Two years after Godzilla flattened Ginza, Japan is still picking up the pieces. Then the sky starts crackling with gold.

“Godzilla Minus Zero” picks up in 1949, and writer-director Takashi Yamazaki opens with a jaw-dropper: a monster from the heavens tearing through Matsumoto. This is King Ghidorah like you’ve never seen him. It’s the beginning of the legend. He starts as a single-headed, scaled beast from space that spits lightning, then grows into the full, three-headed King Ghidorah we all know and fear. It’s an origin story for Godzilla’s greatest rival, and kaiju fans will go nuts watching Yamazaki build the monster from the ground up. When Ghidorah is in the air, he moves like a bird of prey. When he hits the ground, the whole city feels it.

Even the title is a wink. “Minus One” was about a Japan that war had reduced to zero, then Godzilla pushed into the negative. “Minus Zero” keeps that idea going, a nation still trying to climb out from below zero. It’s also a nod to the old fans: back in 1965, Ghidorah’s code name was “Monster Zero.”

And the payoff? Amazing. Everything Yamazaki sets up comes crashing together in a final act built for the biggest screen you can find.

Visually, this is a stunner. Yamazaki won the Oscar for the visual effects on “Godzilla Minus One,” and here he tops himself. The cinematography is gorgeous and epic, and it was made for IMAX. Then there’s the sound. It’s immersive. Every roar, every crackle of lightning, every footstep rumbles through your seat. You don’t just watch this movie, you’re in it.

My one complaint: it lumbers a bit. It’s a slow burn, especially in the first stretch, as the film rebuilds the Shikishima family. Kōichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki), Noriko (Minami Hamabe) and little Akiko, the orphan they took in during the first film, are trying to live a quiet life. The family drama matters, and Noriko’s mysterious bond with Godzilla pays off in a big way. Still, you’ll feel the wait before the kaiju throwdown.

But oh, when it delivers, it DELIVERS. “Godzilla Minus Zero” is a great continuation of the stellar “Godzilla Minus One.” The King of the Monsters finally has a rival worthy of him.

Manny’s Rating: 3.5 out of 4 Kisses 💋💋💋½ Mwah!