Oscars 2024 Review: 10 Ups & 6 Downs
4. The Godzilla Franchise Wins Its First Oscar
Another hugely pleasant surprise was Godzilla Minus One's Best Visual Effects win, triumphant over widely expected winner The Creator.
This marked the first ever Oscar win for the Godzilla franchise in its 70-year history, and it's also the first Japanese film to win the Visual Effects Oscar.
Moreover, it was a notable win given that Godzilla Minus One was produced for an estimated $10-12 million budget - a mere fraction of its nominated competition.
As when the $15 million Ex Machina beat out Star Wars: The Force Awakens to win the award in 2016, it's always neat to see a scrappy underdog pull off a win in a category that's typically dominated by splashy, mega-budget blockbusters.
And of course, seeing the Godzilla VFX team take to the stage with Godzilla figurines in hand was just delightful.