Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Godzilla Minus One roars on to the 4K UHD disc format. The international blockbuster will appeal to Godzilla fans the world over with impressive filmmaking and technical merits. A must-see for true Godzilla aficionados. Godzilla Minus One received a resounding 12 different nominations (more nominations than any other feature-film released in 2023) during the 47^th Japan Academy Film Prize (the Japanese Academy Awards). Godzilla Minus One was nominated for and won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects during the 96^th Academy Awards ceremony.

For more information on Godzilla Minus One and a full-length review, please refer to the following review:

Godzilla Minus One Blu-ray Review

Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Toho, Godzilla Minus One is presented in 2160p HEVC / H.265 in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The release is presented with a stunning native 4K UHD presentation. Godzilla Minus One was produced and shot on film using the high-end Sony CineAlta Venice, Zeiss Supreme Prime and Angenieux Optimo Ultra Lenses. The camera system resulted in breathtaking images of great visual fidelity. The video-source is of a 4K master format digital intermediate. The native 4K DCP has received a lush presentation capably highlighting the cinematography and breathtaking visuals.

One thing of interest is how strikingly clear and breathtaking the 4K UHD disc is and how much of an impact it had on the viewing of the feature- film. Godzilla Minus One features a high bit-rate of 69.80mbps on average, with some sequences garnering 100mbps. The video is stunning. The presentation soars leaps and bounds beyond streaming quality. The enormous video bit-rate, exceptional encoding, and attention to detail on the 100GB 4K UHD disc allows for a exceptional presentation quality.

Having seen Godzilla Minus One in the cinema, I viewed Godzilla Minus One on the largest and best screen possible with a XD 4K native theatrical screening. Usually, I find Cinemark XD 4K to be the ultimate in presentation quality for theatrical exhibition. Yet I find myself surprised by the great improvement in clarity of the 4K UHD disc of Godzilla Minus One. Godzilla Minus One looks quite stunning with this native 4K encode and is perhaps one of the best I have seen to date, with near flawless imagery. The special effects and spectacle of the visuals make this a reference-quality disc from a video perspective.

Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Dolby Atmos. The Japanese Dolby Atmos sound mix is presented with a 24 bit depth core from the lossless Dolby TrueHD sound mix (also present on the release and default for those not equipped with Atmos sound systems). The lossless, high-resolution Atmos audio on the presentation is incredible and a thing of beauty. The immersive and lossless soundstage adds an engaging, robust, and thrilling sound presence to the presentation. The score is crisp, detailed, and robust. The sound effects are robust and provide exhilarating detail with precise clarity. There is so much to appreciate with the sound design.

One interesting thing about the sound design, which was somewhat surprising, is the way the drama scenes are somewhat more reserved sounding than expected – these scenes are quieter and more reserved than a modern blockbuster usually allows. Yet the action sequences roar into high-gear, providing the robust immersive quality that audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts desire. The presentation soars with precise clarity and depth. The 24-bit audio allows for a lower noise-floor and deeper clarity. The soundtrack and score are impeccably reproduced. When played back with my high-end, bit-perfect audio gear, the sound was enormously immersive.

One interesting thing about Dolby Atmos on disc and Dolby Atmos on digital is the huge difference in sound quality. Streaming video services and digital to-own services tend to promote "Dolby Atmos" audio front-and-center as a major selling point on big blockbusters. The lack of full transparency in descriptions can lead to consumer confusion about the differences in Atmos playback. The Dolby Atmos presentations provided on disc are lossless, with the 24-bit depth core, and part of the TrueHD lossless encoding a staple of Blu-ray and the physical media format. Pop on a Atmos 4K UHD disc, and you'll get the high-resolution clarity of physical media.

On streaming services, such as Netflix and Apple TV+, the Dolby Atmos is presented at approximately CD quality at best audio – usually topping out around 600kbps – without lossless encoding. What's interesting is the variance in Atmos encoding on streaming services. The biggest blockbuster new releases tend to top out around 600kbps compared to several thousand kbps and true lossless Atmos on disc. Likewise, older catalog titles equipped with Atmos on streaming services (such as Pirates of the Caribbean) top out about 320kbps, mere MP3 quality Atmos encoding, compared to the several thousand kbps of UHD disc. There is some great assurance in owning a physical 4K UHD disc with Dolby Atmos audio, providing a more immersive experience with several thousand kbps higher bit-rates and true 24 bit depth encoding (compared to streaming platforms serving 16 bit quality Atmos).

The English subtitles on the release are excellent. The subtitles are well-done with good translations. The subtitles were easy to read and well- integrated on to the disc. (This might sound interesting to some, but disc-based subtitles are often vastly superior to streaming service subtitles, too – with numerous streaming services requiring a non-transparent background or only semi-transparent background underneath the subtitle files – which are usually a little less crisp looking, too). An unexpected advantage of physical media over streaming that I still find myself surprised by.

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

4K UHD disc supplements:

4K UHD –

Trailers:

Promo 1 (HD, 00:33)

Promo 2 (HD, 00:33)

Trailer (HD, 1:25)

IMAX PR Clip (HD, 1:33)

ScreenX PR Clip (HD, 00:45)

Toho Cinemas Movie Line Up (HD, 00:22)

Cinemileage Info Clip (HD, 00:23)

TV Spots:

No. 1 (HD, 00:18)

This Is Godzilla (HD, 00:18)

A Ray of Hope (HD, 00:18)

Worldwide Praise (HD, 00:18)

Live and Fight (HD, 00:18)

VS Godzilla (HD, 00:18)

6-Second Bumpers:

Koichi Shikishima/Ryunosuke Kamiki (HD, 00:09)

Noriko Oishi/Minami Hamabe (HD, 00:09)

Shiro Mizushima/Yuki Yamada (HD, 00:09)

Sosaku Tachibana/Munetaka Aoki (HD, 00:09)

Kenji Noda/Hidetaka Yoshioka (HD, 00:09)

Tatsuo Hotta/Miou Tanaka (HD, 00:09)

Sumiko Ota/Sakura Ando (HD, 00:09)

Seiji Akitsu/Kuranosuke Sasaki (HD, 00:09)

A (HD, 00:09)

B (HD, 00:09)

C (HD, 00:09)

It is nice to see such an impressive release with a nice roster of supplemental features provided to fans. Nonetheless, there are some nitpicks worth pointing out. Despite an extensive supplemental package provided, Toho has decided to make certain bonus features exclusive to other editions of the feature-film. The supplements are not all-inclusive and some other releases (both domestic and international) have other supplements missing from this edition. Take, for example, the Anime Limited release in the United Kingdom (which provides some extras subtitled and not present on the U.S. release and/or not subtitled on the Japanese release). The supplements were divided up with other editions – such as the "Watch Along Edition" with even more unique supplements. Likewise, the biggest omission, is Godzilla Minus One Minus Color (the black and white version of the presentation).

For more information about Godzilla Minus One 4K UHD supplements including extras on the bonus disc, please refer to the following review:

Godzilla Minus One 4K UHD Steelbook Review

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

Godzilla Minus One is an incredible achievement and a must-see for fans of the iconic Godzilla monster and legacy. The filmmaking surpassed audience expectations with a better-than-expected storyline and good performances by the ensemble cast. A well-made and entertaining blockbuster, Godzilla Minus One is an example of how one can have both a solid storyline and good action sequences.

The 4K UHD release provides a reference quality presentation. The release provides superb native 4K resolution video and a stunning Dolby Atmos sound mix in 24-bit high-resolution. The special edition comes with a bonus Blu-ray disc. Highly recommended.