Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Godzilla Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 26, 2011

Ishiro Honda's "Godzilla" (1954) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include Terry O. Morse's reworking of the original film, "Godzilla, King of the Monsters!" (1956); theatrical trailers; brand new video interviews with cast and crew members; video interview with Japanese cinema expert and film critic Tadao Sato; audio essay by historian Gregory M. Pflugfelder; featurettes; two audio commentaries by critic David Kalat; and more. The disc also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. Region-A "locked".

Unstoppable

The story is legendary. After some nuclear testing, a giant monster, called Godzilla, emerges from the depths of the sea and heads towards Tokyo. The Japanese government sends the army to stop it, but it quickly becomes clear that it does not have the proper resources to do so. With panic quickly taking hold in the minds of the Japanese people, Dr. Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata, Zero Pilot, The Imperial Navy) reveals that he has built a powerful new weapon, the “Oxygen Destroyer”, which could be used to destroy the monster. But respected paleontologist Kyohei Yamane (Takashi Shimura, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo) urges the government to form a research team and study the monster first before destroying it.

Japanese director Ishiro Honda’s iconic film Godzilla is undoubtedly a product of its time. Completed only nine years after the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it embodies the fears of a country seriously concerned with nuclear experimentation. It is slow and moody, at times more depressing than exciting, looking terribly dated. Sadly, its message remains relevant today.

There is a fascinating sequence early into Godzilla where the paleontologist speculates where the monster might have come from and why. Immediately after his report, high-ranking politicians begin arguing whether the information should be made public. Some believe that the Japanese people should be kept in the dark to avoid panic and preserve the economy; others believe that the information from the report should be released immediately. This specific debate appears awfully similar to the one Japanese politicians apparently had earlier this year after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

However, the tone of Godzilla is not preachy. Rather, it is respectful and sensible. The various arguments and warnings heard after the monster's arrival make sense because they are grounded in reality, urging the viewer to consider the difficult dilemmas a serious nuclear disaster could create. Naturally, the real monster that emerges is not the seemingly indestructible Godzilla, but fear.

In 1956, two years after Godzilla premiered in Japan, an American adaptation titled Godzilla, King of the Monsters! was completed. Co-directed and edited by Terry O. Morse and starring Raymond Burr as a reporter on his way to Egypt who gets stuck in Tokyo when the monster appears, the American adaptation combines a large amount of footage from the Japanese film with new material which alters the original order of events. It begins after the monster’s second attack on Tokyo, and thus omits the linear structure of the Japanese film. Also, it omits all the important scenes that condemn the nuclear experimentations. Unsurprisingly, Godzilla and Godzilla, King of the Monsters! are two very different films. The former is a dated but socially conscious film with a meaningful message. The latter is a lighter and less ambitious film meant to entertain rather than raise awareness and spark debates.

Godzilla was lensed by acclaimed Japanese cinematographer Masao Tamai, who contributed to various films directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, Hiroshi Inagaki, and Kon Ichiakawa. Tamai’s most prolific work, however, was with Mikio Naruse (Meshi, The Thunder of the Mountain, When A Woman Ascends The Stairs). The special effects in Godzilla were directed and overseen by Eiji Tsuburaya. In 1954, the film won Best Special Effects Award at the Japanese Academy Awards.

Godzilla Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ishiro Honda's Godzilla arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

Criterion's presentation of this classic Japanese film is leaps and bounds ahead of Classic Media's presentation (see review here). Not only are detail and clarity dramatically improved, but there are entire sequences where it literally feels as if a filter of some sort has been removed - the effect is most obvious during the nighttime sequences, even though Criterion's high-definition transfer is notably darker than the one used by Screen Media (compare screenshots #5 and 7 with screenshots #1 and 3 from our review of Classic Media's Blu-ray release). Furthermore, contrast levels have been carefully elevated and colors rebalanced, while brightness levels have been toned down. Some careful noise corrections have been performed, but the fine grain has been retained (the Classic Media transfer has been severely degrained and as a result an enormous amount of detail has been lost). Various stabilizations have been performed as well, and when Godzilla enters Tokyo it is very easy to appreciate them. This being said, small scratches and damage marks still remain, but these are inherited source limitations that obviously could not be addressed without affecting the integrity of the image. All in all, Criterion's presentation of Godzilla is enormously satisfying, and I feel comfortable speculating that it will be considered the definitive presentation of the film for years to come.

Also included on this Blu-ray disc is Terry O. Morse's Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. I don't currently have a copy of this film in my library to do some direct comparisons, but I highly doubt that there is a DVD release which comes close to matching the quality of Criterion's Blu-ray release. Detail, clarity and especially color reproduction are quite impressive. When projected, the film also conveys very pleasing depth. Additionally, when compared to Godzilla there appear to be far less damage marks and scratches.

Screenshots #1-19 are from Godzilla. Screenshots #20-29 are from Godzilla, King of the Monsters!.

(Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Godzilla Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Japanese LPCM 1.0, for Godzilla, and English LPCM 1.0, for Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English subtitles for both films.

I have a feeling that a lot of people, and especially those who know Godzilla well and have owned it on DVD, will be genuinely surprised with the quality of the Japanese LPCM 1.0 track. The opening credits with that heavy thumping followed by Godzilla's roar have certainly never sounded this lush and well rounded before; on DVD, the audio has always been a mixed bag, compromised by various stability issues, distortions, and weak dynamics. In the beginning of chapter 3, for instance, the clarinet and the violins are extremely easy to identify, while the dialog is completely free of background hiss. It is clear that additional stabilizations have also been performed to ensure that the dynamic progressions in Akira Ifukube's legendary music score are as effective as possible. The English LPCM 1.0 track from Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is equally pleasing. The dialog is clean, stable, and very easy to follow.

Godzilla Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Godzilla. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080i).

• Commentary - a new audio commentary by critic David Kalat, author of A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series. The commentary is informative, but admittedly too emotional and ultimately quite difficult to endure. The structural analysis and the examination of the socio-political conditions Godzilla represents, however, are very good.

• Cast and Crew - four interviews with cast and crew members recalling and discussing their contribution to Ishiro Honda's Godzilla. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles.


• Akira Takarada (actor). Recorded in 2011. (13 min, 1080i).
• Haruo Nakajima (actor). Recorded in 2011. (10 min, 1080i).
• Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai (effects technicians). Recorded in 2011. (31 min, 1080i).
• Akira Ifukube (composer). (51 min, 1080i).

• Photographic Effects - a short featurette focusing on some of the unique visual tricks in Godzilla. Introduced by effects director Koichi Kawakita and SFX cameraman Motoyoshi Tomioka. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (10 min, 1080i).

• Tadao Sato - in this video interview, Japanese cinema expert and film critic Tadao Sato discusses Godzilla, its production history, and cultural significance. The interview was conducted in 2011. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (15 min, 1080i).

• The Unluckiest Dragon - a 2011 illustrated audio essay, featuring historian Gregory M. Pflugfelder of Columbia University, discussing the tragic fate of the fishing vessel Daigo fukuryu maru (Lucky Dragon No. 5), a real-life event that inspired Godzilla. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).

• Godzilla, King of the Monsters! - the 1956 feature film codirected and edited by Terry O. Morse. In English and Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (81 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - a new audio commentary by critic David Kalat. The audio commentary was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2011.

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman, as well as technical credits.

Godzilla Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fans of Japanese director Ishiro Honda's hugely influential Godzilla will be enormously pleased with Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release. In terms of quality, it is leaps and bounds ahead of all previous commercial releases of the film, including Classic Media's recent Blu-ray release. In addition to a wealth of brand new supplemental features, Criterion have included Terry O. Morse's Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.