Godzilla 2000 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Godzilla 2000 Blu-ray Movie Review

Godzilla for a new generation.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 5, 2014

Godzilla 2000 may be the opening salvo in the "Millennium" series, but that doesn't necessarily make it all that much different from the countless predecessors and "universe films" that span decades of filmed Kaiju entertainment. He's so big -- literally big, both in terms of sheer size and size of influence over the moviegoing public -- that he's even spawned a pair of Hollywood films, Roland Emmerich's 1998 go at the franchise and the recently released 2014 film directed by Gareth Edwards. Indeed, regardless of production year, director, side of the ocean, whatever the difference may be, and no matter any petty details (such as human characters) that might change from one to another, any Godzilla film boils down to one thing: a huge monster bringing chaos with every step, destruction with every blast of atomic breath, and plenty of science-y and schoolchildren human types in the way, there to keep the audience abreast of the goings-on throughout the course of the film but not usually serving much more of a greater purpose. Godzilla 2000 is certainly, then, more of the same, disavowing other films yes but ultimately delivering the goods audiences except from the franchise. All that's really left to ask, then, is how well it does in accomplishing that goal.

Face off.

Godzilla is back! When several members of team "Godzilla Prediction Unit" find themselves in the middle of one of the overgrown lizard's rampages and barely survive, it would seem things couldn't get any worse. Then, the Japanese scientific community unearths the impossible: a UFO that's been lost underseas for millennia. When they surface the craft, it eventually blasts off on its own power. Soon, it comes into combat with Godzilla. While the creature and ship battle, scientists scramble for an answer. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when the UFO absorbs Godzilla DNA and mutates first into its original form -- a being known as a "Millennian" -- and, soon thereafter, a terrible creature called "Orga" that may be the most powerful foe Godzilla has ever faced and the most dangerous enemy ever to step foot on Japanese soil.

Like most other Godzilla movies, this one specializes in destruction. While miniatures and moderately good-to-bland special effects abound, that core of rampaging monster action remains and never gets lost in any sort of hyper, overly stylized environment or backdrop. It's basic stuff but basic stuff that the filmmakers have down pretty well. None of the effects are so jarring as to knock the viewer out of the film; instead, they nicely support the movie's action sequences and reinforce the scope and scale of the combat and destruction. The "UFO," however, does favor a rather generic sleek "egg" shape that resembles the craft from Flight of the Navigator before it briefly morphs into something resembling the alien seen at the end of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Encounter at Farpoint" (great joy...and gratitude!) before making its final appearance as the one-off monster "Orga." The human characters, on the other hand, mostly serve as script fodder and story facilitators, there only to reinforce plot points or practically provide a play-by-play of the action. The acting, however, satisfies across the broader in the context of what the movie demands of its human stars.

Of note is that this Blu-ray release of Godzilla 2000 contains both the Japanese and American versions of the film. More than just a simple audio dub, which has served as the primary Westernized approach for previous entries, the film has undergone a few alterations along the way to Western shores, with some shortened scenes here, some deleted scenes there, and a dub track that gives the movie a slightly more playful, popcorn tone as opposed to the somewhat more serious presentation enjoyed in the original Japanese language soundtrack. The film works better with the original, longer cut (optional subtitles, of course, are included for those who want to enjoy the movie in its native tongue), no surprise, but it's nice to watch for the subtle differences between each version.

Godzilla 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Godzilla 2000's picture quality isn't going to redefine the Blu-ray experience. It satisfies, for the most part, but there's certainly nothing much to become excited about. The image is terribly flat, generally, featuring adequate details that never find that crispness of even the Mothra films that have been released to Blu-ray at the same time as this title. Black crush is evident, as is extra noise, light wobble, small compression issues, and minor aliasing. The print shows a few small nicks and pops, but it's otherwise mostly clean. Facial textures and background elements are rather bland, but creature hides and details in the eyes look good enough. Colors, likewise, are drab but satisfy in brighter shots. It's not an eye catching experience by any means, but fans should be satisfied with the baseline high definition experience.

Godzilla 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fortunately, ferociously aggressive audio saves Godzilla 2000's Blu-ray presentation. While it lacks the pinpoint definition of newer and bigger Action productions, Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks (both Japanese and English) enjoy big, spacious sound elements that bring the chaotic destruction to life. There's a solid heft and rumble to every action scene. Surround speakers are used extensively both in constructing the big action pieces and reinforcing environmental effects at the human level, whether light office backgrounds or heavier din when humans stampede away from the monsters. Godzilla screams are piercing in a "wake the neighbors" sort of way. Dialogue is firm and clear in both versions. It's an enjoyable presentation all around, regardless of which one viewers select.

Godzilla 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Godzilla 2000 contains a commentary, a behind-the-scenes piece, and a trailer. A UV digital copy code is included in the case.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Producer Michael Schlesinger, Editor Mike Mahoney, and Supervising Sound Editor Darren Paskal speak on the English version of the film. No audio commentary is included for the Japanese language version.
• Behind the Scenes (SD, window box, 2:15): A fly-on-the-wall look at the set during the making of a few shots.
• Original Trailer (HD, 1:17): A Japanese trailer with optional English subtitles.

Godzilla 2000 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Godzilla 2000 is an enjoyable, albeit somewhat repetitive, Godzilla entry that embodies what the series is all about: scientists and civilians observing battles and dodging destruction while Godzilla and some oversized foe, in this case a UFO that mutates into a hideous beast, battle it out for monster supremacy of Japan. The film proves just as entertaining as most of the rest, neither worlds better nor worlds worse than the average franchise film. This Blu-ray contains two versions -- the longer Japanese cut and the shorter English dub cut -- so it's almost like getting 1.5 movies for the price of one. Sony's Blu-ray provides decent video, aggressive audio, and a few extras. Recommended.