Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. Blu-ray Movie Review

Save Our Series.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 6, 2014

Note: 'Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.' is currently only available as part of a two-pack with 'Godzilla: Final Wars.'

Honestly, the Godzilla series has never really been about all that much more than rough-and-tumble monsters duking it out in and around Japan (well, discounting the Western film's geography, anyway). Yet there's always been at least some feeling, some purpose, some tangible side element meant to frame the action and provide, at the very least, a modicum of context beyond the monster chaos. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., on the other hand, almost completely disregards story and structure, characterization and emotion in favor of mindless mayhem with only the most basic story-advancing plot elements to allow for some "logical" progression towards the end battle. The movie is very much a Western-inspired one, in that regard, favoring big action and speed rather than depth and meaning. Of course, some viewers might find that a positive, and that's a justifiable position to take given that Godzilla is a series with its roots in the fantastical. Still, the best films in the series, subjectively speaking, blend punches and purpose with, if not grace, at the very least some sort of dramatic context to keep the audience interested and engaged beyond what amounts to rather repetitive monster battles.

This water's cold!

Godzilla is rising from the ocean floor. Mechagodzilla is undergoing repair and getting an upgrade. Two Japanese fighter jets engage Mothra. It appears another showdown is about to commence between three of the most powerful entities in the world. Yoshi (Noboru Kaneko) is into fighter planes and technology. His uncle Dr. Shin'ichi Chûjô (Hiroshi Koizumi) holds in his possession the secret to contacting Mothra. He and his grandson Shun (Kenta Suga) are soon greeted by The Shobijin (The Cosmos) who come with a dire warning: return Godzilla's "bones" to the sea and rely on Mothra for protection alone. What comes next could have consequences well beyond the immediate for Godzilla, Mothra, and all of Japan's inhabitants.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. is all about size. A large scope, huge action, and sweeping generalizations rule the day. The movie is big, fairly dumb, and relentless. The picture is made up of almost nothing more than monster battles and a few minutes of context for bringing the monsters together, namely the return of Mothra and the repair of Mechagodzilla. The dramatic angles are negligible, conveying little feeling on the way to the various confrontations that dominate the film's runtime. The final battle is particularly long and detailed, no doubt an Action fan's delight but still lacking anything to truly separate it from the literally dozens of other films in the series that culminate in a similar affair. What exists beyond the action feels cliché and built on forced emotions rather than tangible contextual elements. The human characters are particularly shallow, most of them one-track-mind sorts who serve only to advance the plot to the next battle rather than inject it with relatable feeling.

Action specifics offer nothing particularly unique. The monsters look terribly fake in the film, particularly Mothra, who looks like little more than a flying shag carpet. On the plus side, miniatures are a touch more detailed and realistic than the abysmal models seen in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. The basic monster movements, maneuvers, and mechanics all operate as expected, as do most of the various battle techniques, from Godzilla's atomic breath beam to the larvae's spitting web attacks. Technically, the film is rather slick, not polished, certainly, but capable of juggling the fast pace and massive monster battles with commendable attention to detail and flow. Make no mistake, it's all quite exciting on the surface; it's just a question of whether audiences will find the movie satisfying beyond the very base series requirements of monster-on-monster-on-mechamonster mayhem.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. arrives on Blu-ray with a fair but somewhat flat 1080p transfer. It's a touch soft throughout and finds only moderately well defined details across the board. Don't expect much in the way of precision intricacy and lifelike accuracy from clothes, skin, furniture, or creatures. Mothra's fur coating, for example, doesn't reveal its details at the micro level but shows just enough in broader shots to get a good feel for its coating. Likewise, the Godzilla and Mechagodzilla suits don't show off much in the way of fine close-up textures. Colors are a little drab but serviceable, from brighter clothes to Mechagodzilla's yellow eyes. Skin textures appear mostly natural. Black crush is evident in places, as is some ringing, and minor title wobble is apparent. The picture's grain structure is rather flat. This is easily amongst the least attractive of the Sony Godzilla releases.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. explodes onto Blu-ray with an aggressive Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It plays in a big stage, offering quality spacing and engaging surround support. Musical clarity ranks highly throughout the range, and the low end adds some defining heft. Action sound effects rule the day and dominate the track. Fighter jets zoom around, explosions hit hard, and crashes are felt and not simply heard. It's potent and big almost to the point of over-engineering, but it makes for a fun soundtrack that's the perfect compliment to the movie's equally big action pieces. Dialogue plays naturally and smoothly from the center. The English dub, also presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, doesn't fall too far behind. While there's a touch more clarity and definition to the Japanese track's music and effects, this one proves just as potent and aggressive. Dialogue is also rather clean and well-defined. Listeners who wish to forego the original track won't feel left out of the fun with the English option. Audiences who choose the Japanese track may select between optional English, English SDH, and French subtitle options, should they be necessary.

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. contains a making-of feature and a trailer.

• The Making of Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (SD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 21:48): A classic "fly on the wall" supplement that intercuts raw on-set making-of footage with final film elements.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 0:35).

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. is sure to satisfy one's basic craving for huge monster-on-monster action, but viewers in search of something other than combat should look elsewhere. The film satisfies basic franchise needs with its relentlessly paced action but never finds a dramatic counterbalance to keep said action from overwhelming the experience. This isn't a bad place to start for newcomers who just want to get a feel for how the series works in terms of its big battles (particularly considering it includes two of the most famous monsters not named "Godzilla"), but series veterans will be left pining for a more thorough support structure. Sony's Blu-ray release of Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. delivers passable video, aggressive audio, and a making-of supplement. Rent it.