Godzilla 3D Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Godzilla 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

"You have no idea what's coming!"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 17, 2014

My colleague, Martin Liebman, covered the 2D release of Godzilla last week. I've included his movie review below. For my part, I'll be evaluating the 3D edition's AV presentation and touching on its special features.

Liebman writes: "When it comes to sheer volume of films and cultural infusion, precious few characters can claim a legacy as long, as storied, as cherished as the creature for which the Godzilla franchise is named. The numerous James Bond pictures certainly come to mind as another entrant for the short list of lengthy screen resumés, but suffice it to say Japan's favorite kaiju runs rampant in entertainment circles; just plug "Godzilla" into the Blu-ray.com movie search bar above and be amazed at the mass. With that in mind, could another Godzilla movie really bring anything new to the table? Can any new entry stand part from the crowded field, at least beyond the spotlight it enjoys with its release, withstanding the test of time and climbing the heap of Godzilla movie experiences to become something of a classic in its genre? Hollywood's 2014 take on the franchise has a few things going for it to nudge it in that direction. First, of course, are budget and year of production. A huge movie made for modern audiences with not a rubbery outfit or obvious miniature in sight, the film could potentially redefine the franchise well beyond the Americanized take on the monster as seen in Director Roland Emmerich's entertaining but largely unfaithful 1998 film of the same name. Next, it could embody the franchise's essence with a more accurate re-imagining of the classic Godzilla structure, only with, again, a more energized, modernized façade. Finally, with the marketing muscle of a major studio behind it, the film could re-introduce large swaths of audiences to one of the world's most beloved franchises that, for better or worse, may not be much more than a blip on Western radars due to "barriers" such as age and language. Yet it's that need to remain true to a core style that seems most important in any big Western take on one of the East's most cherished cinematic treasures. Does Godzilla, then, succeed through the noise and chaos?

Godzilla represents a not-so-classic case of "in with the old, in with the new." Director Gareth Edwards' (Monsters) film lovingly hearkens back to the core essence of the classic franchise films but does so on a bigger scale and with a more immersive style than ever before. The story dates back to the creature's rightful origins in the dawn of the nuclear age but largely brushes aside Japanese canon in favor of constructing a new, linear story from then to now. This is arguably the most hardcore Godzilla film in existence, not because of the massive destruction but because of the blend of graceful cinema and technological advancement that provides a truly franchise-defining sense of chaos and scale never before experienced in a Godzilla film. It's all of the classic sensibilities made exceptional by progress, resulting in a film that blends the classic Summer blockbuster style with a knowledgeable, passionate approach that commands the screen for every minute of its two-hour runtime.

The movie, then, is really everything the audience expects and, perhaps, a lot that it doesn't expect. If one's exposure to Godzilla comes from the 1998 American film, and maybe bits and pieces of the Japanese films on cable TV, viewers might be in for a shock considering the intimacy with which the film is made and the steadiness and scale and awe-inspiring visuals and serious tone that greet them, particularly throughout the mesmerizing second half of total chaos across the Pacific and the Western United States, all converging on the helpless San Francisco/Oakland bay area. This film leaves behind the fun and boisterous and moderately comedic Emmerich take (there are no overt jabs at film critics or obvious comic relief characters or any real moments of levity, for that matter) for a decidedly serious approach that's not just a matter of tone and pace but also of mood, photography, and visual effects. Even as the film wallows in a somewhat mediocre story that predictably centers on a family separated by disaster, it builds up a palpable intensity through the first half that absolutely explodes in the second, even if the action is often seen from "perspective" shots, such as through a school bus window, by way of a closing door, via the eyes of a parachutist, or back in the distance as monsters almost silently fight it out while other actions involving human characters play out in the foreground. The film's photography is its most startlingly wonderful asset. It pulls the audience in so deep -- even if the action is sometimes so far -- that the sense of intimate peril is never escaped until the credits run.

Indeed, the scope and scale of destruction is massive, but not implausibly massive. The film never shows chaos and destruction for the sake of throwing more action on the screen. Instead, it's all a natural progression from one moment to the next. The environment succumbs to the monsters' power very tangibly, very believably, bringing a whole new sense of chaos to the screen that even the best of the recent Disaster films have never quite before realized, not in 2012, not in Cloverfield, not in anything. The film does stumble over itself a few times with a somewhat overlong open that's crucial to the story but slows down considering the sense of inevitability that builds around it. The graceful action and destruction that does come makes the wait well worth it, even as the film further drowns around the edges with a dull lead character and predictable family separation events meant to add more drama to madness that stands well enough on its own. Still, despite a few hiccups, this is a tremendous film, one that's even better made than it is purely entertaining, and suffice it to say, it's a blast."

Godzilla 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Liebman declares Godzilla's 2D AVC-encoded video presentation a "perfect viewing experience," and I wholeheartedly agree. Though sometimes frustratingly dark, the image is evocative and cinematic, teasing, hiding and eventually revealing the big screen behemoths beautifully. I didn't detect anything in the way of issues or eyesores (minus some inherent crush, which is negligible) and came away thoroughly pleased with the results. Warner's 3D 1080p/MVC-encoded experience is no less proficient or impressive... at least objectively. There is the small problem of the film's bleak, dusty nighttime photography and occasionally impenetrable smoke and starless skies, which tend to take a toll on overall depth and dimensionality. It isn't exactly a distraction per se, but it does lead to a handful of somewhat underwhelming scenes (as far as the 3D is concerned anyway) that neither pop nor make as sizeable an impact as they're meant to. The fact that Godzilla wasn't shot in native 3D slightly exacerbates the 3D presentation's shortcomings too, even though Warner's post-conversion is quite accomplished and, in many sequences, more than effective. By contrast, morning, afternoon and generously lit shots are more striking -- a few are even breathtaking -- cityscapes are suitably enveloping (with convincingly towering buildings and monsters, and streets that retreat naturally into the background), forests and mountains spill toward the foreground, and the long, climactic battle between Godzilla and the MUTOs, at last showcased in all their beastly glory, rarely disappoints.

Better still, the 3D encode isn't prone to ghosting (for those whose displays are susceptible to crosstalk), other than in a few shots of the city (where skyscraper antenna and other extremely narrow structures prove problematic) and the railway bridge attack (in and around the forests surrounding the train and tracks). Aliasing doesn't invade the image either, and significant macroblocking, banding, ringing and other anomalies are nowhere to be found. Ultimately, the 3D experience may not boast the same pound for pound, ton for ton wow factor as its 2D counterpart, but that doesn't mean it's burdened by a lesser encode. Warner Bros. continues to honor both filmmaker intent and cinephile expectation with its releases, and Godzilla 3D is no exception.

Godzilla 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Eager to let the neighbors know it's Movie Night at the Jones's? Toss in Godzilla. Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track is a lossless beast of enormous power and proportion, and one that's surprisingly nuanced, nimble and precise as well. Roars are rightfully monstrous. Explosions rip through the already thunderous destruction. MUTO shrieks pierce the soundscape. And the eventual clash of the towering titans is designed to shake the floor, rattle the windows and, yes, clue anyone in the vicinity of your house into what you're watching. LFE output is hearty and booming, lending the featured creatures tremendous weight and presence. Up close, the military forces sound as if they'd be a match, but the moment Godzilla or the MUTOs stomp into view, the movie's sound design cleverly and enthusiastically tips the balance in favor of the monsters, dwarfing anything and everything the puny humans have to offer. Rear speaker activity is excellent too; disarmingly immersive in quieter scenes, with subtle environmental ambience and light directionality being used to terrific effect, and thoroughly enveloping when chaos erupts, using the same tools but with much greater urgency and aggression. All the while, dialogue remains perfectly intelligible and prioritized, without any buried lines or drowned voices. (At least none that aren't meant to be overwhelmed by the rest of the soundscape.) Like its video presentation, Godzilla's lossless track delivers the goods and then some, making short work of each scene and leaving little doubt that summer blockbuster Blu-rays don't sound much better than this.

Godzilla 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Godzilla: Force of Nature (HD, 19 minutes): Director Gareth Edwards and his cast and crew discuss the legacy of the Godzilla franchise and the challenges they faced in developing and delivering a new take on a familiar genre pic. This quickly becomes a rather extensive behind-the-scenes documentary. Had it been paired with an audio commentary and perhaps a sprawling feature-length documentary (think Prometheus) this might have been a must-see supplemental package. Instead, it's decent but short-lived and soon forgotten.
• A Whole New Level of Destruction (HD, 8 minutes): This follow-up featurette examines the art of building sets, prepping locations and designing digital environments that have no greater purpose than to be destroyed, and destroyed spectacularly.
• Into the Void: The HALO Jump (HD, 5 minutes): The film's finest, most effective and atmospheric scene, from pre-visualization to the incorporation of VFX and all the elements necessary to make several key shots as impactful and believable as possible.
• Ancient Enemy: The MUTOs (HD, 7 minutes): Designing Godzilla's lumbering, energy-blasting opponents, from their biology to their functionality, movement and incorporation into the final film.
• MONARCH: Declassified (HD, 15 minutes): Three in-universe videos round out the package: "Operation Lucky Dragon" (Monarch's earliest encounters with Godzilla), "The MUTO File" (the history of the MUTO creatures), and "The Godzilla Revelation" (a mockumentary produced after the events of the film).

Godzilla 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Godzilla definitely isn't for everyone. Martin Liebman loved it, Blu-ray.com columnist Josh Katz felt it lacked "worthwhile human protagonists" (among other things), and I felt it was one of the more disappointing flicks of the year. (No reason to spend an entire review trashing the film. I didn't really like any of it. Maybe Bryan Cranston, but he's only a bit player in a larger misfire.) Quite a spread of opinions. The forum is home to even more extreme takes on the film, from those still gushing over its style to those demanding its head on a spike. Fortunately, regardless of whether you love or loathe the movie, Warner's AV presentation is a crowd pleaser through and through. The Blu-ray edition's 3D experience isn't as jaw-dropping as its stunning 2D transfer, but it's no less proficient. Its DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track is fantastic; without flaw. And its supplemental package is the only real disappointment to be had, with little in the way of material that adds significant value to the disc. Bottom line? While a rental may be the wisest course of action when it comes to such a divisive blockbuster, anyone who enjoys Edwards' Godzilla will find their money has been well-spent on this Blu-ray.