Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Godzilla 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Hey, now I can see stuff!

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 18, 2021

Based on the supremely successful film franchise that had just turned 60 at the time of its release, Gareth Edwards' Godzilla attempted to win back American audiences still sour from the previous installment. Armed with a huge budget, state-of-the-art special effects and -- oh yeah, a script -- this ambitious revival of the beloved Japanese icon made a pretty sizable impact back in 2014. Five years later, its sequel King of the Monsters was viewed as either a half-step backwards or a total bomb of epic proportions, depending on who you ask. So, with the theatrical and HBO Max debut of Godzilla vs. Kong looming later this month, now's as good a time as any to revisit Gareth Edwards' film with fresh eyes... which I mean quite literally. It's been given a makeover in 4K that changes the look and balance of many scenes considerably, with an end result more appealing that of Warner Bros.' earlier Blu-ray edition.

But first, a quick plot synopsis for the rookies. Fifteen years ago, two chrysalises are discovered by Project Monarch scientists Drs. Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins); as bad luck would have it, one of them is empty and a trail leads to the open ocean nearby. Meanwhile, Japan's Janjira nuclear power plant, by way of supervisor Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), detects unusual activity underground and he sends a team -- including his wife Sandra (Juliette Binoche) -- to investigate. Before long, disaster strikes and a full-on catastrophe befalls the plant and surrounding area as the Brodys' son Ford looks on in horror. Fast-forward to the present day, and adult Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has returned from military duty to his own wife Elle (Elizabeth Olsen) and son Sam (Carson Bolde). Ford has little contact with his estranged father, who's convinced that a cover-up ruined his life and career... but before long, it doesn't matter because the "unusual activity" returns. As anyone halfway familiar with the franchise can tell you, mysterious creatures and radiation rarely mix well... and within hours, all Hell breaks loose.

Despite a handful of glaring narrative shortcomings (most of which stem from the lack of more interesting human characters), Godzilla absolutely shines from a technical perspective and, in that respect, it'll sporadically knock your socks off as the chaos ensues. The end result of its creative team's efforts plays out like the polar opposite of an earlier Legendary Pictures film, Pacific Rim: while Guillermo del Toro's ambitious free-for-all buried its technical innovations in goofy, almost mind-numbingly stupid layers of story aimed at 12 year-olds, Godzilla takes slightly more serious source material and aims for a realistic, ground-level experience. Both miss the mark slightly for different reasons, but they're still loaded with eye candy and worth getting lost in for that reason alone. They've earned what I like to call a "popcorn pass": pretty fun and even more so with friends, but mainly because of their pure sensory power.

For a more enthusiastic take on the film, check out Martin Liebman's review of the 2014 Blu-ray. But as implied earlier, the main attraction of WB's new 4K edition of Godzilla isn't really the movie itself or even new extras -- it's a revamp of the A/V experience, which includes a brand-new HDR presentation and Dolby Atmos audio track.

Godzilla 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Whether you loved or loathed the picture quality of Warner Bros.' 2014 Blu-ray, one thing's for damn sure: Godzilla is an extremely dark film. Too dark, maybe. I obviously can't recall the theatrical experience with photographic clarity, but my gut feeling is that WB mishandled the grading on that earlier Blu-ray in a way that changed it for the worse. In hindsight, it looks like a grey filter was put over the whole thing. Even this cursory comparison between the Blu-ray and 3D editions reveals a noticeable difference in brightness and contrast levels during key scenes, and not in a way that favors the former. So, if nothing else, the promise of a different experience via 4K -- more due to re-grading and HDR enhancement than the 2K upscale -- was certainly enough to pique my interest this time around.

While certainly not a complete visual overhaul, Warner Bros.' new 2160p, HDR-enhanced transfer of Godzilla is an improved presentation of a film that isn't designed to look pretty. Bright colors, smooth shadow detail, impeccably-lit interiors: these visual elements are few and far between in Edwards' film, which instead favors earth-toned hues and prolonged stretches of almost total blackness. While this doesn't make it the most ideal candidate for 4K (especially since Godzilla sports a 2K digital intermediate, which technically makes this an upscale), once you see this disc it'll be hard to revisit the Blu-ray. Subtle refinements make a big difference here: elements like fire, explosions, and glowing eyes pop much more boldly against the darkest backgrounds, which are thankfully a little easier to see thanks to this 4K disc's better shadow detail and more refined black levels. (The "train attack" scene, for example, was so dark on the Blu-ray that it was difficult to follow everything.) The improved saturation during certain interior sequences -- such as the cave exploration by Dr. Ishirō Serizawa and his team, as well as the control room headed by Admiral William Stenz (David Strathairn) -- look more immediately impressive, while even less intense moments like a conversation between Joe Brody and his son Ford hold a more intimate warmth. Meanwhile, establishing shots in The Philippines, Tokyo, Janjira Nuclear Power Plant, San Francisco, and other locations reveal a greater level of image detail and depth, as do the countless wide shots revealing massive levels of destruction caused by Godzilla and his foes.

It's a heavier and more stable image overall, and one that makes Godzilla's biggest moments even bigger... but there are still a few shortcomings beyond its innate muddiness and those still too-dark moments that will, quite frankly, never look great. It's pretty obvious that mild amounts of sharpening and noise reduction were applied to certain scenes and shots, while stray compression-related issues could still be spotted along the way. Black crush, while thankfully kept to a minimum, still rears its ugly head at a few inopportune moments. (You can probably guess where.) But overall, this 4K disc still represents a fairly sizable upgrade over the 2014 Blu-ray... so if you felt that image was as good as it gets for Godzilla, ignore most or all of my nitpicks because this is a superior image in almost every department. Side-stepping the somewhat restrictive nature of a half-star ratings system, I'd give it a 4.25/5 overall.

Not surprisingly, the Blu-ray included in this package is a recycled 2014 disc, right down to the pre-menu commercials. That disc is also the sole source for this review's screenshots, or there would be more to show off.

Godzilla 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Despite its innate visual shortcomings, Godzilla has always flirted with audio greatness: the original 2014 Blu-ray sported an extremely impressive DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio mix that has nonetheless been refined even further on Warner Bros.' new* Dolby Atmos track (which, as always, automatically folds down to 7.1 or less depending on your receiver, albeit now repurposed in Dolby TrueHD format). For that reason, most of the glowing comments in Martin Liebman's linked Blu-ray review will suffice as a general description of what to expect here: a powerhouse presentation that will probably annoy your neighbors. But the additional immersion afforded by this terrific Atmos track does make a difference at times, from helicopter fly-bys to the absolutely enveloping train attack sequence and, of course, countless other moments of danger and destruction, during which the height channels create effective audio illusions that further draw you into Godzilla's world. Not surprisingly, LFE activity is ample during key moments, with distinct hits for every footstep, roar, and thunderous impact made by every toppled building. It's a dynamic and demo-worthy presentation in every sense of the word, and one that absolutely drips with immersive atmosphere during key moments.

Optional English (SDH) and foreign subtitles are offered during the main feature and extras.

* - Forum member PeterTHX has reminded me that Godzilla was equipped with a Dolby Atmos mix for select theatrical showings... so while it's not "new", this is the first time that mix has been made available on home video.

Godzilla 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in a dual-hubbed, eco-friendly keepcase with nifty new cover art, a matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy slip. Extras can be found on the included Blu-ray, which is identical to the 2014 release.

Godzilla 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gareth Edwards' Godzilla is a fitfully fun but frustrating film, one which offers thrills and suspense that are bogged down with mostly uninteresting human characters and pretty dull exposition. But it's a technical tour de force that's still more enjoyable than both the 1998 film and its recent follow-up, King of the Monsters (he says, damning with feint praise), and with the upcoming release of Godzilla vs. Kong, now's as good a time as any to revisit it. Warner Bros.' 4K edition offers an improved but not perfect 2160p transfer that easily beats the 2014 Blu-ray, along with a reference-quality Atmos track that finely polishes an already-great 7.1 mix. Established fans of the film will certainly appreciate the A/V tweaks that make this an easy recommendation. Newcomers, however, should try before they buy.