Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II / Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II / Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 4, 2014

'Godzilla' mania! Sony has made available eight 'Godzilla' films in four separate two-pack Blu-ray releases, no doubt hoping to capitalize on the imminent release, and heightened public awareness, of the new 'Godzilla' film. This set contains 'Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II' and 'Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla.' Individual reviews, and additional screenshots, can be found here and here.

"Hi, Godzilla here for Blue-emu and Blu-ray."

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Score: 4.0/5.0

"If it bleeds, we can kill it." Maybe the Japanese should contract out Arnold Schwarzenegger to take care of the Godzilla problem, because whatever they're throwing at the flesh-and-blood monster just isn't working. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (no relation to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, 1974) sees the Japanese finally rid of the big green lizard -- or, at least, imminently rid of it, so they hope -- with the introduction of Mechagodzilla, a powerful robot expected to wipe the floor with the island nation's most dangerous menace. What could possibly go wrong? Win or lose, the battle is sure to be fierce and one that will leave parts of Japan in ruin. The film is all about killing Godzilla, well, except for all the extra stuff about reptilian telekinesis and whatnot. Still, it's one of the best of the bunch, a wildly exciting and fairly focused Godzilla film with most of the usual trimmings to complete a hugely satisfying package.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II quickly gets the ball rolling and only increases its momentum as it moves along. It begins simply in terms of plot structure, though, setting into motion a series of events by identifying a problem and presenting a solution, in this case a shift away from hope and a reliance on other organic beings and a pivot towards a more concrete -- perhaps better said wire and steel -- solution to the Godzilla problem. Certainly, the Japanese had already tried, and failed, to defeat the menace with technology, but it's been proven time and again that a barrage of missiles isn't enough to take the monster down, not permanently, anyway, so they've advanced technology to the point that it can play not only on Godzilla's turf but on his scale. They've constructed their own monster, under their own control, capable of withstanding Godzilla's most dangerous attacks and armed with enough firepower to instantly destroy pretty much anything on the planet. Of course, they didn't count on a number of complications, mostly in the form of Rodan and Baby Godzilla.

There comes a point in the film where it feels like the added angle of Rodan and the telekinetic Baby Godzilla might be a hindrance rather than a help. After all, the film starts epically strong in its reveal of the mechanized Godzilla -- its capabilities, its form, its function -- that anything that stands in the way of more battles between it and its organic namesake must be a negative. It's not so much that audiences will find the secondary storyline weak, just potentially distracting. There's enough going on for the Rodan and Baby Godzilla stories to headline their own film rather than usurp precious minutes from the epic clash between the organic and the inorganic. Fortunately, that's not the case. The filmmakers have worked the extra monsters into the plot both logically (as logically as an illogical series can) and without sacrificing the integrity of the story's lifeblood. Without them, the film offers an exciting exterior but dramatically flat interior. With them, it it finds a greater structural complexity, heightened emotional pull, and enough plot diversity to keep the movie feeling like there's more to it than an extended play session of a video game beat-'em-up.

That said, the best Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II has to offer is, well, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Even while there's not a whole lot of difference to the battles -- they're still a little clunky, play out like they're in some sort of slow motion, and are built on old school visual effects -- when compared to those from other films in the series from the same timeframe, the relative novelty of Mechagodzilla, all of the cool things Mechagodzilla (and Garuda) can do, and the blows it can take, make for more intensive combat that factors in a much more intimate human element than in many other Godzilla films. Indeed, humans pilot the mech and find themselves in the middle of the combat (it's not hard to see inspirations for Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim in almost every scene featuring, and revolving around, Mechagodzilla) and are therefore, obviously, in great and frequent peril, even more than many of the innocents who are always chased off during Godzilla's many rampages around Japan. It's the ultimate battle in many ways, pitting the best man currently has to offer against the best nature has to offer (though, admittedly, also made by man, and his release of radiation in specific) in a battle for bragging rights and, more importantly, the possibility for more installments in the future.

Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla
Score: 3.5/5.0

"We can only speculate that it's some sort of huge monster."

Well, duh. It's a Godzilla movie, and unless it's the miniaturized females known as "The Cosmos," there's nothing small to be found. Huge monsters define the series, huge battling monsters give it entertainment value, and huge entertainment value has made the series legend. This time, the mighty Godzilla must do battle with his likeness that was formed in space and born to destroy Earth. Once again, Japan finds itself in the crosshairs. Buildings will tumble, monsters will fall, and man will witness one of the most epic clashes since, well, the last clash when Godzilla battled man under the protection of highly advanced robotic technology.

Following the intense battle with Mechagodzilla and Rodan, Godzilla has retreated once again to the relative safety of the waters off coastal Japan. In the downtime, man has reworked his mechanical ally, learned from the previous battle, and introduced a more advanced robot, dubbed "MOGUERA" (Mobile Operation Godzilla Universal Expert Robot Aero-Type) that will certainly withstand the rigors of combat and emerge victorious. But that's not man's only option. There's hope that Godzilla may be destroyed with the help of a blood coagulant, delivered by a high-tech bullet that must be fired into the creature's only sensitive spot: the armpit. Additionally, there's an effort underway to control the monster through telepathy, with the help of advanced technology. Psychic Miki Saegusa (Megumi Odaka) is contacted by "The Cosmos" and informed that a new threat is approaching Earth: Spacegodzilla. The Cosmos warns that it's Spacegodzilla, not Godzilla, that must be destroyed. With the shift in focus, and with Godzilla's child captured by Spacegodzilla, the battle shifts to the city of Fukuoka from which Spacegodzilla draws its enormous power. It will require the combined efforts of Godzilla and MOGUERA to secure even a chance at defeating perhaps the deadliest foe yet.

Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla follows classic franchise formula, at least at the core level, showcasing battling monsters and a final act duel that's appropriately large in scope and special effects. It's a much lighter movie on its surface, however, demonstrating a high energy level and an almost frolicking pace. The picture packs in the situational humor, playful action, and comic relief in most every sequence. It's one of the series' most mindlessly fun entries. It manages to divert from the rather standard, through still relatively light, avenue of broad-stroke entertainment and find a levity that's absent, or at least not quite so prevalent, in previous entries. That may irritate core franchise fans, but through the exaggerated humor the film manages to maintain a hint of novelty even as it once again mostly goes through the motions for its chaotic monster action scenes, which are mostly interchangeable with those from other films considering the strict adherence to the same style of photography, visual effects, and scene structure.

What's more, the film manages to inject a bit more raw emotion into the proceedings, leaving behind mostly procedural stuff and finding some feeling in character interactions with one another, be they human or monster. Though there have always been at least a hint of something deeper in the films, either overtly or covertly, Godzilla vs, Spacegodzilla manages to engender a broader spectrum of feeling for the duration. There's a very real, though very simplistic, emotional conveyance from the monsters, notably in "Little Godzilla," that adds some weight and depth to the action beyond mostly mindless slaughter. The film series seems more dramatically effective when it embraces subtle contexts, but Godzilla vs, Spacegodzilla at least plays to the strengths in the directions it takes and constructs a largely satisfying experience that embraces action and places it in the forefront but that offers significantly more beyond the mayhem.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II / Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Score: 3.5/5.0

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II's 1080p transfer is about on par with those found in the set that contains both King Ghidorah and Mothra. Sony's high definition effort might be a touch dim and slightly uneven in places, but generally colors suffice insofar as they're well defined and mostly naturally presented, from Mechagodzilla's silvery covering and yellow eyes to Godzilla's lizard-like green skin. Fine object detail fails to unearth pinpoint, nitty gritty sort of textures, but the image does showcase solid clothing and facial features, not to mention imperfections on the Mechagodzilla exterior and the bumpy, leathery Godzilla skin. Black levels are fine, and flesh tones raise no alarms. The image features no major bouts of blockiness, ringing, or other maladies. It's a solid effort all around.

Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla
Score: 3.5/5.0

Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla features another good 1080p Sony transfer. The film can appear a little dim and drab in places, but on the other end of the spectrum it offers a fairly wide range of bold colors, particularly in the form of brightly colored clothing and dense jungle greens. Black levels don't waver too far one way or the other, though some of the later, darker battles look ever-so-slightly washed out. Detailing is quite good. The image isn't consistently razor-sharp and up to modern standards of excellence, but light grain helps to define a film-like picture that reveals crisp, accurate textures, from faces to clothes, from sands to cities, from creature skins to metallic robot coverings. The image suffers from the appearance of occasional examples of dirt and debris, though it's very light and mostly unobtrusive. Otherwise, the transfer is rather strong all around, a proficient, enjoyable experience in every regard.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II / Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Score: 3.5/5.0

Unlike the aforementioned King Ghidorah and Mothra releases, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II features a Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack (an English dub track in DTS-HD MA 2.0 is also included). The increase in range and spacing is most welcome. The track plays with a richer and fuller sense of sound placement and envelopment, still failing to find precision clarity and fine attention to detail but it at least more fully engages the listener throughout. Whether waves splashing through the stage, clicks and footfalls echoing through the listening area in one early moment, or other supportive sound effects, they all play with a greater organic sensation than the more cramped and jumbled 2.0 channel tracks from the previous entries. There's more definition and body to action effects, too, certainly still struggling to find that dazzling sort of heft and strength but the greater impact and stage presence comes most welcome. Even still, some of the action comes through as a bit uneven; Mechagodzilla's electric discharge attack heard in chapter seven lacks the punch and fullness of the combat leading up to it. Dialogue does enjoy a greater stamina and clarity here. The English dub track lags far behind. Dialogue is unevenly spaced, music remains shallow, and sound effects are puny. As always, it's best to stick with the original. English, English SDH, and French subtitle options are included.

Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla
Score: 4.0/5.0

Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla features a rather good and energetic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Sony's audio presentation lacks musical vigor and volume to start, but it picks up substantially after a rough opening. Generally, music enjoys effortless spacing and natural placement, supported by high-ranking clarity. Surrounds are used effectively and regularly, whether for light bursts of city atmospherics or in the creation of dynamic action effects when monsters blast and slam one another over extended periods of time. Godzilla shrieks and other higher pitched sound effects enjoy a more robust flavor and precision than heard in previous titles like vs. King Ghidorah and vs. Mothra. There's also a good punch and crispness to gunfire. Dialogue plays with good, effortless pronouncement and placement. The English dub track, also presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, doesn't lose much in translation. Dialogue isn't quite so shallow as it was in previous films. Music and sound effects remain more faithful, too, with the English track not losing much in the way of balance or heft along the way. Still, the original is the way to go. It's supported by optional English, English SDH, and French subtitles.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II / Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Score: 0.5/5.0

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II contains only the following trailers: Teaser 1 (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 0:39), Teaser 2 (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 0:38), Teaser 3 (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 1:07), and Theatrical Trailer (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 1:36).

Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla
Score: 0.5/5.0

Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla contains only the following teasers and trailers: Teaser 1 (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 0:32), Teaser 2 (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 0:32), and Theatrical Trailer (HD, Japanese DD 2.0, English subtitles, 1:36),

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II / Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While neither release contains much in the way of relevant bonus content, they do feature solid video and rather good audio. Recommended.