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When the winged menace of Rodan – long thought dead – returns to attack the innocent, who are you gonna call? Godzilla, that’s who! As long as you can guarantee that the mutated dinosaur is on your side. And when you can’t, you better hope to hell that you have MechaGodzilla armed to the teeth. Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla and its incredibly staged fight scenes is the Godzilla flick for the ages. Originally filmed in 1993, this sequel has enough creature vs creature mojo to still kick some major butt.

Striking first with a legacy of release, the Toho Company, Ltd – known around the world for their special effects bonanza of man-in-a-rubber-suit monster flicks – releases quite an impressive haul of Godzilla vs. titles for your blu-ray player this May. While some titles are better than others, there is no denying that Godzilla has returned to smash more than just box office records this summer as this is only Part One of their release plans. The second title in the line-up is the massively mechanized double feature of 1993’s Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla and 1994’s Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.

Godzilla, awoken by the sudden appearance of Rodan and the discovery of the baby Godzillasaur, returns to due some massive damage throughout Japan but the military is ready. They have created some gigantic armor they call MechaGodzilla and plan – through laser beams and missile strikes – to go after Godzilla and his second brain (located near his stomach). Oh, it is ridiculous but the action scenes – featuring some gnarly takedown moves from Godzilla and Rodan – are simply amazing. These two – along with MechaGodzilla – do some serious damage to Japan and each other, all in the name of protecting their offspring.

And in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, The Counter G-Group (formed to protect the world from the threat of an awoken and pissed off Godzilla) must contend with a threat from outer space, disturbing the sleep of the feared monster. Mothra, however, won’t let this extraterrestrial threat harm the planet without sending a message to Miki (Megumi Odaka), the only returning character in the series, to communicate the danger the planet is in is Godzilla, its sole protector, is harmed. The plot involves the Japanese Mafia, another machine to battle Godzilla, and the kidnapping of Baby Godzilla. It is also the first Toho movie to suggest that Godzilla has feelings.

Both films were successful in their native land and both have merits when compared to the rest of the monster movie genre. The battle scenes are epic but, at long last, we finally have confirmation of a heart beating inside the King of the Monsters. When Godzilla returns to the sea with baby in tow, I ask you who out there in land of B-movie monsters isn’t moved to tears?

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - May 6, 2014
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French
Audio: Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (2 BDs); UV digital copy; Digital copy
Region Encoding: A

Sony’s 1080p transfer isn’t perfect. There are obvious limitations to the picture as it isn’t nearly as crisp as it could be. I highly doubt a true restoration has occurred. There isn’t a lot of dirt or debris in the image but the film isn’t as clear as was expected. There’s a certain level of dinginess to some of the scenes and edges fluctuate between solid and murky. Please note that none of this is in anyway unwatchable. It is; however, slightly disappointing but – as this release is from Sony – the image is likely to be the best it ever will be. Colors are sometimes bright and other times a bit dull. Black levels are inconsistent but usually well-defined. Both films feature a native Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack that underwhelms more than it does dazzle.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• Nothing

Special Features:

• Trailers only.

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