DVD Corner

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Double Feature Blu-ray Review

“Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II” and “Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla” are two of the weaker entries in the Godzilla franchise.

The “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II/Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Double Feature” Blu-ray is one the 4 new Blu-ray sets from Sony.Unfortunately, it’s also the weakest of the 4 discs.

In “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2,” the plot revolves around Godzilla trying to track down an egg that was taken by a scientist research team. As we learn later on, the egg contains Baby Godzilla and Godzilla naturally wants to reunite with him. To no surprise whatsoever, Godzilla is pissed off by this theft and will destroy anything in his quest to find the egg. Can 2 anti-Godzilla weapons (a ship called Garuda and a robotic machine known as Mechagodzilla) help combat Godzilla or is humanity screwed once again?

With a dumb plot, forgettable characters, an irritating Baby Godzilla, and the insufferable psychic subplot, there’s a lot to despise in “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.” Thankfully, the movie isn’t a complete waste as there are a few highlights that make the film tolerable. First and foremost, it’s nice to see Rodan again. Rodan, whose solo film is one of the finest Kaiju films ever made, has always been an underused giant monster and it’s nice to see him getting the spotlight once again. Secondly, the film does deliver in the action department. The big battle between Godzilla and a souped up Mechagodzilla is everything you’d hope it would be. It’s just too bad that fight isn’t accompanied by a better script.

I wish I could say “Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla” is better, but sadly it ranks as one of the worst in the series for me. This 1994 film juggles multiple storylines involving SpaceGodzilla (who was created from radiated Godzilla cells) traveling to Earth to wreak havoc, humans (namely the psychic Miki) developing Project T in an attempt to control Godzilla telepathically, Baby Godzilla, a robot called Moguera, SpaceGodzilla draining energy, and Godzilla facing off against SpaceGodzilla (naturally).

It’s clear from the first frame to the last frame that “Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla” is a lazy entry in the long running series. Instead of capitalizing on the potentially interesting concept of an evil Godzilla, witers Kanji Kashiwa and Hiroshi Kashiwabara squander the idea by stuffing the script with poor characters and plots (enough with the psychic stuff!) and an underwhelming showdown between the titular characters. SpaceGodzilla proves to be an ultimately yawn worthy villain because he feels so forced and not the least bit unique. Really, the only thing of interest for hardcore fans here would be the cameo of the Mothra twins.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p for both films. How do they look? The exteriors appear a bit fuzzy in ‘Mechagodzilla,’ but there’s certainly a lot of clarity and detail that was never present before. ‘SpaceGodzilla’ has an even sharper looking transfer. The darker scenes look surprisingly crisp here.

Audio Tracks: English and Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD MA for both films. How do they sound? These DTS tracks deliver speaker shaking Godzilla roars and wall shaking action. What more can a fan want? As far as the languages go, some fans will prefer the cheesy English dubs while others will want to stick with the original language Japanese tracks.

The only extras are Digital HD copies of both films, 3 teasers and a theatrical trailer for “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II,” and 2 teasers and a theatrical trailer for “Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.”

May 2, 2014 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2 Blu-ray Review, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Double Feature Blu-ray Review, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Blu-ray Review, Mothra Twins, Rodan