Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Blu-ray Movie Review

Destroy Destoroyah.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 5, 2014

Note: 'Godzilla vs. Destoroyah' is currently only available as part of a two-pack with 'Godzilla vs. Megaguirus.'

"Godzilla dies." It was the news heard 'round the world, a proclamation that was front-and-center in promotional teasers, and represented, seemingly, the end of an era or, looking at it another way, an open door for further future opportunities. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah will certainly go down in history as one of the more important Godzilla films in a franchise practically bursting at the seams with unforgettable moments, unbelievable villains, unstoppable destruction, and unending chaos. The film also marks the end of the Heisei series of films, a grouping that carried the franchise through the first half of the 1990s (as well as 1984's The Return of Godzilla), including, from that decade, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, and Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla.

Chill.

"Birth Island," home to "Little Godzilla" and one of the key locations from Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla, is gone, destroyed by a dangerous fission reaction. That reaction has further irradiated Godzilla, turning him red and making him more dangerous than ever. Scientists, including a young upstart college student and Godzilla expert named Kenichi Yamane (Yasufumi Hayashi), believe that Godzilla will ultimately suffer nuclear meltdown and bring mass destruction to the entire globe. Meanwhile, Psychic Miki Saegusa (Megumi Odaka) searches for Little Godzilla. Scientists hope to slow Godzilla's meltdown by re-introducing the "Oxygen Destroyer," the same device used against the monster decades ago (as seen in the original film). Unfortunately, use of the device proves disastrous, giving birth to a new, deadly, unstoppable species.

Talk about a radical change of pace. Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla took the series in a different tonal direction, incorporating a good bit of levity into the proceedings and, while maintaining the core Godzilla principles and franchise characteristics, engaged the audience from different perspectives and to mostly enjoyable result. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah proves an even more radical change of pace, this time in the oppose direction. This is a beautifully dark, serious, somber film, one constructed of a relentless pace, no fluff, and an edginess and grit that only adds to the darkness and dire consequences on which the story is built. The film captures an essential drama behind the chaos, too, proving to be much more than toppled buildings and combat on a massive scale. It's also a story of closure and feeling, of endings and new beginnings, of both physical and emotional pain. The film folds quite a bit of material into itself, making it one of the series' most focused and purposeful entrants.

The picture's tonal bleakness, high stakes, edge-of-seat thrills, and absence of humor don't lessen the core Godzilla entertainment value. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah features some of the most robust action the series has ever seen, including a middle stretch that's more about man versus monster than it is monster versus monster. There's a rather lengthy Aliens-inspired segment and several moments of danger when characters are placed directly in harm's way, engaged on the ground with the monsters and not viewing the action from afar, as is frequently the case. More, the picture finds greater urgency by ramping up the consequences of failure for stopping Godzilla, moving well beyond basic destruction and finding a significantly more grave and deadly outcome should man not prevail. In Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, man resorts to the ultimate emotional manipulation to set up a confrontation between Godzilla and Destoroyah, rationalizing certain sacrifices in the name of preventing a catastrophe greater than any the world has seen before. It's the moral quagmires and explored feelings and consequences that help elevate the film above most others in the series, and the result is a tight, focused effort that's equally balanced between drama and destruction.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah's 1080p transfer falls in-line with all of the accompanying Sony Godzilla releases. It's well-defined and filmic, a touch drab and not detailed to the point of replicating real life but certainly a solid all-around visual effort. Though the image features light title wobble and is occasionally peppered with minor occurrences of debris and slightly spiky grain, it offers an otherwise stable watch. Details are satisfying, from basic clothing and facial features to well-pronounced textures on rubbery monsters. City shots show solid clarity, with well-defined signage and building textures. Colors are satisfying in brighter scenes and mostly well balanced in darker scenes. Those same multicored city signs stand apart nicely from darker nighttime backdrops, while clothing and Godzilla's pulsating red flesh offer nice spurts of brighter hues. Black levels are rather deep, favoring light crush at times but generally remaining inky and satisfying. Flesh tones offer no faults worthy of complaint. All in all, this is a good effort from Sony.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While both of the older Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla featured DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtracks, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah goes back to the Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and Godzilla vs. Mothra specs with its Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. Though it obviously lacks the range and immersion capabilities enjoyed by the 5.1 tracks, this one is no slouch, though it's no sonic wonder, either. Music never falls flat and enjoys a good sense of front-side spacing and body, featuring well pronounced lows and weight. Rumbling aircraft and a deep boat horn play with solid presence, but gunfire and explosions range for passable to puny; there's almost no presence at all to an explosion from chapter 13. Dialogue is firm though not quite commanding. The included English dub doesn't fare significantly worse. It features just about the same characteristics as its Japanese counterpart in terms of power and stage presence with regard to action effects and music. Dialogue, too, plays rather evenly, unlike the older, sloppier two-channel tracks from previous films. As usual, English, English SDH, and French subtitle options are included.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah contains only a few teasers and trailers: Teaser 1 (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 0:42), Teaser 2 (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 1:02), and Theatrical Trailer (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 1:37).

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah plays in stark contrast to its predecessor, the humorous and oftentimes frivolous Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is a beautifully dark and sometimes even bleak film, defined by large action scenes but solidified by a real sense of urgency, chaos, and fear. The tone suits the franchise beautifully and the film makes for a wonderful, graceful way out for the fan-favorite Heisei series. Sony's Blu-ray release of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah delivers rock-solid video, decent two-channel lossless audio, and a few trailers. Recommended.