addition to that, we also have Chris Pappas, from New Hampshire. 

 3:06: He’s the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate, and he won the open Senate seat. 

 3:12: We also have Gina Hinojosa of Texas, who was their first Latina governor. 

 3:18: She defeated the incumbent Republican Greg Abbott, which ended Republican control of the governor’s office dating to 1994. 

 3:26: From Ohio we have Amy Acton, the first woman elected governor of Ohio. 

 3:33: Acton, a physician and former state health director, defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. 

 3:39: Yeah, and then we have David Crowley from Wisconsin, who was their first Black governor. 

 3:44: He was previously the Milwaukee County executive and he won the race to succeed Governor Tony Evers. 

 3:49: Yeah, from Colorado we have Melat Kiros, the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress, and Colorado’s first Black woman to represent the state. 

 3:59: Woo, Gen Z. Woo, Gen Z, and this is one that’s special for me because I’m from Minnesota, of course it’s like I know, I know, I’m prideful in my Minnesota upbringing. 

 4:09: We have Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota who was the first

 4:11: Native American woman elected to the US Senate. 

 4:14: She is a member of the (White) Earth Band of the Ojibwe, another significant indigenous representation milestone that we, you know, encountered during these midterms. 

 4:22: Yeah, from Florida we have Byron Donalds, the first Black Republican elected governor in US history and the first Black person elected to statewide office in Florida. 

 4:32: Yeah. 

 4:33: And lastly on the list of stuff that we covered, we have Xavier Becerra of California, the first Latino elected governor of California since 1875. 

 4:42: His victory alongside Hinojosa’s in Texas means that two of the nation’s most populous states will now have Latino governors. 

 4:52: Yeah, this midterm, 2026 midterm was so influential and so historic. 

 4:57: There’s so many of these firsts and so many, and so much new representation in Congress that frankly 

 5:03: we need. It really feels like people’s voices are kind of getting heard this time around. 

 5:07: I know that, you know, over the last few years it’s been a concern. Actually, I mean decades, centuries, people have always had issues and we’ve always. We’ve always, yeah. Yeah, since the US has become a nation we’ve always fought for our own rights. 

 5:19: We’ve fought for having a voice. 

 5:21: I mean, what was our voice or what was our main saying during like the Revolutionary War?

 5:25: It’s like no taxation without representation is tyranny, and we keep fighting for our representation. 

 5:32: We do, we do. 

 5:33: And we get the privilege of experiencing it in the newsroom, which is just, you know. Well, you did. 

 5:39: I was a bit too busy at a watch party. 

 5:42: This guy complains too much. 

 5:43: I’m not complaining. 

 5:44: No, I was having fun. 

 5:45: Yeah, I actually, I was a little envious of you. 

 5:47: I wish I could have been there. 

 5:48: I wish I could have been in the newsroom hanging out with all my Chronicle friends, but at the same time, being at such a frankly historic watch party, watching, listening to Stratton speak. 

 6:01: It was amazing. 

 6:02: I mean, it seemed like you had a pretty great time, but that’s gonna wrap it up for us today. 

 6:06: Again, my name is Levi Libson, the audio editor of the Columbia Chronicle, and I’m Marc Balbarin, the deputy editor of the Columbia Chronicle, and we will see you all later. 

 6:15: Peace, peace, peace.